Day 30 - Last Day of Leslie Saeta's 30 paintings in 30 days Challenge

Garden Girl

11x14 watercolor by Liana Yarckin

I know this little girl very well.  I had the pleasure of being in playgroup with her sister and mother.  We always went to the Dallas Arboretum when the weather was nice.  This little one and her sister were just nature's children.  Fascinated by everything outside, including insects.  They would pick up whatever interesting insects they found carefully and show their mother with only a child's curiousity and innocence.  Their mother would tell them about the insects if she knew what they were and if she didn't with a gentle, patient voice would point out all of the interesting things about that bug and then instruct them to put him back gently where they found him.  Now the family lives in Switzerland and this little girl is no longer a little girl.  I wonder if she still picks up bugs and runs barefoot through gardens?

Today is the last day of Leslie Saeta's 30 in 30 challenge.  Go to her blog to see all of the paintings by over 250 artists that have been posted over the last month.  The challenge has been so great for me.  I have met talented artists, many watercolorists, that I truly enjoy their work and it inspires me.  The challenge has taught me:

• Discipline in which I was rewarded with some paintings that sing to me as well as taken me to a new artistic level and has made me see and think more with a creative artist's eye.  Because of the limited time, I was forced to make decisions and see my compositions with a critical eye.
• JOY, sometimes when I have to stop painting to go to something like a meeting at school or pick up, I can't stop thinking of what I was working on with a longing to get back in my studio.  
• Accomplishment, I feel satisfied after I made my post on Leslie's blog, everything for the rest of the day cannot ruffle my feathers because I had a good morning painting in solitude.
• Bountifulness, posting on Leslie's blog has brought me new artists friends.  Posting frequently about the challenge on my facebook page created a buzz with interest, excitement and participation by my readers as well as commissions.

So a very huge thank you and blessings to Leslie for all of the above and so much more.  A thank you to all of the newcomers to my blog and facebook page for all of your kind words and encouragement.  It was a sense of community to hear from you and to see your daily posts on your blog and facebook pages.  I hope this is not good-bye.