A Family Attitude by Colleen Reynolds, painted as part of her Throwdown 2013 project.
It’s 2013 and with new beginnings comes new chances to learn and grow. Local artist Colleen Reynolds is taking the opportunity to use the year ahead as a chance to watch how her art progresses. She has started the Facebook group “Throwdown 2013: Get Your Groove On 100.” Several Utah artists have already joined the effort to create 100 pieces art over the coming year.
Jeanne Allgood, who took a watercolor class from Reynolds last year, inspired Reynolds when she created 100 paintings of porches in Salt Lake City. The project came to mind when Reynolds traveled to New Zealand over the holidays. She was sitting in a living room with her friends John, Joanne, and Barbara Tidball when the conversation turned to ways of keeping motivated as an artist. Reynolds recalled Allgood’s project and said, “Let’s do 100 works of art by next January, that’s only 2 a week. We all agreed that wouldn’t be too hard.”
And so “Throwdown 2013: Get Your Groove On 100” was born. “I came home from New Zealand at the end of December and created the Facebook page,” Reynolds says. They will be posting to their work on the social network site. Initially the group consisted of the Tidball family along with Louise and David Littlefair. But more people were eager to join. “No sooner had I created this group, I already had 5 people asking to be a part of it before I even finished putting it together.” The group now has nearly 200 members.
Creative projects of all kinds will be posted to photo galleries that correspond with the month. There will be paintings, recipes, comedy skits, and whatever group members are inspired to create. Anyone is welcome to join the Facebook group to post their pieces as they strive to create 100 works of art during 2013. Artists can look at the work of others, provide feedback, and be inspired to push themselves. “I’ve always found, and I’ve always felt this way, that if you set a goal and write it down, you’re much more likely to accomplish it. You can do much more,” Reynolds says.
For the project, Reynolds is planning to paint 100 faces. She is hoping that when December 2013 comes around, she can review her work and see visible progress. In the first week of January, she painted “A Family Attitude.” There is more work to come and Reynolds invites others to join her in the journey.
UTAH’S ART MAGAZINE SINCE 2001, 15 Bytes is published by Artists of Utah, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Categories: Visual Arts
This is an incredible fun project, as an artist that decided to take the challenge, it has inspired me to think out of my comfort zone, n try some digital things! What I’m loving the most is being awed by all the incredible artwork posted by artists and being able to share how much you like there work!
Marla Duggins
Totally FREAK’IN awesome!
I think this is a wonderful opportunity and a fabulous way to get motivated. I still consider myself as a newbie artist but if I don’t push myself to “be out there” painting and seeing others work I can’t grow. So I’m committing myself to join and push myself beyond to who knows where, but I’m willing.