katsart

Allisha

2012-02-06T15:22:00.002-05:00

Here's my latest portrait. I really loved painting her. For the first time I started to play with the colors for the skin tones on my own. (As opposed to the way a specific teacher has taught me.) I began experimenting with the quinacridone colors but I didn't stick with them. In the early stages of the painting I added the brown tones on the neck and I didn't like the look of them. Then I mixed quinacridone magenta with burnt sienna for her lips and I found it made a great mix for the darker shades of the face.
It was a great learning experience as far as finding colors that work and colors that don't. I do not have a formula for mixing skin tones yet but hopefully some day I will.

I am so glad that I started the portrait painting group. It really gives me a time that I can concentrate on painting portraits. I'm always working on paintings for art shows as well as projects for the five classes that I am currently teaching that it's hard to find the time to paint portraits. I think now that I have the group I will focus on painting them more often. I've recently started a portrait that the subject is a little different for me. I sure hope it comes out good.

Sun Dancer

2012-01-25T09:21:00.004-05:00

This is my latest succulent painting. I must apologize for the photo as I finished the painting just in time to frame it and it was a cloudy day. The painting is much brighter than the photo.

I painted a series of succulents and I'm putting them in the Norfolk Collegiate Art Show. It is at the Lower School on 5429 Tidewater Ave., Norfolk from 1/27th to 2/1st. There is an Opening 1/27th but it costs $50.00 and reservations were supposed to be in by 1/24th. If you are interested in going contact the school at 757 625-0471. You can view the art at the following times: 1/28th from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, 1/29th from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm and 1/30th 1/31st and 2/1st from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. If you get the chance stop by and view the art. It's usually a very good show.

When I first started this painting it was so much fun. Then as I got closer to my deadline I was under so much pressure to get it done that I no longer enjoyed the painting process as much. I must say that I function fairly well under pressure in terms of getting the work done; I perform my technical skills well. But I feel like I have sacrificed some of the magic of feeling the painting flowing from within me as I am on the journey expressing myself. It would be nice to never have these deadlines but that would never be as I create them myself!

Portrait Painting Group

2012-01-20T09:29:00.002-05:00

I want to let everyone know that I have started a portrait painting group on Mondays from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at the Art Studio which is close to Bayside Hospital. The group will meet weekly to get together and work on painting portraits with the support and encouragement of the others. So far everyone is working in watercolors but all media is accepted. (If you paint in oils make sure your supplies are odorless.) The cost is minimal; $30.00 divided by the number of people that show up. This covers the rent of the studio. If anyone is interested please contact me at katsart01@yahoo.com or 757 650-5765.

Bromeliad

2012-01-08T16:21:00.004-05:00

Here's my Bromeliad. It was fun painting in the beginning. I really enjoyed the three dimensionality of the painting. But then there were so many petals. (I'm not even sure if they are called petals.) They all need to be differentiated from each other and have some light and shadows and whew they we alot of work.

I painted this for the Norfolk Collegiate Art Show later this month.

My paintings are going to be in three indoor Art Shows this month. The first is with the Chesapeake Bay Watercolorists and it runs from Tuesday January 11th with an opening from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm at Runnymead at the Towne Bank building in Virginia Beach at the end of the interstate. The show runs there until March 23rd and can be seen from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday. The next show is Artist's Alley at the Virginia Beach Coliseum's Home and Garden Show from January 20th to January 22nd. The Arist's Alley exhibit is in the lobby and is free to view. Then the Norfolk Collegiate School's Off the Wall Art Show is from January 27th to February 1st at the lower school with an opening on January 27th from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm. The show can also be viewed on January 28th from 10:00 am, January 29th from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm and January 30th from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Now I understand why I have been so busy painting!

Happy New Year!!!

2012-01-02T11:12:00.003-05:00

I just want to take this time to wish everyone a very Happy New Year. I hope that all of my family and friends have a great year and get what you desire the most.

I usually make resolutions but I hardly ever keep them. I can certainly think of some for this year. I just don't know whether its a good thing to make them as it gives you the chance to think about improvements that you want to make in your life. Or is it basically a waste of time because we hardly ever keep them.

I know I will continue painting. It is so ingrained in my life and it's what I live and breathe for. (It's not everything but almost!) I hope I continue to grow as an artist and keep finding new ways to connect with my students to share my love of creating though watercolors.

I want to take this time to thank everyone that reads my blog and supports me in my artistic pursuits. Your comments to me on my blog or by email or in person are so positive and they really help me on my artistic journey. (I also enjoy some constructive criticism once in a while!) Thank you to everyone who participates in my journey right alongside of me.

Summer Lovin'

2011-12-26T14:40:00.003-05:00

This is my latest painting. I took the photo a couple years ago when Bob and I were on the Outer Banks for a wonderful little retreat. He blew the photo up and framed it for a Christmas present that year and it has been up in our home ever since.

Recently I was having a hard time trying to decide what to paint next. I wanted to use it to send in with my application for the Virginia Watercolor Art Show and I wanted it to be special. That's what made it so difficult to decide what to paint. There are certainly many paintings on my list of things to do but I wanted it to be a little different. So I took photos and put together some still lives and thought up some unusual topics but nothing really motivated me. I was starting taking up too much time and was not any closer to making a decision.

I had always wanted to paint this photo and when I first thought about doing it at this time I was a little hesitant. I was afraid to go out on a limb. Or to step out of the safe little box that I keep myself in where I feel oh so much more comfortable. When I realized this I had to paint this painting. I did not know how it would work out but it needed to be done. So I finally decided what I was painting.

When I first started painting I kept thinking of that day and the time we spent together. I enjoyed the little trip down memory lane and then I moved into feeling so familiar with the subject matter. I visually knew the subject that I was painting and grew to know it better. It was like when I'm painting a portrait and I begin to feel so intimate with the subject. I get to know the person so deeply from seeing so many details in their features and emotions in their demeanor.

This was a wonderful learning experience. I think that being willing to step outside the box motivated me to paint a different subject matter and to enjoy it so much that I hardly worried about the techniques used to produce the finished product. I think that learning your techniques are of great importance but being willing to paint on another level and using your technical skills but not focusing on them brings you closer to experiencing your expressive process. And isn't that why we paint to express ourselves.

Now the only problem I'm having is to decide what to paint next!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T13:03:00.009-05:00

Here's a picture from my Saturday's class's Christmas Party. It was a great deal of fun and I want to thank Patti, Cherrie, Laurie, Cherie and Joyce for making it a special day. We had wonderful food, great gifts and most of all good company. And we even got some painting done!

I want to take this time to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and Holiday season. It is a wonderful time of the year to be with family and friends and to share those special moments. It is a time to reflect on those good things we have in our lives and to feel blessed. This year I am relaxing and taking things slower than usual and I've still gotten everything done (well almost everything.)

So this evening when your going to bed listen carefully and you will hear "Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!"

Poinsettia III

2011-12-15T16:47:00.005-05:00

Here's my 2011 Poinsettia. It is so very red. I don't think the photo does it justice. I can't tell you how much fun it was to paint. I love all the bright colors and I love exaggerating them.

I'm currently working on a new painting and I cannot wait to finish it and share it with you. It is such a wonderful learning experience and I really feel I'm taking a step forward as an artist. Of course I need to be careful what I say as the next thing will probably be a step backward. Afterall what is that saying?

Happy Holidays from the Poinsettia and me!

Kay Kat

2011-12-05T10:49:00.004-05:00

Here is my Kitty Kat painting. The title is a little too cutesy but I think the cat is kind of cutesy! (I may decide to change the title though.)

I started painting the cat when I started painting Murphy. I got carried away painting my Jack Russell and put the cat to the side. I finally got back to it and finished it.

What I loved about this painting is the majority is painted in winsor yellow and winsor violet. I just love mixing my complements to get neutral colors. I think the complements are filled with color as opposed to just mixing browns and greys.

I need to get myself organized. When I was younger I was such an organized person. (I was actually a little OCD. ) Now I'm a little all over the place. I feel if I could get myself a little more organized then I could accomplish more with my time. So today I will take the step of making lists of things that I need to do. I will concentrate on the things that I need to complete by the end of the month and then the things that I need to focus on in the New Year. Wish me luck!

I've renamed the painting Kay Kat. I think thats a little less corny!

Koi Jigsaw Puzzle

2011-11-29T09:23:00.003-05:00

Well I have been sick in bed with a bad cold and yestarday I found this website to make jigsaw puzzles from your paintings or photos. It is so much fun. The website is www.jigidi.com and I'm in there as kathystaicer. You can go directly to my Koi by www.jigidi.com/solve.php?id=CRT3HGYU.

Happy Thaksgiving

2011-11-24T09:29:00.002-05:00

I just want to take a few moments today to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. I hope that you have a wonderful, joyous day with your family and friends. I'm going to share the day with my in-laws and so I do not have to cook a big meal. (I am bringing the macaroni and cheese and a spinach casserole.) But on Sunday I'm cooking a turkey so that we will have left-overs!

I will be back soon with a new art post.

CBAA Pre-Holiday Art Show

2011-11-16T09:49:00.000-05:00

Here's a picture of me at the Art Show this weekend. It was very slow but I sold seven of my new ornaments. So I think they are going to be a hit. I think the Art Show would have done alot better if it was closer to Christmas. I must say that it was alot of fun being with my artist friends. We joked and fooled around and some of use even danced. You have to find a way to get the most out of everything!

CBAA Pre-Holiday Art Show

2011-11-11T09:33:00.003-05:00

The holidays have snuck up on us again and they will be here in no time at all. I have started working on my Christmas ornaments. These are new this year. They have seashells handpainted on them and little seashells in side of them. After all I live in Virginia Beach. They were so much fun to create and I think they are cute!

The Chesapeake Bay Artists Association is having it's first Pre-Holiday Art Show at Pembroke Mall this weekend. It will be Saturday November 12th from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm and Sunday November 13th from noon to 6:00 pm. The concept of the show is for the Artists to offer affordable art for gift giving. We will have girl scouts providing gift wrapping for all purchases and they will be happy for any donations that you are able to give. If you are in the neighborhood please stop by and see what we have been doing. I will be in booth #6 close to Bath and Body Works. I hope to see you there!

Untitled

2011-10-30T17:46:00.004-04:00

Here are my four peppers that I painted a while ago. This was when I was enjoying going back to basics and painting simple fruits and vegetables. I really enjoyed painting the peppers. While I was painting them I could smell their aroma. It felt as if I could actually smell the peppers on my paper.

I enjoy my senses (at least most of the time). I use them to gather information from the world around me and they become part of my artistic process. Then I try and express the sensations that I have experienced and I try and depict them through painting.

I'm going to frame the four of them together but I haven't come up with a name for them yet. Any ideas?

A Gala Basket

2011-10-17T13:05:00.010-04:00

I know it's been two weeks since my last post and I must apologize. But I have been busy teaching and working on my Gala Basket. (I'm also working on another painting too.) I guess I'm still a little obsessed with my fruits and vegetables, as well as going through a still life phase!

I really enjoyed this painting except for the fact that one of the apples gave me a hard time. The problems of mixing green and red. But I think I finally won the battle. I had so much fun building the rich reds and well as mixing the colors to capture the basket itself. What colors do you think that I used? Well I mixed green with red. Oh the joy of mixing green and red. And of course I loved painting my green and red cloth.

I have started a new blog: Katsart Studio. You can click on it at the top of my Katsart blog. In this blog I'm going to focus on the steps that I take for completing a painting. I am going to be discussing A Gala Basket in it soon. Check it out and let me know what you think of it.

Murphy

2011-10-03T09:32:00.006-04:00

Here's my Murphy. She a Jack Russell that just walked into our lives a few years ago. She's a great dog and was alot of fun to paint. I really enjoyed the different textures of her fur. As I was painting her I thought how it was painting a dog as opposed to painting a person. You have so much more freedom in painting a dog. Especially in the beginning layers when you are just laying in colors wet in wet. When painting a person I feel like I need more control than that. Now I'm thinking that maybe I don't. It's still the same
process of laying in the colors loosely, then a little more defined and then adding the details. Why is fur so much different than skin? Is it because it is so much more textured? Is it because I don't worry about it so much? I guess I need to try and change my need to control a portrait so much and see where that brings me.

My daughter Kim and her boyfriend Bryant were here visiting from California. It was wonderful seeing her and getting to know Bryant a little better. I miss her now that she is gone and am looking forward to the next time I get to see her.

Now I'm in the beginning of my fall teaching season. I'm going to be teaching six classes a week on six days of the week. Why did I think that was such a good idea? It is because I really enjoy teaching. I really find it a challenge to come up with better ways to present material in ways that my students will understand it. And it is a joy when they grow in their painting process. I really find that I learn right along with them and enjoy sharing their accomplishments.

Artistic Creations

2011-09-25T12:10:00.005-04:00

Meet the Artists at Artistic Creations Art Gallery was a great event. It was pouring rain and we didn't expect such a great turn out. We had great food from Jane Fuqua and Rae Gordner, wonderful harp music by Julie Nelson, demos in oil painting by Terry Brunner and clay sculpture by Nancy Lucks. And to top it off we had many many friends!

This is a picture of me and my sister in law Eileen. She was here visiting from New York and stopped by with my father in law. It was a pleasure to share another art filled evening with them.

Meet the Artists

2011-09-21T11:38:00.004-04:00

On Friday evening we're having "Meet the Artists" at Artistic Creations Art Gallery and Classroom in Pembroke Mall. We will have live demos, flute music, refreshments, 10% off all purchases and most of the forty plus local artists. It should be alot of fun. If your in the area then stop by and "Meet the Artists"!

Two Trees

2011-09-13T13:49:00.005-04:00

I painted these two trees a couple years ago on gessoed paper. I recently taught a class on the use of gessoed paper and gesso mixed with watercolor. The scarf in the recent portrait of mine was done with the use of gesso and watercolor.

When painting on gessoed paper you can put down very dark colors and then lift the paint to get your shapes and values. This is how I did the two trees. It is alot of fun to do and I get a little more abstract look than I usually do. This I like. I don't know why but I am drawn to realism. When I am painting I am compelled to get things looking the way that they do. But I love when I'm able to do a background or a pattern that is a little more abstract. Or a little more loose in style.

When painting with gesso and watercolor I put the gesso down first then let it dry. It can be very textured or flat. It can be put down with a brush, a painting knife or any type of instrument you choose to use. Then I let it totally dry and when I apply my wtercolors over it they are almost repelled by the gesso and move into shapes around it.

As I'm moving back into teaching mode I have been thinking alot about planning my classes for this year. Teaching and painting can be very different. For me when I'm planning on painting a subject I look at it and then decide which techniques to use. When I'm teaching I often choose to teach a specific technique and then need to find something that would demonstrate the use of the technique. It's almost the opposite way of starting a project. I'm thinking of having my Ongoing Watercolor class approach subjects in this manner. They have done so many techniques that it should be very interesting!

Untitled

2011-09-04T17:19:00.002-04:00

I should name this woman Irene because I started painting her last Saturday during the hurricane. But she does not look like an Irene. So if you have any names for her just let me know as she cannot remain nameless for too long! Robyn had been painting her and she so kindly gave me a picture that I could paint her too. Thanks Robyn!

Painting the scarf was so much fun. I used gesso under the paint to get some of the texture. I really enjoyed all the colors, folds, directions, values, intensities and movement of it.

I'm getting ready for two important things right now. Work wise it's September and I need to plan new classes and get back into teaching mode. I'm going to be teaching six to seven classes a week. Then fun wise my daughter Kim from California is coming for a two week visit to the East Coast. It will be so nice to get to spend time with her and her beau Bryant. I can hardly wait.

Seawall, Hurricane Irene and Art Studio

2011-08-26T08:57:00.004-04:00

I spent a couple days this week waiting to see what they were going to do about the Seawall Art Festival due to the impending hurricane. They cancelled it yesterday not to anyone's surprise. We will probably get hit but hopefully not too hard. I certainly have mixed feelings about the cancellation. I'm disappointed as it is usually a good show. But I certainly did not want to be out in pouring rain and strong winds.

So instead of preparing prints, cutting mats and framing paintings I started cleaning out my old art studio. Two years ago my grandson came to live in the room and now that he has moved out I get it back. I had been temporarily painting in my dining room but certainly missed my studio. The room is not done yet but I have completed a work area right in front of my window. It was such a pleasant place to paint and dream a little too.

I guess it's time to do all my hurricane preparations and batten down the hatches so to speak. I want to wish everyone in the path of Irene good luck and hope that the damage is minimal.

An Apple A Day

2011-08-14T14:08:00.005-04:00

I have been obsessed with painting fruits and vegetables lately. When I first started painting I painted many fruits and vegetables and it's like going back to basics. Besides being alot of fun to paint, I'm refining my skills in a simple painting. I'm painting light and shadows to define the shape of the image and to achieve three dimensionality and I'm painting wet on wet to mix my colors and achieve different values.

I framed the three apples together and I'm very pleased with the results. I hope you like them too. My simple little apples!

Lemonade?

2011-08-01T12:53:00.004-04:00

Here's my recent painting of a pitcher of lemonade. It sure looks refreshing! The painting is a touch brighter than the picture on the post. I have been spending alot of my time painting still lives lately. I don't really know why but I feel that if I'm motivated to paint something then I need to put forth the effort to pursue it. When I first studied watercolors I used to set up still lives and paint them. I need to pull some of them out and compare them for the fun of it!

This weekend, Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm I'm in Artisans in the Park at Great Neck Park. It is a lovely park with paths through the trees providing shade. It is a large arts and crafts show with music, food and activities for children. If your in the neighborhood check it out. It's a nice way to spend a Saturday or Sunday.

After Artisans in the Park this weekend I'm going to paint another Koi painting. It will be the fifth in a series. All previous four paintings have sold!

Then in the fall I will be teaching many classes and I will reorganize all my teaching supplies and class outlines. Then in my spare time I will start working on developing my portraits again.

Not that I have any specific plans. But if I'm motivated to paint something then I will paint it!

Artistic Creations Gallery and Classroom

2011-07-26T08:44:00.005-04:00

Here's my wall at the Artistic Creations Gallery. (I must apologize about the glare.) They recently moved to a new and larger location in Pembroke Mall and it really looks good. It features local artists work including not only paintings but sculpture, glassware, jewelry, pottery and ceramics. If you are in the neighborhood stop by and check it out. It is in the hallway heading to the food court. I think you'll really enjoy it.

There is a classroom in the back that offers classes in watercolors, oils, pottery and ceramics as well as classes for children. (I teach watercolors on Thursday and Saturday mornings.)

Watercolor Sketches

2011-07-19T11:17:00.003-04:00

Last week I went to the Japanese Garden at the Botanical Gardens with a couple of my painting buddies. It was a wonderful morning. It is such a peaceful and serene place to sit and sketch. I did the lotus garden in watercolors and on a previous visit I did the pagoda in watercolor pencils. It is so much fun just doing sketches. If lifts any tension you might have doing a painting. And it fits right in with the location that we were at.

I have just started painting seriously again. I am working on another still life that is a little more challenging then previous paintings I have worked on. I feel that I am starting to go through another learning phase. And I am really enjoying it. It seems that for the last few years I have gone through this phase in the summers. To balance things out I have been painting fruit and finding it to be great fun. A little bit lighter and more pure pleasure. Just like sketching in a beautiful location.

I must admit that I have not been as consistent with my recent posts as I would like to have been. I want you to know that it's on my list of things to improve! In the mean time I hope that you all have a wonderful summer and relax with a nice glass of lemonade!

Gladiola

2011-07-07T17:34:00.002-04:00

The Fairfield Art Show was alot of fun. The student tents looked great. I was so proud of all my students. They presented their paintings in such a professional way and they really looked wonderful. Then on top of that Cherrie won 2nd place and Linda won honorable mention. They both really deserved it. They have worked very hard and their painting has come such a long way. And they were complimented by the Judge, Kay Hofler.

I sold my Gladiola to of all people my father-in-law, who celebrated his 90th birthday July 5th. When he said he wanted to buy a painting I told him that I didn't invite him to the show to make a purchase. He told me not to tell him how to spend his money. This was a good purchase because now I can see my painting whenever I'm at his house!

Tomorrow evening from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm is the Opening at the East Beach Gallery for the show 8 Women. If your in the neighborhood come on down and see what we've been working on. There will be food and wine and art. Who could ask for more!

Fairfield Art Show

2011-07-01T11:24:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow, Saturday July 2nd is the Fairfield Art Show. It is in conjunction with Jerry's Artarama, Farfield Shopping Center and the Creative Artists of Tidewater.
There will be free lunch, a band, children's activities and the art show. We will have painters, sculptors, crafts people, jewelers and two student art tents with some great drawings and paintings!
We have made Vetshouse our charity this year. They are very successful in providing a program that assists homeless vets in our area to rebuild their lives. They will have a tent and will be providing information as well as taking donations of non-perishable food items.
So if you're in the neighborhood come and start your 4th of July at Fairfield Shopping Center on the corner of Kempsville Rd. and Providence Rd.
It ought to be alot of fun!

Caliente

2011-06-29T15:53:00.005-04:00

I have spent alot of time working on paintings for the workshops I'm going to be teaching this summer. But here is a painting that I did just for the fun of it. And it was a great deal of fun. I must thank my friend Patti for helping me name it.

I have wanted to paint peppers for a long time and have never got around to it. At first I was going to just paint them in the ceramic bowl but then I remembered a Christmas dish towel I had. So I dug it out and simplified it and added it to the painting. I love the colors in the painting they were so much fun to work with and they certainly can spice up a painting.

Now that I am getting back into painting I hope to be posting more often!

Magnolia Workshop

2011-06-15T13:24:00.005-04:00

I am teaching a Magnolia Workshop on Saturday June 18th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Artistic Creations Gallery and Classroom.

The first picture shows some of the first steps to painting a magnolia. The first thing I did after drawing the outline was to lay a very light cobalt blue wash over my paper. Then after it dried I layed a light aureolin yellow wash over the background. I call these initial washes underlying washes. I often start a painting withe them. I feel as if they tie the painting together right from the beginning. Then I started painting the petals with very light mixes of cobalt blue, opera rose and aureolin yellow. I then layed thin washes of quinacridone gold and opera rose in the center of the flower.

In the second picture I painted the branches wet on wet. I first layed down quinacridone gold and dropped in a mixture of burnt sienna and cobalt blue on the sides of the branches. I then mixed up my greens using: aureolin yellow, antwerp blue, hookers green, and a little bit of cadmium red. When I mix my colors on my pallette I do not mix them evenly. Instead I leave certain colors in certain spaces and only mix them a little with the other color or colors next to it. I then paint the leaves with this mixture of greens. I finally paint over the center of the flower with a little darker quinacridone gold and underneath that I stipple in some alizron crimson with a litle bit of cobalt blue on the outrsides of it. I then wet the deep part if the petals and allow the crimson color to bleed out.

I paint over the leaves with a thin layer of quinacridone gold. Then on to the most fun part of the whole painting (at least in my opinion.) The background. I first lay in a wash of sap green and quinacridone gold. Then I let it totally dry. I them mix up some hookers green with winsor violet. I then section by section paint the background and lift with a thirsty brush some of the paint to create some texture.

I finish the painting with permanent white guoache mixed with some quinacridone gold in the center of the flower. I then add a little alizron crimson to the little stamens on the petals.

There are still a few spots left for the workshop on Saturday. If you are interested please email me at katsart01@yahoo.com.

Also on Friday evening at Artistic Creations Gallery and Classroom there will be an Grand Opening from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm. If you have the chance stop by and meet the artists and view their work.

Teaching

2011-06-12T16:28:00.008-04:00

Here's some pictures of me teaching that one of my students took yesterday. I teach watercolors on Thursday and Saturday mornings from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at Artistic Creations Art Gallery and Classroom. They just moved to a new location in Pembroke Mall in the hall going to the food court. They are having their Grand Re-Opening on Friday 6/17th from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. If your in the neighborhood stop on by and see the new space and all the wonderful art. I have a wall with my paintings there too and I demonstrate painting on Fridays from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.

I have been spending a good deal of time planning my summer classes and workshops. The first workshop that I am teaching is next Saturday June 18th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Artistic Creations Classroom. I'm teaching painting a Magnolia in watercolor. I will demonstrate it step by step and take my students from the beginning to the end of the painting process. I will also introduce some of my "ways" of painting and explain why I do things the way I do them. I have painted so many Magnolias in the last couple weeks that I feel like I could paint them in my sleep. (I'm sure that I'm exaggerating just a little bit.) On Wednesday I will post some pictures of the Magnolia as well as some of the steps to painting it. If you are interested in taking the workshop there are still some spots open. Just contact me at katsart01@yahoo.com or 757 650-5765.

I want to give special thanks to Cherrie for bringing in the camera so that you could see me in action and to Laurie and Joyce for allowing their photos to be taken.

Apology

2011-06-06T11:17:00.002-04:00

I feel as if I must apologize for not keeping up my blog better than I have been. I have been going through some difficult times recently and have been diagnosed with a serious illness. I am working through all the emotions that you go through in trying to cope with a difficult situation. And I certainly hope that I can move right along to the phase of acceptance. I do feel that I generally have a positive attitude and will be happy to see that come back. I also think that in some ways I will be able to find new strengths coming from my diagnosis. I just cannot wait to get there!
Thank you all for your continued support and understanding. I will be making a new "art" post shortly.

Stockley Gardens Art Festival

2011-05-19T16:54:00.003-04:00

Just a reminder I'm going to be in the Stockley Gardens Art Festival this weekend. It is on Saturday, May 21st from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm and Sunday, May 22nd from noon to 6:00 pm. It is a great show and it would be worth your while to check it out. The location is Ghent, Norfolk on Stockley Gardens Rd. I hope to see you there!

Succulents

2011-05-16T11:37:00.002-04:00

Here are my three Succulents.
I framed them together. I really enjoyed painting them. They went so smoothly from beginning to end. And you know I love the colors!

I need to find other subjects to paint that give me as much pleasure as these did. I have been trying to paint subjects for the coming up art shows without much success. I have been dealing with some personal health issues that will become problematic in the future. It has taken so much out of me. I just want to paint for the fun of it right now!

Gladiola

2011-05-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

This is my Gladiola painting that I worked on in Corolla. It was so much fun. I love the colors and the values as well as the size of the paper. I feel like it represents the direction that my style is going in. It was also nice working on a flower for the first time in a long time.

This weekend I'm in the Gosport Art Festival in Old Towne Portsmouth from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm and Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. It is a nice Mother's day weekend art show. You can come and see my Gladiola as well as the other artist's work. I think you will enjoy it.

CBAA Spring Show at the East Beach Gallery

2011-05-03T15:43:00.002-04:00

These two paintings will be on display at the Chesapeake Bay Artists Association's Spring Art Show being held at the East Beach Gallery located on 9559 Shore Dr. in Norfolk. The Opening Reception is Thursday May 5th from 5:30 to 8:30 and will offer food and wine. The CBAA will be presenting scholarships to two young artists this year. The show runs until May 28th. You can visit the gallery Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm and Sunday from noon to 3:00 pm. Come and visit the gallery and see all the fine art of the members of the CBAA.

Corolla Weekend

2011-04-26T11:31:00.003-04:00

Here's the four of us paint brushes in hand and ready to paint up a storm. From left to right its me, Cherrie, Joyce and Patti. My painting buddies. We had a wonderful weekend going to the lighthouse, and village around it as well as going 4-wheelin' down the beach and in through the sand dunes where we saw some of the wild horses that live there. We took lots of pictures, we painted and watched multiple painting Dvd's. We filled up on inspiration for future paintings as well as seafood and desserts. The weather was beautiful except that one day they were predicting thunderstorms. We actually had tornado touch down in Duck and we didn't even know it. (This was because we didn't even watch any news just the Dvd's.)

I must apologize that it has been so long since I have made a post, but I have been very busy with my art stuff getting ready for some shows and my real life has also been interfering with my time management skills. But I promise that I will have some new paintings for you soon.

Japanese Magnolia

2011-04-13T09:04:00.005-04:00

I am back in my painting mode. I have started working on paintings for the upcoming Art Shows and not my learning mode of painting portraits.

Here is my Japanese Magnolia. When looking at the photo I used a magnifying glass and it looked so three dimensional. It was like putting on those glasses to watch a 3-D movie. I tried to capture that in the painting and even though it looks 3-D it does not pop off the paper as much as I would like it too.

I have so many paintings to do and such little time to do them in. My mind is painting faster then the time I have left.

This weekend I have wonderful plans to go to Corolla, NC with three painting friends for three days. The Outer Banks of NC is a beautiful, breathtaking beach community with wonderful places to look at and paint and photo. We are also bringing some DVD's to watch indoors during our downtime or (knock wood) bad weather. It is going to be so much fun and I can hardly wait.

Ricco

2011-04-06T14:45:00.006-04:00

Here is my latest portrait painting of Ricco. It really took a long time to complete and it was a struggle all the way. I'm not that satisfied with the painting but I must confess that it was a true learning experience. And I should be satisfied with that, right? I am but I would have liked it more if I could have captured his skin tones a little better, or had his eyes come out a little more realistic. I must say that I do love the bricks! They were so much fun to paint, no struggle at all!

Well now I need to move on to doing some paintings for the upcoming spring shows. They are right around the corner. I can't believe how much I need to accomplish by then. I will hopefully get most of it done in time. And the rest, oh well....

Just wanted to mention that I have updated my Art Shows and my Gallery so check them out.

Saturday Afternoon

2011-03-27T11:54:00.005-04:00

Saturdays I usually teach a class at the classroom connected with Artistic Creations Art gallery from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. I have lunch after that and then I paint at the gallery for a few hours in the afternoon. (This is unless I'm in an art show for the weekend.)

Yesterday a gentleman came into the gallery and bought 5 paintings from me and the demo on negative space I had started in class that morning and finished up at the gallery. It was a wonderful experience and I am very thankful. Now I have to say goodbye to Koi IV, Sweet Lips, Website, Monarch Queen and In the Reeds. I will miss them. Now I have to get painting so that I have enough paintings to put in my spring shows!

Katherine

2011-03-20T16:16:00.003-04:00

I finished this portrait after going to Suzanna Winton's workshop at Nancy Couik's studio in Raleigh NC. It is of her niece Katherine. She is a great teacher as well as a very nice person. She really has developed a very good teaching method of her way of painting portraits.

When I first came home from the workshop my brain was on overload. I took in so much information in such a short time that I could not even think about it. I was a little frustrated with myself for not being able to produce anything that I considered to be successful and was a little concerned about not having really absorbed anything. But then I started to paint and I felt like the floodgates opened and I was able to experience painting portraits on a whole new level. At times when I was painting I felt like I was in the "zone". It's that place that my painting comes without the interference of thought. I am satisfied with the painting and the process of creating it. Not that I think its the greatest painting I've ever done but I really feel that I have taken a step in the right direction. And I only have to continue on the same path and hopefully my portraits will continue to grow.

Currituck County Art Extravaganza

2011-03-11T16:44:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow I'm supposed to be at the Currituck County Arts Council's 12th Annual Art Extravaganza. It is located at the Currituck County High School in Barco March 12th from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. I've never been in it before but it's supposed to be a good show. The only reason I may not make it is because I think I have the flu. I'm all packed up and ready to go so as long as I have a good night I'll be there tomorrow. If you're in the neighborhood stop on by. It ought to be alot of fun.

Stylish Blogger Award

2011-03-09T13:51:00.006-05:00

I am honored that Meera from ArtbyMeera has given me the Stylish Blogger Award. Thank you Meera for all of your support, encouragement and your friendship.

I have been requested to reveal 7 things about myself and to pass the award on to 7 other bloggers. So here goes.

1. My favorite days are those that I can stay in my pajamas all day and do nothing but paint. They are too few and far between.

2. I could open an art supply store with all the art supplies that I own.

3. I could also open an art book store.

4. Since I have retired from the real world I am busier than ever.

5. The saddest thing about getting older is realizing there are so many things that you will not have the time to do. (Like playing the cello, and speaking foreign languages, travelling across the world and many more.)

6. I truly admire artists in all different fields.

7. I love my coffee in the morning and afternoon as well as a glass of wine before I go to sleep.

The 7 bloggers I admire are:

Diana M. Davis Watercolor

Artcolony

Barbara Fox-Daily Paintings

Contemporary Realism

Watercolor Paintings and Oil Paintings Figurative Art Doris Joa - Romantic Realism in Oil and Watercolor

A Painting a Day Blog

Brush Paper Water

and last but not least

Art by Meera

Cactus Flower

2011-02-23T16:20:00.002-05:00

This is my sixth and final painting that I did for the One Foot Square show at the Artist's Gallery.
The yellows are a little brighter in real life. I loved mixing the purple with the yellow for the shadows of the flower. It is another one of my "dirty color" mixes. I also like the hint of cactus in the background.

I have been busy, as usual. I'm teaching four classes a week from Wednesday to Saturday. So I have three free days, so to speak. But there are always meetings and other art related things to do. This is all besides painting. But I do like to have my teaching days and my free days grouped together like this. I have been pretty much painting daily. So that is good. I do need to decide on at least one large painting for the Spring and Summer shows as well as some smaller ones. I have been thinking about doing a large Magnolia painting. That ought to be fun.

On Wednesday I'm bringing in three of my paintings of flowers to be in the Artists Alley Art Show at the Mid Atlantic Home and Flower Show at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. The paintings are in the lobby before you have to pay for the Home and Flower Show. The show will be up until Sunday at 6:00 pm. If your in the neighborhood stop by and see some great floral paintings.

Magnolia Bud

2011-02-16T15:26:00.006-05:00

I put my Magnolia Bud in the Chesapeake Bay Watercolorist's Winter Art Show at St. Mary's Home for Disabled Children and I am so pleased to tell you that it won Honorable Mention. Thanks to Norman Goodwin who was the judge of the show.

I started painting this painting a few times and was disappointed in how it turned out. But I loved the photo so much that I finally painted this one and I really do like it. I do love painting magnolias and green is still one of my favorite colors to paint. I tried to vary the greens in the painting so that the leaves were distinguishable. The bud is so delicate with just a little bit of color on it. I have been thinking of doing a large Magnolia painting for the Stockley Gardens Art Show and I think I just might do it.

Seashells on the Beach

2011-02-08T16:54:00.003-05:00

I had so much fun painting the rocks that I decided to do seashells. (Some of which I like better than others.) I think the style of both paintings are very similar and different than my usual style. Afterall I didn't even use the color green!

Tomorrow I'm going to Charlotte, NC for a three day workshop with Suzanna Winton. I am so much looking forward to it. Just think of me spending three days working on portraits without a care in the world. (At least until I come home.) She is a wonderful teacher and her portaits are amazing. Check her out at www.suzannawintonwatercolors.com. The only thing that could be better is if it was in a warm place!

Textured Rocks

2011-02-02T16:17:00.006-05:00

Here are my Textured Rocks. I really had alot of fun painting them. I used salt, rubbing alcohol, wet in wet, plastic wrap, tissues and masking fluid to create them. I have been fascinated with textures lately and have been exploring the tricks of the trade in more detail than before. It is amusing using watercolor tricks as they are always surprising how they turn out.

They are one of the six paintings I've done for the One Foot Square Art Show at The Artists Gallery at 608 Norfolk Ave., Virginia Beach, VA. The Opening is Friday, February 4th from 6:30 pm until 8:30 pm and runs until February 26th. (The gallery is open Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Saturday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.) If you have a chance stop by and see it.

I'm sure that you have seen some of the new things on my blog. I have added a new and improved gallery and will be adding to it soon. I hope that you enjoy looking and reading about my art as I certainly enjoy sharing it with you.

Monarch Queen

2011-01-24T14:37:00.005-05:00

Here is my Monarch Queen. (Again I question telling the gender of small animals.) She was alot of fun to paint. Another 8 x 8 painting for the One Foot Square show. I enjoyed using the warm bright colors and hoped they would keep the chill away.

As you can see I'm in the process of changing my blog a little bit. I have put some of the topics that were on my sidebar on separate pages and you can just click on them across the top of the page. I always welcome feedback so if you have any comments please let me know. I will be redoing my gallery and hope to post that soon.

Hanging On

2011-01-18T12:20:00.000-05:00

I had mentioned a while ago that I was going to paint a "froggie" and here he is. (I really do not know how you tell the gender of a frog but I have just thought of him as male.) He was so much fun to paint. I have used the photo of the frog in black and white to teach values for a while. But this is my first time painting him in color.

Right now I'm trying to paint for some upcoming shows. He will be in the "One foot Square" show at The Artist's Gallery, 608 Norfolk Ave., Virginia Beach. The Opening is Friday February 4th from 6:30 to 9:30 and the show will hang until February 26th. The gallery's hours are 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Tuesday through Friday and 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on Saturdays. If you haven't been there it is a very nice gallery and they have wonderful shows. The phone number is 757 425-6671.

Camellia

2011-01-12T14:19:00.009-05:00

Here is my Camellia. I must say that the photo does not do justice to the light in the painting. I will try and take the phot again on a sunnier day but I did not want to delay the post.

When I went to Raleigh, NC for my Art weekend I saw these flowers. They were in the back of a garden next to a glass doorway. I had to climb through the garden and risk falling (not to mention embarrassment) in order to capture the photos. But I knew at that point that I had to do it. And now I think that it was worth it.

Recently I sat through a demo by Susan Check, a magnificent watercolorist, where she painting trees and she used watercolor pencils as well as watercolor crayons right along with her watercolors. I can't say that I've never thought about doing this before but that I never thought I would do it in any way other than a demonstration of things you can do. When painting this Camellia I really felt that the watercolor pencils would help me get the texture in the petals and I think that they did.

I want to mention that I have paintings in the CBW Winter Show at St. Mary's Home for Disabled Children at 317 Chapel St., Norfolk, VA until February 26th. They are having an Open House on Friday, January 14th from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

Off The Wall Art Show

2011-01-07T14:59:00.002-05:00

Tonight I'm going to the Opening for the Off the Wall Art Show held at Norfolk Collegiate. There are over 70 artists participating in the show. Last year they had some exciting and beautiful art there and I'm guessing they will have more this year. If you get the chance stop by and visit. the hours are: January 8th from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, January 9th from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm and January 10th through 12th from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Virginia State Capital Building

2011-01-04T14:03:00.007-05:00

Yesterday I went with a group of six members of CBAA (Chesapeake Bay Artists Association) to the State Capital in Richmond to hang approximately 90 paintings. Due to the way we were required to hang the paintings it was a very time consuming task. It was a long and busy day with little challenges along the way but it was also very satisfying. I feel that we were successful in creating a room filled with art that was displayed in a very appealing way. My Koi IV and Sweet Lips are my contribution to the exhibit. These paintings will hang in the West Conference Room at the State Capital Building until February 28th.

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T16:01:00.003-05:00

I want to thank everyone who reads my blog for their wonderful input and comments both on the blog and to me personally. You all have been very encouraging to me and my art and I want to let you know that I truely appreciate your kind and supportive words.

I also want to say Happy New Year to all my family and friends. I hope it is a good year for everyone filled with love and health and a little bit of that old fashioned prosperity! I also hope that we continue to grow in the directions we choose to go in and enjoy the ride along the way. May 2011 be a great year for all of us.

A Winter Wonderland

2010-12-27T16:09:00.004-05:00

This picture is Mt. Trashmore under the 3rd largest snow storm to hit Virginia Beach in recorded history. Isn't it wonderful!!! My husband and I drove around in my four wheel drive jeep taking pictures today. Sometimes the simplest things are the most fun.

Right now I feel that I would like to simplify my life. I have put my art work on the back burner to get ready for and enjoy the Christmas holiday. Now I need to get myself organized and get ready for many upcoming art shows. (Notice I said I needed to get myself organized.) One of the things I need to do is update my blog to share the shows that I am doing as well as posting other updated information. I have some new ideas for my blog that I plan on trying out. I always feel that if I get organized then I will be able to get everything done. I sure hope so.

Christmas Memories

2010-12-21T08:54:00.007-05:00

These are a few of my Christmas ornaments and mini paintings at the Artistic Creations Art Gallery in Pembroke Mall. I have been spending time making them and allowing Christmas memories to flow through my brain. When I was younger I would make ornaments to give as gifts. It was so much fun and I must confess it still is.

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas filled with love and happiness.

Holly Berries

2010-12-14T16:21:00.008-05:00

Here are my completed Holly Berries. Just in time for the holidays! In the first picture you can see that I took out the upper right leave to be repainted. I just did not like the shape or size of it so I decided to take it out and redo it. I also continued adding more greens and reds. My first background was in a lighter color scheme but I didn't like that either. So then I made the background darker and it really make the foreground pop. Then I continued working the leaves and the berries just darkening some areas so that the light areas look lighter and brighter. See how shiny the leaves and berries appear in the final picture.

I think that you can still appreciate the first colors that I painted in the final picture after putting many layers over it. It is in the nature of transparent watercolors that allows you to accomplish this look.

As I mentioned before there were a couple things that I was not pleased with in the process of creating this painting. This happens often enough. The longer I work with watercolors the easier it is to see what I feel needs to be changed to improve the painting and find the way to do it.

Holly Berries WIP

2010-12-09T09:55:00.022-05:00

I have been working on this painting for my Saturday morning class. I saw the turquoise colors under the green colors and wanted the demonstration to show how to paint undercolors and have them coming through the later layers of colors. What I learned in the class on Saturday was that different people see different colors that they choose to express. This is part of what makes different artists paint in different styles. It is also one of the reasons I enjoy teaching as I am always learning something new!

In the first step I layed in the lightest colors and I varied the values of them to start to capture some three dimensionality. Then I started to add a variety of green as well as more blue and turquoise. I mixed dark green with red for the darker colors for the stem and created some texture by lifting some of the color down to the previous light yellow green that was there. I also put in the first layer of reds for the berries. As the painting moves on you can still see the first colors that I used.

In my next post I will show you how it looks so different with the background in place.

Portrait from Suzanna Winton's Workshop

2010-12-01T12:50:00.010-05:00

Here is the portrait that I worked on in my class with Suzanna Winton. I took a worshop with her at the Art of the Carolinas a couple weeks ago. She is a wonderful artist and a great teacher.

Yesterday I posted a photo of the painting that was way too pink. I took it again today and I think the colors are a little better. I'm certainly not 100% satisfied with the results but it was so much fun to paint and I did learn so much along the way.

I found myself seeing values on a new level. I took my glasses off and I could really see the shapes and darkness of the skin tones. I wonder if that is like squinting? I saw the larger shapes of dark values as well as the smaller differentiations in value changes within the larger shapes.

I also worked on softening edges and blending the colors from darker to lighter. And I had so much fun doing the background with little circular and squiggly shapes.

I'm going to keep working on painting portraits. I really enjoy capturing the looks as well as the spirit of the person I am painting. I feel that I have a sensitivity to people that I can use to express their personalities and try and capture their essence.

Also a while ago I heard or read that painting portraits is similar to painting flowers by capturing the curves and value changes that represent the soft changes that they both have. I think it is true. I am certainly more comfortable with painting flowers than portraits but am ready to step outside of my comfort zone and work on something more challenging. Maybe that is why I feel I am ready to start working on my portraits again!

The next portrait that I work on I will post it in stages so that you can see the process.

Santas Stocking and Suzanna Winton

2010-11-23T13:11:00.006-05:00

I was in the Santa's Stocking show this past weekend. It is a holiday arts and crafts show and it was alot of fun as usual. I painted this poinsettia last year and I took it out for the show. It is certainly festive for the season.

At Art of the Carolinas I took a portrait painting class with Suzanna Winton. It was a great class and it really has inspired me to start working on my portraits again. I really liked her as a person as well as a teacher. She is very down to earth and easy going. She presented the material very clearly, answered questions, gave encouragement and feedback as needed. The one thing I really liked about her is that she gave advise on how to do things and what colors to use but encouraged the students to find the best way for themselves. This is something I try to do in my classes. I believe it helps students to develop their own style. I understand that teachers can only teach from their own experience but I dislike being told that things need to be done the exact way the teacher says. Wouldn't doing things just like an instructor make you into an imitator of the art the teacher is presenting? How can you develop into an artist if you are simply reproducing someone elses paintings?

Today I have been working on the portrait we started in class and I have been in heaven. I think I am finding my new direction!

Art of the Carolinas

2010-11-15T11:22:00.008-05:00

I went to Art of the Carolinas this past weekend and it was wonderful. I always want to go to Art Workshops but I usually do not have the time, the money or the company to go with. This time me and three friends went for a very short weekend. (We left Saturday morning and came home Sunday evening.) We walked around with our eyes wide open; we were in awe of everything around us. We checked everything out, shopped, took classes, talked about everything, ate too much, and laughed so much. It was really alot of fun. I just want to thank Joyce, Cherrie and Patti for making the weekend one to remember. You were the best!

I woke up today and told myself that I'm going to only do what I want today. I decided to paint, of cource, and doors just kept opening up for me.

It's funny how sometimes I go through uninspired times with my painting. When I just can't get enthusiastic about anything. When I do not know what direction I'm going in. As a Libra, when trying to make decisions I have to weigh both sides. There is nothing wrong with that except I keep going back and forth and cannot make and easy decision. As an artist I want to learn and do everything. I want to explore all possibilities. I want to do it all. But as I grow, let's say more mature, I know I do not have all the time in the world to do everything I want to. So the decision of which direction I need to go in becomes a little more important.

Then there are other times in my artistic journey that I experience an abundance of inspiration flowing through me. I experienced this when I sat down to start painting this morning. All these new ideas of paintings came flooding in. I know that I cannot do them all right now but it is enlightening to have such an experience.

So I have come through another uninspired period in my life and I am on the verge of unleashing my creativity. And I am thankful to Art of the Carolinas for being a catalyst for this part of my journey.

Crimson Berries

2010-11-07T13:35:00.006-05:00

This is my other painting of autumn leaves. They are so bright and cheerful. They remind me of fall in New York when all the beautiful colors of autumn fill the world. Unfortunately I did not get to visit NY this fall but maybe next year.

I have been struggling mentally about what direction I need to go in with my painting. Currently I am taking the Life Drawing session and spending most of my time teaching. I feel that I am learning alot in the Life Drawing group that will benefit me in whatever direction I end up going in. But I do not have any strong pull in one direction or another and the more I think about it the more complicated it gets. Of course thinking about it is probably not the way I will find my answer.

I am very excited that me and three special painting friends are going to Jerry's Artarama Artist Workshops in Raleigh NC for some painting classes next weekend. I am so looking forward to it. I'm sure it will be alot of fun and I hope to learn some new things. And maybe I'll be inspired as to which direction I need to go next.

Harvest Leaves

2010-11-01T13:57:00.004-04:00

This is one of the paintings of leaves that I have been working on. I had done it previously in Colored pencils. It was one of those paintings that I framed and put in a show and it sold. So I did not get to spend too much time with it before it left me.

This time I did it in watercolors on Masa paper. I think the Masa paper gives the leaves a great texture. It was alot of fun to do.

I have been so busy lately. I'm on a full schedule of teaching and it's really going well. I really enjoy it when my students "get" something. It is a pleasure to watch the doors open for them and they find the way to make something happen. Being part of their learning is very satisfying and it is a wonderful experience for me too.

A Dozen Roses

2010-10-21T15:34:00.007-04:00

These are my "Dozen Roses". The colors are not quite as bright as they really are and I must say they look better in real life. They are taken from a rose named Flutterbye that changes colors from yellow to pink and gold. They are so delicate and strong.

It is a very large painting at 22 x 30 and it took somewhere between 5 and 6 weeks to complete. It was alot of work and a tremendous learning experience. The application of layer after layer of color, the portrayal of folds in the petals and highlights on the leaves, and the final application of shadows as well as reflected light helped to make it a very exciting journey on the path of my artistic life.

Stockley Gardens was a great weekend. The weather couldn't have been more beautiful. I really enjoyed the show. I saw alot of friends and met some new ones. I received a very positive comment from the judge. I sold many prints and notecards. I would have liked to have sold a painting or two (or even more). But other than that it was a terrific outdoor Art Show.

White Lily

2010-10-14T16:26:00.004-04:00

Here is my completed White Lily. I touched up the colors a little bit and I added some white gouache to the petals. I have enjoyed sharing painting this picture in stages and sharing it with you. It will make it's debut at the Stockley Gardens Art Festival this weekend. It is in Ghent, Norfolk close to the Children's Hospital. The festival runs on Saturday October 16th from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and on Sunday from 12:00 noon to 5:00 pm. The weather should be good and it is a really nice show. So hopefully I will see you there.

I have finished my large painting and it will also be in the show. I am overall pleased with the results. I will post it next week.

White Lily WIP 3

2010-10-05T17:16:00.007-04:00

Here is the next phase of my White Lily. I painted the leaves and decided the background needed to be darker. I had thought about adding some mid ground but decided the Lily can stand on it's own. I photoed the painting indoors so the colors are not as bright as they would be in the sunshine. But alas there is very little sunshine out right now. I do think the colors are blending together better than before. I just need to work on the details and clean it up a little and then it will be done.

I'm spending a great deal of my time working on my large painting for Stockley Gardens. Some days I like the way it is going and other days I am a little frustrated. When I start a painting, I have a vision of what I want it to look like. Sometimes the painting comes out just that way. (Like the White Lily is coming.) Other times I just cannot capture my imagined version. The painting can find a vision of it's own that is very satisfying or it just does not work. I feel like I am on the fence with this painting and I'm just not sure what direction it is taking me!!!

I think that I'm getting a little tired of painting flowers. Just like I had become tired of painting fish. I just don't know what I'll work on next.

White Lily WIP 2

2010-10-01T16:43:00.003-04:00

I worked on the White Lily last Sunday at the Artistic Creations classroom but then I forgot to photo the painting at that stage. So here is the next stage.

The leaves still need another layer or two. I think that the colors will work together a little better then. And I'm not sure about the background. I think I might need to make a mid-ground or maybe I just need to make it darker. Then I need to finish up the details and shadows as well as cleaning it up. I'm pretty happy with the Lily itself except it looks like it's floating a little bit. And it is looking almost white isn't it?

I have to get working on it some more as well a working on my large painting for Stockley Gardens.

I'm putting in my first full week of teaching and I'm really feeling exhausted. But I will get back in the groove once I get used to the schedule. (This also means going to sleep earlier to get up in the am!)

White Lily WIP

2010-09-25T14:31:00.004-04:00

This is the first stage of painting a white lily that we are working on in my Watercolor Class at the Classroom in the Art Space in Pembroke Mall. I am changing the day of the class to Saturday on October 2nd. It will be from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. I will have a class on every Saturday in October except for October 16th as I will be at the Stockley Garden Art Show that weekend.

Tomorrow Sunday September 26th, I will be at the monthly Open House for the Art Space and I will be demonstrating the White Lily as well as a large painting that I'm working on for Stockley Gardens.

I have just moved many of my paintings into Artistic Creations also at the Art Space at Pembroke Mall. I will be painting there Saturday afternoons after the art class.

The white lily is a study in painting white. I have begun by putting in very "light" colors to shape the flower. Tomorrow I will put in some slightly darker colors into the flower and start working on the stem, bud, leaves as well as the stamens. Then, in the next class, I will put in the background in a significantly darker color mixture that will make the white flower pop. The final step will be to add a little bit of white gouache to capture some of the details.

I really want to work on painting it now and can hardly wait to paint it! But I need to wait until tomorrow or else I'll have to paint another!

Hope that I'll see some of you in the near future.

Roses for Mom

2010-09-20T12:51:00.008-04:00

Here are the Roses for my Mom. I really enjoyed painting them. Very detailed.

Right now I'm painting a large (22 x 30) painting of a dozen roses. So far it's coming out good. It has over a hundred leaves and will take a long time to finish but I hope that I will have it done for the Stockley Gardens Art Show October 16th and 17th.

I am really enjoying painting flowers right now and I feel that I've recently made great progress in my technique. I feel like my paintings are more realistic and more three dimensional than they were. And I have found a confidence in my painting that I have not experienced before.

My mother loved flowers, especially roses. When I'm painting them I feel as if my love for her is experientially there and hopefully shows through the painting itself.

Gallery

2010-09-17T14:56:00.004-04:00

I've added a gallery to my blog as I'm sure some of you have found it. You can click on it right at the top of the right side of the page. I wanted to be able to put some of my newer paintings all together in a place where they can be seen. It is a work in progress, like so many things in my life. But I wanted to work out the other page format before I get back into my teaching mode. Check out the gallery and if you have any suggestions as what to add I'd love to hear them.

I hardly can wait to start my teaching as I have so many new ideas of ways to present materials. If you are interested in any of my classes they are listed on the right side of my blog. You can certainly make a comment or email me at katsart01@yahoo.com and I will be happy to answer your questions.

Peace

2010-09-12T14:48:00.004-04:00

I have been in an unusual frame of mind lately as I have not been able to decide what I want to paint. I have many ideas for paintings but none have really excited me. I'm tired of repainting subjects for art shows. I am doing Stockley Gardens in October and I need some new and exciting themes to paint to put in that show. I found a picture of three roses that I'm going to work on in a square format. I think that I'm getting excited about painting it. We'll see how it goes!

I have been painting flowers for a long time. Roses are very challenging but I keep going back to them. They are absolutely beautiful and the remind me so much of my mom. She had about 50 rose bushes in her gardens. And they were magnificent. I really miss her and I think that painting roses is a way of staying close to her.

Magnolia Bud

2010-09-07T11:00:00.005-04:00

This is my latest painting. I have been able to work it with no deadlines and have totally enjoyed painting it. Again I must say that pleasure is a factor that contributes to the quality of a painting.

I have worked on the three dimensionality of it paying special attention to the light and shadows. I think it has allowed me a most valuable learning experience and I am very pleased with the results. Unfortunately the photo does not do it justice.

While painting this picture I again was drawn to realistically capturing the visuality of the bud and the many leaves. (I think there were about 36 leaves in it!) I am continually pulled to do more abstract work and yet I strive to create pieces that are realistic. I enjoy painting more abstract backgrounds but usually for the foreground I'm compelled to paint it realistically. I really do not know yet whether to go with my realistic tendencies or force myself to try and do more abstract work. What do you think?

I have two weeks until my teaching schedule picks up again. And I have not accomplished much on my to do lists. But I'm starting to think about my upcoming classes and what I hope to achieve with them.

Seawall Art Show

2010-08-31T15:39:00.006-04:00

The Seawall Art Show was wonderful. So many talented artists displaying their work on the two sunny days. I had the benefit of a beautiful breeze coming off the Elizabeth River while totally enjoying the view.

My Yellow Roses made their debut and I sold them to a gentleman wearing an island shirt with yellow flowers on it. I guess he was the most appropriate person to make the purchase. I was happy/sad to see them go but I'm sure he will give them a good home. Now I feel compelled to paint them again!

I have three weeks off now before I need to start teaching again and I do not have any shows until October. I have so many things on my to do list (art stuff and non art stuff.) I know I won't get them all accomplished but it would be nice to put a dent in them. But most of all I want to paint paint paint. My eleven year old granddaughter had asked me if I was addicted to painting and I had to confess to her that I guessed I was.

Yellow Rose Garden II

2010-08-26T16:07:00.009-04:00

This is another "Yellow Rose Garden". When I first painted it I brought it to a show and afterwards a woman contacted me to purchase it. I missed it very much and decided to repaint it again. I tried the background with a different color scheme and I don't like it as much. But I think the roses themselves came out good.

Yellow Rose Garden will debut this weekend at the

Seawall Art Show

in downtown Portsmouth. I will be down by Riverview Gallery across from where the ferry from Norfolk docks. The show is Saturday August 28th from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm and Sunday August 29th from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. It's a wonderful art show and the weather should be great so if you have the opportunity come and see what the artists have been doing lately. You should be pleasantly surprised.

New Template!!!

2010-08-23T10:27:00.004-04:00

Well as you can see I have a new template. I did not do this on purpose. I wanted to figure out how to get a separate page for something new that I'm planning so I went into the New Template section on the blog. Then I started looking at the new templates that they have available and pressed apply to blog to see what they would look like on my blog. Decision made that I liked my template just fine I decided to go back to it. Voila I could not. So I searched through help and found out how to go back to a classic template. (Now they only had classic and new listed.) I was able to pull up my blog and get my colors right but where were the gadgets (info on right side of the page). They were no where! I figured that I was happy that I had my template back I would just have to reenter my gadgets. Voila again. The page to enter was no where to be found. Again I searched and searched through help to find out that my template was not a classic but in between a classic and a new template and did not have the capability to put gadgets on it. Anyway I had to do a new template.

So here it is. I like it because it is bright but I think it might be a little too bright. Let me know what you think about it. I'm going to keep it for a while and see if it grows on me. And if not I'll go to some of the more advanced new templates. Right now I can't work on my template any more!!!

After all that I went to help and found how to add another page. I should have done that in the first place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seashells by the Seashore

2010-08-18T15:17:00.003-04:00

In one of my watercolor classes about a month ago I was demonstrating how you go from putting down general colors to putting down the details. I was working on the middle seashell and I had so much fun with it that I went home and did two more. They are only 5 x 7 so I decided to frame them in one frame. I think they look pretty good together.

I really enjoy teaching and it really amazes me how well my students are able to pick up on the little things that I suggest to them to try. I try to open them up to having positive experiences with the painting process. I feel that they should have fun while painting because if it isn't fun then why bother. This does not mean that there aren't setbacks and frustrations in the process because

there are but the sense of enjoyment should make up for the negatives.

I the middle of September starts my new teaching year. I'm already starting to think of new ways to present information that will make the learning process smoother and I want to continue to explore ways to make classes more fun.

I will keep you informed on the dates and times of the new classes and hopefully some of you will be able to join me.

Koi IV

2010-08-10T17:22:00.008-04:00

Here's my latest Koi painting for your viewing pleasure. (LOL) I think I only have a few more of them in me. I really cannot figure it out but everyone loves them. At the Artisans in the Park Art Show this weekend almost everyone that came into my tent commented on the Koi. Is it because they have such bright colors? They are very simple in shape and look almost like cartoon Koi to me. Does that make them more abstract than my usual paintings and more interesting? Maybe it's the crazy looking eyes. Or is it the feeling of freedom of movement that they seem to have? I really cannot figure it out but I'm not complaining!

I poured the paint to do the background and I must say that I really like the way it turned out. I mixed a blue, yellow and red and in no place does it look muddy. The colors are clear, transparent and bright. I then painted the Koi in fluid acrylics. They are so much fun to paint.

I'm planning on doing two new paintings for the Seawall Art Show later on this month so I have to buckle down to work on them. Then I'll be free for a while before any other art shows and taking on my fall teaching schedule. I want to explore my style and try and expand my horizons as far as my subject matter is concerned. Either that or I might just collapse for a couple weeks!!! Not likely.

Artisans in the Park

2010-08-05T16:45:00.006-04:00

I've been getting ready for the Artisans in the Park Arts and Crafts show this weekend. They are predicting the temperatures to be in the mid 80's with a slight chance of thundershowers. I sure hope the weather is wonderful after the show at 17th St. park last week. We definitely deserve it!

The show is at Great Neck Park on Saturday August 7th from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sunday August 8th from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Cox High School is located at the corner of Great Neck Rd. and Shorehaven Dr. and you can catch a shuttle there to the park. It's a great show with wonderful arts and crafts vendors, music, children's activities and food for purchase. The park has tree lined winding paths that make me want to paint them. (I've actually brought my students from Great Neck Rec Center to that location for painting on numerous occasions.) It should be a great weekend. So if your in the neighborhood stop on by and join the fun.

Website

2010-07-31T15:40:00.003-04:00

Here is my painting of a spider spinning his web. This is one of the paintings that I did for the show at Pembroke 4 Art Gallery. The theme was home and I painted animals in their habitats. The spider web was a great deal of fum. First of all I painted it on Masa paper which gives the background it's texture. Then I used guoache to paint the web itself. (I had originally tried using masking fluid on regular watercolor paper but it came out too thick.) It's certainly not the best painting I've ever done but it is kind of cute. Don't you think?

Lately I've been painting for the fun of it. I'm currently painting roses, seashells and another pineapple. Next weekend is Artisans in the Park. After that I have to crack down again start working on some paintings for the Seawall Art Festival. Does it ever end? I sure hope not.

17th Street Art Festival

2010-07-26T09:31:00.003-04:00

I have to say that this was the hottest Art Show that I have ever been in. The temperature reached 105 and it felt like 113. I brought all of my stay cool tools and I guess they worked as I was able to make it through. The only thing is that in less than five minutes after spraying myself with my little fan I felt hot again. There was quite a breeze which was a good thing and a bad thing. Good because it cooled you down a little and bad because peoples art and tents were blowing all over the place.

The show was a little slower than in previous years but I'm happy/sad to say that I sold my Ocean Wave. The woman was here on vacation from Kentucky. Now I fell that I need to paint another!

Well now I need to start getting ready for my next Art Show. I just hope the temperature is in the 80's. Wishful thinking?

17th Street Arts Festival

2010-07-21T13:32:00.006-04:00

Saturday July 24th is the Fourth Annual Arts Festival at 17th Street Park. It is between Atlantic Ave. and the Boardwalk from 10:00 am to 6:30 pm. It is a great show with local and regional artists participating. So if your in the neighborhood stop on by and check it out!!!

Pembroke 4 Art Gallery

2010-07-21T13:20:00.004-04:00

I just want to remind everyone that I'm going to be in an Art Show at the Pembroke 4 Art Gallery from July 23rd to October 15th. The Opening is Friday July 23rd from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. If your not doing anything Friday evening stop by and see the art and meet the artists. It looks like a great show.

Yellow Buckeye

2010-07-14T10:35:00.003-04:00

The yellow buckeye is such a majestic tree. I started this painting in my watercolor class. I was demonstrating how your paint the general areas and colors before moving on to the details. Then I used pen and ink for the details. It was alot of fun and voila I have a painting.

Right now I'm getting ready for two art shows this weekend. The first one is at Pembroke 4 Art Gallery, Virginia Beach and the opening is Friday July 23rd from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The second one is at 17th St park between Atlantic Ave and the Ocean front on Saturday July 23rd from 10 :00 am to 6:30 pm. (I have 20% off coupons for that show if your interested please let me know and I can email it to you.) So if your in town this weekend please feel free to come and visit and enjoy the art.

Fairfield Summer Art Show

2010-07-06T12:02:00.002-04:00

Well I just wanted to touch base with everyone and let them know that the Fairfield Summer Art Show was a success. The artist's represented were so talented and had wonderful art to look at and purchase. It was a festive atmosphere with food, music and a water slide. There could have been more traffic but it was only the first year of the show.

I had sold some prints and notecards and then at 4:45 pm (the show ended at 5:00 pm) I sold four paintings. One of the paintings was my Pineapple. I just painted it, framed it and put it in one art show and it sold. I will miss it. But I think the customer will love it as much as I did. And I can always paint another.

Right now I'm in the painting mode. I have five paintings going at the same time and it is almost overwhelming. I need to get them done for the show at Pembroke 4 at the end of this month. Wish me luck.

Fairfield Summer Art Show

2010-07-02T17:41:00.004-04:00

I just wanted to remind everyone about the Fairfield Summer Art Show tomorrow July 3rd at Fairfield Shopping Center from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
It is sponsored by the Creative Artists of Tidewater along with Jerry's Artarama with the support of the Fairfield Shopping Center. The Art Show will have 20 local artists displaying their latest art. There will also be food and drinks, live music, an indoor train show and a giant water slide. It sounds like a great way to begin your celebration of the fourth of July holiday. So if your in the neighborhood stop on by and see the art as well as have a little fun. I'd love to see you.

Bye the way look carefully at the flyer. Two of my paintings are on it. The first person that can guess one of them and writes a comment on my blog will win a 5 x 7 print.

Kim's Tulips

2010-06-29T16:22:00.004-04:00

When I visited my daughter in La Quinta, CA she had the most beautiful bouquet of tulips sitting on her kitchen counter. I was fascinated by them and took a bunch of photos. I recently painted them and am pleased with the outcome.

When I go to places either new and exciting or the same and indifferent there are things I see that summon me to paint them. I have hundreds of photos, and pictures as well as memories and I only get to paint some of them. I have more things inspiring me than I have the time to cultivate. I am very thankful for this as I will never run out of ideas to paint.

This Saturday I'm participating in the Fairfield Days Summer Art Show. It will be at the Fairfield Shopping Center at the corner of Kempsville Rd. and Providence Rd., Virginia Beach, VA from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. There will be food, live music, a giant water slide, an indoor train show as well as the art show of local artists. If your not doing anything on Saturday stop by and see the art and begin celebrating your 4th of July holiday. It will be a red white and blue day!!!

Life Drawing

2010-06-23T13:07:00.005-04:00

I must apologize it has been too long since my last post. I'd like to say that I have been busy but I have had more free time than usual. I am enjoying being less busy and I guess I'm not moving at my usual quick pace. (So does that mean that I'm not getting any more accomplished?)

I am spending more time painting and that has been very satisfying. I have been working hard at creating a bison on an icy tundra. It has been a long and time consuming project but I have definitely enjoyed the process. It is almost done and I think that I will be satisfied with it.

In my last post I said that I was going to decide on a few new things to work on this summer. Well I am attending a Life Drawing session at Artistic Creations. It is something that I've always wanted to do. But because I've never done it before I was a little nervous about it. The nudity does not bother me as I have great respect for the human form especially in an artistic context. But I was concerned as to whether I would be able to do the models justice with my drawing abilities. I was able to immediately relax and enjoy the learning experience. I am so excited about this group and feel my drawing skills will certainly improve.

The second thing I'm doing at this time is making a weekly trip to the Botanical Gardens. I am currently using watercolor pencils to capture the essence of that which I'm painting. Again it is the experience of taking my subject from it's three dimensional life and turning it into a two dimensional form.

What a wonderful summer I' going to have!!!!

Pineapple

2010-06-05T16:04:00.008-04:00

I bought a pineapple from the grocery store and became so fascinated by the shapes and colors that I just had to paint it. This is how I usually come to paint something different than my usual repertoire. It was so much fun playing with the shapes and the colors. (I do believe that the colors are a little richer in the painting itself.) I also like putting it in a tall and thin shape. I think it exaggerates the height of the pineapple itself.

Now I have to say that taking a break and having fun painting a pineapple is not what I should be doing right now. I need to start working on paintings for the show at Pembroke 4 Art Gallery at the end of July and new paintings for the Seawall festival at the end of August. But don't I always tell my students that having fun painting is the most important part of your artistic experience and that your paintings always improve when you are enjoying the process?

I'm making a transition in focus at this point in time. I'm going to have alot more time on my hands to spend working on my painting and pursuing other interests. My problem is that I always want to do it all and I can't always allow myself to try to do everything at the same time. So I need to sit back and figure out what is the most important things to work on and try and just focus on them. Let's see how well I can do with that!

Autumn Trees

2010-05-24T11:48:00.004-04:00

I recently painted this picture of Autumn Trees. I may be a little off season but I really like the bright fall colors. I did this painting with watercolor and watercolor crayons. I put the crayons through the crayon sharpener and then sprinkled them across the painting. Then I touched them with a wet brush and watched them melt into the beautiful colors of fall foliage. It was a fun little painting to do and I will certainly explore it again.

I have completed my five weeks in a row of art shows. I am tired but excited about having more time to paint. I have many good ideas for new paintings and future shows to put them in.

Today I'm going to go to hang an art show for my students at Great Neck Rec Center. I'm expecting it to be great. Check out the info on the top of this page and if you're in the neighborhood stop in to see us.

Blue Crab

2010-05-18T17:55:00.004-04:00

Well so much has happened since my last post. On Friday I received a call to be in the Stockley Gardens Art Show. I had applied and was put on the waiting list. I was already in show mode so I was ready to go. It was a great show and I sold 4 paintings. Including Blue Crab, Koi 3, Multicolored Magnolia 2 and Trees on the River. I cannot believe that I sold the Koi painting so quickly. Two of the paintings that I sold were going to show at Pembroke 4 Gallery starting July 23rd. Of course I knew they might sell if I put them in a show.

After the show this weekend I need to get back into painting mode. I really cannot wait to start my days painting again. I really miss that. It is meditative. Recently I've been so busy with Art Shows that painting time is scarce. It will be a nice place to go back to for a while.

Next year I'm planning on picking and choosing my Art Shows a little more carefully. I want to do less shows and be able to keep on painting. Now I only have to listen to myself.

Oak Tree

2010-05-12T16:16:00.005-04:00

I painted this Oak Tree with the memory of my mother in the back of my mind. And I wished her a Happy Mother's Day from my booth at the Gosport Art Festival. This year Mother's Day was sad again but not as bad as last year. I still miss her and when certian things come up I say to myself, I need to remember to tell my mom. Then I realize that just thinking it sends the mesage to her as she watches over me. She is the Oak Tree that we have come from and her roots help keep us strong while her branches allow us to dance in the wind.

Seahorse

2010-05-05T11:57:00.003-04:00

I really feel like I've been out of touch so to speak. I have been so busy getting ready and doing art shows that I hardly have time for making art and communicating with you about it!

This is my recent Seahorse painting. I like him, I think he's cute but I think the background jumps out at you more than the subtlety of the seahorse himself.

This coming weekend is the Gosport Art Show in Old Towne Portsmouth. There is so much exciting art and art events that take place in that location. I seem to fit right in. So if you are available come on down this weekend and check it out. I'm on the same block at the Commodore Theater. It will be alot of fun.

Multicolored Magnolias

2010-04-27T13:25:00.006-04:00

When I was in California relaxing next to my daughters pool, I painted four small Multicolored Magnolias. The colors were so bright and cheerful and they expressed the vacation mood that I was experiencing. (The colors look brighter and more cheerful than they do in this post.)

Last night I started teaching my watercolor class at the Artistic Creations Classroom in Pembroke Mall. I decided to have my students paint the multicolored magnolias. They were all bright and colorful and each and every one was different from the other. I could see the beginnings of each student's style coming out in this painting project. the brightness of the flowers permeated the room and I do believe that everyone had a great time. I really believe that when you are having fun and experience joy when you paint it comes out in your art work.

I know that this is going to be a great class. We have spaces available. If you are interested please contact me at katsart01@yahoo.com and I'll give you all the information.

Sweetlips

2010-04-22T16:30:00.001-04:00

Here are my Sweetlips. Aren't they sweet as they swim in the Indian Ocean? They appear so free and happy as the move along the coral reefs.

After painting three Koi paintings, I decided to try a different fish in watercolors and fluid acrylics.

I am very pleased with the overall look of the painting. I added the texture to the background and I really like it but it brings the value too close to the value of the fish. Otherwise I love the colors of the painting. They are so bright and clear as they depict the fish.

I just want to remind everyone that this Saturday I will be in the East Beach Art Show. It is from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and it is on 27th Street off Pretty Lake, East Beach, Norfolk. Then on Sunday I'm doing a watercolor demo at Artistic Creations Gallery in Pembroke Mall, Virignia Beach form 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Monday I am starting a watercolor class at Artistic Creations Gallery from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Please contact me if you have any questions. My email address is katsart01@gmail.com.

Art Show Season

2010-04-18T16:30:00.005-04:00

Well the Art Show Season is starting and I couldn't be happier. My Koi III were given an Award of Merit at the Chesapeake Bay Watercolorists spring show at Cape Henry. I am so honored to be amongst the artists that have been granted awards at this show. It is an annual show that has some of the most beautiful watercolors in any of our local shows.

I have listed the upcoming shows that I am going to participate in on the right side of my blog. Check them out. You might see something that interests you. If I don't know you and you attend one of the shows that I am in come and introduce yourself to me. I'd love to meet you.

This Saturday I will be at East Beach Art Show at 27th Bay Street at Pretty Lake in Norfolk, VA. If your in the neighborhood stop on by!

La Quinta California

2010-04-11T13:19:00.003-04:00

This is the walk up the cove near my daughters home in La Quinta. I just spent a week visiting her and every morning I walked about a mile up the cove and then a mile back down. My daughters walked the paths through the foothills of the mountains.

As you can see the terrain is different on each side of the street. On the left everything is dry like the desert and on the right in the neighborhood everything is green and alive. This is because it hardly ever rains in the desert but the grounds around the homes are well watered.

There are mountains surrounding her home and there is only one way to drive in. The abundance of palm trees grace the streets and I was fascinated by the flowering cactus. The plants were growing to the sunny sky on perfectly clear days.

As I walked I could feel the energy of the plants living and breathing. I could feel the movement within them. It was like a meditation of the nature of life.

Marion's Dad

2010-04-03T08:25:00.002-04:00

Here's Marion's Dad. He is almost finished. I say almost because I want to add a little more color to his hair on the right side and I want to blend his right cheek a little bit more. But otherwise he is complete.

I have continued to add more shadows to his face, neck, hair and shirt as well as more details. I lifted the highlights of his eyes.

I am pleased with him. I think I have captured the essence of him from his photo. He really has agreat deal of character to his face and is in a very pensive moment. I never met Marion's Dad but I feel that I really like him.

I hope that you have enjoyed me taking you through painting this portrait step by step. Let me know if it is something that you would like me to do again in the future.

Marion's Dad 3

2010-03-28T11:00:00.003-04:00

This is phase three of Marion's Dad and as you can see he is starting to emerge through the layers of paint. I've added more glazes of color to his face and neck and you can still see the transparency of the skin tones. I've started to work in a little more detail by putting in some darker darks to define the features. I have started to add more value differentially to the strands of hair and made the top of his head has warm tones and the side has cool tones.

When painting a portrait I experience an intimacy with the person I am painting. I feel as if I get to know every little curve and shadow as well as all the little details of their face. Then there is the sense of the entire face coming together to present the special feeling and character that the person emits. I feel as if I've gotten to know the person even if I never met them.

The next post will show you the competed painting of Marion's Dad. I hope you are enjoying these work in progress entries.

Marion's Dad 2

2010-03-20T11:43:00.005-04:00

Here is the next phase of the painting of Marion's Dad. As you can see I've added more layers of different colors. After applying the yellows I start applying the reds. I also put in some purple colors mostly on the right side of his face and his shirt. I also stated to put more details in his hair.

I think he is coming along at this point. The skin is starting to get the look of transparency which I feel resembles real skin. This is basically why I have found that I like glazing colors to get the skin tones as apposed to painting in flesh tones. The scary part is that the eyes have not been done yet but they will start appearing in the next phase of this painting.

I have really enjoyed painting Marion's father. He has a great face and I love his eyebrows and hair. I can't wait to show you the next phase of this painting.

Work in Progress

2010-03-16T11:21:00.009-04:00

This is the first phase of the latest portrait that I am working on. He is the father of Marion. She was kind enough to lend me his photo to paint him by.

There are certain things that I look for in a photo to copy for a portrait. First of all I like a face that shows character and/or there is a special "feeling" about the facial expression. I look for a clear photo that shows the features well enough to copy for an accurate depiction of the individual. I also want to see highlights and shadows a gradations of value in between. This photo of Marion's dad had all of them.

I started by drawing the face, features and shirt. I copied the outline and then worked more free hand for the features. Then I added the first layers of paint. I started with aureolin yellow and cadmium yellow. I painted around the highlighted areas. Then I added more paint in the darker areas.

I feel that I started to capture Marion's Dad right from these beginning phases. It is a good feeling when that happens. Sometimes it takes a while longer to start seeing the look of the person. (And sometimes it never happens at all.)

Thank you Kim for requesting that I post the work in progress of a portrait. I will continue to post my development of Marion's Dad. Let me know if there are any other things you would like to see posted. It's always helpful to get your feedback.

Untitled

2010-03-09T11:24:00.004-05:00

I just finished this painting. It is a gift for my daughter Kim. She asked me to paint it for her about 9 months ago when she moved into her new home in La Quinta, CA. I really hope that she loves it.

This was a painting done with love. I really put my heart into the creation of it. It is not my usual style but it was so much fun painting.

It has been a long time since I have painted in oils. It reminds me of the things I like and dislike about oils. I love the creamyness of the medium. Mixing colors, blending colors, adding lights over darks and leaving texture in the paint add to the wonder of the experience. On the negative side is the time it takes to paint and then dry and the clean up. In the very back of my mind are the thoughts of toxicity.

Now I need to spend more time getting ready for the spring art shows. It is an exciting but stressful time. I need to paint a few new paintings, get prints and notecards made up, matt and frame paintings and prints, get my supplies together, and make a few purchases. This is on top of my busy teaching schedule. Sounds like fun doesn't it? Well it will be as long as I don't pull my hair out. In the meantime I'm taking a trip to sunny Californ i a. Which will relax and inspire me.

My Blog

2010-02-28T15:46:00.003-05:00

I think we all are stuck with the winter blues, waiting patiently for the arrival of spring. We have had a rough winter this year and I think we are all tired of it. So in anticipation of spring, I've been thinking about my blog and if there are ways of improving it. So I wanted to touch base with my readers on where I should be going next. So write to me about what you have enjoyed seeing and would like more of. Also let me know if there is anything else you would like to see me posting. I'm looking forward to your comments.

Thank you all for being so kind to me reading my posts and communicating how you enjoyed them. I hear from all of you through emails, and on facebook as well as in person. I really enjoy posting on my blog and hope to keep on going. So if you are so inclined make a comment. This will let everyone else know what your thinking.

I sure hope the winter is over soon and I know that spring is right around the corner.