30 Days of Get Your Art On - 9.20.11 (Raphaella Vaisseau Day 2)

Today is Day 2 of creating art for 30 minutes a day for 30 days (Get Your Art On). I'm using the same rules Traci Bunkers listed when she originated this project:

• I’ll make art every day for 30 days and post what I have done.
• I don’t have to finish what ever I’m working on that day, I just have to work on something.
• I have to work for 30 minutes, but can work longer if time permits. 
• It doesn’t matter what I do for the art making, as long as I work on art.
• I won’t feel guilty for taking the time to work on art and I won’t have to justify why I’m doing it.
• I don’t have to go into detail in my post about how I did anything or what tools, materials I used (unless I want to).

Years ago I made a similar commitment to myself when I agreed to write for publication for 60 minutes a day for 30 days. I wrote up a contract with myself, signed it, and did it. The distinction "for publication" was intentional so that in this hour I would work only on projects I planned to submit to publishers. Stream of consciousness writing or journaling did not count toward my 60 minutes. It was powerful. By the end of those 30 days I had redefined myself as a writer. I enjoyed doing it, I felt transformed in the process, and I loved keeping my word to myself.

In these 30 Days of Get Your Art On I have an inner distinction as well. I plan to use these 30 minutes a day for creating art outside of my normal activities as an artist in my company, Heartful Art. Integrity will be my guide.

As you can see in the picture, today's project is unfinished. It's a work in progress. I believe it is the beginning of a grid abstract, of which I've done many. (See some of them here.) I never know what direction my art will take me as I layer the paint, since I like to paint from my heart rather than from my head. I've never before photographed (or shared!) a project at this early stage of creation. It will be interesting to see how this painting births itself and how I feel about the transparency of the process. For now, it is good.
-Raphaella Vaisseau 

Raphaella Vaisseau joined the Creative Challenge of Traci Bunkers 30 Days of Get Your Art On - 9.19.11 (RV Day 1)

One thing leads to another. Never has that been more true than now with the internet. From the ACEO Etsy Street Team blog's latest post, I clicked on Ayala Art's link to see her little painting in her Etsy shop and explore her creations, thinking I might add an ACEO to my growing collection of originals.

From there I clicked over to Ayala's blog where I noticed the title of today's post as "my 17th day of 30" - which totally got me curious. I looked around the blog and saw a button for "30 Days of Get Your Art On - tracibunkers.com" - which I clicked on right away.

Voila! Enter the magical world of Traci Bunkers. So intrigued was I that 30 minutes later I was still roaming around in her site, amazed by her artistic expression and technical savvy. I wanted to play along with her and the other artists who are in the game. I signed up, put her button on my blog, and committed to 30 min/day for 30 days of creating art and posting it here. Then I got to work creating.

Here's the result of my Day 1: "Flower Magic" a 4x6 original watercolor painting matted in an 8x10 double mat (porcelain blue core over magenta). I felt the presence of faeries as I painted, and enjoyed the swirls, ease, and flow of the petals and leaves.

It feels so good to just create. To paint. To be a part of an artistic challenge. To give myself the gift of art.

-Raphaella Vaisseau