30 Paintings in 30 Day's Collage

30 Paintings in 30 Days 2015 

by Renee Brennan

Thanks to the host of this challenge, Leslie Saeta.
What I have taken away from doing this is:

I went way outside my comfort zone with painting cats & dogs.
Marbles are still crazy fun to paint.
Not every painting will come out as intended and that's o.k.
Setting up an online Etsy Shop was a rewarding goal.
I prefer short blog posts for myself.

Thanks all who viewed, commented, liked on FB and purchased!!

Day 30 - "Spilled"

"Spilled"  18x18 Oil

by Renee Brennan

Available for purchase

Day 30 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge is..

Done!

Finito!

Check it off the list!

Whoohoo!

If any of you know me then you would know that I love painting marbles!

A secret be told is that the actual marble is the easier to paint than the background and shadows.  Shadows are hard!!  The jar drove me crazy but I still have all my marbles don't worry :)

Thank you all who followed along giving me encouragement 

and even made purchases on my new Etsy Shop!! 

Thank you for hosting Leslie Saeta!

Please visit her site.  This lady is a wealth of art info including Artist's Helping Artists on Blog Talk Radio (she hosts). There are several weekly topics that can be listened to as a podcast.  Leslie does workshops, online and offline...not sure where she finds the time for it all but she does... AND she creates beautiful art!

Day 29 - TBT "Peony"

"Peony"  9x12 oil NFS

by Renee Brennan

Day 29 is an oldie that I have never shown here but wanted to post.  

Actually, I think this was my very first painting from taking lessons while in Italy.
There are some improvements needed to the symmetry of the vases and background, BUT 

I am not going to touch it. I like it as it is, and it's a good reminder of the beginning of this fun painting journey.

Day 28 - "Blue Feather"

"Blue Feather"  study  6x4 Oil
Renee Brennan

Day 28 of the 30/30 Challenge is a blue feather that I quickly painted at my friend Barbara's
 house.  She has a HUGE studio in her walkout basement with plenty of light and big tables to work on.   She is a wonderful, talented artist and I  would share her website but she doesn't do online very well ...it's ok, she makes up for it in fun!

Day 27 - "Frenchy" in progress

"Frenchy"  8x6 oil 

in progress

by Renee Brennan
Sold

Day 27 of the 30/30 Challenge is my friends dog named Frenchy.

I am kind of glad to post this in progress because sometimes I cannot see

what is wrong with the painting until I take a photo.  For some reason things just jump right out at ya...and I'm not even going to tell you how many things need a little fixing! 

Day 26 "The Blizzard"

"The Blizzard"  6x6  no oil

by Renee Brennan

Day 26 -  I non painted the big blizzard of 2015

tee hee...I am a 30/30 party pooper today.

What really happened here?  

TOO many errands including picking up son traveling 

from NYC to Baltimore on bus in Blizzard.

Picking up daughter's winning Taylor Swift Tickets 

in strange building in Baltimore that was

like being in the Twilight Zone...very crazy day.

not bad, just overly busy :

Day 25 "Red Barn on Hill"

"Red Barn on Hill"  5x5 oil

by Renee Brennan

Purchase on my Etsy Shop

Day 25 is a beautiful red barn in Lothian, Maryland.  I love the 2 stars....it's like a superstar barn!!

I wonder what's inside?  probably the usual tractor, horse, hay,  swimming pool, huh?  

Yes, I'm sure there is a swimming pool in that superstar barn.  

There I go dreaming again.

30 Paintings in 30 Days.

Day 24 - "Sitting Pretty"

"Sitting Pretty"  6x8 oil

by Renee Brennan
SOLD

Another cat for day 24 of the challenge.  Loved the orange fur and big green eyes!

Again trying not to paint every single hair, I grabbed the palette knife for part of the face and whiskers. 

 This image was found on a website called Paint My Photo
from the photographer, Taylor Nicole Demarcy.

Photographers upload images they think that artist's would like to paint, and then post them.
There are so many to choose from.

30 Paintings in 30 Days hosted by Leslie Saeta is on the homestretch.

6 more day's...I need a nap!

Day 23 "Red Barn"

"Red Barn" 6x4 oil

by Renee Brennan

SOLD

Day 23,  of the 30 Paintings in 30 Day Challenge is a beautiful red barn.  I have this thing about barns.  My husband thinks I am crazy but I would love to live in one...you know a conversion to a house, not with all the animals except my dogs and maybe on a lake with our sailboat...yaa I'm dreaming again :)

This is yet another great photo reference from my friend Melissa Kangas. 

She took the photo when these amazing cloud formations where passing by.

Day 22 - "Oops"! TBT

"Oops"!  10x20 oil

by Renee Brennan
SOLD

Day 22, is a Throwback Thursday painting I did in 2013.  

I had a blast painting a series of sock monkeys along with other vintage toys.

Most of them have sold to patrons and now this guy here

 is also going to a new home in Memphis, Tennessee.

YAY!

Day 21 - "Matisse Girls"

"Matisse Girls"  6x8 Oil

by Renee Brennan
SOLD

Day 21 of the 30/30 Challenge is from a photo I snapped while visiting MOMA in NYC last year.

These 2 young girls where admiring the Henri Matisse painting called "The Red Studio" 1911

I thought it was pretty cool that they were so into art and roaming the gallery without some adult yapping away about this and that.  

Day 20 "Dino" Stop Painting!!

"Dino"  6x8 oil on panel

by Renee Brennan

Day 20 of THE 30/30 Challenge is Dino, who is a little beagle, dachshund mix.  He also happens to be my nephew dog.  His coloring when just looking at him is pretty neutral and not varied, BUT while painting him I saw about 50 gazillian color changes.  

 His ears are a bit overdone and that's when I thought to myself, STOP Painting!!  

seriously I could have gone over that fur until my husband woke up from his nap!

Day 19 "Jar of Marbles" In Progress

"Jar of Marbles" in progress

Oil 24xx24

Renee Brennan

Day 19 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge is a Jar of Marbles. 

So WHERE is the jar?

It is in the rest of the painting along with the other marbles and

hopefully it will appear by the end of this challenge.  Stay tuned folks!

Day 18 "Light House"

"Light House" 8x6 oil

Renee Brennan

SOLD

Day 18 of the 30/30 Challenge is another photo reference by Melissa Kangas Photography.

This girl goes out at all hours of the day to capture amazing scenes around the Chesapeake Bay.  This is the Piney Point Lighthouse in Southern Maryland.  

It was difficult getting the blue sky to look like hers and I edited a big cloud mass.  Also on the brick part, I used a palette knife for texture. 

Check out Melissa's website, there you will see her beautiful not enhanced photo's!

Day 17 - "Five Pepper Salute"

"Five Pepper Salute"  6x6 Oil

by Renee Brennan
Purchase on my Etsy Shop

Day 17 - I loved the vibrant red in these sweet peppers and the oddball yellow.

This one was fun to paint!

Day 16 - "Heirloom Tomato"

"Heirloom Tomato" 6x6 oil on panel

by Renee Brennan
Purchase on my Etsy Shop

Day 16 of the 30/30 Challenge

It is nice to find some good tomatoes in the Wintertime!

I couldn't get an accurate photo but the background is actually darker.  

I'm guessing that the problem lies with it still being wet...yeah right Renee.

Day 15 - "Marble Trio 1" & Throwback Thursday

"Marble Trio 1"  6x6 Oil Gallery Wrap Canvas

by Renee Brennan

$70 - Purchase on my Etsy Shop

Day 15 of the 30/30 Challenge is actually something I painted last year, 

hence the throwback Thursday or really I didn't have a painting finished ;)

Anyway...I LOVED doing marbles and am somewhat of a sucker for shiny reflective objects
....kind of like a dog seeing a squirrel.  

I do believe we are 1/2 way there.  Thank you Leslie Saeta!

Day 14 - "Bluebird"

"Bluebird" 8x6 oil

by Renee Brennan

SOLD

Day 14 of the 30/30 Challenge is a sweet little Bluebird that my friend Melissa 

shot a photo of this morning in the heated birdbath.  

He is a perfect compliment to her other photo I painted on Day 6 "Winter Bird"  

I obviously love her photography!! 

Melissa E Kangas Photography that is.

Day 13 - "Bismarck"

"Bismarck"  6x8 Oil on panel

by Renee Brennan

SOLD

Day 13, Not unlucky at all painting this cute Airedale dog named Bismarck.

I am not an animal painter (this is 2nd dog) but I must say it is challenging and fun doing the eyes....kind of like my marbles from last year.  The hard part is trying not to paint every single hair!

Now to think of something for Day 14 of the 30/30 Challenge by Leslie Saeta.

.

Day 12 - "Blue Heron"

"Blue Heron" 16x20 oil

by Renee Brennan

Day 12 -  Good rainy day for painting something monochromatic, since that is what it looks like outside.  It was kind of relaxing painting in just short stokes and not giving a darn about blending.

My camera skills are still lacking because this does actually have a little bit more blue in the live version.  Told you this 30 Paintings in 30 day's challenge was going to be random!

Day 11 - "Twin Cherries"

"Twin Cherries" 4x4 Oil 

by Renee Brennan

$40 Purchase on Etsy

Day 11- is the compliment of Day 10 in the Cherry series.  

I am saying that like it's going to be a thing but am just making it up.  At least the bag of cherries is hidden from family so there are a few left that  may be another cherry painting. 

I do like the smaller 4x4's because my goal was to do fewer strokes and not overwork it.

To see more of these 30 Paintings in 30 Day's Challenge hosted by Leslie Saeta, go here.

There are hundreds of others participating from all over the globe.

Oh Yes my younger cousin Meghan Munn has a few in there as well!!  Proud of her :)

Day 10 - " The Lone Cherry"

"The Lone Cherry"  4x4 oil

Renee Brennan
$40 Purchase on Etsy

Day 10 - of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge  is a teeny, tiny one.

My thought was to do something more SIMPLE and small so it could give me more time

for Sunday, well it worked because I finished two.  Yay!!

Day 9 - "Good Ole Friends Visiting Mr. Wyeth" in progress

"Good Ole Friends Visiting Mr. Wyeth"

in progress

6x8 Oil

Day 9 - Of the 30/30 Challenge.  Still working on but wanted to post for the day.

These ladies are artist friends who I was lucky to go on a little field trip with at 

the National Gallery in D.C.  We went to see the George Bellows exhibit

then of course wandered into all the nooks and crannies of other favorite artists.

Mr. Wyeth's "Looking Out, Looking In",  is just aahhhhh.

Day 8 - "Fruit Tattoo"?

"Fruit Tattoo"?  6x6 Oil

by Renee Brennan

Day 8 - of the 30 Paintings in 30 Day Challenge by Leslie Saeta, 

bares the fruit I started painting awhile back.

I had intentions of doing a silly series of fruits and veggies showing off their "tattoo's".  

A-pear-antly that didn't come to fruition....but I may try picking my brain and attempt a few more.

What I have learned so far:

 The day doesn't alway's go as planned.

My photography skills are terrible.

A good sense of humor is a must!

Day 7 - "Miss Daisy"

"Miss Daisy"  6x8 Oil

by Renee Brennan

Day 7 of the 30/30 Challenge brings My little dog Miss Daisy.  This is painted from a photo when she was just a pup who was rescued by my niece Ashley from a terrible person.  Now she is a sweet, chubby little girl but still cute and a great companion with the rest of the family.

Thank you Ashley!!  (having trouble photographing after revision ugh)

Day 6 - "Winter Bird"

"Winter Bird" 8x6 oil 

by Renee Brennan

SOLD

Day 6 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Day Challenge hosted by Leslie Saeta.

This cute little Winter Bird - a female Cardinal was taken by my friend

Melissa Kangas.  She and her husband Pat are avid nature lovers so they

put a heater in the birdbath for the feathered critters.  

I loved this picture not only because it was a cute bird but the misty quality of the scene.  

Photo by Melissa Kangas Photography

Day 5 - "Who Are You"?

"Who Are You"?  6x6 oil

Renee Brennan
Purchase 

Day 5 of the 30 Paintings and 30 Day started out with a completely different painting that I got  extremely frustrated with.....SO I went to the Daily Paintworks website and looked up one of the many challenges and found this one called 

"The Who Are You Challenge"!!  .  Anyone can enter at anytime.  

 I chose this Great Horned owl because he had nice big yellow eyes and 

looked like he has some attitude.

Did anybody notice that I skipped Day 4?  Guess I can make it up later right?

Day 3 - "Bella"

"Bella" 

8x6 Oil by Renee Brennan

Sold

Day 3 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Day's Challenge is my other Grand cat Bella, who hangs out with 

Finnigan of Day 2.  Bella is a little bit more laid back and such a sweetie!

Bella was definitely more challenging than Finnigan because of her coloring is so varied.

I actually had a whole other pose almost finished and completely wiped it clean as something was just off...and well that just seemed to be the only choice.  Sheesh! 

Day 2 - "Finnigan"

"Finnigan" (Green Eyes)  6x8 Oil by Renee Brennan
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Day 2 of the Challenge presents my very cool grand cat  Finnegan 

who hangs out in his New York apartment all day.  I fell in love with his green eyes.  

Just for the record, this is the first cat ever painted by me...had to control the urge to paint every  single hair so my trick was not to wear my glasses until the very end. 

Day 1 - "Mary, Mother of Mankind"

"Mary, Mother of Mankind"

pencil - Renee Brennan

This is Day 1 of  the 30 Paintings in 30 Day's Challenge hosted by Leslie Saeta.

I started this challenge in pencil with good intentions of a painting afterwords and well shucks... time got away!!  The truth is  I have not been painting lately and hoping  this challenge will give me a little kick in the rear to get going again...And just maybe Mary will be a painting by the end of this!

My family and I visited The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in  Washington DC.  It is a spectacular building with small chapels devoted to several countries around the world.  I love this statue of Mary with her welcoming open arms,  and at her feet are votive candles that you can light with a prayer intention.  

Praying for a peaceful New Year.