Green Dahlia

Green Dahlia is hanging in the Chesapeake Bay Watercolorists Show at the Wells Fargo Advisers in the Dominion Towers building down by Waterside in Norfolk.  It will be there until December 13 and can be viewed by appointment by calling 757 622-8261.  It won an honorable mention in the show.

This flower was part of a Mother's Day bouquet that I received from my daughter Kim.  The color was so unusual it inspired me to paint it.

As I started the painting I gave myself some challenges to work on.  First of all  I wanted to have both soft edges and hard edges.  I think that I could have had more soft edges as the hard edges prevail.  I also wanted to work my values.  I usually have different values in my paintings but they blend together and do not have great contrast.  In this painting I definitely have the contrast and I really enjoyed making the lights pop out by being next to the darks.

Setting up challenges is a good way to move your painting skills to the next level.  Meeting the challenges is very satisfying.  But you need to remember that this is still working your technique and that is only the tool that you use to to express your inspiration.

My New Studio

This is a photo of my new studio at the Artists Gallery.  I have room for paintings and notecards on the wall, art supplies on the shelves, prints in a rack, and plenty of room to paint.  I really enjoy my time there and have actually gotten some painting done.  It is a great environment to be inspired by the art and the artists themselves.  I feel I'm on the verge of a new growth period on my art journey.

The Artists Gallery is a coop of local artists.  It has monthly shows and other events in the community.  Check it out at 608 Norfolk Ave., Virginia Beach.  It is closed on Mondays, open Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Saturday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and Sunday from noon to 4:00 pm.  The website is www.theartistsgallery.com. Have fun exploring all the different art media and artist's styles.

Textured Watercolors

This is a painting I did a while ago using all sorts of ways of adding textures to the seashells.  I used watercolor, watercolor pencils, gesso, pen and ink, calligraphy pens and pastels.

I am teaching a class in Watercolor Textures on Sunday, September 14 from 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm at the Artists Gallery where we will be painting seashells.

The cost is $45.00 and you need to contact the Artists Gallery at 757 425-6671 to register.

The Artists Gallery

On Friday I received a call from the Artists Gallery letting me know that one of the studio artists is leaving and would I be interested in her space.  I went down to the gallery and looked at the studio and decided to take it.  It is a shared studio but there is plenty of room.  I will be able to hang my paintings in the studio and I will have a space to paint.

I am thrilled that this is happening.  It is a great opportunity and I intend to make the best of it.  I'm mentally preparing for the move, planning of setting up the space and making lists of what I need to bring in.  I want to make it a special place for me to paint, and think, and dream, and be inspired by the other artists surrounding me and even find time to work on my lap top.

Fall Watercolor Classes

The fall is approaching and so are my Watercolor Classes. Come and paint with me!!!
Here's my schedule:

The Art Studio Virginia Beach
Thursdays and Saturdays 10:00 am to 1:00 pm Intermediate Watercolors
(Thursdays an Saturdays at 9:00 am I will be happy to take in any Beginning students.  I will give an hour class with assignments and you are welcome to stay and work on your assignments.)
Cost:  $110.00 for eight classes, $70.00 for four classes or $25.00 for a drop in.
Contact me at katsart01@yahoo.com or 757 650-5765 for more information or registration.

The Artists Gallery Virginia Beach
Watercolor Texture classes:  We will explore doing different textures with watercolor techniques, tricks and other media.  I will provide all the texture tools so you only have to bring your watercolor supplies.
September 14 from 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm Textured Seashells in the sand
October 19 from 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm Textures Rocks on the Ground
November 16 from 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm Textured Colorful Autumn Leaves
These classes cost $45.00 and registration goes through the Artists Gallery at 425-6671

My primary goal as a teacher is to help you to relax and enjoy the painting process.  I teach the basics and then I encourage my students to develop their own style.  In my classes I do demos and give technical and artistic information , I assist my students individually as needed and then we have a constructive critique.  I teach my students the rules then I encourage them to break them!

Upside Down

I started painting this beautiful Dahlia in the May workshop with Suzanna Winton.  She offered this painting on her first day of teaching.  I really felt like I came home.  For the past year or two I've been struggling with my style.  I have taken workshops and tryed to learn ways to "loosen up" with no success.  When I attempt to paint loosely I just get a mess.  My natural inclination is to paint realistically.  I am not a hyperrealistic painter and I love painting more abstract backgrounds but I'm more of a contemporary realist.  I do not know why I'm like this but I am coming to accept that is the way I am.  Now I feel like I can concentrate on my style and try and develop it more fully.

I have recently joined the Artists Gallery at 608 Norfolk Ave., Virginia Beach, VA.  The gallery is a coop and it represents local artists.  Currently there are two shows running.  The first show is themed Surf and Sand and it's at the Artists Gallery which is open for viewing Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Saturday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and Sunday from noon to 4:00 pm until Sunday 9/7/14.  The second one is at the Pavilion Gallery and the Towne Bank Building at 600 22nd St., Virginia Beach.  It runs until September 25th and is open for visitors from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Mondays through Fridays.   If your in the area please check it out.  The gallery's website is theartistsgallery.org.

My blog can now be viewed at my website at katsartstudio.com.

New Website

I am happy to say that I have created a new website. It took longer than I thought it would and it had it's share of frustrations. But it is done and I am pleased with it! I will be able to keep it up on my own and make changes as I need to which gives me a great deal more freedom than my previous website did. Now I can return to being an artist as I have been masquerading as a computer geek! Check it out at http://katsartstudio.com or you can find it by Kathy Staicer Fine Art or katsartstudio. Let me know what you think.

Summer Lovin' and Summer Changes

My Summer Lovin' painting is in the Beaches, Beacons and Boats Show at The Artists Gallery on 608 Norfolk Avenue, Virginia Beach, VA 23451. The show runs until July 6th and is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Saturdays from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and Sundays from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm. If you're in the area stop by and see the show. It has some great paintings in it. I have just joined the Artists Gallery and will be hanging my art there on Friday. I am working on a new website and it is taking me more time than I had anticipated. It is coming out well and I can't wait for it to be ready to post. I will also be doing a newsletter from the website and sending it out monthly. I have been studying pastel painting with Nancy Mansfield at MOCA and going out Sunday mornings and plein air painting. I am also working on an oil portrait of my sister-in-law that we lost last year. I am certainly keeping busy and enjoying my art work. I will let you know when my website is ready to view. Have a wonderful summer. I plan on it!

Suzanna Winton's Workshop

This is Suzanna Winton demonstrating painting a portrait of a cute little girl.  I brought her to town to do a four day workshop with the assistance of three other painters.  It was my first experience running a workshop and I must say that it went well.  I must thank my three partners Denise, Jackie and Julie as well a few helpers Mary, Joyce and Dory for putting forth the effort to make everything go smooth as it did.  I need to thank Suzanna as well for her part as a wonderful teacher with a very easy going way.

Each day we worked on a different painting. Suzanna presented the panting demos and inspired us to paint our hearts out.  It was so much fun as well as very informative.  I gathered so much information and it's still in my head ready to be sorted out and utilized.

I really enjoyed the workshop.  I had been a little nervous about how it would go but all the pieces just came together on their own.



I am basically a realistic painter.  I've had success in painting abstract backgrounds and really enjoy creating them.  I have also taken workshops with artists and tryed to "loosen up" but I've only had limited sucesses.
Usually when I try and paint loosely I come out with a painting that looks "sloppy".

 2013 was a very bad year for my family and it took an emotional toll on me. I have been still processing the grief of the losses.  I have been struggling with my painting and I feel like it hasn't been able to develop the way it should.  I keep trying to do new things, try new styles, painting different things and they have all left me frustrated.  But in Suzanna's workshop I felt that I came alive a little bit and felt the muse inside me inspiring me to paint.  I need to learn how to paint the way I'm inclined to paint and not the way I think I should paint.  I need to loosen up mentally rather than dwelling on painting more loosely.  Then I can find the freedom to express myself more fully.

I feel that I have been taking tiny steps on my journey and that I'm on the verge of taking great strides that will hopefully get me closer to my goals.  And then I will have new goals that I will continue to strive to reach!

Serenade

I recently went to a four day workshop with Sterling Edwards.  He is not only a terrific artist but he is a wonderful person and teacher.  He has a very specific style and he paints much quicker than I do.  When I try and paint quickly I end up with a mess.  But on day three we worked on abstract painting and voila I got a painting.
In a way when you are a realistic painter like I am and you do an abstract painting it frees you up.  You do not feel the need to depict what your painting in a way that is not only exciting but that duplicates the look of the object itself.  You just need to think about shapes and lines and colors and values and textures and put them in an interesting composition. It is fun to do it and you do not have the anxiety of getting it to look like what you think it should look like.  You can just let it develop on its own and if you do not like it then you can just turn the paper to the other side.  Now if I was an abstract painter I probably would not feel the same freedom because I would expect something from myself.  But what if one day we could all just let go of our expectations and just paint.  It would be a wonderful day!

Lemon Apothecary

I recently painted Lemon Apothecary.  I used a limited palette of mostly cobalt blue, ultramarine blue, aureolin yellow, new gamboge and scarlet lake.  It is a mixed media because I used a little acrylic ink and soft pastels.  I really enjoyed working on it and it was great watching the lemons appear and the fabric fold.

It is currently hanging at the Chesapeake Bay Watercolorists' show at The Wells Fargo Advisors in the Dominion Tower in Norfolk.  It is a great show and if you want to see it you can call 757 622-8261 to make an appointment

CBW Winter Show

You are invited to the Chesapeake Bay Watercolorists Winter Art Show's Opening Reception on Saturday February 8th from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm.  I've heard that it is a beautiful show and I will be there along with  five of my paintings.  Hope to see you there.

Artist's Alley

If you are planning on going to the Virginia Beach Conference Center this weekend to see the Flower and Garden show make sure you see the Artist's Alley exhibit.  It consists of paintings, prints and note cards with the theme of landscapes, gardens and flowers.  These are the paintings that I have in the show this year. The Succulents are framed as a triptych.  It will be nice to visit the gardens inside the Conference Center while the snow is still out side!

Kristin

Here is my daughter Kristin's portrait that I recently painted. It was different from painting my daughter Kim's portrait and certainly just as challenging. Even though their features are so similar; their coloring is very different.

I have been working on portraits on and off for a couple years now.  I can certainly see improvement in my work but I don't feel like I'm there yet.  (Of course I don't think you are ever where you want to be as your expectations continue to grow.)  Recently I've been struggling with making the portrait look like the person.  This may have to do with painting people that I know.  Like my daughters.

Amy Snowden had talked about painting the shapes of the nose and other parts of the face.  Then a nose or whatever you are painting starts to look like what it is.  This is very helpful advise.  I have really worked on copying the shapes of my faces and they do begin to appear.

But then there is the gestalt of the face, the expressive feeling of the person that you are looking at.  It seems to be more than a summation of shapes.  It seems to come from within the person and gives the face life. This is something that I see when looking at someone or a photo but I do not know how to capture.

There are many moments when painting that I am just performing techniques.  Some of them have gotten easier and some of them are more of a struggle.  Then there are those times that I go into the zone and the painting starts painting itself.  I think this is where I will find the way to expressing the feeling of a person or maybe it's the feeling I have about the person.

My First Oil Portrait

I want to say Happy 2014 to all my readers.  2013 was not a very good year and we are hoping for a better year.  I hope that everyone's holiday season was joyful and that we can carry the good feelings into the new year.

I'm not really making any resolutions but there are things that I hope to accomplish in 2014.  I am planning on making some changes with my blog and I'll explain them as they develop.  I am also going to redo my website which is very out of date.  I'm planning on continuing my painting and hope to continue to develop my skills.  I also hope to be able to use my techniques to support my ability to become more expressive in my paintings.  I'm hoping to expand my teaching skills and I have some ideas of directions I can go in.  This is a wonderful journey I am on and I hope it continues a long time.

This is my first oil portrait.  I started it at the workshop with Suzanna Winton.  I had tried an oil portrait many years ago and could not get the skin tones.  Comparing this portrait to the one Suzanna had started her colors are much warmer than mine.  I painted mostly from the photo.  Painting this portrait was so much fun and very frustrating.  I loved the feeling of the oils on the canvas.  I liked that it allowed me to lay down paint and if I did not like the results I could just paint over it.  (Like I did a million times with her eyes!)   But it took so much longer to paint than I'm used to.  I'm sure if I do more oil portrait it will get quicker.  I really like way the hair and the dress turned out.  I am overall pleased with the results being it is only my first but I certainly can see areas that need improvement!

Suzanna Winton's Oil Portrait Demo

I went to Art of the Carolinas this past weekend.  I took two workshops with Suzanna Winton.  This is the oil portrait that she demoed in the class. Isn't it great?

I took a watercolor portrait class with her and challenged myself to use hot pressed paper.  I usually use cold pressed paper for my portraits.  I have used hot pressed paper for other paintings before and it is different as well as more difficult for me.  But with many of my portraits on cold pressed paper the skin is just not smooth enough.  Amy Snowden uses hot pressed paper also and has wonderful results.  I think that I can get used to it with a little bit of practice.  After all I use rough paper for some of my paintings other than portraits.

I was only planning on taking the watercolor portrait class but at the last minute decided to take the oil portrait class and I am so glad that I did.  I've had a recent unrest with where I'm going and have had the urge to try something in oils.  (As well as other media.)  But I kept telling myself that I need to keep working on my watercolors if I am ever going to get anywhere with them.   Then I went into a magic place with the oils and have had so much fun working on the portrait ever since the workshop.  So I guess I made a good decision.  I'm not saying that I'm going to give up watercolors and start painting in oils again. But I think that trying new and different things is a way to unleash my creative spirit.

This all goes back to how we cannot limit our growth by listening to that little voice inside our heads that says be careful don't go too far from your place of familiarity.  We need to sometimes listen to that loud voice that screams get out of your box and explore something new.  It's the only way we will continue to grow.

Bushel of Crabs

I've wanted to paint a bushel of crabs for a long time.  I started working on this last spring and finished it up over the summer.  I particularly enjoyed painting the bushel itself.  The crabs were a little more complicated.  When I finished with the painting I then added a little pastel to the crabs just to highlight the shells.  It was alot of fun.

Right now I'm not really sure what direction I'm going in with my art work.  Sometimes I think I'd like to do some oils, colored pencils or maybe devote myself to learning pastels.  Then other times I think that I need to work on nothing but watercolor portraits for a while.  I really feel free at this point in my life to go in whatever direction suits me.  I just can't make a decision what to concentrate on next!

Festus

I painted Festus a while ago. A friend of mine found the picture and it was love at first sight. Painting it was one of those easy portraits. (If there is such a thing!) I especially enjoyed painting the hat and the clothes especially the tweed on his jacket.

Yesterday Amy Snowden came to the Chesapeake Bay Watercolorists meeting and did a demo on painting portraits.  I first noticed her work at the Virginia Watercolor Society.  She had painted a redheaded young woman that was spellbinding.    She has studied with Ted Nuttal and has picked up alot from him but her style is definitely her own.

I learned so much from her yesterday and when painting my other daughter today started applying some of her ways of looking at her painting process.  For example she spoke about painting the shapes of the face and not looking at it as painting a nose or a mouth or an ear.  As you paint the shapes the nose or mouth or ear just appears.  I love that I was able to work on a portrait so soon after seeing the demo.  It really helped me to experience the concepts of what she was demoing.

Cape Henry Show

I recently finished painting this Pink Peony. It's ready to go to Cape Henry High School for a Chesapeake Bay Watercolorists show along with Red White and Blue and A Rose is A Rose. The show runs from October 1st to November 17th at 1320 Mill Dam Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23454 and the viewing hours are Monday through Friday during the day. The Opening is scheduled Thursday October 3rd form 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

The Chesapeake Bay Watercolorists are a local group that encourages painters in this area. This year I have taken on being the program chairperson. I am scheduling some interesting programs for the monthly meeting including Sterling Edwards in March 2014. This month we are looking forward to Amy Snowden a portrait artist from the Williamsburg area. Check her work out at http://amygsnowden.wix.com. The meeting is on October 13th at 1:00 pm at the Kempsville Library.

I have wanted to paint a peony for a long time and welcomed the opportunity. In painting it I pushed my value changes. I usually make an area darker and then blend it in so that the value change is subtle. I feel I am on the verge of getting to my style in painting flowers I want them crisp in some areas and soft in others. I am able to achieve the crisp edges but still struggle with the softer areas. I've only just been able to see the soft edges and now I need to try and depict them.

I must say that I feel like the weight of the world has lifted off me and I am enjoying getting back to the life that I love. I want to thank all of you that have been supportive of me this past year.

My Daughter Kim

I painted this painting of my daughter Kim in one of the classes that I teach. Everyone did so well and we had many versions of her. You could have one hundred people paint from the same picture and you would have one hundred different paintings. Kim lives in California and spent the summer on the Outer Banks so we got to see each other more than we usually do. She had asked us to come down and dog sit for her and her beau Bryant to go down to Okracoke. I'm so happy to say that she got engaged. Congratulations to Kim and Bryant!!! When I was painting her I experienced such love for her while I was laying down colors and stroking my brush around the shapes of her face. I have felt these feelings while painting before. Sometimes I feel like I go into a trance and the brushstrokes just come naturally. I call it being in the zone. Other times I feel like I'm just using my technique to create a likeness but I do not have any emotional attachment to the process. I have admired the paintings of Mary Whyte for a long time. Recently I saw her show of her Working South Paintings at the Penninsula Fine Art Center. It was breathtaking. I went twice with two different groups of my students and I saw even more the second visit. I loved many of her paintings, the feelings that she captured being right there on display. My favorite was Shroud. It had such movement to it and it captured a dreamlike state. I just sat down and allowed it to envelope me into its mood. I recently was looking through her book Watercolor for the Serious Beginner. In the last chapter she discusses Forming a Personal Vision. She talks about making a Five Senses List by listing your five senses in a notebook. Over a week or two write down ten items in each column that really move you. The list should be very personal and individual. I am going to do this and have my students do it too. If you want to try it please do and just put it on a comment so that we can share it. I am looking forward to starting this blog up again. I have some ideas for it. Thank you for coming along for the ride.