Leslie Saeta Fine Art
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the everyday life of a working artist

A Very Red Day

1/16/2017

4 Comments

 
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"Red Day"
30 in 30 Challenge, Day Sixteen
Abstract Acrylic Painting, 36" x 36"
Available and inspired by my favorite TV show Fixer Upper
I love three day weekends. Especially when we are in town and just taking it easy. Dave is playing a lot of golf and I have been relaxing with my computer and painting with my palette knife. I am ahead with my paintings for the 30 in 30 for the first time this month. That is pretty pathetic. I am usually way more organized than this! 

This painting has a lot of thick knife strokes and is way more muted than the colors I normally use. But I am really loving this new color palette and I think you will see a lot more muted paintings from me in the future.

I don't know if you noticed but my website has a new look. I spent about five hours today changing the "theme" of my website. Since weebly introduced their new weebly4 I haven't had time to update my site. I was so busy redoing my webinarts class (and painting and teaching) that I couldn't justify time to update my own website. It's not that complicated to change the theme but it requires me to check every single page to make sure everything is still in good order. Many of the headings changed when I did the update (and some kind of magically appeared that needed to be deleted) so it did take a lot of time. But it was well worth it!

I also created two special collection pages that feature all of the abstract paintings I created for the 30 in 30 Challenges based on Project Runway and Fixer Upper. They can be found as a drop down option under Abstract Paintings and also on the Abstract Paintings page. 

It's January, which is a great time of the year to give your website or blog a face lift. Why don't you take some time this week to do the same?
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Breathe Deep and Don't Panic

12/27/2016

4 Comments

 
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Five Days. That's it. OMG.

The January Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days starts in five days. That cannot be possible. And just so you know, I just sent reminders to everyone who signed up for the 2016 September 30 in 30 Challenge so please sign up if you haven't done it already.

I am a bit intimidated by my theme for this year's Challenge. I am painting paintings that fit on the show Fixer Upper (which means I am creating paintings that could hang in any of the renovated homes from the show Fixer Upper). This will be a very different look for me as so many of the Fixer Upper houses are designed in the Industrial Farmhouse decor which means no bright paintings this month. Ugh. (Ok, maybe I will sneak in a few.) But it's about time I pushed myself out of my comfort zone!

If you would like to participate in the January Thirty Paintings in 30 Days Challenge just click here for all of the information on how to participate. It's a lot of fun and a really great thing to do (it changed my life!) so give it a try.

And please remember the only requirement is that you HAVE FUN. If you don't get all thirty paintings done you will be the only person that knows. So enjoy yourself!

So I am curious. What is your theme for the January Challenge?
4 Comments

How Could it Possibly Be "That" Time Again?

11/29/2016

3 Comments

 
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I know. It seems like we just finished the September Thirty Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. Well, that's because we just did! I wasn't that smart when I picked the two months to host this Challenge. January makes sense. But September? ​

Last time I checked, there are only three months between September and January. Not to mention they are three REALLY BUSY months. Of course on the flip side, there are seven months between January and September which is really good. Somehow this feels a little but like daylight savings time. One good one (more sleep) and one bad one (less sleep). 

This is where I am supposed to say that this is the good one. Because we only had to wait three months to paint thirty paintings in thirty days again. Not.

Actually, to be truthful, I had more fun in the September 2016 Challenge than I can remember. Seriously. My Project Runway theme was a blast. So the bad news? I am completely freaked out trying to come up with a theme for January 2017. I want it to be as good as my last one. But I am not sure that is possible!

Anyway, enough about me. It's time to do some soul searching and decide that you need to do this challenge with me. January is the perfect time! Imagine ... you could have 30 new paintings by February first. That's right. Thirty new paintings! 

Head on over to the Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days page on my website. Read all about it and sign up to join me. If you are already familiar with the Challenge, then you can just sign up here. 

Just do it. (We will pretend that I made up this slogan. Because it totally works here ... and you really should just do it.)
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Don't forget my cyber sale is happening all this week. Every item on my website is 30% off. That includes oil paintings, abstract paintings, online painting classes, my webinARTs classes and more! Just click the heading at the top of my website and start shopping. Use the discount code THEBIGSALE. 
3 Comments

And the Let Down Begins ...

10/3/2016

3 Comments

 
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"Strawberry Fields"
Abstract, 36" x 36"
​Available here.
Ugh. September is already two days behind me and I am really bummed. Painting the thirty paintings with my Project Runway theme was a blast and I enjoyed being on auto-pilot all month. I knew what I needed to paint and painted every day. Unfortunately, I didn't have much time to stay caught up with all of my projects. 

Uh-oh.

It appears that sh*t has hit the fan. Somehow I hadn't realized I would be home a total of six days in October. That's right, six days! Are you kidding me? How could I possibly have done that? My to-do list is staggering especially since I had to put off everything these last two weeks because I had to re-film my entire 2016 webinARTs course. (My webinARTs 2016 course is an online class that teaches you how to build a website for your art. It also teaches all of you how to upgrade your website if you have an old website.) The fabulous web builder that I use is weebly and they announced a huge update ten days ago. Once I started looking at the update i realized pretty quickly that everything I had filmed for the course was obsolete because the platform and themes were different. So I had to scrap all 24 videos and start over. From the beginning. Oh my goodness! The good news is the new, shiny, totally redone webinARTs 2016 class will be launched this week. But it has been what you might call "twice the work". And stop laughing, this is not funny.

Somehow in the six days I am home this month I also have to finish commissions and finalize my Marketing Boot Camp notebooks. Plus I have a workshop this month, a really big idea and big project that I am launching in November. More about that later. 
​
So the "let down" is really a realization that my fun painting days are now a lot more crazy and stressful. Why do I do this to myself? Help!
3 Comments

It's Been a Project Runway Month!

10/1/2016

2 Comments

 
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Thirty dress designs. Thirty abstract paintings. What a month! It's been amazing.

I learned a lot. I know I am on the right path so there is no turning back. That much I am sure.

I have decided I am going to really step up my blog content. A new marketing challenge in which we will all do some really great things to increase our art sales together. And this includes some of my out of the box ideas too. I promise. So make sure you go to the box at the top right of this blog that says "Subscribe to The Every Day Life of a Working Artist" so you don't miss out. Just add your email so you will get my blog post every Monday - Friday.

I am also going to do some more personal challenges like the one I did with Project Runway this month. So stay tuned. Some fun things will be happening here!
2 Comments

Golden Sunset

9/30/2016

1 Comment

 
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"Golden Sunset"
Abstract, 48" x 48"
Available.
Inspired by Project Runway, Season 4, Finale, Christian Siriano design
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I cannot believe it is Day thirty of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days September Challenge. When I came up with my Project Runway inspired theme I had no idea that it would be this much fun. So what did I learn?
First, I have realized that I can design an abstract painting from just about anything. Give me a photo of a room (or a dress!) and I know I can paint a good painting. I also know that abstract painting is the direction I am heading in the future. I have no doubt.
For my final challenge painting, I based it on who I think is the best all-time designer on Project Runway. It was a tough decision because I love them all. But Season Four had the best designs. And the winner, Christian Siriano, is by far the most talented and successful designer launched from the show. Ever.
The dress I used for my inspiration is a classic and was one of many amazing designs in Christian's season finale collection. 
Thanks Project Runway for making this last 30 days such an incredible journey. You really made it work.
Tomorrow all of the participants will be posting a collage of their paintings from this Challenge. So be sure and check back for final thoughts and the fabulous collages of all of the artists!
1 Comment

Hot Pink

9/29/2016

1 Comment

 
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"Hot Pink"
Abstract, 36" x 48"
Available.
Inspired by Project Runway, Season 11, Episode 7, Layana Aguilar and Stanley Hudson design
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Project Runway is pretty creative with their "unconventional challenges". I thought long and hard about which one has been my favorite. I think it's almost impossible to choose so I am calling this "one of my most favorite unconventional challenges"!
On this episode the designers were asked to create a prom dress out of duck tape. Yep, duck tape. 
I should probably admit that I was not aware that duck tape came in so many cool colors. But the dresses that were created on this show were all really good!
​I also love Stanley Hudson who was one of the designers of this dress. He is so incredibly talented and actually showed up at my house one day when we were filming a commercial. Of course I cornered him right away!
I had so much fun creating this painting. Thanks for the inspiration!
1 Comment

Summer Hues

9/28/2016

2 Comments

 
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"Summer Hues"
Abstract, 36" x 48"
Available.
Inspired by Project Runway, Season 5, Finale, Leanne Marshall design
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My favorite final collection by a designer on Project Runway has to be the aqua, white and tan ensemble that Leanne Marshall designed in Season five. Her "petal" inspired designs were so cool and the colors she used? Well, they were perfect. At least for me.

To see Leanne Marshall's runway show of her final collection click here. I really loved her bridal gown but the aqua long dress is also simply fabulous. 
​
I absolutely loved creating this painting. The colors are my favorite and I really tried to incorporate some of the petal inspiration. What do you think?
2 Comments

Confetti

9/27/2016

1 Comment

 
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"Confetti"
Abstract, 30" x 40"
Available.
Inspired by Project Runway, Season 1, Episode 1, Wendy Pepper design
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As I near Day 30 of this Challenge I have chosen some of my favorites from the fourteen seasons of Project Runway to complete these last few paintings. Yesterday's inspiration was from my all-time favorite episode. Today's dress is what I consider the "all time most hysterical outfit".
This unconventional challenge required the designers to make a dress from items in a grocery store. Designer Wendy Pepper must have thought it was also a bathing suit challenge and/or a birthday party item challenge because that is the only explanation why she designed this itty-bitty outfit. Plus, how (and why) did the balloons ended getting placed on this "outfit". 
It's hard to believe Wendy wasn't voted off for designing this outfit. 
My painting on the other hand was created in a somewhat of a sporadic way. Truthfully, the craziness is all I could think about when I looked at this outfit. Plus, I was laughing the entire time. I hope you are laughing along with me!​
1 Comment

Rainway

9/26/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
"Rainway"
Abstract, 36" x 48"
Available.
Inspired by Project Runway, Season 13, Episode 8, Sean Kelly design
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Of all of the Episodes on Project Runway, this was by far my favorite. The challenge was to design a dress that would survive rain showers on the runway. Most of the designers created looks that featured plastic but Sean Kelly blew all of us away!
Sean designed a fairly plain muslin dress but placed dye in the seams. So when the dress came down the runway, the dye actually died the dress yellow, orange and red. It was incredible.
Click here to see the actual "rainway" revealing. It's so awesome!
​I created a painting and used a lot of water to get the same effect! It was fun spraying my canvas and then letting it drip. Wow, has this been a month month of painting!
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    Leslie
    Mom. Wife. Artist. Marketer. Teacher. Radio Show Host.

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  • Home
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  • Artists Helping Artists
    • AHA Hosts
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  • My 100 Year Old Home