30/30 Challenge Collage 2016

30/30 Challenge 2016

by Renee Brennan

Yay!  Third year in a row for this get off your butt and paint challenge.

Thank you to Leslie Saeta who hosts this on her blog 

and is an amazing palette knife painter.

To see the over 1000 other artist's collages that participated, go here.

Leslie also hosts a podcast called Artists' Helping Artists' with great information 

 on all kinds of art biz topics.   

My take on this years challenge:

1.  I set a lower goal of 15 and did 24...so a happy medium. I had to do this mainly because hubby is recovering from back surgery and I got to be taxi wife....all is good though :) and yes he is doing fine!

2.  I got to paint a pig!! his name is Vance and you may see him again :)

3. Dogs with tongues hanging out are pretty funny to paint.  

4.  With a good photo reference, getting the eyes right is important to me. 

I think it either makes the painting work or not.

5. Cat's rarely look happy, they are just too cool for that! (loved the cats) will be doing more of those soon.

6.  First time painting a chicken and two horses and a pony...probably the last time painting a chicken two horses and a pony.

7. Thank YOU for sending me pics of your fur babies and also thank you to those purchased them on my Etsy Shop!!  

8. Thank you also for your interest in my art!!  

9. Now you can relax and not wait for my next post haha...I take long breaks.

  

Day 30 - Dixie

"Dixie"  6x6 oil

by Renee Brennan
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Day 30!!  I said Day 30! of the 30 paintings in 30 day's challenge.

If you are following close you know that I would have been happy with 15

but I got to 20 something...tomorrow will post a collage as a final whoopty doo, AND I will continue to paint a few others that I have some pics of....not daily but at least I am back with a little momentum:)

About Dixie.  She was a sweet girl who's owner misses her dearly.  

It is hard saying goodbye to our furry friends and they can sure

dig a spot deep in our hearts forever.  RIP Dixie.

Day 29 - Bucky the Pony

"Bucky the Pony" 6x8 oil

by Renee Brennan

Day 29 of the 30/30 Challenge is Bucky.

He belongs to my great nephew and is a feisty little guy...

actually both the pony AND my nephew are feisty

and equally adorable.  I loved the reference photo my niece took 

of Bucky slyly peeking over the rail of the stall door.

He has this crazy shaggy mane and forelock that falls

into his eyes.  Cute huh?

Day 27 - Sycamore

"Sycamore" 6x6 oil

by Renee Brennan
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Day 27 of the 30/30 Challenge 

is sweet boy Sycamore who my 

dear friend rescued years ago.

It's wonderful how rescue animals can 

be the best pets ever.

About the painting.  I had to use a couple different

photo references for Sycamore, and need to tweek just

a couple little things on him.  His owner said 

"There's my boy"!  So at least I captured his personality..yay!

About this challenge.  My very first post said that I would be happy 

to do at least 15 of the 30 day's....This one will be 22 and I have

more than enough to finish.  SO, the others I haven't finished will 

eventually get done, it will just be into Feb...or even March.

Thanks for hanging in there!

  

Day 25 Itty Bitty Kitty

"Itty Bitty Kitty"

by Renee Brennan

Day 25 of the 30/30 Challenge is Itty Bitty Kitty

yup  another green eyed critter!  

If you would like to adopt this painting, go here Etsy 

Day 23 - Bluebird at Bath

"Bluebird at Bath"  8x6 oil

by Renee Brennan
Available on my Etsy Shop

Day 23 of the 30/30 Challenge is Bluebird at Bath.  

I painting one similar last year from a photo my good 

friend Melissa took at her heated birdbath.  She is a 

wonderful photographer!

Day 22 - Smoosh! the Original Grumpy Cat

"Smoosh" 6x8 oil

by Renee Brennan

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Day 22 of the 30/30 Challenge is SMOOSH the original grumpy cat!

His owner say's he has beautiful blue green eyes and 

lives at the clinic where she works. 

I may end up with a face like this after a couple day's of this now happening snowstorm!

Day 21 Ziva

"Ziva" 6x6 oil

by Renee Brennan
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Day 21 of the 30/30 Challenge is Ziva. 

This pose originally had a santa hat on her head but 

I edited the hat.  Luckily I had a couple extra reference

photo's to make sure coloring of her ears were correct.

I loved all of her wispy whiskers and big green eyes!

Day 18 - "Sophie the Sparty Dog"

"Sophie the Sparty Dog"  6x6 oil

by Renee Brennan
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Day 18 of the 30/30 Challenge is a furry little 

Michigan State University fan Sophie.  

She is all cozy in her Spartan scarf and ready for a big game...well probably in hopes of somebody's dropped appetizer!

Day 16 & 17 - Winston & Jordon

"Winston & Jordon" - 8x6 oil in progress

by Renee Brennan

Day's 16 & 17 of the 30/30 Challenge are 2 Corgis from Arizona.
The reference photo's I used where single pics of each dog so
I wanted to try placing them on one canvas...I may try them again as single paintings...will see
They do have very sweet faces and beautiful coloring
don't you think?

Day 15 - Abe

"Abe" 6x8 oil

by Renee Brennan
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Day 15 of the 30/30 Challenge is Abe.

I loved the pic his owner sent with his foreshortened body

that I usually am terrible at...I stuck with the photo and didn't 

wonder off of what should go where because 

it can behave like an optical illusion.

Watch out! you are about to be slobbered on.  Haha

Day 14 - Freedom

"Freedom"  6x8 oil

by Renee Brennan
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Day 14 - of the 30 Paintings in 30 Day's Challenge HEY!  1/2 way there!

This is my friend in Colorado's Pit Bull named Freedom. 

She looks like a sweetheart and 

I think she is getting ready to take her nap in that big cozy bed!

The challenge with painting an all black shiny coat are the subtle highlights within the fur.  In the original photo the highlights looked much warmer but I wanted it to be a bit cooler instead.  Besides she looks like a cool dog!

  

Day 13 - Afrodity

"Afrodity" 5x7 oil

by Renee Brennan
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Day 13, of the 30/30 Challenge is a little feisty dog named Afrodity.

I didn't go crazy with all the hair this time and played with 

the shadow side using more vivid colors.  

I need to work on getting a better photo of this one too ...ugh

Day 12 - Cece

"Cece" 6x6 oil

by Renee Brennan

Day 12 - of the 30/30 Challenge is a little Teacup Yorkie dog named Cece.

I have to admit that I have been messing around with all 

that fur for 4 day's!  

Finally got out the palette knife and simplified it a bit.

I think she looks a little like miniature Chewy Chewbacca. 

(sorry sister)  She is cuter in person:)

Day 10 - Niles

"Niles"  6x8 oil

by Renee Brennan

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Day 10 - of the 30/30 Challenge (yes I skipped 9 in case anyone is counting).

This is my friends dog Niles who we used to go on dog walks with.  

He sadly is no longer with us and funny thing when I just mentioned his owner "Ms Betsy",  my 2 dogs jumped up and were ready to go on a walk!

he was a sweet boy.

before ...I kind of wanted to keep the warmer tone background initially
because of his cool colored fir.  Then I decided  purple would be fun...but then his brown eyes didn't look so brown.  So on the final (top pic)  I added a bit more warmth to the brown in his eyes...think I got it!

Day 8 - Pig in a Blanket

"Pig in a Blanket" (Vance) 6x6 oil

by Renee Brennan
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Day 8 of the 30/30 Challenge is Vance the pig who dearly loves his blankets!

  Vance belongs to my cousins and they keep him inside like any family pet.

He was definitely fun to paint and you may see him again soon!

Day 7 - Mickey

"Mickey" 4x6 oil 

By Renee Brennan

Day 7 - of the 30/30 Challenge is Mickey.

He is an American Paint horse and is stall mate with

Slick.  I painted him yesterday and was not very happy with how it was going.

It seems to me that painting on the smaller panels are more difficult to get the details in, especially the eyes....also my tiny brush had seen better days.

So today I got a new brush, flipped the reference photo and the painting upside down and finished him...I need to remember that little trick more often!

Day 6 - "Sparta" and Buying Time

"Sparta"  6x6 oil

by Renee Brennan

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Day 6 - Is Sparta the beautiful wide eyed cat who I painted as a 

commission last year.  

I never posted him before and did so today because my painting time

was all flubbed up.  I can give you at least 10 excuses as to what happened but it would sound like blah blah blah....and besides Sparta here needs a spot on my blog so I can buy time for tomorrow's hope of a better day.

Thank you Sparta!!

Day 5 - Zoe

"Zoe" 6x6 oil

by Renee Brennan
Purchase Zoey on my Etsy shop!

Day 5 - Is sweet girl dog Zoe who belongs to my niece.  

Who doesn't love the face of a yellow lab?

Contact me if interested in having your pet painted :)

25 more days to go for this
30 Paintings in 30 Day's Challenge

Day 4 - Slick

"Slick"  4x6 Oil

by Renee Brennan

Day 4 of the 30/30 Challenge is an American Paint horse named Slick 

who belongs to my niece.  He is a beautiful animal and is 15.2 hands tall.

I think this painting needs a little bit more work in a few spots, but overall

 ok especially since it is the first horse I painted since 6th grade a hundred years ago!

Day 3 - Finn Again

" Finn Again" - 6x6 oil

by Renee Brennan
Framed and available on
My Etsy Shop

Day 3 - I painted Finnigan before on the last 30/30 challenge.

So when I cat sat for him last Fall, I snapped some more pics 

of this cool NYC city cat.  He has the prettiest green eyes!

Day 2 - "Betty the Chicken"

 "Betty the Chicken"  6x8 oil

by Renee Brennan
purchase on my Etsy Shop

Day 2 - of the 30/30 Challenge is from my sister Becky's farm, she calls this one a Welsummer hen.  I don't know very much about chickens but I liked
the feathers on this one, they were so vibrant and
her eggs are colorful too!
Just kidding...that was from Easter.

Little Cardinal - Day 1, 30/30 Challenge

"Little Cardinal"  8x6 oil 

by Renee Brennan

It's been way too long since my last post, so I'm attempting to do the 30 Paintings in 30 Day's challenge hosted by Leslie Saeta again to get back into painting mode.  Although to be honest with all that is going on around me I will be happy to do 15!  

Inspiration for cardinal was from a photo my good friend took at her heated birdbath last year when I painted Bluebird & Winter Bird.

I will probably soften up the background on this one and work on a few more things as I notice them....getting back into the groove isn't easy!