Sunday, October 30, 2011

Getting ready...YEA TOAST!

     I have temporarily put away my paints, airbrushes, paint brushes, canvases, boards...and all my art clutter in preparation for my friends, David, Silvia and little Rita Naylor,  arriving from Barcelona!!They will be staying in my little cozy studio/apartment while they are here.
The thing about cleaning my studio is, now that I have the clutter put away and the space more organized and clean, I want to PAINT!!!! I am sure we'll find a speck of time to do so...

   There will be little hands in the studio that week so I had to childproof the place a bit. 
Adorable little Rita is 3years old and I am sure she would be MOST willing to help paint on some of my paintings that are laying about unfinished....in order to curtail that, I have stowed them or given them temporary residency on the walls.
I am not worried as the studio mainly will only be a place for them to sleep and have some privacy for the later evenings when they are not with us at our home or out and about. I have a busy schedule planned for us! :)
I am hoping that David and I will have a chance to paint together and I think we might manage to do that one evening. All we have to do is hook up our brushes, put on some music and fire up the silent compressor! there are plenty of things we can work on...ideas are always endless so there will be no wane in creativity while we are all together!

   I stocked all my VHS movies for my old TV and the VCR in the studio den/guest room. There is a certain amount of nostalgia that comes with firing up the VCR. I tend to gravitate towards items people no longer want or need and I give them new life! I am a thrift-shop-secondhand junkie and it serves me quite well! You should see our collection of vinyl albums! I am happy to report that we, my husband and I, are old enough that we purchased almost all of them when they we in the records stores during the 70's and 80's! :D
  My entire studio is furnished mostly with secondhand vintage items that are still fully functional or refurbished by myself. I have done this my whole life. I like making old new again. I think it's just cool to love older items. There's a certain amount of soul left in vintage things. It makes me wonder what their previous lives were like before they came into my hands.... hard to say however they have all found a great loving home with me.
  Speaking of great finds...I scored a 1950's Toastmaster toaster at Goodwill for $1.80!!!  Someone had given it a new cord which was pretty short, about 1 foot in length, so I did what love I to do and dismantled it, cleaned it all up inside and out and then I attached a new cord. My husband gave her the maiden voyage a few moments ago and she performed beautifully!!! Check her out below...


The butter dish that you see a reflection of was my Grandma Bell's butter dish. It was among things no one wanted when my Grandparents passed away. I have used it ever since and it is one of my most cherished pieces. I love things like this. I collect vintage glassware and I use these things. I especially like old jars, crock bowls and depression glass. I use these items because that's what they were meant for and you can't beat the function and utility of older wares.

I feel much the same way about the tools I paint with. I keep all my old brushes until they have no hair left. I find uses for them no matter what state they are in. i use things until their life is exhausted.
I am the same way with my airbrushes. I buy good used items and refurbish them and tune them to my liking. The thing about the airbrush is, most of the working parts are replaceable. The parts that are not warranted are the ones that break down first so to me, it's a no brainer to buy used. As long as the body is sound and functions well, I'll continue to tinker and modify my tools.
My late father, Jim Hall, taught me to tinker and fix things. My Dad was a mechanical and electrical engineer. I think, no...I KNOW,  I have done him proud!
I remember when I bought my first house and realized there was only one two functioning outlets in the garage, I decided that needed to be ratified. I wanted to build a workbench with a grinder/polisher and the ability to use my power tools so I rewired the garage and built the bench! Dad was so proud!
I am sure he is up in heaven just beaming because I am a tinkerer just like he always was! :)

Well, better get a move on and head downstairs to clean and tidy the basement. Might go for a bike ride with the husband if the weather holds out....
Have a great week all four of you followers! :D

Kath

Sunday, October 23, 2011

To be INSPIRED!!

So yesterday, I was browsing at the work of realist painters...I admit, I don't know 'who's who' in the art world and my world is pretty small but I am broadening my awareness fairly quickly by looking at the works of people whom inspire me and the works os painter who inspire those I admire.
This particular painter, Serge Marshennikov, has completely blown me away with his oil paintings....speechless and dumbfounded are words that could best describe my reaction when I looked at some of his paintings online. The beauty of the subjects he paints is just amazing. His detail and subtly are just incredible!  I do have one painter friend from Moscow whom is another realist painter and extremely talented however he is not as talented in color works but this Serge fellow...my goodness!!

If your curious, just have a peek...he has a Facebook page that show alot of his work and here is one gallery link   http://www.hallmarkgallery.com/gal/artist/Serge-Marshennikov-50.html
Just have a gander and prepare to be astounded by the beauty of his work. This type of work inspires me to say the least. It is this level of detail I strive to achieve.... one day though because I am not there yet and it will be several more years before I reach this level but I will. Thats my goal! :)

  
   This week has been pretty uneventful. The boots are nearing completion but I didn't take an update photograph. I will do so later this week. It was nice painting this week without interruptions. That allows me to paint at a leisurely pace and that's always most enjoyable.
I keep staring at my Spanish Market painting and I am itching to get back on that baby!!! I can't wait to break out the oils again once I am finished with The Boots.

   I am busily planning the for the visit of my friends David, Silvia and little Rita Naylor. I have not seen them for two years. They are traveling from Barcelona to visit the States for 3 weeks. they will spend their first week in San Francisco, their second week will be visiting me and last week they head to NYC.
I plan to show them the easy pace of Northern Indiana. We'll hit Chicago for a day or two and then visit sites around here at home.
I hope that David and I will have some time to paint together at least one day so I need to get my airbrushes hyper-tuned so we can paint details!! I know all my airbrush friends know of Davids works but for those of you whom have yet to see what David does with paint, take a look at his website:
http://www.davidnaylor.net/index.php?lang=ENG

It is a pleasure to have such a wonderful artist as a friend but it is and even bigger gift to call he and Silvia 'family'.  I can't wait to go back to Barcelona next year and visit again to enjoy the family time in addition to the art, architecture, paella and I certainly can't forget JAMON!!


   Well, time to hit the bike trail and go for a nice ride with my husband on this beautiful fall day!
I hope everyone has a lovely day!


Kath

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Where does the time go?

   I need to get back on my schedule of blogging while I drink my cup of coffee early Sunday morning. I have missed the past two Sundays! I can't remember why...oh yes I do...one Sunday I started doing chores around the house early and completely lost track of time and this past Sunday the Hub was frothing at the mouth to get going on our shopping trip so we could 'getter done' early-ish and get home. Once back home, the burrow in for winter mode set in and I started over hauling the downstairs panty room and organizing my winter stockpile of canned goods and dried legumes/pasta... I am starting to feel like a little squirrel running from tree to tree, burying nuts and trying to get fattened up for winter....or, to go along with the common trend, getting ready for the zombie apocalypse to take place and readying ourselves for lock-down!!!

   My good friends from Barcelona ( David, Silvia and little Rita Naylor) are coming to visit, arriving on November 10th and heading to NYC on the 18th. I am preparing for that as well. Studio is just about ready and I am planning out places to take them. I am afraid there will not be much time for painting with David but who knows. Chicago is on the menu for a day or two. Hopefully if all works out, we'll be meeting up with friends there and hitting the art museum and I would like to go to Shed Aquarium one day as well.
This is the Midwest here in north central Indiana and I live in the heartland belt...slow paced so the emphasis will be placed on that. Where I live, sleepy little town of Bristol, is so much different that Barcelona so it will be a bit of a culture shock for them. They will certainly leave relaxed. I hope they enjoy their stay.

   The Boots are coming along nicely. I am getting close to being finished. I am in the 'tweak' stage now, fine tuning details, colors and values. That's always a fun stage albeit a bit tedious and slow but fun nonetheless!  Here is a current photo of the progress. It may not seem like there has been much movement, but if you look closely, in a 'Wheres Waldo' way, you will notice the subtle changes that have taken place....

I have softened the foreground at her feet and darkened the background. I am currently adjust values and subtle color variations. I am now starting to define the stitching and the values on the boots. This is where the POP will begin. Once the values are correct, it just POPs on the canvas and no longer has a flat look to it. This takes some time because you have to build it slowly and makes adjustments along the way. This is when you are really looking intently at the details and you begin to notice 'well that isn't shaped like that' or 'that doesn't line up'...this is when you start doing corrections and all the details....
It's time consuming and tedious but rewarding at the same time.
And on that note...I believe it is time to head to the studio for the rest of the day and be the artist, at least until it's time to come home and be the domestic Goddess...that metamorphosis generally occurs around 4:00pm so I better get my butt in gear and get going....
Have a great day friends!! :)

Sunday, October 2, 2011

These Boots were made for Paintin' !

My current work in progress aka WIP



     It's been a nice productive week. It seems like I am in 'burrowing down for the winter mode', which is just fine by me. I happen to enjoy winter! :)
Fall is here and I have pulled the crock pot out of the basement so that I can have dinner done when I walk in the door which allows me 2 hours of extra time painting at my studio!
Knowing that one thing, cooking dinner, is crossed off my list, I have more free time in which to dedicate to painting so that's a WIN WIN!

   This week at the studio has been fun! I finished the poppy painting and have sketched out a few more projects on canvases I have made in the last few weeks. I gave the poppy it's first coat of sealer yesterday and OMG did it POP with vibrant color and details!!!
   I really enjoy making canvases because it marks the beginning of a painting flurry and it invigorates my creative potential.
In the last few weeks I have made I think 6-7 canvases of all sizes. I made one smallish one, which is what you see on my easel above. I made this particular size for the cowboy boot painting I had planned. 
   I started the cowboy boots late last Saturday. Once I had all the preliminary sketch-work done on a couple paintings, I decided to start a fun one, The Boots.
I took the original photograph of these cowboy boots while I was at the Elkhart County 4-H fair attending a concert this summer. While sitting in the track seating close to the stage, I saw this cute little girl, whom had obviously just finished showing her horse(she was still wearing her number tag). What I noticed about her first were these AWESOME cowboy boots she was wearing! They were SO cute!! I would wear those in a heartbeat! So being an avid photographer (mainly for art references but I have sold 1 print so I guess that now sort of exempts me from amateur/hobby status), I zoomed in on the boots thinking it would make a GREAT painting and I was right!!
   I judge a painting by how much I will enjoy creating it. It has to be a subject I like and the colors have to pop, be bright and vivid. Composition has to be engaging and the subject has to be interesting. It has to be something that is important to me. This is one of those paintings!
I grew up on a farm, I have been around and loves horses, I was involved in 4-H and I occasionally wear cowboy boots! The 4H fair in Elkhart county is a BIG deal!!! Its the 2nd largest county fair in the nation, at least that's what I have heard.
   I am enjoying painting this fun little painting. Its coming together nicely and rapidly. My intent, for this one, is to place it up on Etsy and see if I can sell something. I so rarely sell anything, I believe it is time I became a working artist. My rationale is I need to start saving for next years vacations.  I have another trip to Barcelona planned so time to start banking up!
   I also had a nice visit with an old high school friend, whom I have not seen in years, and her Mother at the studio. We chatted over coffee and home made pumpkin bread. They just wanted to stop by to see where I do all my creating. It was a great time and I am quite sure it won't be the last. Its so nice to reconnect with old friends!  The Girls Pact (I'll explain that another time) has gained new members!! :D

   David and Silvia Naylor (my friends from Barcelona) are coming to visit in 6 weeks! I am going to put them up at the studio so I have been preparing for that.
I have a futon in the den which will hold two people however it will be cramped with little Rita sleeping with them so I needed to buy something portable, that I can put away and pull at in a moments notice.
I purchased an inflatable, 5 in 1 sofa! The 5 in 1 advert is a stretch but it's pretty cool nonetheless!! 
It flips out into a  queen sized bed, recliner bed, sofa....so it's perfect for guests. I have it inflated and sitting in the main studio so that it completely stretches out beforehand.
I have sat/laid on it and it is remarkably comfortable! I am sure they will be quite happy at the studio for their evenings to sleep.  I am so excited to see them all and have fun things planned!
I sure hope they enjoy their stay in the heart of the Midwest where things are a bit slower and more laid back than what they are accustomed to.

   Today looks like it is going to be a beautiful fall day! I am hoping Mark, my husband, will want to take our annual, fall color tour ride in the Jeep. It will be the perfect day for it and we always bring our cameras. Two of those outings resulted in 2 paintings for me...The Boats and The Cows were photo's I took while we were out driving around. Its a good time and we get excited when we see things that are 'photo worthy'. I might get more excited than Mark because I see potential paintings but he loves taking photo's as well.

Well, I suppose it's time to get moving along and begin this day by doing more than drinking coffee and pecking away at a keyboard... 
Hope everyone has a fantastic week! See you  all again next Sunday!

Kathy