I feel alive when I am painting

"I found I could say things with colour and shapes that I couldn't say any other way... Things I had no words for" - Georgia O'Keeffe

Being busy with the things I like the most is such lovely feeling. I have been mostly in my studio lately every minute possibly I could. Its not long now before I have a group exhibition in the art barn in Warwickshire and the Melbourne Arts Festival in Derbyshire.

This year its going to be my 7th year that I have been participating the Melbourne Arts Festival and every year I am so excited and look forward to it. Love seeing lots of new faces every year and many familiar faces from past. It is so nice to get the feed back face to face.

About the group exhibition, now I exhibited at Art Barn in 2010 and this year I was invited back to exhibit with few other artists whose work is influenced by different cultures or countries. Sunday, I have to deliver my work.

Can you believe me. On top of these two exhibitions I took up the thirty paintings in 30 days challenge. Phew... Well, let me put it up like this. I feel alive when I am painting. The above little painting was done in one of my altered journals for this 30/30 challenge. I have done something almost everyday but haven't managed to upload everywhere in the social media. Now that's too much work and I love the creative part but when it comes to being active everywhere in social media, it gets bit too much for me. I don't know how some people manage it all. So I have been uploading in the Instagram everyday my 30/30 painting challenge and you can follow me with the account name sujata.aten.art. I must say Instagram is a lot quicker than blogging or anything else and I love it.

The last thing before I go back in my studio and do a little bit of more work, I am very happy that my calendars for 2016 (all my paintings are mostly sold) has arrived before the Melbourne festival. Every year people ask me for cards and calendars so I thought I must give it a go this year.

Thirty Paintings in 30 Days - Day 4

Mixed media on altered journal - Thirty paintings in 30 Days - Day 4

(Close-up)

Wow! another days challenge done. I am happy. This little mixed media painting is done on a altered old book. I love painting on them. The paper is so nice to work on. I prefer old books over the shop bought sketchbooks. I have used here my rust dyed fabrics, vintage lace, some hand stitching and acrylic paint. Day 4 - Thirty paintings in 30 Days done.

Thirty Paintings in 30 Days: day 3

Thirty paintings in 30 days challenge - Day 3

(sorry these images are a bit blurry here, I don't understand why)

We can see the shift in the weather and now I think I am also so ready for this shift from holiday to work time. I'm  really grateful for the fact that I  enjoy my work, instead of it being a chore.
I have hung my little prayer flag in my studio and another one in my little caravan. I have ordered more paints and canvases and am all ready for spending my hours in my studio again.

I am almost prepared for one of the art exhibitions starting this month but still not quite ready for the Melbourne Arts Festival. Have loads to do and guess what? I have thrown myself into a 30 days painting challenge. Do I have time for it? Can I do it you think amongst the preparation of other exhibitions. Well, this is it! I decided to give it a shot and joined in with other artists in making 30 paintings in 30 days. It started on 1st September already, I am a bit late but you know what? Better late than never. I am going to keep it small and going to paint on my altered journal pages for this challenge. The aim is not to have a finished big painting, but this will take me in my studio everyday and force me to do something. Once I start painting there is no stopping me anyway. So hopefully I shall be able to do some more work for the Melbourne festival as well. This thirty paintings in 30 days is by Leslie Saeta from Slices of Life Blog.

One more thing I need to tell you lovely people reading my blog is that I also have dipped into Instagram finally. Yes, I say finally because for long time, I have been debating whether or not to join as I wasn't sure if I will be able to keep up with all the different social medias. For a while, I almost gave up Facebook too. But now I feel brave. Feel I can maybe handle all this so please dear readers follow me on my Instagram and Facebook and please don't be shy to leave a comment, as my comment box is open and working again here in my blog. I had some problems in past but have resolved them now.

A big hug and thank you to all of you for reading my blog. I am planning a giveaway soon so do remember to check it out here.