It’s time again for #30×30 – our annual watercolor marathon!

May 31, 2026

Hey Everyone! It’s beginning tomorrow – the ninth year of #30×30! Our annual painting marathon, in which we encourage you all to paint thirty paintings in thirty days.

Of course you know that Uma Kellar and I started this event back in 2018 as a transparent ploy to steal back painting time from our busy lives.

Or; I should speak for myself and say – that was *my* goal anyway. To have an un-skippable motivation to paint every day, and to have at least one person to paint with.

Speaking honestly – Uma is a much better painter than I am, so I consider myself very lucky to be able to associate with her. Even a long-distance, once-a-year type arrangement is worth it :)

Of course it’s always been more than just the two of us, which has been terrific. Knowing that there are people out there who want to to do this too is really incredible motivation.

So my thanks to all of you in advance!

I’m so bad honestly at staying with things long term. The idea that we are on year nine, and year ten is in sight – it’s really unbelievable for me.

I am hoping for an great year this 2026 – because next year, being the tenth year, (and my 60th birthday) is going to be a major milestone in my life, and I really want this thing to continue at least one more year! So, please stick with us! Let’s keep up the momentum!

I have to admit though – I’m on tenterhooks this year.

I find myself, the night before the marathon, without a clear goal or project in mind.

I’ve been painting of course. Warming up. Shaking off the rust from the winter hiatus.

I don’t know why I always stop painting over the winter.

Well, of course – it’s because it’s too cold to go outside and paint. But I have plenty of ideas I could be doing indoors.

I have been doing more figure drawing lately. Going to evening workshops to paint from the model. And when I’m not doing that, sometimes I’ll just paint from social media. (This one is a person from r/drawme on the Reddit app – a user-moderated forum where people upload themselves to be painted).

There have been years when I had a specific project in mind, [ 2019 ] : The Apocalypse Variations ] and years when I wanted to do a media experiment. [ 2024 ] : The Year I Cheated with Oils ] (That one was not my best idea – I sure got some emails about that! hah!)

Some years I’ve stockpiled reference material in advance, and had all the images I planned to do lined up. But this year – Day Zero – I have nothing :) Just a stack of white paper. In fact – I don’t even have that :) I need to get to the store and stock up.

But that’s the beauty of #30×30.

It doesn’t wait for anything. Once the bell rings – you have no choice but to paint! Paint like the pack is nipping at your heels, and you have to do anything to stay ahead :)

Hah!

I’m so dramatic :)