30 Paintings In 30 Days - Day #6 - Cherries

"You can't pick cherries with your back to the tree."
      - John N. Mitchell

Doesn't matter if its "picking cherries" or attempting a challenge, you have to face things head on to get them done.

At least once a week I like to attempt a challenge from my book "The Chinese Brush Painting Bible." This week I decided to attempt painting cherries on a branch. Why cherries? Because my last attempt at painting fruit was a major disaster! I had to make at least an attempt to redeem myself.

I filled two pages with practice cherries, stems and leaves.  Why is it that when I moved on to the actual painting, I could not get the two strokes for the cherries to match my practice strokes? Grrrr.

One victory - I think I actually got a couple of the leaves right! Considering leaves are one of my many arch nemeses (had to look that plural/spelling up), that's a pretty big victory for me, so I'll take it.

In the end, my painting looks NOTHING like the brush painting in the book. There was a time when that would have frustrated me deeply. But it DOES like something I created, something unique to me. Its MY art, and that's what really matters, that's what I am slowly learning to accept.

Cherries On A Branch