Poinsettia

I just want to say Merry Christmas to all before I'm caught in the last minute things to do for the holiday itself.  It has been fun sharing my paintings and my experiences as an artist this past year. 

I have not been as energetic as the previous years and must apologize for not keeping up my blog the way I would have liked too.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and enjoy your family and friends.

The Queen

Here's the Queen.  I painted her again for one of my classes.  Each time I paint her she looks a little better.  The photo is a little dark as I don't have that much sun.  I cannot wait to get a new camera.

I took another workshop with Suzanna Winton down at Art of the Carolinas.  I think she is a great teacher.  She has really been able to clarify the process she goes through when painting watercolor portraits.  I am anxious to be able to study with her again.

Katsartists at Santa's Stocking

Here's a photo of the booth at the Santa's Stocking Show last weekend where my students had a space to display their paintings.  I must say that they did a great job painting and presenting their work and everything looked great.  It was a wonderful weekend and they had many admirers.  I must say that I am so proud of them.  
Cherrie Hill was awarded First Place, Patti Holt was awarded Second Place and Pete Lothrop was awarded Third Place.  I want to thank Am, Robyn, Dory, Pete, Peggy, Cherrie, Joyce, Patti, Karen M, Karen H, Pete, Julie and Patty for participating in the show. 
Special thanks go to Mary Kay Holladay an artist friend of mine who did a great job judging the show. 
Thanks go to Babs and Nancy for volunteering to help tear the show down even though they choose not to participate.
All in all it was a great weekend!

Seashells I II & III

Here are some of my recent Seashell paintings.  These were alot of fun to paint.  I used different media to create textures on each of the shells including watercolor pencils, watercolor crayons, acrylic ink, pen and ink, gesso and elegant writer pens. 

I must apologize for not posting for a while.  Unfortunately life sometimes gets in the way.   I have been busy with shows and teaching and things in my personal life.  It has been a struggle to find  my motivation to paint.  I have been painting don't get me wrong, but I have started many paintings and not finished very many of them.  I am now trying to decide on subject matter for some new paintings for some shows in the new year and I have not been able to decide what to paint.  Do I paint subjects that I feel comfortable with or do I work on something that is a little more challenging?   I'm really not sure what direction my art is going in next.  Someone had  said that when you go through a period of time struggling with your art you are about to go in a new direction and make steps forward in your art.  I certainly hope that is what's happening to me!

Turning Leaves

I painted this painting last year and I don't think I ever posted it.  I pulled it out recently to frame for Occasion for the Arts.  I remember when I painted it I really enjoyed the fall colors both bright and muted.  It really was alot of fun.

Recently I lost all my pictures in my computer as well as my documents.  So I've been a little disabled in pulling paintings to blog.  I have been so busy getting ready for shows as well as starting my teaching season.  I have cut back my classes as I want more time to devote to my painting.  Right now I have four or five paintings that I need to get finished after the show is oover.

Next weekend I'm in Occasion for the Arts in Colonial Williamsburg, VA.  I am so looking forward to it.  I just hope that the weather is bright and sunny as it was in my Turning Leaves painting.

Seashells in the Sand

Here is my latest seashell painting.  I really enjoyed painting it from beginning to end.  I gave the sand it's texture by taking watercolor pencils and creating the spatter against a nail file.  I did this while the paint was still wet. I really enjoy the warm colors in the painting and must say that they stand out more in real life.  It was a fun summer painting.  (I still have more seashells to show you in the near future.)

Seawall Art Show

Come and see me at the Seawall Art Show in Olde Towne Portsmouth this weekend.  It should be alot of fun with many great artists.  I will be in booth # 51.  The weather should be great and you can take the ferry from or to Waterside.  I hope to see you there! 

Claws

I did this painting in the class I teach Friday mornings.  The photo does not show how bright it really is.  (It was a cloudy day.)  It was alot of fun and my students did great. 

I must apologize for not posting for a while.  I have been way too busy.  So I started wondering why I'm so busy when I'm only teaching two classes a week.  Then I mentally made a list of everything I'm currently involved in and I began to understand.  I am taking two classes on line and I will tell you all about them on a future post.  I am teaching two classes at the Art Studio which I'm slowly moving in to.  I am busy getting ready for the Seawall Art Festival and being I haven't done an out door show in a while I have a great deal of work to do.  I have to deframe paintings, have prints and notecards made, package and price all of them, frame paintings and go and all sorts of miscellaneous little jobs.  I'm trying to redo my website as well as make a brochure to give out at the upcoming show.  On top of all of that I am on the board of the CBAA as well as the membership chairperson and we have recently developed a new membership procedure that is more time-consuming.  And I have just begun being the recording secretary for the CBW and trying to learn more about the organization.  Whew!

I don't know why I do this to myself.  I just take on a little bit too much and I feel like I cannot get everything done.  I have done it for my entire life and I never learn my lesson.   Well one good thing is I am never bored!

Multi-Artists Paintings

 Here are the paintings that six of my students at the Great Neck Rec Center created.  It was a wonderful, fun learning experience.  I gave all the students a black and white copy of a tree and each person did the initial drawing.  Then they passed the painting to the next person to lay in the initial washes and they continued to keep passing the painting along.  So the finished products were all completed by the same artists.  They all look so different and unique. 

Bravo to Gene, Am, Linda, Jane, Robyn and Dory. They were so receptive to the project and did such a great job completing the multi-artist paintings.

Three Roses

My Three Roses are complete.  They started out so much fun but then they came back and presented quite a challange.  Not that I don't like challanges. I definitely do. 

I think one of the most important things that I learned about watercolors was not to give up.  (I'm not saying I never give up but usually I try to see the painting to it's finish.)  I used to give up on a painting when I wasn't happy with were it was going.  then an instructor of mine said to keep on going.  I didn't learn to do this overnight but eventually I did.  I must say that I have learned more about watercolors by not giving up but working through my frustrations.  Not every painting comes out great but sometimes I'm really surprised.

Violet Iris



Add caption

 Here's another one of the paintings that I did on our long weekend in Duck, NC.
It was so much fun to paint.  (I say that alot but only to differentiate from the paintings that were not a lot of fun to paint.)  Right now I'm working on a portrait that is challenging me and roses in a garden that are quite challenging.  I'm also putting together some ideas for some still lives that I want to get done before the Seawall show.  None of these are as much fun as it was to paint this simple little iris!

Rose Workshop

I just wanted to tell everyone that my Rose Workshop was wonderful.  All of my students painted beautiful roses and really enjoyed the day.  The Art Studio , where it was held has such a welcoming feeling.  It really allows you to leave your problems at the doorstep and go directly to the painting zone.  Mary Pelham White has done a wonderful job setting it up as a great place for workshops and classes. 

I am currently teaching my Ongoing Intermediate Watercolor class on Saturdays from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and on July 6th I am starting a Summer Advance Beginning Watercolor class on Fridays form 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.  I hope to see some of you there.  If you are interested in either class please contact me at katsart01@yahoo.com or 757 650-5765.

Creative Collage

On Sunday I took an all day workshop with Catherine Mein.  I've known Catherine for a while and have always loved her work.  She also does abstract watercolors and has such a unique vision that she shares with the world. 

A while ago I saw Catherine do a demo on making collages and it was so much fun to watch that I just wanted to learn how to do it.  The workshop was amazing from beginning to end.  When I walked into The Art Studio it was so well prepared with snack and drinks and supplies on all of the tables.  She really put forth an enormous effort for all of her students. 

I must say that I had never done collage or worked in the abstract before.  I really felt like I was stepping out of my comfort zone.  But immediately in the class I felt free.  I didn't have to be concerned about realism or making sure everything is "neat" but not tight.  Most everything that she said about composition I was familiar with so I just played with colors and values and shapes and textures.  I had so much fun and it was so freeing.

This is my first collage ever.  Does it look anything like my usual work?  At first when I look at it it looks totally different.  But then when I look at it more closely I start to see my style emerging.  My use of colors, textures and my sense of balance come through.  I do not have a strong center of interest.  (Also a part of my style and something I need to work on.)

It was the most fun Sunday I've had in a long time.  Thanks Catherine you really are a wonderful teacher.

Saturday at the Botanical Gardens

Here are some pictures from the Botanical Gardens.  My Saturday class went there and we had a great day.  You can see how everyone is just painting and drawing away.  It sure looks like everyone was in the painting zone!  I just love visiting the Botanical Gardens.  There is so much visual stimulation to get your creative juices flowing.  It is so beautiful and serene.  I feel instantly relaxed.  So if you live in the area and want to spend a perfectly pleasant afternoon then go and see the wonders it beholds. 

Rose Watercolor Workshop

I am teaching a Rose Watercolor Workshop on Saturday June 9th from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm at the Art Studio.  The workshop is for students that have some basic watercolor experience.  It is not as difficult as you may think to paint a rose.  We will concentrate on making the rose look translucent and ways of giving the painting depth.

The Art Studio is located at 605 Pembroke Lake Circle, Ste 102.  It is just south of Sentara Bayside Hospital.  You take Independence Rd. to Pembroke Blvd.  If you are heading north you make a left and if you are heading south you make a right. Then you make the first left and pull into Pembroke Lake Circle.  There are three parking spaces in the front of the building and then on all three sides there are other parking spaces.

We will take an hour lunch break and you can bring your own lunch, order out or go out to eat. 

The cost is $50.00 for the day.

If you are interesting in taking the Rose Workshop please contact me at katsart01@yahoo.com.  I can answer your questions, give you a supply list and register you for the class.

Come and join us and bring a friend and have fun learning to paint a rose!

Yellow Irises

This is another one of my recent small paintings.  They have been so much fun to paint, so relaxing and exciting at the same time.  I took this picture and some other irises also from my yard.  And I'm painting a few of them.  It is so much more stressful painting portraits then it is painting flowers so I thought I would take a break. 

Daffodils

I recently went on our annual painting trip to Duck on the Outerbanks of North Carolina with some friends.  It was a wonderful retreat very relaxing and yet stimulating to the creative process.  We truly had a wonderful time. 

I have been painting so many portraits for a while now and it was great to take my mind off them and concentrate on my true love of flowers.  I have been wanting to paint daffodils this spring.  They were blooming everywhere but every time I went out to photo them it was too windy to get a good picture.  So I had to take the pictures I had and use my imagination and I was able to come up with this small little painting.  I can't tell you how much fun it was to paint.

The Queen

My latest portrait The Queen.  This is the second time that I have painted her.  I really feel that I have come a long way in my choice of colors for the skin tones.  Using transparent colors really allows you to see through the different colors in the skin.  When you look at someones skin you can almost see through it. 

I have recently taken a little break from painting portraits and I have been painting some less intense paintings.  I will show you some of them soon.  It has been alot of fun just painting for the fun of it!  But I need to start putting some energy into one or two large paintings for the upcoming shows.  I hope return soon. 

Whitney Houston

I painted Whitney Houston because she was a very beautiful and talented woman. I know she will be missed by her family and friends as well as her fans.

I went through two different phases in this painting. The first phase was when I was painting her face. I really feel that I "got to know her" in a way that I certainly never have before. I really enjoyed the process of capturing her spirit. I am very satisfied with the results especially her eyes and the tilts at the sides of her mouth.

Then I went into phase two, her hair. It absoulutely drove me crazy! The curls and the highlights really challenged me to the max. I'm not totally satisfied with the results but I think it came to a natural state of being. I am glad of that as I don't think I could put another drop of paint on her hair.

I'm almost done with another portrait and will be posting it soon.

Untitiled

This is a little landscape that I painted as a demo in one of my classes. I started with the sky and that was not fun at all. But I persevered and the rest of the painting came easily.

I don't usually paint landscapes that much any more. I usually prefer painting something close up. Landscapes are often breathtaking in reality. And I feel that it is very difficult to capture the same feeling in a painting. Maybe I should try doing a very large one someday.

I usually like to zero in and capture the nuances of my subject and present it to the world as looking through my eyes.

Recently I read Mary Whytes book "An Artist's Way of Seeing". It is out of print and I couldn't afford to but it for close to $300.00 and I couldn't find it in my local library. So I purchased it on my Kindle for $8.00. At first I was disappointed because with art books I enjoy seeing the colored pictures of the artist's work. But unlike most of my art books I actually read it from beginning to end. In the book she says that learning technique is important but it is not what makes you an artist. It is expressing your feelings and communicating them to the viewer that makes a painting a work of art. I feel that I have worked very hard on getting my technique down pat and that the longer that I paint the more I feel what she is talking about. I see a subject that I want to paint in a way that is more than it is an interesing to look at subject. It kind of tugs at my heart strings in a way that I become almost obsessed with painting the subject. I depend on my technique that I have accumulated to depict my subject but it is flowing from inside of me. Sometimes it even feels like it is painting itself.

A Country Boy

Here's my latest portrait. A Country Boy. He was so much fun to paint. I just loved his smiling face and eyes and painting his hat and clothes. I also enjoyed his character.

He is so different than most of the people I normally interact with but I think that I visited his world while paiting him.

I am really enjoying painting portraits. They are taking me about two weeks to complete which is a bit faster than they used to take me and I can see that they are getting better. What do I tell my students all the time? Practice practice practice!

I really must apologize that it's been so long since my last post. I really have been busy and it will continue right through to the summer. I just keep thinking that if I got myself organized that I would have more time but somehow it's not working that way for me these days!

Allisha

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

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

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

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!!!

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.