A Facebook Group I belong to have been challenged to post a collage of our favourite 9 paintings of the year. They don’t have to be ‘good’. We were told to ‘park our inner critic’ and chose paintings where we perhaps did something for the first time or got something right that we’d been working on. At first I struggled to find 9 paintings that came anywhere near to being ‘favourites’, or even that I was pleased with. However, I did manage it and produced a collage using a website http://www.befunky.com that offers a free service. Unfortunately it automatically crops them square and I didn’t have time to find out if I could keep the original sizes. They are also not in any particular order. Those of you who have been following me will recognise most of them.
So, why are they my favourites? I will try and consider them in chronological order. But as I didn’t get into the habit of signing and dating my paintings this will need a bit of detective work.
This painting was a copy (slightly amended) from a painting done by hand and foot artists. I also did a sketch as one of my daily sketches on 12th February. At the time I was very pleased with it and it is now framed. It appeared in our art group’s exhibition – my first ever!
The lake and tree were from a photo that my husband had taken on holiday. I was particularly pleased with the reflections in the water. What spoilt this painting for me – at the time – is that the tutor picked up a brush and made an adjustment to the mountains. I felt that I couldn’t be proud of it as it wasn’t all my own work. However, it was minimal help and I continued to work on those areas. So on reflection I am glad of his input as it contributed towards me doing a painting I can be proud of and count among the favourites. It is also good to be able to do a painting of somewhere I have been with my husband and to use one of his stunning photos.
In June I went on a painting and prayer retreat and did the flower under the instruction of the tutor who specialised in water colour flowers. I was pleased with the result as it isn’t my usual sort of painting and initially I didn’t want to do it, but conformed to join in with the group activity. We sometimes miss out when we don’t do what we are asked thinking we know better. Being encouraged to do something different and out of our comfort zone often brings great rewards and growth. I also started the heart and fire painting that week and finished it when I returned home. This has been on my prayer table for a while. It achieved my goal of combining prayer and painting and producing something that would continue to aid prayer.
The next one is the abstract pattern done on 13th July. I did a blog post about it, so if you are interested you can read that. (Sorry I don’t know how to make a link to it). I rank this among my favourites because it is the result of being encouraged to work at something a layer at a time, just doing what I felt like to make a picture.
The waterfall is one of my all time favourites. I worked on the water for a long time and perseverance paid off. It is currently on my mantlepiece and will eventually be framed and hung on the wall. I blogged about this one on 18th October. I love watching waterfalls and reflected upon them in my blog on 10th September.
My blog of 5th December contains the next 2 paintings. They were part of a challenge I set myself to do 4 paintings in 30 days. I like the peacock because it was done relatively quickly and I am glad I took it to art group to finish.
This next one is, I think, my second favourite of the year. It was done at art group under the direction of the tutor. I was pleased with he way that the blending worked and the atmosphere of it.
And finally, O Come Emmanuel, is a watercolour that I did as the result of prayer to prepare for Advent. See blog of 7th December. It is still on my prayer table and will remain there until Christmas Eve when I will hopefully find time to take off the purple and put on the white and gold. It is among my favourites as it has been a focus for prayer, reminding me to call on Emmanuel, to seek more of him in my life and in the life of the churches I lead. Seeing the result of the layers of watercolour build up encourages me to continue using that medium when praying.
It has been a good year for painting for me. I have almost finished the challenge to do a drawing every day which I will blog about when I do get to the end. I look forward to 2020 and many more paintings.
Elizabeth Jones' Diary 