#The100DayProject
Hiiii! I have not fallen off the earth, or quit #The100DayProject or anything. I’m just a bit mentally drowning in anxiety about having my first art sale booth at a real life event, and I’m finding I really have a massive mental block against producing “finished work” for some reason… 🙃
Here’s a few favorite things I’ve actually finished lately. Three cheers for finishing things!
#KnezekArt #MentalHealth #MiniatureArt #Watercolor #100DaysOfArt2023




The realization that your nail polish and your #blackwork #embroidery thread match!
DMC 156!

80–81/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
Finished this piece, and not a moment too soon. Did a couple final touch ups & framed it this morning, dropped it off at the gallery early this afternoon. 😅
I really had no idea where this was going when I painted the initial gradient (which I did to comparison test some cotton papers), but I'm happy with where it ended up...
#KnezekArt #Watercolor #LandscapePainting #MastoArt #FediArt #Moosetodon




You know that feeling when whatever you are working on looks more and more beautiful as you work on it?
That.

77/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
Finally worked up the nerve to pour some epoxy, only to have it go all weird as it cured. 😅😫 For a brief shining few hours though, it felt like sweet, sweet victory…
Luckily I caught the lumpy curing issue while it was still gummy, and excavated almost all of the epoxy without damaging the painting. Will try again tomorrow!
#KnezekArt #ArtJewelry #TinyArt #MiniWatercolor #MastoArt #FediArt

075/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
Started cutting out tiny paintings to fit in tiny pendant findings today. Perhaps tomorrow I will work up the nerve to start doing epoxy pours to seal the artwork in the pendants…




070/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
Today I thought maybe if I plan out the tiny branches on this painting, I won’t end up desperately unhappy with the end result? :blobfoxfingerguns:
I don’t know what my issue is, but like 99% of the watercolors I’ve done lately had zero pencil sketch, and next to zero planning, even though I have noted that the ones I plan more tend to turn out better. :blobfoxthinking:
#KnezekArt #Watercolor #Landscape #BirchTrees #sketching #WhatMadnessIsThis

Remember #The100DayProject? So do I! And I’m back at it just in time for 069/100 of #100DaysOfArt2023 Nice. :blobcatcoffee:
I think the looming reality of multiple shows coming up sent me into a mental tailspin, and I got stuck there for a solid week. Now I NEED to get a couple pieces finished so I can get applications in for the shows in question…
If you struggle with #ExecutiveFunction paralysis, what do YOU do to get yourself moving?



063/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
Many #chickadees at the feeder today…
#KnezekArt #Borbs #Birbs #MastoArt #FediArt #WildlifePhotography

060/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
I went to bed thinking “what a shame, I took day 60 off from doing art stuff,” but then I woke up and realized that arranging oyster mushrooms into a bouquet and photographing them like that probably counts as “doing something arty,” so here’s my Day 60 a day late…
#KnezekArt #iPhonetography #BlueOyster #Mushrooms #FoodPhotography #MastoArt #MushroomMushroom

060/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
I went to bed thinking “what a shame, I took day 60 off from doing art stuff,” but then I woke up and realized that arranging oyster mushrooms into a bouquet and photographing them like that probably counts as “doing something arty,” So here’s my Day 60 a day late…
#KnezekArt #iPhonetography #BlueOyster #Mushrooms #FoodPhotography #MastoArt #MushroomMushroom
058/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
Late night photo editing yesterday, because I got home late, and found my Italian oyster mushroom block had gone bonkers since the night before… so playing with mushrooms happened instead of painting. 😄

057/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
Closing in on the best way to paint #fireweed on a 15x20mm canvas… felt the need to switch things up after a few days just thinking about sunrises.
But maybe I need to try painting a tiny sunrise scene? 🤔
#KnezekArt #MastoArt #FediArt #Watercolor #MiniatureArt #TinyArt

054/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
Started out just testing papers, ended up with something I actually like. :blobcatcoffee:

052/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
Testing some new cotton watercolor paper… given the brand (Artists Loft), I figured I’d put it up against my cheap cotton paper (craftamo) first. 😅
Big differences: The AL paper warped less. Also it absorbed paint less readily. When I painted wet on wet, the paint immediately spread on the AL paper. It was also MUCH easier to lift color off the AL paper.
Tomorrow I’ll get some Arches involved…

Today has been a happy mix of adult tasks, crafts and snooker.
Got a bit of knitting done earlier, bit of cross stitch on my project for #The100DayProject, bit of gamedev (I have a whole other account for that nerdy stuff if you like that sort of thing, check my bio!) and there may or may not be chocolate in my near future too.
Days like this I am totally just content to sit here on the couch and vibe.

050/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
Full transparency: I painted this last night. But it was very late last night! And the part that’s relevant to today is that I looked at it again just now, when I took the second photo (with my thumb for scale), and I DON’T HATE IT. I painted something tiny and I’m still happy with it the next day!
So. Tiny fireweed pendants are definitely happening. 🥰
#KnezekArt #FediArt #MastoArt #Watercolor #MiniatureArt #fireweed #Alaska #TinyArt
@meraord Thanks! I've been working on it slowly but surely for #The100DayProject which it turns out is a way better strategy than my previous "leave it in a pile on the floor and hope it one day knits itself"
049/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
My inner critic is such a bitch… I’m trying to convince myself some of these tiny pieces are good enough for finished art pendants. I’m also having a hell of a time trying to decide how to finish the pendants. I’m not having luck finding glass cabochons for the rectangular ones (15x20mm). 😩
But I can’t fix any of that this minute, so I guess I’ll just paint some more tiny paintings.
#KnezekArt #MastoArt #FediArt #watercolor #MiniatureArt #TinyArt
048/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
Realistic botanicals are maybe just not my thing. 😅 At least not until I can make myself stop overworking the paper with things that are definitely not working.
Anyhoo, I think that’s my last stab at this month’s subscription box theme. Moving along…!
#KnezekArt #FediArt #MastoArt #Watercolor #SucculentsAndCactuses #PracticeMakesProgress

047/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
#Easter eggs are so festive and fun, even for a nonbeliever. I’mma blame it on the enduring archetypal power of pagan symbolism. 😁
045/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
Took a couple days off to just mull this guy over some more… and I’m happy with where we ended up last night. So after some final file format housekeeping, I’ll be wishing him bon voyage, and getting back to a couple other projects I’ve had simmering in ol’ brain pan in the meantime.
042/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
I thought today might be the end of my #PirateBirb posts, but…
…my client prefers the scruffy, sketchy rough draft raven. 😆
I do see what they mean. I feel like there’s always some magic lost when a sketch gets translated into a polished final image… sooo now my mission is to recapture that scruffy, sketchy magic, while still turning out a piece I feel good about calling “finished.” 😅
041/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
Inching closer to the finish line with this guy… now comes the really aggravating part: Getting all the feather highlight strokes *just so* 😅
#KnezekArt #BuyIntoArt #AYearForArt #DigitalArt #Ravens #MastoArt #FediArt
039/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
Having a client declare their love for a design on the first draft is always a thrill, but having *two* clients agree to declare their love for the second draft of a design is maybe even better?
(I’m obnoxiously watermarking all my screenshots of this piece—even the rough drafts—because I’d be so mad for my client if it were stolen.)
#KnezekArt #BuyIntoArt #AYearForArt #MastoArt #FediArt #DigitalArt #RavenArt #ProcreateSketch #PirateBirb
038/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
I saw a meme with this old 90s paper cup pattern turned into a trans flag, and I thought it was hilarious. So, I edited an image of the original pattern into three layers, and had some fun morphing the colors to match different pride flags…
...and Bi folks, sincerely, WTF. Those three colors have NO contrast. Our flag is a mess. 😂
#KnezekArt #BuyIntoArt #AYearForArt #90sThings #LGBTQMemes #LGBTQIA #QueerMemes #MastoArt #FediArt
036/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
I thought I was going to get a cute little timelapse of the framing on this print, and, well… an hour plus of chasing dust specks under the glass later, I scrapped the whole video. 😅
Mind you, I LOVE the idea of framing my own art. I think framing can be SUCH a dynamic & integral part of a piece! But my gawd, I need a cleanroom for this shit. :blobfoxtableflip:
#KnezekArt #BuyIntoArt #AYearForArt #AmandaGorman #FramingIsHell #MastoArt #FediArt
034/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
Started work on a commission for a fluffy winter #raven. In case you ever wondered how animals even survive in #Alaska: The birds all have self-inflating puffer coats.
(I’m obnoxiously watermarking all my screenshots of this piece—even the rough drafts—because I’d be so mad for my client if it were stolen.)
#KnezekArt #BuyIntoArt #AYearForArt #DigitalArt #RavenArt #ProcreateSketch #MastoArt #FediArt
033/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
Spent most of day 32/100 blowing my nose and whining, but I can breathe mostly unimpeded today, so I’m back at it!
My March #watercolor subscription box arrived, and I’m liking the idea of these succulents. I’m not liking my execution as much, but there’s more paper in the box for redos. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Example print on top, my in-progress version below.
#KnezekArt #BuyIntoArt #AYearForArt #BotanicalWatercolors #SucculentSunday #PracticeMakesProgress
031/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023 #MarchMeetTheMaker
The first test said it’s not COVID, I’ll take another tomorrow to be sure.
My head is full of snot, no matter how much I blow my nose or how many decongestants I eat… Even my trusty nose washer can’t win this battle.
So, this self portrait is my “something arty” for today. I’ve taken my “coughing, sneezing, stuffy head, etc” pills & now I’m going to bed. 🤧🥱
#KnezekArt #BuyIntoArt #AYearForArt #HeadFullOfSnot #iPhonetography
030/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
Sometimes you just have to set aside the paper art and try to get a good photo of the #Aurora … (although if I were *really* trying, I would’ve busted out the big camera)
#KnezekArt #AYearForArt #MastoArt #FediArt #iPhonetography #AlaskaLife #AuroraBorealis
029/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
A mix of things I’m happy with and things I’m not so happy with here. Isn’t that just like life? 😅
#KnezekArt #BuyIntoArt #AYearForArt #MiniatureArt #TinyArt #MiniWatercolor #MastoArt #FediArt
028/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
OK, so now that I have really TINY brushes, I have complete freedom to overwork the shit out of even the tiniest paintings. 🤣 (That’s a size zero in my giant hand, for scale.)
Gonna have to learn some moderation here, or everything I touch is going to end up a blob.
#KnezekArt #BuyIntoArt #AYearForArt #TinyArtwork #Watercolor #Miniatures #PracticeMakesProgress #MastoArt
026/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
So I framed a thing, and I was super careful to wipe all the fingerprints off the glass I thought, and I was thinking it looked great… and then I took a photo, and THAT is when I saw it. The fingerprint. On the goddamn INSIDE of the fucking glass. 😫🤬
#KnezekArt #BuyIntoArt #AYearForArt #watercolor #fingerprints #poppies
25/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
Little birdy feet prints meandering in the snow.
While the chickadees mob the sunflower seeds in our bird feeder, the redpolls appear to prefer the birch seeds that fall on the porch? To each their own, I suppose. (click to embiggen)
#KnezekArt #AYearForArt #iPhonetography #snowscape #redpoll #FinchFeet #YesISkippedDay24 #WasBusyEating #MastoArt #FediArt
023/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
I did not *make* art today, but I made *plans* about art.
March 31 is the deadline for a local juried exhibition. Which I find frightening in an exhilarating way. Can I make arts that impress the juror? 😅
And in June there’s a fundraiser for a local waterfowl refuge. Think outdoor art fair, but set up along a hiking trail. (Two words: Watercolor Jewelry) Can I make enough art to fill a tent by June? :blobfoxsnugterrified:
022/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
I didn't imagine, when I started my 100 day project, that one image would take over an entire week… but #ravens are crafty. Not only did this guy take over a week of my life, he arranged for a second #raven to follow his lead once I finished him.
So, coming up: More ravens!
021/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
Perhaps tomorrow Mr Birb will get his legs… and then after that I have a real live commission to start work on, thanks to my charming raven friend here! :blobcataww:
#KnezekArt #AYearForArt #MastoArt #FediArt #RavenArt #LuckyRaven
Next drawing done for #the100DayProject . Continuing my lessons in #Krita. This one was on shading.
20/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
Working on Mr Raven again… feeling optimistic about this idea. I don't know if I'll get a block carved this weekend, but if I can get his design locked in maybe I'll work on the background painting?
I've also been debating trying this as a screen print rather than a block print. Not sure. What I *was* sure of is that I wasn't tackling the wings tonight. So. Many. Feathers. 😵💫

019/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
Spent the evening touching up and reformatting this piece, then ordered my first archival quality giclée print.
It’s destined for the auction at this year’s #FabulousFeministFundraiser here in Fairbanks (by request, I’m tickled to report).
#KnezekArt #AYearForArt #AmandaGorman #WomensHistoryMonth #ArtForACause
Day 12 of #The100DayProject!
This medium garnet red colour #blackwork #embroidery is *so beautiful* against the black! The pattern also really appeals to me: it wasn't the fastest stitch because some areas are dense in stitches, but it feels open and open patterns take on a meditative rhythm when I work them.
I have a tendency to become obsessed with a project and work on it, to the exclusion of others. I'm trying not to always just stitch this. It's so fun, though! 🤪

018/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
I took the day off. Entirely. Hardly even thought about art stuff. I meant to, but nope.
017/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
Sometimes when I bake bread, and I’m very happy with how it turned out, I take silly artsy photos of the fresh loaves.
#KnezekArt #AYearForArt #FoodArt #FoodPhotography #iPhonetography #SourdoughBaking #SourdoughBread #BreadPosting #BreadPorn #MastoArt #FediArt



Day 11 of #The100DayProject.
Red.
On black.
I did not expect to like this, as I am not a fan of red (I am Team Blue), and it seemed very low contrast even against the black.
But, I think I like this. It is the subtlest diamond I have worked so far, in regards to its colour against the black Aida. The #blackwork #embroidery pattern worked up quickly and it was easy but not necessarily simple. I enjoy how my brain switches figure/ground as I examine it. Fun!

Day 10 of #The100DayProject!
I have been debating what "path" I should take through the pattern. I will finish the tilted diamond row and their tops, then start working up to the top. This path gives me maximum time to consider how to handle that pesky middle diamond that I don't like. 😕 Should I give it another go? Should I replace it with "100D2023"? 🤷
Today's #blackwork #embroidery pattern stitched up quickly and easily. Enjoyable but not memorable.

Day 9 of #The100DayProject!
After Day 8's craziness of acquiring tickets for Yoongi's tour (D2 NYC!), it was nice to settle into the contrast of Day 8's #blackwork #embroidery diamond with Day 9's.
Where Day 8 was this open, super fast and quick pattern, Day 9 is tighter and denser with a four-pack of the tiniest squares woven with thin connections. An intense chain-linked fence. Stitching this allowed me to release the tensions of the previous day into my work.

016/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
Ahhh. The joy of unlimited undos while sketching. Birdfriend here finally has the right beak, with no more eraser or paper eaten up with trying.
Then once I get the angle of Bird's head *juuuust so* I have to move it back onto paper, and THEN risk screwing it all up during block carving. 😂
#KnezekArt #AYearForArt #Raven #Corvid #FluffyWinterBird #ProcreateSketch #MastoArt #FediArt
014/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
It was blindingly sunny today. Also well above freezing. Spring is definitely on the way!
Took some reference photos out my living room window, for the next time I feel like painting trees in the snow.
#KnezekArt #AYearForArt #iPhonetography #MastoArt #FediArt #BirchTrees #AlaskaLife
13/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
Got sidetracked today & before I knew it, it was almost midnight with no arting. 😱
Found my #PentelBrushPen, warmed up a little, and said hello. After not doing brush inking for years, I’ll take it! :artcapy4:
(Fountain pen manufacturers need to take notes from Pentel. If that little $10 guy doesn’t dry out sitting for YEARS, why can’t my Pilot Metropolitans do the same for a week??)
011/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
I’m just here to say that #peonies are RIDICULOUS. Absolutely absurd. Nobody needs that many petals. They’re out here making ROSES look conservative.
What the hell, peonies? What. The. Hell.
#KnezekArt #AYearForArt #MastoArt #FediArt #Watercolor #LooseFlorals #WatercolorFlorals #PracticeMakesProgress
009/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
I did not draw or paint anything yesterday. But I thought a lot, about art. My art, specifically.
See, on Wednesday I almost applied for a local artist grant program. I started the application! I got most of the essay questions answered! I started uploading images! And then it was midnight, and I hadn’t finished in time.
I’d been debating applying for weeks before that. So, why did I wait until… (con’t)
007/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
Didn’t think I was actually going to do any New Art™ today, but here it is, ten to midnight, and I just made this tiny thing. (Can’t say as I’m too impressed with the attempted shrub in the bottom left, but the rest of it is quite nice, isn’t it? 😬)
Anyhoo, that’s a wrap on Day 7 of 100 for me. 😴
#KnezekArt #AYearForArt #TinyPainting #Watercolor #MiniArt #LandscapeArt #MastoArt #FediArt

006/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
No new art today, but I did pick up some absurdly cheap frames at the local Michael’s, and pop a couple of my little #watercolor faves in them (hand for scale), along with carefully fiddling my favorite birch tree painting into a big frame for the spousal office.
(I’m not sure I *like* the last frame, but 11x14 is the size w/ the right proportions & I sure wasn’t splashing out for a custom jobbie. 🫢)
005/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
All three iterations of my #EmmaXCraftamo project box birch snowscape. There are things I like best about each one, but overall I’m happiest with the third (and final) version I finished today. That one might actually warrant a frame! 🫢
My scraggly little spruce trees need improvement as do my shadows, but I’ll work on them more in another context.
#KnezekArt #AYearForArt #Watercolor #WatercolorLandscape #BirchTrees #AlaskaLife #MastoArt #FediArt
004/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
Take three on the snowy birch trees #painting. I’m out of the paper that came with the subscription box after this tho, so maybe that’s going to break the spell? 😬 How exactly do #watercolor hexes work, anyhow?
Day 4 of #The100DayProject!
I am getting back into the daily rhythm of this #blackwork #embroidery project. Because I have a lot of new relationship energy with this pattern, I need to resist working on it constantly: I have to remind myself this is a walking marathon project.
I love the medium cornflower blue against the black Aida. It feels low-vibe INTENSE. The pattern is fun, but a diagonal stitching path may have been more efficient over the vertical one I used.
003/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023
Did not create any new art yesterday, but I did edit my #AYearForArt 'logo' to look a little more natural.
Mind you, the #poppy is a real #watercolor, and my name in the logo is handwritten, but I assembled the image in #Procreate, and it looked pretty stark at first. So I added cold press paper texture (which is funny, because the flower was originally painted on hot press paper), and faded the text some.
Day 3 of #The100DayProject!
I *love* how this colour pops against the black background. I've not done a pattern like this in blackwork and I found it rhythmic and satisfying (and quick!) to stitch.
When I first started #blackwork #embroidery, using black floss against white Aida, I waxed the floss to get it smooth. I stopped regularly using sometime last year, as I didn't think it was needed. I noticed floss fuzziness against the black, so I have returned to waxing.
I spent about 15 minutes removing the unfinished diamond fragments on my #The100DayProject #blackwork #embroidery before tackling Day 2's diamond.
I'm thinking about ditching the pattern entirely of that center diamond and stitching "2023" or "T100DP"inside it instead. 🤔
Day 2 went smoothly and quickly. It was easy to craft a smooth path through this pattern. I'm stitching the patterns first, then finishing it with the outline. I like the results so far!
I went back to swatching the #blackwork #embroidery pattern on a single strand, taking extra care. It turns out that the single strand actually looks fine, it's the pattern I don't really like. I don't like how the pattern's lines and angles converge.
This was not an auspicious start to #The100DayProject. 🥺
A mental reset was in order. I picked an adjacent diamond and decided to work it in a single strand.
Beautiful! Day 1 in the books!
Day 1.5 will be frogging. 😅
Last night's adventures in #blackwork #embroidery were frustrating.
I've been stitching on 32ct linen over two recently, so I figured a 16/18ct Aida would make #The100DayProject piece work faster and easier: the stiffness of the fabric would require less care. I hooped my fabric and started with a single strand, but I didn't like the appearance of the stitches: they got lost in the black Aida. So, I frogged it and switched to double strand and I *still* disliked it. WTF?
001/100 #The100DayProject #100DaysOfArt2023 Blue hills, inspired by this photo: https://photog.social/@patrickgwalsh/109898056206694807
I think it was going very well until I got impatient toward the end. 😅 Although maybe when it’s dry, the feathering in the last layers will look more like trees than a mistake?
#Watercolor question: I taped my paper & it still buckled like mad. Do I need heavier paper? Do I need to dampen & press it after I’m done? What do?
#KnezekArt #AYearForArt #MastoArt #FediArt #WatercolorLandscape
Tomorrow is the start of #The100DayProject.
For the next 100 days, I will do a little bit of #blackwork #embroidery each day. Like last year, the pattern I'm using is by Clare of The Steady Thread. The pattern is called "103 Diamonds". I ordered 16ct black Aida as a base. I decided to buy the floss from Clare again.
I'm ready to go!
My current #blackwork and #CrossStitch #embroidery pieces in progress, a pinned summary.
- #TheSteadyThreadSAL 2023 year-long botanical SAL
- Urban Stitches' #UntilDeathDoUsPartSAL
- #TemperatureSAL 2023, pattern by Peppermint Purple
- #The100DayProject 2023: 103 Diamonds, pattern by The Steady Thread
- #CrewelOwlNeedleBook
- #1899ShipCompanyLogo
- #AprilCrossStitch pattern by Alisa Okneas
- #NCTMiniHoop
- #100DaysOfTiny pattern by The Steady Thread
Updated 2023.03.14
Day 100!
This was my 4th #the100dayproject but this was the hardest year because I had other project going on at the same time. I’ve moved from botanical paintings(still love painting poppies and anemones tho) and did more abstracts this year.
I also made lots of cards as typically I don’t know what to do with the paintings after I’m done 😅 If you have any painting you want to purchase DM me- it will be pretty reasonable. Thank you everyone for the encouragement!
Day 99
One more day!
#the100dayproject
#mastoart
#watercolor
#watercolour
#abstractart
#art
#painting
#水彩
#100日プロジェクト