Hello cold air....ARTBERNATION BEGINS!!! YES!!!

Photo I took a couple years back during one of our fall drives in the area.

Man I love the when fall rolls around!!! I know... I know... y'all think I am crazy and most everyone who knows me personally, WILL agree with that assessment!!!

Why do I love fall? Well it's mainly because I can wear Levi's and sweatshirts again and luxuriate in the ultimate cozy comfort they bring but also it's because I love all the intense pretty colors the trees and plants show which brings me, full circle, right back to art!!

Fall means I am able to spend more time at the studio, which is where I am going right after I post this so it will be short and sweet.

Fall is the beginning of the art hibernation, or if you will, the Artbernation!
This is the time I cloister myself away in the studio for much of the day, ignoring the foul weather outside and sipping glorious rich coffee and painting all day long....or at least until the faint smell of my neighbors cigarette smoke starts to faintly tinge the air and I hightail it out the door before the full blown migraine begins(it doesn't take much to set me off unfortunately). (My plan is to move the studio back home in the spring, into a renovated barn out behind my house so that I don't have to deal with that anymore and save some money)

So to be able to maximize my time at the studio before my neighbor gets home, I am going to keep this quick....here is what I have been up to since July's last blog post: painting, gardening, painting, more gardening , canning, canning, hot sauce making, painting and more painting!

On the painting front, I feel am doing my very BEST work right now! I fully believe that soon there will be a turning point for me...not sure what that will be but I am hoping that more success will burgeon soon. I 'feel' it and I believe in it.... I just have to keep painting and growing my art in order to fully realize it.
I have recently entered two juried shows, one local and one national.
The national show(NYC) is a first for me. I am nervous and excited about it. Of course, I HOPE I get accepted but understand that I may be declined....par for the course but I will persevere and keep plodding onward. My fingers are crossed though! I should know something in a couple weeks. If I get in (BIG IF) and IF I place, I will somehow, someway get my butt to New York City for the awards reception. :)

My latest painting that I am working on, REALLY excites me!!!  Here is what it looks like almost done(have just  few tweaks left to do) and pre-varnish....the varnish will make it EXPLODE with color so that will be very exciting!!!

'Reflections of Summer', acrylic and oil on board (work in progress)

I am so close to being finished with this. I have a more recent image on my camera but since it's so close, at this point, I will just wait to show it until I am completely done.

I am really enjoying this food series and think I will keep going with it. It gives me joy!
I think I may have found my niche painting food....it just excites me and everything that I paint, has a story behind it so there is that as well.

The story of this one: The apex of summer culminates in late July, early August when the tomatoes in my garden ripen. The first toasted tomato sandwich of the summer is like a national holiday for me! :) I eat them as often as I can!!
I love, love, LOVE to grow heirloom tomatoes and this particular tomato, as painted here, is the best I have ever grown! This variety is called Black Sea Man and it hails from Russia originally, or so the story is. I have been an organic gardener since I was a child. It's something ingrained in me...I love to grow things and can't wait for the new seed catalog's to come out every year.
I also love everything old and things that sparkle...my running joke is that I am part magpie, in that I am attracted to shiny objects!
I feel like I am keeping the past alive by using vintage or antique things regularly...it gives them life, hence to 1950's Toastmaster Toaster in the painting. Yes, it works perfectly!  It sits in my kitchen as does the stand mixer (bowl reflection to the right). The salt shaker is vintage diner ware (my favorite salt shaker) and just goes hand in hand with fresh tomatoes in summer.
So, in part, 'Reflection's of Summer' is also reflections of the past and we can see the past over and over again if we just close our eyes... it lives always.....


A couple things I have up on the sale block right now are these items

I have this one on both Etsy and Ebay: 

'Sunbathing', miniature oil, 3"x3" oil on board created 2014.

I also have this painting listed up on Etsy and may list it to Ebay as well to try and move it. It's time to clean the studio to make room for more things.

'Garden Guardian', acrylic on board, 12"x16".

Alright....I think I have dawdled enough here...it's time to go Artbernate and lay down some paint! :)
I hope everyone who reads this has a wonderful day!


Kathy