Remember and Inspire.

Have you ever wondered why so many artists participate in online challenges? What does it do for us?

I've participated in a few, most of them....meh...not so useful.

But I've settled into one that I believe cuts through the blarney, gimmicky madness, and hoop-jumping.

It's the Strada Easel Challenge, and the September 2024 edition starts in just a couple of days.

Just let's clear the air now. No one is paying me, or endorsing me, or in any way rewarding me for sharing this. Now that that is out of the way...

What is the Strada Easel Challenge?

The challenge is to draw or paint something from life, no matter how small, every day in September and post it on your Facebook or Instagram page. It can be done by studio painters as well as plein air painters.

There's the hefty prize of a high quality easel that many artists desire but may find cost prohibitive, depending on the stage of their career.

Better yet, the prize is NOT based on skill. It is a completely random drawing from among those who stick with it to the end. So a rank beginner has as much a chance of winning as a world-renown artist. 

Aside from the possibility of winning a prize, what does this do for the artists who participate?

LOTS!!!

Painting from life is an extremely valuable skill to have. It may SEEM so much easier to work exclusively from photographs, but there are things your naked eyes can perceive that even the best camera cannot record.

Once you've learned to paint from life, you can go back to using photo references when needed, knowing how to adjust for the camera's deficiencies.

It helps build stamina if you are someone who has a hard time staying at a task until it's finished.

You can start out drawing something that only takes a few minutes, and build up to longer sessions and more complex artwork as you are able.

I've seen some artists do only ten minute drawings for the duration of the challenge.

Last year, I chose to develop a painting across three or four days by doing the initial drawing one day, the underpainting the next, and then the color layers on another day.

It teaches perseverance and accountability. There will be days when you'll wonder how on Earth you will have time to make anything happen. But you persist because others are watching, cheering you on.

And there's nothing like plain old fashioned repetition to help establish a habit. I've gone from painting once in awhile to feeling cheated if I don't get in the studio every day.

And of course, creating every day is the key to producing a large body of work to present to a gallery or publisher.

It puts more eyes on your work. Your work will get in front of other art professionals who might want to learn from you. Great if you teach.

You will make connections you might not otherwise when someone new sees your work and falls in love with it. I have experienced this a few times.

Someone unknown to you may be watching to see how committed you are before offering you a speaking engagement, endorsing you on their own social media page, offering you a spot at a local event.

Here's your chance to show them and yourself what you are made of.

Thus, a good honest challenge like this can potentially end up being a life-changer! It has been for me in all of the ways I've mentioned.

The Strada Easel Challenge starts in just a couple of days. Click HERE if you would like to join in the fun!#mce_temp_url#