NOTE: I'm posting dailies again! Yes, I'm back at it, just now I'm posting them at: www.njainschigg.blogspot.com because it's so much easier to update. I'm working on getting these pages updated, as well, so they'll soon (well, relatively soon) be more navigable and user-friendly.

This is a page devoted to an ongoing exercise in oil painting. A few years ago, after an extended period of working digitally, I decided to get back to painting with traditional media, namely oils. The idea was slightly nerve-wracking despite the fact that I'd been a professional painter and illustrator for almost two decades, so, acting on a suggestion from my friend Rick Sardinha, I decided to do a painting a day and post them on the Web so people could check on my progress and tweak me if I slacked off. The idea worked, and I stuck to it. This is a revised arrangement for these images, since the initial arrangement proved too unwieldy to continue and I've found that I so much enjoy doing these paintings that I'm going to be continuing them for the foreseeable future. Click on a thumbnail or heading below to pop up a month's worth of images. Then, click on the thumbnails to pop up a fullsize image, with rollover commentary. In order to keep my skills evolving, I will be executing one small oil painting every day. Because I have limited free time and do not wish to get drawn into doing pointless detail, I have set the rules for these paintings as follows:
1)They are executed on 8 X 10 inch or 9 X 12 inch canvas-board or masonite.
2.)They are executed in precisely 30 minutes, by kitchen-timer. No overpaints or corrections after that period will be allowed.
3.)Any subject matter is allowed, but will often be of objects from around my studio or from photographs.
4.)Vacation breaks will be allowed, but a number of pieces must be either executed in advance or afterward so that 365 days = 365 paintings. In general, though, one a day, every day, is the goal.

Because the pieces will be in oil and must be scanned on a flat-bed scanner, I'll have to let them dry for one week before scanning and posting them, so there will be a time lag involved. The first piece was posted on August 23, 2004

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Note, Summer 2005--Due to some long-overdue home renovations, my studio was off-limits to me for some months, causing me withdrawal symptoms and a break in continuity here at painting-a-day. Currently playing catch-up with posting and getting back into the rhythm of daily painting.

Another Note--Updated

Domino magazine has been kind enough (prescient enough?) to do an article on "Painting-A-Day" blogs, and to include me in it. I hadn't realized that's what I've been doing, but it seems as good a description as any for this. Anyhow, the response to the article has been a little overwhelming and very gratifying.

I've had to make some changes to the arrangement here to take into account that people may be wanting to purchase these paintings, rather than just address myself to a small (I thought) audience of friends and occasional visitors.

To Purchase

If you're interested in purchasing a painting, just send me an e-mail ("Contact" on the main page, just click any scorpion to get there) and tell me what day number you're interested in. The day number will be in your browser title bar when you have the image on your screen. The paintings that are no longer available for purchase will have a small red triangle on the lower right corner of the thumbnail like the "Month 3" and "Month 5" images below. I will then set the painting aside, mark it as sold, and tell you where to send the check. I'm selling them on a "first-come, first serve" basis so as to be as fair as possible, so there is always a slight chance that a painting has been sold and I haven't been able to change its thumbnail. If there's any problem, I'll let you know immediately.

Price