Cassie Opaskar

Cassie is a senior AP (Advanced Placement) Studio Art student in High School, and a student of Mary Ann Sedivy. Cassie intendts to go to a rt school, and her top choices are Rhode Island Schoolof Design and The Cleveland Institute of Art.
Here is Cassie's description of her work:

Hi, this is Cassie! I was bored one day and wanted to try the Twenty-Minute Challenge again. I didn't see anything in my room of interest, so I did a self-portrait in my sketchbook with acrylic paint. I tend to paint myself when I have nothing better to do, so I was pretty familiar with painting my features (although the sadness on my face was not intended..). It was fun to do, because Ididn't have to be too detailed, and the colors are bright and have good contrast.

Rhonda Carpenter

A little TMC sketch done in my small sketchbook. It's a sketch of a tweisted bit of paper towel. Graphite pencils used. I've been pretty lax about doing these...I seem to do sketches only when I'm stuck on larger pieces and need a break from them.

Please visit Rhonda's blog at: http://rhcarpenter.blogspot.com/

Mary Paquet

They were both done in our room at the Rosedale Inn in Pacific Grove, CA. We went off mid-week to Pacific Grove to celebrate my birthday for a few days at the coast. We stayed at the Rosedale Inn, across the street from Asilomar. We walked the ground at Asilomar and to the beach. If you know this stretch of Monterey Bay, you will recall the wonderful crashing surf on rocks. On my birthday we rode our folding Bike Fridays (travel bicycles) to Carmel by way of 17-mile Drive. I always wonder just where Clint Eastwood lives along there. No matter, the invigorating sunshine and cool ocean breezes made my day.

At two different different times during our mini-vacation, I sat and did a quick watercolor. The first painting was of the fireplace with a hotel art print that I rather liked -- geometrics always appeal to my engineering gene. I quickly sketched in graphite and painted in watercolor. I got to do lots of reading in front of the fireplace while at the inn, so I enjoyed painting it.

The second sketch is especially meaningful to me because of the Wolf Kahn book on the nightstand that Bob gave me as one of my birthday gifts. I love Wolf Kahn's amazing work in oils and pastels, with his unusual color choices and minimal detail. In this book, the artist has brief vignettes about his travels and the resulting art. Wolf now lives both in New York City in the winter and Vermont in the summer. Quite a number are inspired by my tiny home state, Vermont. Included are a number of pieces done in Maine, where I have visited often, and my home for the past 33 years, California so many of the pieces were very relevant personally.

There was an interesting difference in the two painting experiences. As I did the first watercolor, I felt that the twenty minutes went way too fast. The second watercolor progressed quickly and I did not feel rushed at all. Obviously, I need to do more twenty-minute challenges to hone my techniques.

Please visit Mary's blog at: http://mary-artadventures.blogspot.com/

Mary Ann Sedivy and Students

For my Twenty Minute Challenge I painted one of my students at work on an art project. (I teach High School art). I try to work on art when I can in front of my students because I think it's good for them to have me work by their side and for them to see their teacher painting. It makes art more real for them. The Twenty Minute Challenge was perfect for that. When I told them what I was doing and they knew I was timing it, they were very interested in what I was doing and the results. I did the challenge several times and I'll continue doing it.

The main thing I learned is to simplify. I love making the quick decisions about color, light, shadows, and shapes. I call this painting A.J. at Work, it is water based oils on watercolor paper and about 10" x 12" in size.


Also, I had my students do the twenty minute challenge two days in a row. The first day, I set some bookbags, purses, jackets and a plant on a table and had them pick their wet medium of choice. I ended up giving them 25 minutes to work. The second day I brought in cupcakes (a la Wayne Thiebaud). They loved eating the subject matter at the end! You should have seen and heard the intensity with which they worked. And the problem solving techniques that shifted from day one to day two. The results were varied, but the success to me was their intensity and their appreciation of the process - they really understood and appreciated their efforts. Here's the students wonderful work:





Please visit Mary Ann's blog at: http://www.orionwhitedog.blogspot.com/ and her website at http://www.orionwhitedog.com/

Lisa Daria

Sugar Shaker 5" x 7" Acrylic on Panel

I've been wanting to paint this retro looking sugar shaker for a long time but was worried it would be really hard to nail down the reflective surfaces and thought what better way than to only allow twenty minutes. I think the limited time helped me to hone in on the most crucial areas which defined the object as what it is.

Please visit Lisa's blog to view other work at: http://lisadaria.blogspot.com

H. W. Farber

Thursday is "Art at the Y" day; we set up card tables and work on whatever we like. I decided to try the 20-minute challenge. Both are on w/c paper using No. 2 pencil and pastel pencils.

"Weights" -- I placed two weights on my dropcloth-covered table and set it in front of the window. I learned that I'm easily distracted. The trim around the windows fascinated me -- this was my 6th-grade classroom. probably built 75-80 years ago by some great craftsmen. Cropped to 9 x 9.

"Measures" -- I plan to paint this ominous-looking scale one day with the dark basement stairs beside it. I learned that straight lines are difficult when standing and holding the w/c pad. I also learned that foam ear plugs (which fit easily in pockets) are not great blending tools, and an eraser would have been handy. 12 x 9

Please visit HW's blog at: <http://artingaroundinsova.blogspot.com/>

Jean Lurssen

"Moonlight Over The Marsh" is a scene from a large marsh area in Mill
Valley, CA, near where I live in Sausalito. I always take artistic
license in my paintings to make what in my mind is a more interesting
painting. I decided a night sky with full moon would create an
interesting mood over the marsh. My medium is watercolors. The sky is a
single wash of Paynes Grey mixed with a little Indigo. The marsh water
was a wash of raw sienna and a glaze of the sky color. The grasses were
painted with burnt sienna mixed with a little of the sky color. It was
painted on hot pressed watercolor paper and took just under 15 minutes.
Most of my paintings are done in this time frame since I think it makes
for a more spontaneous and fresh result. Size is 6.5" X 9.5"

Please visit Jean's blog at http://thewatercolorist.blogspot.com/

Margaret (Peggy) Stermer-Cox

I am posting two 20 minute memory drawings I did in 2003. They were done on successive days. To put into context, I had been doing "memory" drawing immediately after my morning exercise on the beach. I happened to encounter this woman doing her exercise two days in a row.

What I see when I look at drawing v1 (left) is a stiff, labored drawing. I did not quite get the movement and the perspective is off. On the plus side, I did it from memory. And, I can identify with the day when the body feels stiff and uncooperative when I'm out doing my morning exercise.

The second drawing (right) is more confident. The body seems to move naturally. The woman's expression helps give a positive feel. the action of the hands and feet work a little bit better. I see a woman out for a walk; her body is relaxed, in rhythm and she is enjoying herself.

Difference between day one and day two: ME! I asked better questions and saw more in the brief encounter with this woman on the beach.

Both drawings were done in roughly 20 minutes or so. Drawing right after breakfast has become part of my daily habit and routine. I do about 20 minutes ... because that's as long as I can sit on the hard breakfast stool!

Please visit Peggy's blog: http://peggy.stermer-cox.com

And her websites: http://stermer-cox.com and http://www.artistworkshops.net

Ginny Stiles

I used a gel pen to do a quick sketch (no graphite) and then filled in loosely with watercolor. You can read more about Thaila on my blog at http://ginnystiles.blogspot.com

More from Rhonda Carpenter

1. Another graphite sketch of my hand while looking in a mirror placed on the table.

2. A little squirrel that was eating sunflower seeds on the glass table outside. He ran away after 15 minutes so I lost my model before the 20 minutes were up!

The hand was sketched using pastel pencils on Canson Mi-Tientes eggshell paper. It was just a scrap and I used a mirror to draw my own hand hanging over the back of a chair. My colors were very limited, as you can see, and the blending isn't great. (I'm still learning about pastels), but drawing hands is something else I need to do more often.

The feeder and finches were done in graphite in my Exacompta sketchbook while standing at the window watching them. I did the birds first and, when the flew away, I finished up the thistle feeder.

Please view more artwork at: http://rhcarpenter.blogspot.com/

Rhonda Carpenter

I'm going to use this challenge as a way to make myself do more drawing and sketching, so my pieces will be using dry media, if I stay true to the plan.

This is a little sketch done while looking out my kitchen window. I'm hoping to get better at catching quick movements of all the birds that come and go in a 20-minute session and, as time goes on, to get more polished with my drawings in the 20-minute limit.

You can see more of my work at: http://rhcarpenter.blogspot.com/

Sharon Williamson

Title: Boot
Watercolour, watercolour pencil, 6" x 11"

I enjoyed this 20 minute challenge - I'd like to improve my observation and drawing skills, and loosen up my painting style, so this seems to be an ideal means of getting into the right sorts of habits. I chose a simple subject to start off with - not too hard to draw, and limited in colour. What did I learn - think about placing the drawing a bit more carefully! It's given me confidence - I'll try something a bit more complex next time...

Please visit Sharon's blog at: http://www.sharonwilliamsonart.blogspot.com/

Ann Buckner

Title: Glass, Water, Brush
Watercolor, 3.5" x 4"

I set up in front of the East window, a small glass bowl with water and a paint brush sitting on a Viva paper towel. I wanted to get the sun shining in, back lighting the set up but by the time I painted, the sun had moved. Still there was lots of natural light to have good shapes and shadows in the water. My goal was to draw with the brush, the ellipses of the bowl and place the shadows and reflections in the glass and water so it looked like glass and water, as well as capturing the unique shape of the brush in the water. Did I achieve that in 20 minutes? Not very well but it definitely made me look more closely.

AND, HERE'S ANOTHER GREAT PIECE FROM ANN:



Title: Foliage
Watercolor, 5" x 6"

My watercolor paint table sits in front of the East window and has a lovely view of the hillside. I wanted to capture just the essence of Fall turning into Winter colors. There are hints of grayed greens, lots of rust with somewhat vibrant oranges and gray-green yellows. In contrast is a beautiful cedar tree with a few others peeking through the rusty foliage. I omitted the three homes in this one because the focus was on nature and not man-made. My goal was to not only paint the foliage but to keep the watercolors fresh and lively and not so detailed. The obvious mistake is the placement of the cedar very near the center of the painting.


Please visit Ann's blog at: http://annbucknerpaintings.blogspot.com

and her website at: http://atreesse.com

Carolyn Abrams

Title: Taking a Break
Medium: watercolor

I decided to submit another challenge as a testament to how doing this exercise definitely improves your drawing, painting and observation skills. The first set I submitted was the first time I had taken this challenge, no prior prepping there that's for sure! So after a week of 20 minute challnges here's one more. I was taking a break in my studio the other day and looked at my work table at my brushes and pencils, etc. and thought well now they're taking a break too. I guess everybody deserves a break!! I found with practice my observations skills became keener, and my sketching time shorter to allow more time for painting. My goal is to do one 20 minute challenge a day.

Please visit Carolyn's blog at: http://carolinamoonarts.blogspot.com/

Celeste Bergin

Twenty Minute Painter
oil, 10" x 8"

I often paint plein air on my open patio in the back yard. Yesterday I took my full length mirror outside and painted this "self portrait" in twenty minutes (specifically for this challenge). I was worried that with only 20 minutes the outcome would be so sloppy it would be unreadable. My usual work is almost always described as loose ... but this is quite a lot more loose than usual (because of the deadline). The results have a flavor that wouldn't have been achieved if I'd spent an hour on it instead.

Please visit Celeste's blog at: http://celestebergin.blogspot.com

Margaret (Peggy) Stermer-Cox

Room View, Shilo Inn, Tacoma, WA. 5.5" x 8.5"
watercolor pencil, watercolor and ink

After reading about your twenty minute challenge, I happened to go on a short trip. I had to try a quick painting of the hotel room. I'm usually a slow, methodical painter, so this is a fun change. It looks rough to me, but I am surprised at how much information I can record in just 20 minutes. I noticed that the hotel room had lots of blocky shapes! The best part of the challenge is forcing my self to focus and work all over!
I have been doing something similar over the last couple of weeks. I've been warming up to a 25 minute still life or cat study. Your challenge encourages me to keep at it. My goal is to improve my drawing skills and brush work. Thank you.

You can view Peggy's blog at: http://peggy.stermer-cox.com/
and her website at: http://www.stermer-cox.com/

Suzie Q

Here's another artist friend who took the Twenty Minute Challenge. She wants to be identified as "Suzie Q" and is a non-blogger. However, it's great that she decided to participate. Here's her description:

Watercolor, 8 x 10," no title. I started by making a quick sketch of the hallway in pencil and then just layered on the paint. I still had 2 minutes on the clock by the time I was done painting the hallway and decided to put in the figure and his shadow to add interest. I think that was a good decision, but I had to make it fast!

What did I learn from this? To keep it simple, get to the point, and just go for effect. I think I created some interesting textures and a kind of "glow" in the hallway that make the figure look even more ominous or lonely. So, I feel good that I was able to create a mood pretty fast. I think I'll try more of these to see what happens.

Carolyn Abrams

Kudos to artist Carolyn Abrams for taking the Twenty Minute Challenge!

Here are two challenges I did this morning. Very interesting way of working for me. Bottles on the Table (left image) was first. I have been collecting old salt shakers and colored bottles and they were just sitting on the edge of the table maybe just waiting for me to paint them! I used watercolors because I can work quickly with it and because I love the way they work on their own to naturally create shading and highlights. Working on a timed painting forced me to concentrate more deeply and to only put down what is necessary.

In November View From the Studio (right image) I tried using gouache and not use local color, but I quickly had to change my plan to watercolors in order to capture the blandness of the day and a few details in a short time.

Neither one is satisfactory to me but if the end result is a leesson in working quickly and concentrating, then at least I managed to accomplish that! - C.

Please visit Carolyn's blog at: http://carolinamoonarts.blogspot.com, and her website at www.CarolinaMoonArts.net

Motel Living

Gouache on paper, 8" x 6." While I'm awaiting entries for this challenge I'll post one of mine. This is one in a series entitled On The Road, which records my motel experiences while traveling. These objects were on the vanity in my motel bathroom, so they became the subject of my 20 minute session. I was interested in light reflected on cylindrical objects that were opaque, transparent, shiny, and dull. The squiggly lines were, at first, my attempt to quickly paint the scene and then became exaggerated for effect as I continued to paint. I liked them. What did I learn? To quickly analyze and record direct and reflected light, the cast shadow, and body shadows. To ignore local color for effect. To embrace squiggly lines! Now ... your turn :)