Drum Roll Please - Pear #30

Pear #30
6 x 6 inches, oil on canvas panel

Have you ever been to a fantastic workshop that was incredibly intense and you learned an amazing amount, but by the last day your brain had shut down and you just couldn't force another bit of information into it, no matter how hard you tried? That's kind of how I'm feeling at the end of my 30 Pears in 30 Days project. Worthwhile? Yes! Exhausting? Oh yeah.

I had fantasies of my 30th painting being so brilliant that blog-readers were blown away by the difference between Pear #1 and Pear #30. Well, that remained a fantasy. Honestly, I could barely think straight as I painted this final piece. Sure, it would've been nice to finish the project with a stunning painting, but in the end I'm just happy it's done. There will be other chances to paint stunning pieces. Right now I am in desperate need of some rest and some time to absorb everything I've learned this past month. A break from painting pears might be nice too, although surprisingly I do still like them.

So did I achieve my goals for this project? Did limiting the subject matter lead to greater creativity and getting a good workout on some key artistic concepts? I believe it really did. I explored color palettes and color temperature, brushwork, and composition. I concentrated on tricky things such as fabric, and I tried to loosen up, be more expressive, and not overwork things (still struggling with that one!). And at this point, I think I could paint a pear blindfolded.

I am looking forward to blogging about other things now, looking forward to not having a daily deadline hanging over my head. There are woodblock projects to work on and I want to get back to my sketching routine. However, I've got a collection of vintage Hall china teapots that keep catching my eye. I wonder what a month of painting those would do...