I know there's still nearly a fortnight of 2009 to go, but as many people get so busy with the "happy holidays" I thought I'd open submissions for the Favorite 2009 Painting Photo Gallery now already. So, of all those you painted in 2009, which painting is your particular favorite, and why? Share a photo of your painting and tell us about it using this online submission form. (If you happen to paint something between now and the end of the year that you decide is your new favorite, feel free to submit that too.)

Granulation medium, texture medium, and iridescent medium.

• Gift Ideas for Artists
• What's the Best Art Gift You've Ever Received?

^{Photo © 2009 M Boddy-Evans. Licensed to About.com, Inc}

"I find your projects interesting except for the writing part. I come here to paint not write. Having to write a story on each project makes no sense. How about changing that to optional for those who do not want to waste time?" -- D.G.

The short answer: No.

The long answer: It's not a waste of time. The reason you have to supply a statement about a painting is that learning to talk about your paintings, to put into words the what/why/how, is part of developing as an artist and learning to critique your own work. It doesn't want to be in artspeak or jargon, plain and straightforward English is preferable for clear communication. Read more...

"...the art trade brings with it certain prejudices ... particularly ideas that painting is a gift --- well yes, a gift, but not as they make it appear; one must reach out and take it (and that taking is a difficult thing), not wait until it manifests itself of its own accord. ... one learns by doing.

"One becomes a painter by painting. If one wants to become a painter, if one has passion, if one feels what you feel, then one can do it, but this can go hand in hand with difficulty, worries, disappointments, times of melancholy, of powerlessness and all that."

Letter by Van Gogh to his brother Theo, 16 October 1883.

See Also:
• Myths About Being an Artist
• 22 Mistakes to Avoid When Painting

^{Image: © 2009 Marion Boddy-Evans. Licensed to About.com, Inc}

Whoever came up with the Adopt a Dot fundraiser idea for the Art Institute of Chicago deserves a prize for creative thinking! You're invited to "adopt" one or more of the colored "dots" in Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte painting. Given it's just over two by three meters, that's rather a large number of dots. It's quirky, it's ridiculous, yet so appealing... Did I mention you get a "commemorative button pin" in one of six colors and card describing the location of your dot among the millions?

The reference photo for Painting Photos Challenge #6 is a close-up of some stonework on an old building, an abstract of strong geometric shapes and blended colors. I'd tackle it by glazing, though you might want to blend and scumble. Take a look at the photo, and share your paintings of it here...

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More Painting Photos Challenges

If Art and Fear had been published in the Noughties, it'd have been on my list of 10 Best Art Books of the '00s. Pity, because that would've made the first three for the list really easy. What were the other inevitable choices? The six-volume set of Van Gogh's letters and Bright Earth. The rest got winnowed down from quite a longlist. Read my list of the Best Art Books of the '00s here...

What is Your All-Time Favorite Painting or Art Book from the '00s? Tell us here...

• Last Year's List: Best 10 Art Books of 2008

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• Best Books of the Decade

^{Photo © 2009 M Boddy-Evans. Licensed to About.com, Inc}

Paper Cone Angel
Make this pretty paper cone angel to decorate your table or tree. The angel is easy to customize and personalize using your favorite festive rubber stamps!

Goofy Reindeer Ornament
Need a little silly on your tree? This easy ornament from Tammy Powley will lighten the mood on your tree this year.

Curly Branch Paper Tree
These are a recycler's dream and can be made from a used pencil or colored pencil and a sheet of any paper or curling ribbon in any color - try used gift wrap or ribbon to make a wonderfully stylized forest.

Little Tree Cross Stitch
Stitch a tiny, tiny tree using this pattern by Connie G. Barwick and add it to a card or gift tag. Or, add more pizazz and decorate the tiny tree with sequins and beads.

Christmas Tree Pillow
This easy to knit pillow has a simple Christmas tree motif on one side, and plain red and green stripes on the other, so you can use it all winter long without feeling too mired in Christmas decorations.

Puzzle Piece Ornaments
Create your own unique ornaments for your Christmas tree or other holiday decorating needs by recycling old jigsaw puzzle pieces. You can use the ideas and directions I provide on these project sheets to create a variety of ornaments. Use my projects as inspiration to create your own designs.

Christmas Scrubby Soaps
This project from David Fisher is a simple variation of my Animal Melt and Pour Scrubbies project - except with Christmas themed nylon scrubbies.

Sparkling Holiday Pin
This elegant sparkles pin from the Bliss Tree blog is really easy to make, especially if you start with a pre-formed pin with drop loops.

Recycled Christmas Needle Book
From the Craftside blog, create this needle book out of scraps from recycled wool felted sweaters. HTis is the perfect gift for the stitcher in your life.

Painted Christmas Cards
Imagine receiving not just your average Hallmark card, but one hand painted by a dear friend. Spend a cozy night painting a few cards with the instructions and technique guides from Marion Boddy-Evans.

Want to Join Make it Merry to show off your holiday crafts? We will showcase your crafts and recipes of all holiday traditions. Learn more.

... but a brand-new, straight-from-the-box, oil pastel by Sennelier. Only for putting lips on canvas!

• See Also: Not Lipstick I

^{Image: © 2009 Marion Boddy-Evans. Licensed to About.com, Inc}

I noticed today there's been some searching for info on underpainting. Like so many things in painting, it depends on what painting style and approach you're using. At one end of the spectrum an underpainting can be as detailed as the final thing is going to be except it's done in tones of gray. Color is then glazed over this, using the underpainting as an integral part of the painting.

At the other end it's loosely painted blocks of color roughly indicating where the main shapes of the composition are going to be. The underpainting gets obscured and hidden as additional layers of color are added to build up the painting. As always, there are all the variations between these two extremes. Options, that's part of the fun of painting!

See Also:
• Art Glossary: Underpainting
• 7 Approaches to Covering a Canvas