Reflections on the Strada Challenge - September 2025

This was the third straight year I’ve donate September Strada Challenge which is an annual 30-day event where artists create a piece of artwork from life, not from a photo, each day and post to to social media.  There’s a contest to win a Strada easel.

This year, because I was in the midst of trying oils I focused on oil painting.  And, because it is still not quite plein air weather in Tucson in September, I painted primarily in the studio from a still life set up.  I made a still life shadow box from back foam core board and used fruit, painting supplies and stuff around the studio.  I also did a handful of plein air works.

I’ve found that the strategy for a successful month-long paint-everyday challenge is to have a plan.  I tend to make sure my calendar can manage painting every day and I do a prompt list so I have a set of subjects lined up and ready.  But stepping back, I think it’s important to define what success looks and feels like.  For me, a focus on learning something new or refining a skill is my definition of success.

Work produced during the September 2025 Strada Challenge

What did I learn this year?

First, I learned how to handle oils.  How to set up the palette, how to use mediums, how to mix colors with a palette knife and all the basic studio skills like cleaning brushes.

Second, I increased my skill in learning how value translates to hue (color).  I might not have always achieved the perfect color but I felt I did well in seeing value.  For this, the use of the shadow box and a directed light source really helped, but the real learning was in observing value and making notes during painting.

Third, I am learning how to exist using a limited palette.  I have only been using the three primaries (cad lemon, cad red medium and ultramarine blue) plus titanium white.  Everything I read and hear from experienced artists is that a limited palette is beneficial on many levels.

I look forward to jumping in to the Strada Challenge next year and following a plan to have fun and learn more.