spring sky challenge original art sale preview

by | May 30, 2023 | Art, Artistic Endeavors, Oil Painting | 3 comments

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The original art sale of the Spring Sky Challenge Collection will be on June 2, 2023, at noon EST.  The sale will go live HERE.

I think it was the last day of April and I saw that one of my Instagram friends and favorite contemporary artists, Erin Spencer, was doing a Spring Sky Challenge for the month of May.  Each day, she (and anyone who joined in) would create and share a painting of the sky.  My original thought was that my Instagram crowd might not want to see a painting posted every day.  Even having that thought made me mad at myself for caring about the shallow metric of likes.  It made me all the more determined to fly in the face of the algorithms and commit to something that was about growth, study, practice, and sharing in a community.  All of those things are better than any number of likes.  So, I have been painting, posting, and turning off the like count.

And, guess what, my Instagram account didn’t explode.  The world is still turning.  And I painted 31 landscapes in 26 days (I had to double-up a few days to give myself margin on busier days.)  Earlier this year, I felt like I had forgotten how to paint landscapes.  I was discouraged by my clouds which looked too harsh.  I felt like I was missing the mark on the sky color.  I was intimidated by any scene that had a complexity to it.  And I was bumping up against my old nemesis – foregrounds.

The commitment to painting and landscape each day forced me to lean into those things, to practice them, to experiment, and ultimately to discovery and growth.  My landscapes have gained a lot of ground in a month of study and I’ve gained some momentum, which is always a desired thing in creative work.

Not all of the paintings are a 10/10 for me, but I am overall happy with the body of work and there are some that I’m really in love with.

Since we had a month of mostly hazy, gray, or flat blue skies, I painted a variety of skies from my photo archives.  I painted skies from Pennsylvania, Virginia, Minnesota, Oregon, Tennessee, Maryland, and France.  I painted most of these from photo references, but I did paint one on location and it’s one of my favorites.  I was hoping to paint plein air (outside) more often, but the weather, the kitchen renovation, and other things prevented it.

As always, I’m sharing a full preview of the sale, so you have time to study the paintings and think about the purchase.  All but one of the paintings are 8 x 10 and I did that so they would be easy to ship and easy to frame.  The one exception is a 9 x 12 and I painted that size because I ran out of prepped 8 x 10 panels!  The 8 x 10 paintings are all $225 with free shipping to the US.  The 9 x 12 is $280 and I will note which one that is below.

Here are the details of shopping the sale…

  • The sale will go live HERE.  Paintings will not be visible until noon EST on Friday, June 2, 2023.  The paintings are first come first serve.
  • There is only one of each and they typically sell quickly.
  • For faster secure checkout, set up an account and sign in HERE before the sale starts.
  • The paintings are not reserved in your cart.  They are only yours once you pay, so I suggest checking out quickly with the painting you want most and then circling back for other paintings.  Shipping is free inside the US, so you will not incur extra charges for checking out separately.  I will combine all of your orders and they’ll ship together.
  • Every sale, we prepare for the rush of traffic and try to fix any issues from the last sale, but issues can (and do) still happen.  Hopefully, this sale will be smooth and everyone gets what they want!  If not, just be patient and know we’re doing our best.
  • If you do miss out on a painting, you can send me an e-mail and I will give you early access before my next sale goes live.  (This is why one painting is already sold.)

We are going to change things up for these sales soon to open them to blog subscribers first.  If you’re not a subscriber, you can sign up HERE or just below.  I send out about 5-6 e-mails a week that include 3-4 new blog posts, one old blog post you may have missed (I have over 3,500 in my archive), and one round-up post for the week.

Day 1, Hagerstown, MD, 8 x 10 original oil on board – $225

original oil painting | spring sky challenge 2023 | miss mustard seed | marian parsons

Day 2, Hagerstown, MD, 8 x 10 original oil on board – $225

original oil painting | spring sky challenge 2023 | miss mustard seed | marian parsons

Day 3, Renfrew Park, Waynesboro, PA, 8 x 10 original oil on board – $225

original oil painting | spring sky challenge 2023 | miss mustard seed | marian parsons

Day 4, Waynesboro, PA, 8 x 10 original oil on linen panel – $225

original oil painting | spring sky challenge 2023 | miss mustard seed | marian parsons

Day five, Rochester, MN, 8 x 10 original oil on board – $225

original oil painting | spring sky challenge 2023 | miss mustard seed | marian parsons

Day six, Hagerstown, MD, 8 x 10 original oil on board – SOLD

original oil painting | spring sky challenge 2023 | miss mustard seed | marian parsons

Day seven, Boonsboro, MD, 8 x 10 original oil on board – $225

original oil painting | spring sky challenge 2023 | miss mustard seed | marian parsons

Day 8, Lake of the Woods, VA, 8 x 10 original oil on board – $225

original oil painting | spring sky challenge 2023 | miss mustard seed | marian parsons

Day nine, Gettysburg, PA, 8 x 10 original oil on board – $225

original oil painting | spring sky challenge 2023 | miss mustard seed | marian parsons

Day 10, Hagerstown, MD, 8 x 10 original oil on board – $225

original oil painting | spring sky challenge 2023 | miss mustard seed | marian parsons

Day 11, Gettysburg, PA. 8 x 10 original oil on board – $225

original oil painting | spring sky challenge 2023 | miss mustard seed | marian parsons

Day 12, Frederick, MD, 8 x 10 original oil on linen panel – $225

original oil painting | spring sky challenge 2023 | miss mustard seed | marian parsons

Day 13, Rochester, MN, 8 x 10 original oil on board – SOLD

original oil painting | spring sky challenge 2023 | miss mustard seed | marian parsons

Day 14, Rochester, MN, 8 x 10 original oil on board – $225

original oil painting | spring sky challenge 2023 | miss mustard seed | marian parsons

Day 15, Gettysburg, PA, en plein air, 8 x 10 original oil on board – $225

original oil painting | spring sky challenge 2023 | miss mustard seed | marian parsons

Day 16, Rochester, MN, 8 x 10 original oil on board – $225

original oil painting | spring sky challenge 2023 | miss mustard seed | marian parsons

Day 17, Fairfield, PA, 8 x 10 original oil on board – $225

original oil painting | spring sky challenge 2023 | miss mustard seed | marian parsons

Day 18, Rochester, MN, 8 x 10 original oil on board – $225

original oil painting | spring sky challenge 2023 | miss mustard seed | marian parsons

Day 19. Rochester, MN, 8 x 10 original oil on board – $225

original oil painting | spring sky challenge 2023 | miss mustard seed | marian parsons

Day 20, Loudoun County, VA, 8 x 10 original oil board – $225

original oil painting | spring sky challenge 2023 | miss mustard seed | marian parsons

Day 21, East Tennessee (photo reference courtesy of Jennifer Phipps), 8 x 10 original oil on board – $225

original oil painting | spring sky challenge 2023 | miss mustard seed | marian parsons

Day 22, Boonsboro, MD, 8 x 10 original oil on board – $225

original oil painting | spring sky challenge 2023 | miss mustard seed | marian parsons

Day 23, Champagne, France, 9 x 12 original oil on board – $280

original oil painting | spring sky challenge 2023 | miss mustard seed | marian parsons

Day 24, Champagne, France, 8 x 10 original oil on board – $225

original oil painting | spring sky challenge 2023 | miss mustard seed | marian parsons

Day 25, Middletown, MD, 8 x 10 original oil on board – $225

original oil painting | spring sky challenge 2023 | miss mustard seed | marian parsons

Day 26, Middletown, MD, 8 x 10 original oil on board – SOLD

original oil painting | spring sky challenge 2023 | miss mustard seed | marian parsons

Day 27, Champagne, France, 8 x 10 original oil on board – $225

original oil painting | spring sky challenge 2023 | miss mustard seed | marian parsons

Day 28, Rochester, MN, 8 x 10 original oil on board – $225

original oil painting | spring sky challenge 2023 | miss mustard seed | marian parsons

Day 29, Champagne, France, 8 x 10 original oil on board – $225

original oil painting | spring sky challenge 2023 | miss mustard seed | marian parsons

Day 30, Rochester, MN, 8 x 10 original oil on board – $225

original oil painting | spring sky challenge 2023 | miss mustard seed | marian parsons

Day 31, Beaver Creek, OR, 8 x 10 original oil on board – $225

original oil painting | spring sky challenge 2023 | miss mustard seed | marian parsons

Let me know if you have any questions about any of the paintings or the upcoming sale!

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    3 Comments

    1. Christina Lee

      I love that you mentioned that you felt like you had forgotten how to paint landscapes and then got back into it to relearn it. I sometimes feel like I forget how to do a lot of things I had learned how to do, and I thought that was some sort of failing on my part. Your post made me realize that forgetting is actually not uncommon, and relearning can be a pleasure! Thank you for these posts. I followed you when you were mostly painting furniture, and I’m inspired by your journey into oil painting.

    2. Gayle

      I love all your work! Particularly, the one of a Virginia location, as I live in Virginia. One day, I hope to be able to purchase one of your paintings. In the meanwhile, thank you for giving those of use not able to purchase an opportunity to admire and enjoy your work.

    3. Michele M.

      Your paintings are absolutely beautiful, Marian. Well done – this sale will be a big success.

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