Sunday, December 2, 2012

Lets get this PARTY STARTED!!!

Classes set to start January 22nd, 2013

So I am finally taking a leap of faith and going to start holding some small art classes  at my studio starting on January 22nd,  2013 at 6:30pm. 

Check out my nifty little brochure I created below! I just had 50 copies printed up yesterday so we'll see what comes from it all.

This is something I have thought and dreamed about for years and quite frankly the catalyst for making the jump now is due to the uncertainty of the healthcare industry. The new healthcare mandate quite frankly upsets me greatly and I have kind of just about had all I can take. So with that been said,  it's time to create my own personal 'Plan B'. I know my boss feels similarly so we are all thinking about that B Plan! What's quite unfortunate is he isn't the only physician that feels that way, A LOT feel that way...

   Honestly, as far as teaching a small art class goes, I think I have something valuable to offer.  
I want to keep the class sizes small, manageable and hands on. I also want to keep them based at my cozy little studio so that in and of itself is limiting. I think people will really enjoy what I have in mind which is a basic class that teaches the basic 5 key points I have outlined.
   At this point, I have an in depth, 6 page course syllabus written discussing each key aspect I mentioned in the brochure. I have included diagrams, images and some suggested literature as well.
In the future, if this small class takes off, I hope to spin a couple more off this one. The next might be a more advanced and technical class that will also include the use of the airbrush, which is something I am most proficient at. I also want to do a fun night out class for anyone regardless of skill level!
So for now...we build it and just see who comes... 


The still life and where I am at on that....

Many of my friends know that I like to continually try and experiment with new things. I have taken up oil painting and I must say I am enjoying it IMMENSELY!!!  It's not like I am new to painting, I am just fairly new to this medium. This current painting is my first full oil painting from life using only natural unfiltered sunlight. 
I set up a little still life in the studio and set another easel next to it. I put a board I prepped on the easel, drew the base drawing and away we went! I am really not trying to be SUPER DETAILED, in fact I am trying to 'loosen' up a bit...so we'll see where this goes... What I have realized is that I need new hogs hair brushes since I only really have two and they blend oils REALLY WELL!      Most of my brushes have been only used for acrylics and water colors and those mediums prefer softer bristles. I have also been doing some finger blending and that ALWAYS makes me happy because I like to get into my paint and get dirty with it! :D You know your in the zone when you lose track of time and before you know it...5-6 hours have flown by and your like "Oh CRAP...I have to get home and make supper!!" Its days like these, I LOVE my crock pot and load that sucker n the morning so I can be zoning along all day without a care in the world... bring on the snow man because I have both a crock pot AND all wheel drive!!! So far so good with this little piece! I am quite happy!


Elkhart Artwalk is on again!!!


Wednesday December 6th, 5-8pm, downtown Elkhart, IN

I know I am going! It's a really fun time!! Local artists/galleries set up their work at downtown businesses and venues and people walk to each one. Check out their Facebook link  https://www.facebook.com/elkhartartwalk
There is one venue that has creative fun things for kids to do. They have snacks and beverages set up at others.  I think we are going to start out at the local brew pub http://iechyddabrewingcompany.com/  and 'load up' a bit with some brews and grub then walk it all off at the artwalk.
Oh and IF you have NOT YET tried the beer at the pub...you HAVE to...it's some GREAT stuff!! My personal favorite, and actually the only one I have had so far is "Murry the Hump" Pale Ale. YUM!!!!! Oh boy am I looking forward to this night out with friends!!




Spanish Market update!!!!

I almost forgot to show you where I am with it since I am back on this one.... Just a bit more to go and I will call her done. Going to wait till I get a few new brushes to do the proper oil glazing for the glass reflections on the case. At any rate, very close to being done now....

Just a bit more to do yet on the wine bladders, the case reflections and the very top right corner then BAM!!! DONE!!!



Okay...well that's about all I got for this installment...have a great day and go create something!!
I think I'm about to go 'create' a couple loads of laundry!! :D

Kath

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Whew... Thank God Summer is over!!!

Now bring on the snow....

"Magic Sands Beach" Kona, Hawai, 8-26-12
Hawaii trip 8-2012

 Summer, friggin busy summer

So let's see ...what has happened since summer? Well you all know I did the Farmers Market to earn some vacation cash. Can't say that it was a great fiscal move(I broke even) but it sure was fun and I got to hang with my cousin Lori.  Hawaii was and absolute BLAST!!!! A once in  lifetime trip!

   Since summer, I have decided to pare down my activities to focus mainly on painting and art. I have too...this summer just wore me out! I completed a commission, repaired the commission (shipping  didn't treat it so well), went to Hawaii, worked on a magazine article, came back to find out commission again didn't fare well in transit(that whole things just stressed me out and made me sick inside), contacted a great friend in California who was willing to repair the painting, made oodles of hot sauce and salsa from all my garden bounty and have been drying all the peppers and just completed another portrait and now moving onto oils.... sigh...I'm TIRED!!!
   As for the condition of commissioned painting, as of yet, my customer has still not contacted my friend Tim who was willing to pick the painting up, repair it and deliver it free of charge to customer. So this whole thing has left me a bit sour and I have decided to take on no more commissioned work as a result. This whole thing just makes me upset but I know I did everything I could possibly do to right the situation. Perhaps I'll change my mind about commissions, because we all have things that go awry now and again however I'll have to let some time settle between now and that decision...


My magazine cover and article

Before I left for my vacation, I was in the middle of doing an interview with my friend Marissa Oosterlee from Holland. We did the interview over Skype, then firmed up and edited the article while I was on vacation. Man technology is great or what???
So I am 'officially' published now (save for some newspaper articles and gallery promos) and I am quite thrilled!! 


I am featured artist in Issue 39 of Airbrush Technique Magazine
I thought the article in Airbrush Technique Magazine turned out quite well!  It really captured me as a person and the subjects I like to paint.
I mainly just like to 'create' things and I don't make much money at. Nursing is my main gig. The latter affords me the ability to paint what I want versus what others want me to paint for them. 
When you paint what you want, your personality rings through clearly and people learn to see you from the inside out ward. You enjoy the subject matter more and so its almost effortless and joyful while your creating each piece.

I do take many of my paintings to my little local gallery, The Kingsbury House Gallery in Howe, IN. I am slowly starting to sell my work  but things are starting to pick up a bit and that just thrills me!!
Its a bit of pocket change and that's a nice feeling! :)

a heartfelt memorial tribute...

Most know that I am a nurse and that's something that I feel I am 'meant' to do. 

In a small office like ours, you really develop strong bonds with your patients and many times, you have entire families that you see. One such family was that of a husband and wife who had been married for 50+ years(I think 52). They had just went to a family wedding where they danced...
During that dance 'Bo' had told his wife how much he loved her and then proceeded to hug her and kiss her. She recalled that "It was so out of character for him" to show such public displays of affection but he did and his wife was so happy that day! 
When they went back to the table to sit down, 'Bo' suffered a massive stroke. He was hospitalized where he had several more strokes and subsequently passed away. They both were/are very close to all of us.
His wife came in 2 weeks after he passed away and I sat down and counseled her. She told me this story while shedding many tears though intermittently smiling and laughing as she recalled 'Bo'. 
She asked me if I thought he knew he was about to pass away because of how he acted during the dance... I said 'no, but I think 'someone' gave him a gentle shove and left you with an extremely wonderful gift!'  
It was at that point if asked her if I could paint him for her, to kind of give him back to her in my own way. That gave her something to look forward to(which was my intent). She spent much time finding just the right photos to give me. One photo was an older one and one was from the wedding,  taken right before they danced.
It was a challenge because the photos I had, two were not great but 'enough'. They were two 3x5" images that were taken at a distance. I had no way of scanning them (my old scanner was no longer compatible with my new computer) so my good buddy Tom gave me some advice and upon his goading, I purchased the large format Mustek scanner he told me about. It is working out very well for me! 
I did a 'Frankenstein' maneuver with photo editing software and came up with a composite from both images. It was a challenge and a learning process. 
I completed the painting yesterday and I am pretty pleased...although it's not photo realism, it's a very, very nice painting and that's about as good as I could get with what I had...  Here is Bo!

If you would like to see a step by step completion of this project, you can do so by visiting my Facebook page, The Art of Kathy Leib.
There you can look in my album titled 'Bo' and you can see the photos I had and the composite I ended up working from. I also show in progress images so you can literally watch him come back to life!
My new friend Harry Kirkpatrick drove down from Chicago and spent that first day with me when I started this painting. All in all, this whole process has been challenging and a blessing as well. :)



next projects and things to come...

 

My first full oil painting from life




I always like to continually grow and challenge myself artistically so I have taken up oil painting as well. I have always wanted to try my hand at oils but had been too afraid of them. I tried once years ago and wound up with mud but after much studying and growing as an artist. I took the leap.

Many of my friends have seen my EPIC painting I have been working on for 2 years now, The Spanish Market. My friend Stuart Hughes finally convinced me to layer oils over acrylics and that's what I have done.
This tank of a painting has been such a behemoth to complete however its a labor of love and one I am extremely PROUD of!
I am still in the process of correcting colors, values and layering oil glazes on top of the acrylic under-painting. Its been an extremely long process with many art interruptions in between.

So now my plan is to work on the still life painting during days with good adequate natural light, which equates to about 2.5 working hours a day on studio days which is just 3 days per week AND work to complete this massive monster during the other hours in the day... I hope to complete this by January. Thats the new goal!


Things to come......ART CLASSES!!!

In January/February 2013 I'm going to start heading up some local art classes, one night per week at the studio. Each session will be roughly 3-4 hours and I'll charge a modest hourly rate. We'll focus on drawing and painting skills, use of color and the necessity of correct value. I am going to JAM PACK the knowledge in! 
In December, I'll start advertising. I had no intentions of ever doing anything like this but had entertained the though in my head with a couple other friends(one a professional illustrator and the other a dynamic sculpture). My new friend Rob Smead was the one who got to ball rolling hoping to get a group of painters together in order to learn, improve... Cyndi Marks, my old high-school art teacher thought of me and linked me with him. Funny part is, Rob works with my husband!!! Small world! 

So, I am going to put together a lesson plan, just the core basics and we'll have a project to work on, something simple... Not quite sure what to call the class...was thinking "Paint that POP!...How to get your painting to POP with life!" I dunno...just tossing things around...


Thank God snow is around the corner because now I FINALLY have time again to work all things art!!!

Okay...THAT was a long winded catch up to what's been going on and now my hand is a claw and I need more coffee!!! 
On that note...I hope you all have a wonderful week!!


Kath

Sunday, July 1, 2012

To Market we will go.....

To Market we will go...

Howe Indiana Farmers Market, June 30th, 2012


Hi Ho the derry-o to market we will go!!

So this is where my creative self and my equally creative cousin Lori Brouse, can be found some Saturdays through the summer/early fall.  Most of my friends(a few have been my official taste testers) know I make spice blends and have many enjoyed my creations for sometime now.  That got me thinking...you know, I  really need to try and take this one step further......
I did....Krazy Kat's Spice Blends was born!! For now, I am able to sell at farmers markets, roadside stands and directly from home.  We have decided to settle at the Howe Farmers market because it's busy, fun and a peaceful country atmosphere filled with a fantastic crown of good down to earth people.
The vibe at the market is kind of like a small town carnival in that everyone is friendly and happy and you get to know good people.
The stand next to ours is a husband and wife team who have a herb farm and we have become chatty with them. I have purchased two plats from 'Kathy' so far and it's been fun supporting local community people.
Here is a picture of our little stand...


Krazy Kats half of the booth               






Together we call ourselves "Sugared and Spiced"
















 Lori makes wonderfully delicious jams, marmalade and scrumptious baked goods! She is using all her late Mothers recipes(her Mother passed away when she was 9 years old) and it has been a way for her to reconnect with her Mother again. Its wonderful stories such as her's which are great at these local markets. They are honest and heartfelt and thats why I enjoy local people so much.

My little half of the booth is the Krazy Kat half. I get A LOT of laughs and funny giggles about Old Man Neighbor who graces my table!! Its a great story and people really enjoy hearing about the incarnation of this character....he is a fictional caricature but he is based on that annoying neighbor everyone has...he is the creation of my good friend Tom Nguyens imagination and artwork! (Tom is a professional illustrator/inker/photographer. His main line of work is for DC Comics) He has allowed me to use the character on one of my spice labels and to grace my table. Now I just have to repay him with some spices....test batches and your own table top OMN coming soon buddy!! :)


On the art front..

I have started a commissioned portrait of three lovely little girls. I have spent 3 sittings with them and have begun to firm up the faces for tight detailing. I am doing this as a grisaille type painting in which I work primarily with one color and white. I like portraits done in this manner because I feel they a more classical feel and I just like the way one color adds drama. I think sometimes for portraits, color can get in the way but there again it depends on how you use it and how artful you make the painting.

There is a young artist I enjoy named Teresa Oaxaca  ( teresaoaxaca.com ) who has some really fun and very  imaginative portrait works. Her use of color amplifies the mood of the painting and sets the tone of the piece. I love her paintings. She is a bit quirky but a very nice person and EXTREMELY talented!

There is another portrait painter out of Cleveland, Stanka Kordic, whose work again is so imaginative and full of life! Take a look at what she does...
 http://www.alternativeportraiture.com/HOME__.html
I absolutely LOVE her portraits because they have such spirit and they just sing with life....
Each of her paintings are unique and different and she has a funky fun personality. They key point for her work is she really gets inside the mood of the painting and lets the painting tell her what to paint.... her work in my opinion is best described as being 'ethereal and playful'. 

To be as great a painter as these two women, you have to zone out and zone in on the act of just creating and letting it speak to you.  Just get in it!!
I think about all these things in a way to develop my own 'painters voice'...as far as my own use of color I prefer bright and vibrant colors because that what I see in my head except with people...I see them as 'black and white'...its a mental thing for me. I prefer to see people stripped down to their basics...their core beauty is simplified down to the basics...  I think this is why I prefer monochrome portraiture HOWEVER I would LOVE to branch out more and explore some playful imaginative color... I am still trying to figure out where I am going and who I want to be... ;)


Well, I see the husband has rolled up into the driveway from his bike ride....so proud of him! He's doing something he enjoys and getting healthier! he's become so passionate about his bike riding and it makes me happy that he has this passion... I know I enjoy my little passions of creativity! Its what makes life joyful!

Have a wonderful Sunday!!

Kathy

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Where DOES the time go???

Where has the time gone???


Holy Cow the time has flown by!!! I have been happily albeit busily creative during this time!

So let's do a recap of whats been going on since my last post in MARCH! Well...for one we had really nice weather early in March so I started the garden seedling in the second week. This year will have lots of hot peppers!!                                                                         
All the peppers have been planted!!! We have Ghost peppers, Chiltepin peppers, Thai Birdseye peppers, Super Chili peppers,  Black Pearl peppers, Habanero peppers, Tri Color Varigata peppers, Jalapenos...and three kinds of tomatoes!


Here are the babies moved into the cold frame when they were about 4 weeks old. It was so warm in Indiana early however about 3 weeks before Mothers Day, it got COLD so I had to put a small ceramic heater in here to keep the babies from freezing! It worked very well and Sheldor the Garden Gnome made sure the babies were safe guarded from the cold!
They are now all planted around the patio and in the garden. The jalapenos are all in this planter, there are 18 jalapenos total, two varieties: Hot and VERY Hot!!
The garden was planted the week before Mothers day so my early target date wasn't off by much.
Everything is doing pretty well. I already have tomatoes on and the peppers are blooming now. Green beans are up and getting ready to climb the poles. Flowers all planted, pools been opened so summer is in BUSY full swing!

 FARMERS MARKET TIME!!!!



So why do I plant all these peppers you might ask? I have been making my own spice concoctions for quite a while. We are avid barbecue people and my husband smokes a lot of meat on our smoker grill. I have made spice rubs for that for sometime now. I like spicy seasonings so a few years back I made a jalapeno seasoned salt using my dried, ground jalapenos.  My Jalapeno Salt has been my little crowning jewel. My friends and family LOVE the stuff so it got me thinking...lets take this spice thing to the next level... BIGGER...SELL IT!!!
Next weekend I debut 6 of my blends at a local Farmers Market in Howe, Indiana. My cousins Lori Brouse and I are teaming up and calling our booth "Sugared and Spiced" She makes sweet treats and I make the spicy stuff. This should be alot of fun but it has been a lot of work to get ready for. I have 94 bottles of spices all packed up in tamper proof shaker bottles all ready to sell. My label brand is called 'Krazy Kat's' and my blends include the following: Krazy Kat's Jalapeno Salt, Gotta HAB It habanero salt, Muther Cluckin Awesome poultry spice, Squealin Piggy Pork Rub, Your Sucha Jerk jerk spice and Fire Flapper Wing spice. Let me tell ya...making the pepper spiced salts is a near death experience as far as breathing goes!! The coughing about killed me, even wearing a face mask I could still smell it!! next time, I am wearing a hazmat suit!! ;)
All this has taken up quite a bit of time as I have created all my own recipes, labels and graphics. We have been testing recipes all the time and I have more in the pipeline but the 6 will do for now.
The hard parts been done, creating the base recipes and the labels so now all I have to keep doing is mixing, packing and coming up with new products periodically.
At some point I would like to sell my spices retail but that entails renting commercial kitchen space, new licensure which may not be too far off. If this thing blows up, I will have to have help or do it  near full-time which would mean I would have to let something go in order to have the time to continue. I'll say this, I won't stop painting! :)


PAINTING!!!

As you can see above, I've been a very BUSY girl since March. I painted this beautiful iris and a few weeks later received a call for entries request in the mail for a local juried art show. I decided to finaly throw my hat in. I have never entered a juried show before...partly out of fear and feeling like my paintings were never quite good enough. I thought, what have I got to lose? I can't be an art hermit forever and people do like to see what I do so it's about time I get it out there locally....so I entered... and  I WON SECOND PLACE!!!!! 
My first show and I placed well!!! I am just ECSTATIC about all this! It was such a great day yesterday receiving the award and the monetary prize ! I feel quite validated with all my efforts...
The best part of the day was that my close family and friends were there with me to see me accept my prize and view that gorgeous red ribbon! The smiles and looks of pride they wore on their faces was the best gem of a memory and beats any prize hands down! :)
It was a fantastic day!!! :)

Today I just committed to a commissioned portrait of three little girls. I am excited about this! I have been itching to paint a portrait for some time so this will fill that desire. Portrait painting is something I really enjoy but I don't do very often anymore. I only take on the ones I want to do. I do enjoy having the freedom to paint what I choose and now and again I will accept an occasional commission so this is going to be fun and I am greatly looking forward to it. It will be quite cute and lovely when I am done!

Well...that's how I have been spending my time...this will be a busy, busy summer! 
Hope your all having a great summer so far! Stay tuned and I promise to update more often...

Kath

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Springtime breeds creativity...and the birds are doin it to!!

Spring is FINALLY HERE!!!!! I'm so very excited!!!
I love this time of year because everything is fresh and new and it makes you look ahead in your mind and imagine the beauty that will soon be popping up all around you!
for me it mean FLOWERS!!! My flowers will be blooming and I'll have new photo opportunities.
I can't wait to expand and add more flowers to my garden, get my hot peppers planted and work outside. Always a lovely time to sit on the deck and take it all in....

Speaking of flowers.... have made a lot of progress on the yellow bearded iris I started a couple weeks back. It's going fast. I have probably 1 more sitting left on her and then she's done. I can't wait to put the final varnish on and watch the colors explode! I love that pop it gets when the colors go from being flat to alive in just seconds!
So far, I think this is one of my best flower paintings. Its so vibrant and striking...I am enjoying sitting and staring at it.
I have detailed it quite a bit further since this image was taken on Friday.
Yesterday I laid in some magenta and some blue violet and popped up some more details to the foreground and knocked others back. On Wednesday of this week I'll start doing the hand details, clean some things up, tweak the background a bit more and she's done!
It truly is a stunner!!!
I think when I am finished, I'll just list this up on Etsy  or Ebay and see what happens.
I am trying to get a little vacation cash scraped together so I'll see if I can't paint my way into some if I can.










I also started a still life of a bowl of pears this week. I collect a lot of vintage things and I have this particular old crock bowl with a blue salt glazed interior that I just love. I had some pears that were perfectly in blush so i thought this combination of colors on a dark background would be striking...
I am enjoying this quite a bit. I am trying out some new things so thought this would be the perfect test. I took a picture on Wednesday when I worked on it but didn't take an update yesterday.

I now have the interior of the bowl blocked in and will start detailing that this week. Yesterday I laid in the light blue midrange color on the left side of the bowl and the darker blue shadow. It's starting to pop up now. The small picture you can see clipped on my board has been my reference so far, It's about the size of a baseball card and for the midrange colors and basic layout and shapes, that's all I need for now.
I have the pears masked off currently but they will be unmasked on Wednesday and I'll start laying in my midrange colors. I am using opaques I have mixed up and I am tweaking and testing out the coverage strengths. So far so good!
I probably should have used a larger board but this is more of a test than anything and the focal portions of the painting are the worn rim of the bowl, the leftmost blue inside and the stems of the pears. I was 'taught' that for compositions sake that you want to keep the weight of the piece towards the bottom and I felt the lower rim of the bowl anchors that. I also tend to follow the rule of thirds in composition so that your focal point isn't dead center, but just off. My focal points are the left side of the bowl with the blue, the stems of the pears and the lower rim of the crock bowl with all it's chips and defects.
If you keep in mind the rule of thirds, it makes for a more interesting composition that makes you look at more than just the center. So when I paint this, my focus of tight details will be in these areas.
If you can not tell, I do enjoy photography quite a bit and this rule is used alot in taking/cropping a good photograph. This is why you see that grid on your viewfinder...hint hint. Now this is not to say you need to do whatever your taught but if something works..it just works.


   So since it IS spring, it was time for me to get a new mode of transportation to the studio and grocery store. In the summer when it isn't raining or when I don't have lots of stuff to carry, I ride my bike. With the cost of gas these days, I'll be pedaling my big butt alot more and hopefully the latter will get smaller in the process!! ;)
I have, which is soon to be HAD, a really nice Schwinn mountain bike that I have had for a few years but since my neck fusion, it is no longer comfortable or kind to my spine any more.
I was dead set on getting a cool cruiser bike but settled for a 'comfort bike' instead. Went to a little local bike shop, House of Bikes, and I immediately fell in love with their quirky independent store that is cram packed full of stuff and had a small very knowledgeable staff.
My husband was looking for a newer bike and I was as well but I didn't expect to find on that i fell in love with like I did. They had an aqua blue Raleigh women's Venture comfort bike that was exactly my size! I sat on it once and that was it...went back the next day and bought that baby and now she's mine...all mine...

So now I am designing a custom set of panniers to put on the rack I added to the back. I might make a few cool ones and perhaps list those on Etsy as well. They need to have some with some cool stylish designs and be roomy enough to haul things around like a jug of milk, beer, laptop... So that's been my fun little project when I am home.
I have my pattern already made and I think I have enough test canvas(cheap paint dropcloth) to make a set. I'll then be able to tweak and tes them as need be. If they work, I'll stitch and paint up a few and throw em on the Ebay/Etsy! (I need vacation funds remember)



Well, that's enough blathering for one day... time to go do some shopping, go get the husband new bike he ordered last week and sew up some panniers!!
Have a great day all!! :)


Kath

Sunday, February 12, 2012

So close but yet so far away....

Seems like it has been forever since I have posted anything here.... Well, let me update you on what's what at the studio:

I am on the final home stretch on the Spanish Market! I am THRILLED to be so close to finishing but yet feel a tiny bit sad at the same time. I had commented that it feels like the end of a love affair where your happy and sad all at the same time.  For me, with the 'love affair' analogy, when it was done, it was DONE and I could easily move on without regret so this isn't an equal comparison but very close. I feel this way because I've spent so long with it, I enjoyed most moments and loathed others yet I took a few breaks from it but ran right back, however now, the flame is nearly extinguished...
I still have the painting (I'll quite probably never sell it) and I'll always be able to enjoy looking at it. So I guess it's better compared to an unrequited secret love. That friend you dearly loved with quiet restraint, self control, respect and integrity... Those are the friends you'll have forever...

Where I am at now is, I am detailing the wine bags and adding the reflections in the glass case and tweaking whatever else that catches my eye. The wine bags on the far left need to have more color applied. I have been detailing the wrinkles, folds, the red straps and reflections in the cellophane.  I'll need to work on the linoleum flooring but all in all the rest is easier stuff, all it needs now is time to dry in between sessions.



All in all, the hard part and the tightest aspects of the painting have been done. I am at the point now where I know I could work on this for years and never call it 'perfect' so it's time to be done. I am getting that close to that 'done' feeling in my gut so that's my indicator that it's time to wrap it up.

   So while the Market piece is drying, I have already started two new paintings to work on.
Since the oils need time to dry, I decided time to fill that time with some new fun work. I have a folder of ideas that are waiting to go on canvas and I have a folder of things I call the 'Queue'. They are ready and just waiting for me to touch pencil and brush to canvas then it's GO time!
I like the Queue folder a lot because for me, it represents progress, happiness and the passage of time spent in a joyous way... It generally only ever has about four things in it..no more than that. If there is more than four things in the Queue, I get flustered so I keep it simple.
Now I have a few other folders chock full of stuff. There is the 'Finished' folder which contains ideas and images of things I have already done and that's a BIG folder(s). I have the 'Ideas' folder which is a concept folder of things I am contemplating painting. This is the folder I cull things out of to put into the Queue. This is my system and it works pretty well for me.

So the two paintings that have jumped out of the Queue and onto canvas are: another painting of my cat Molly and a beautiful bearded purple iris against a dark fence.
Here are some preliminary images.


I am working on both simultaneously. Yesterday was spent painting in the back ground and adding the hair details via a fine liner brush to the painting of Molly(which I didn't take a photo of so this image does not show yesterdays progress).
On Friday I worked on the Iris which is coming along very quickly and is looking absolutley stunning so far!! It just POPS with value and vibrant color!!! It's going quickly because I totally LOVE everything about it, the vibrancy, the values, the subject...love, love, love! This is going to be a fantastic piece because of the three heavy doses of love it's getting!!! :)
I will probably do a series of cat paintings because she is something that is quite dear to me and it is time well spent in that regard. Painting her is pure joy! I have literally probably a hundred or more images of her so the Ideas folder has lots to choose from! Same goes for my flower paintings. I love to garden and I love beautiful flowers and I take a lot of photographs of mine so again, I just cull from the ideas folder and here we are....
So currently residing in the Queue is another Molly, another poppy flower and a still life of some fruit in an old bowl.... Thats whats coming up! I know I am excited about all three!!!  :)

   Well, I've prattled on enough for one day. Time to go grab another cup of coffee and relax the Sunday away and have some fun! Hope you all have a wonderful day! :)


Kath

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Back to 'The Market' I go.....


   I am SO happy to FINALLY be spending time on my labor of love...The Spanish Market painting!!
Just when I think I am closer to being done, I spy a spot that needs more attention...seems to be never ending yet I trust my inner instinct that allows the painting to tell me when it's done... 
That however has not happened yet so onward I plod! :)

So let me fill you in on what I am currently doing and have done, so far, with this painting.
Firstly, it is based off a photograph I took of this particular market while in Spain. 
My base painting(under-painting) was loosely done first. I didn't worry too much about the details being too tight at that point because I knew the details come together in the end...which is basically where I am at now.
One of my artist 'friends' on Facebook summed up that process rather simply: "Start with a broom and finish with a toothpick". This is essentially the process. You rough it in at first and ratchet up on the details as you go along.
   I started this with basic acrylic brushwork for the structure. Acrylics dry fast and are easy to work with. If you make a mistake, you can easily paint over it. Some people hate them and find oils easier but I have a lot of experience with acrylics so their nature is predictable to me. 
My plan was to add oil glazes atop the acrylics at the end. Oils and acrylics are compatible in this order. Dry acrylics as an under-painting with oils layered on top but never the other way around. I am tightening and glazing with oils currently.
My glazing mixture isn't set in stone yet since I am really just starting to get my feet wet with oils so this is all essentially an exercise in technique, discipline and mediums. So far I have used OMS (odorless mineral spirits), stand oil(boiled non yellowing linseed) and Liquin. I think I like a 1:1 mixture of OMS/stand oil a bit better but again, still experimenting and gathering information from friends.
    One painter friend(realism portrait painter) just uses a mixture of turpenoids and linseed. A good friend just uses Liquin,  another uses OMS/linseed and yet another friend (hyper-realist painter) uses a mixture of Dammar, turps and linseed. The latter mixture I am quite curious of so will be doing some experimenting with that one in the future. It's all so exciting to me because I love playing with paint and finding what suits me best.
So for now, I am set on finishing this painting in this manner. Glazes of OMS/linseed and Liquin.


I am certainly LOVING my studio! It's like my own little private island that I go to. Its a relief from the craziness of life, in other words, it's a joyful respite. Right now it's a bit of a mess (semi organized chaos is a better description) but that's okay...I'm the only one that sees it for the most part.                                                    I am also playing with a fun project...hardback book binding. I am in the prototype stages of a certain something that will hold a certain something.... My intent is to make something that's fun, easy-ish to make and profitable to sell on Etsy/Ebay...time to generate some extra moola!  So in essence, this is one of those, time/quality vs money issues.... Will have to make the prototype then run the numbers and see if I can sell a couple as a test then we'll review where we are at. Won't go gung ho on this because need to have time to paint...My GOAL is to eventually quit nursing at some point, replace that income with something enjoyable I can do in small runs from the studio and STILL have time to paint.

I have the space, I just need to find the right profitable artsy product to produce there. Therein lies the rub. Time will tell. I have a head full of ideas, just limited time to create them all in so at some point, a transition will have to occur....its just not that time yet.                                              I suppose if I came up with a REALLY good idea, I would need to get a patent, an investor and head to the merchandise mart show in Chicago with an 'if you build it, they will come attitude'...I dunno...that might be larger and more involved than I would want. More revenue means more hands held out and more headaches... I only need enough for myself to get by on. I am not high maintenance.
  
 I have a good friend who is a self employed artist. He has been one since the age of 19 and it's his opinions that I have sought when I have questions about business.
His real life isn't as glamorous as people assume. While on the outside it appears like it would be awesome, fun and enviable... I personally know what he has to go through to stay where he is. That's the illusion...people always assume once you get on top of your game, it's smooth sailing...that's really NOT the case at all. In order to STAY there, you have to run faster than the guy next to you or you have to do something so incredibly superior, that no one can come close to you. With all that comes the people who want to use your back to walk on or people who seek fame by association. Falsies. You have to be able to 'sift' people out.
This all takes tireless work, hardship, dedication, sacrifice...very few people have what it takes to be that person....

Well....today is my day to have fun so I think I will finally paint some of the bookshelves I put up in my home office. Might bake a loaf or two of wheat bread, work out a bit and relax....

Have a great week!!

Kath