One Artist's Journey

Hi Shaun,

I just happened on your site while doing a search for drawings of sailboats.

I am an artist. Several weeks ago, a co-worker saw a painting I had done and asked if I would paint him a picture of a sailboat. I was floored that he liked the painting he had seen and even more so, that he would ask me to paint something for him. I don’t know about you, but I tend to look at my art as garbage.

So, when I was on your site I gathered that this project to paint 100 paintings in 100 days was like a cathartic rediscovery of your artistic self. That really resonated with me. And I so appreciate what you have done. I know the brevity of such a commitment.

I have barely looked through everything on your site but I really look forward to exploring it some more. Thank you for the inspiration to keep on painting and discovering!

God bless you.

E. J.
Texas

Cooper was thrilled to help me with this drawing

We didn’t get as many “Twitter Art Contest” entries as I would have liked, but I decided to do the drawing anyway. Thank you all for your love, interest and support these past 100 days.

I waited for Cooper to come home so he could do the drawing for me so it would be completely impartial. I read somewhere that even if you cut the paper and fold it, your brain can keep track of what is on each piece of paper subconsciously. Go figure.

Anyway, And he drew…… “Gorillagrr’s” entry.

I am especially excited because Gorillagrr actually bought and paid for a painting during the challenge. Can you say “Karma?”

Now she can have a matching set or at least start her “collection” of Shaun Ellsworth original paintings. One isn’t quite a collection, but I think two qualifies.

Congratulations Gorillagrr!

I am done. Time to take it easy. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Whewww!!

It is over. I had a blast. I learned a lot. I rediscovered a bit of my artistic self.

What does the future hold? I don’t know right now. I need to catch up on my normal life and get a few things done, but I would like to think I will keep painting.

Perhaps I will pursue ceramics. That would be fun and I love ceramics. I apprenticed to a ceramist who fired in a wood-burning, climbing chambered kiln in Japan. It was incredible.

We will see. Thanks for visiting. Please stop by again. I will keep painting or doing something artistic and I will continue keeping this blog because it is about this “One Artist’s Journey.”

Join the Twitter contest and you may win a free painting.

The first few pages of this blog are my most recent work (The last 24 hours) and aren’t really representative of everything I do. If you want to see my portfolio, you can just go to the portfolio pages on my other site.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

There is still time to get in on the free twitter painting giveaway. Initally, the drawing was going to be done tonight, New Year’s Eve. However, because the article will be in the Sun newspaper on New Year’s Day, I decided to wait until Monday, January 4th at 12 o’clock noon to do the drawing.

All you need to do is follow me on twitter, then tweet your favorite painting (tweet, not message).

For detailed instructions, visit my twitter contest page.

Sunset - 14" x 18" - Acrylic, house paint and gesso on Masonite - $300

This was the last painting of the 100 painting challenge. I took a large panel, all the paint on my pallet and on my family’s pallets (from our class) and just started smearing it on this panel. Then I squirted the black pant and smeared it around.

I now have no more acrylic paint except what is in the tubes. I have kept a running pallet for 100 days in a container with a lid. To not have any paint in that container is kind of symbolic for me. I am done with the challenge. I have used up all my paint, all my gessoed panels. I am done.

Abstract #27 Moonlit Night - 16" x 20" - Acrylic house paint on Masonite - $300

This one was done on raw panel because I have run out of gessoed panel board. This is the smeared image of the previous painting. After I took this impression, I added paint to the other one, but this one was interesting as it was with the raw wood background.

Abstract Expressionism - 20" x 16" - Acrylic house paint and gesso on Masonite - $500

This one was fun to do. I guess when it was original, it was quite groundbreaking. When Jackson Pollack was working like this, people noticed. Once someone is able to say, proudly, that these squiggles are art, then it is art. The first person to come up with the idea… Wow. That took guts and determination.

Now, to do it, is to be an “also ran”. However, to come up with a new angle, or a new aspect would be cool. Then it could be new again. It sure is fun to do. Squirt, smear, repeat.

Origin #1 - 14" x 11" - Acrylic house paint and gesso on Masonite - $300

Here is another set of squirted paint paintings. I guess it is as with all art. If I believe it is art and can convince my viewers it is art, then it is art. Right?

Somne of the stuff you see in the art magazines nowadays is incredible. the resto f it I think, My kids can do better than that. I know that is closed minded, but really.

Origin #2 - 14" x 11" - Acrylic house paint and gesso on Masonite - $300

However, if you look back to all the great art movements through the ages, no one appreciated the new style when it came around. Now one liked Van Gogh’s art when he was alive. No one liked Henri Matisse’s fauvist art at first. He finally had a few people that appreciated it and then other people followed suit, but at first, people didn’t get it.

Abstract #25 - 14" x 11" - Acrylic house paint and gesso on Masonite - $300

I only need a few more paintings. I joked in my interview with Michel for the newspaper article that I might resort to Abstract Expressionism if it comes down to the wire.

Well, that is exactly what I did, but I am really happy with the results. I might explore this more. Just because it has been done before, doesn’t mean I can’t do it again, right?

When I got down to the studio after our family art class, I got some black and blue house paint and put them into squirt bottles. I squirted a panel and started to smudge it with my hand. Then I had the idea to put another panel on top of it and smoosh them together. It worked out well.

Abstract #26 - 14" x 11" - Acrylic house paint and gesso on Masonite - $300

The photos didn’t turn out great because the paint is glossy and really reflected the flash. I took the photos without a flash indoors at 10 p.m. Maybe I will get around to taking pictures outside, but I needed to get these up so people can see them on New Years Day. That is when the article comes out.

Still Life Cooper - 14" x 11" - Acrylic, and gesso on Masonite - $25

This is Cooper’s painting. He did a great job. His still life ended up kind of small in the middle of the painting, so he decided to do an “abstract background.” It took him a while, but he got it done.

Yes, I am a proud father that my 8 year old even knows what “abstract” means!