Slingin Paint and Sloggin Coffee...

An AWESOME January!!

'Tea or One', 11"x14" acrylic/oil on board, © 2014

As many of my friends are aware of, I decided to hang up my nurses cap after 25 years as a nurse. In place of taking care of people, I have decided finally do what makes me the happiest, paint! January 2014 marked my first full month as a full-time artist and it was a very productive month!!

I completed two paintings' during that time and started two more while waiting for paint to dry. I have a project goal with these 'foodie' themed paintings. I am right on deadline which is a great thing.

The other painting I completed in January was this one:

'Asparagus Meets Eggplant', acrylic/oil on board, © 2014.

Of the two, I am not sure which one is my favorite. I absolutely LOVE the classic feel of  'Asparagus Meets Eggplant'. I wanted to create a warm mood with the lighting and I think I achieved that. The elements in the painting that I loved creating the most, were the reflections. I love things that shine and sparkle. I love old glass. I liked how the lemon reflected up onto the old aluminum colander and onto the jar. I really had fun with this painting. I simply like looking at it... :)

The 'Tea Time' painting was created partly because I have a vintage set of canisters and I love old tea cups. This particular tea cup is special because my Dad purchased it for me while on an antique forage right before Christmas. It wasn't expensive because it has a hairline crack in it that isn't particularly visible, however, it certainly doesn't detract from it's beauty. Because of the crack, I could not put any liquid in it so painting the tea was something I just winged. I am sure the reflections are not quite right on the surface of the 'tea' but it is what it is.
I liked creating this painting, again, the reflections are what draw me. I loved painting the bowl of the vintage art deco spoon. I loved painting the patina of the old canister with all its stains and paint chips. The vintage Brown Betty teapot and canister pair together quite well however the addition of the ornate and delicate bone china tea cup seems to be an odd addition, or is it?  I loved pairing this lovely, delicate, cup with these old, well worn pieces. They directly reflect my personality and style. I love old things, used things, lovely things that nobody wants anymore. This painting fits.
I think it turned out just lovely and it's really a toss up as to which one I favor the most.

While paint was drying....two more paintings started...

So while I was waiting for paint to dry, I started two new 'foodie' themed paintings. I recently acquired a collection of cookbooks that were my maternal Grandmothers. I loved the look of them and I even read each one. I thought what a lovely addition they would be to some paintings.
I am an avid cookbook collector and I love, love love to bake. I rarely ever follow a recipe but I like to read them to get ideas. While looking at the Better Homes and Gardens cook book, my old pastry cook book and the Calumet Baking books, my first thought was pie. I collect vintage pie tins because pie is my very favorite thing to bake. I like making the pastry because making pastry is challenging and I love a good challenge. A pie painting it would be then. So I baked an apple pie and took it to the studio the next day. I did a photoshoot creating several compositions. One of these was just kind of a spur of the moment shot to say 'Good Morning' on Facebook. I liked how it looked...here is how that painting looks right now:

'Sweet Slice', oil/acrylic on panel.

When I took the reference photograph, I had just finished shooting several composed shots and had sat down with a hot cup of coffee.
I was getting ready to eat that piece of pie for breakfast while looking at the cook books.  I was walking back to the table and saw this and though that look's cool! It would make a great 'Good Morning' image to use on Facebook. I liked it so much that I decided it needed to be painted. That's how I arrived at this again. Again, we have a theme going, vintage things and reflections.
The pie was quite tasty too! :)

This is my set up where I do my detail work. I have a rolling cart to my right that contains all my tube paints and supplies. On top of that sits my large, always hot cup of coffee. Beside that is the large flat black wooden lightbox I created to take photos of my still life's and finished works.  It also acts as a dust free zone where I can prop the tacky or wet paintings. I keep a couple pieces of canvas clipped on the front to act as a curtain to keep out dust. It works PERFECT!!
As you can see here, I am painting upside down for accuracy. I have the reference image I shot handy beside the painting so I can study the elements. I know, some people will poo poo the fact that I work from photos but all I can say is, who care...Chuck Close didn't give a damn and hey, he's Chuck Close!!!

The other painting I had started is this one and it is the one I am enjoying painting the most partly because there is little lettering to screw up...I mean , paint. The surface of the board is also very, very smooth in that its easy to paint and blend soft, subtle transitions which contributes to a cleaner and tighter effect. This painting will be very tight while in contrast I will leave the Sweet Slice painting a bit more loose and include some impasto on that one.

'Sweet Slice'

In this painting, the elements I am enjoying painting again are the reflections and the highlights. I just like shiny things. I have gotten a bit farther on this piece yesterday but neglected to take a photo of it. Yesterday I worked more on tightening up the bowl, tinting the apples, the pastry book cover and the spine texture and defects on the Better Homes and Garden cookbook.
I am currently working on this piece upside-down because you tend to be  more accurate.

(that's a Betty Edwards trick...Google Betty Edwards then buy the book). I am enjoying painting this one quite a bit. I start by blocking in all the painting elements in acrylic and I bring the painting up to the detailing stage.This is a stage where most people might say it's 'done enough' but it really needs refinement to make it POP alive! I have taken to adding oil paints atop the acrylic because it gives it a luster and patina that acrylics can't achieve or achieve as well. Oils are also easier to manipulate for very very subtle transitions.
I think I have found the methods that work best for me. Painting like this incorporates everything I enjoy: airbrushing with acrylics, and traditional painting with oils and brushes.
I am not a traditional 'airbrusher' in that I prefer to paint fine art rather than auto's and tee-shirts, both of which I have done but this is where I am happiest.
I will add, there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with automotive and tee shirt artist because those guys can ROCK!!

A complete bum....no makeup,and bed head...

Here is how I look these days, like a complete bum!!!! Carefree, throw on some clothes and go!!
My local friends are used to it. There used to be a time when I would NEVER set foot out of the house without makeup and nice hair...my how things change as you age! :D
I have ruined so many pairs of Levi's with paint that I have decided it is time to dig out the old paint covered overalls and just put them on first thing when I arrive at the studio.
I have also dropped a bit of weight in the last several months and I can not afford to ruin anymore clothes since it will be time to shop for new jeans that fit soon!!!
Down 22lbs  overall in the last couple years but down 20 in the past 4-5 months. I still have more to go to hit my goal buy I'll get there.
I saw a photo of myself from last summer that really motivated me to make some changes. I don't think I will ever completely lose that damned 'Hall' genetic chin flap but at least I feel better and am proud of my hard work!!



With all that, it's time to go do the dishes, hit the treadmill, tidy the house and do some laundry.
I hope you all have a fantastic Sunday! :)

Kath

Snowpocalypse or Creative Opportunity???

First BIG(ish) snow storm of 2014!!

Snowpocalyspe 2014!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

   So all the news outlets were bracing us here in the north central midwest for the worst storm in decades...the arctic vortex they were/are/is calling it! Snowocalypse!!! Snowmageddon!! Snowvalanche!! Snowapture!!!! people fleeing, running for their lives...scared that we are finally, FINALLY gonna bite the big one!!! be assured, big brother is there for you to warn you( fear mongering) and protect you(don't go outside or we'll give you a ticket).......

PISH POSH!!!!!!!!!

Here is what REAL mid-westerners do...ya put some clothes on and you dig out!!!! 

THIS storm was NOTHING compared to the Blizzard of 1978 baby!!! :)

Snow??? I say so what, BRING IT cuz I DIG IT!!!

All said and done we received about 16 inches in a 24 hour time frame. I was so excited I could hardly stand it!!! I was posting photo updates on Facebook for all my friends.
I couldn't wait to see how much snow we would get in total. We estimated about 14" just judging by the fact we already had about 4" of residual snow on our table from earlier in the week.
In the morning I called my folks, who live just a mile or so away. My Dad had measured the snow in an area that was previously bare. He measured 14" on Saturday night but we got an additional 2-3" over night. So I'm going with a grand total accumulation of 16inches!
SCORE!!!!!!

 I suppose some people would freak out by that amount of snow but we DIG IT!!! LITERALLY!!

And so it begins...

...Trading my nurses scrubs for pain spattered clothes...

Making panels from scratch

 So in about 2 weeks, literally i will have hung up mu nurses cap and will replace my scrubs with my paint spattered clothes. I can't tell you how very excited I am to embrace my impending poverty!! No joke...  I won't make much money but there will be freedom of much stress and I will be spending much time in the 'zone'...
Now many folks have heard of what the 'zone' is but few people truly embrace it.
My artist friends are familiar with the zone but yet when you start to mix in earning money, it starts becoming elusive unless you customer gives you carte blanche creative license.
I have tried to paint what ever I wanted and take it to my gallery and I have been selling some paintings so that makes me very happy that people like what I like and enjoy.

Currently what I am doing, is trying to use my art in ways to reach everyone in affordable ways. I created an Etsy store and am making hand made items using my art so it's pretty cool to have that portfolio and a creative brain.

I have to admit I do have some trepidation about taking this leap because of the economy and what some of my other artist friends have gone through so there is a real fear attached.
I am blessed to have a strong support system and that is very helpful and makes me feel less anxious.
My plan of sorts it to continue to paint what I want, add to my portfolio, market myself more and get a few classes going.

I plan on teaching a small beginners airbrush class at my studio, one evening per week for about 4 weeks. I will supply everything. We will talk about what an airbrush is, how and why it works and the multitude of things it can be used with because as I prove...it's NOT just for custom paint and tee shirts...not that those are bad things because they are not, I have painted those too. You can paint anything from cakes to cars to it's a versatile unique technical tool.
This little darling is my baby right here.... my beloved Olympus HP100B.

This brush was a gift from my good friend Nick Cole of Bristol, England. Roughly 10 years ago he sent this to me because he knew I had a passion to paint.
I can say, I have used this brush in every single painting I have created since he sent it to me so in a way, his kindness made my art blossom. I have never ever forgotten the gesture and in turn, I try and do nice things for others as well.

....Current work in progress....

This is whats on the easel at the moment. Its of a still life I set up and contains some of my favorite things. I am a foodie and I LOVE vintage kitchenware. So it makes sense that I paint this. So far so good...still more work to do yet...

And with that, I'll end here since I need to get ready for work...

Have a GREAT day!

Kath

...Concerned About Reality...

...Four Weeks and Counting Down...

Frazzled

   In 4 weeks I am hanging up my hat and stethoscope and taking the frightening leap into following my dream. Reality is scary...

I am blessed to have a supportive family. I think that has came about because I have proven myself somewhat with abilities that were never supported early on.
When I was young, art was folly. Surely, no one could ever make a living doing something you love and I believed that which is why I buried my dream of going to art school.
Twenty five years ago, I chose nursing school instead...
I must admit I love people and all their different temperaments and personalities. You have to be a chameleon in how you relate to people. You have to adapt your approach and tailor your responses and actions to fit their needs. I have always been able to do that with most people but not everyone. I am good at the details but I abhor regulations that stymy efficiency.

   With the new government mandates, I must say I am not going to miss the immense stress involved in caring for people. I will however miss the relationships and bonds created with some people. I will continue some of those bonds after I leave because true friendships and family have been created. The relationships with people is what I will miss the most...
My nursing career has been a gratifying run to say the least! :)

Lets make art!!

Current work in progress... Asparagus still life. Acrylic on panel.

   I do have a plan of sorts on how I hope to make a living from my creative nature.

I plan to do everything I enjoy and try and sell things that are not considered high art.

I will focus my work on my paintings roughly 2-3 days through the week and the other two days I will work on cutesy stuffs to sell and hold a class or two at the studio.

My plan is to start an morning/early afternoon beginning paintings class with 5-6 students and we will focus on the foundations of drawing, color, application, etc. We will also cover other topics such as surface, how to create panels, canvases and framing.

Last spring I held a class and we had a set project that we worked on and people came based on whether they liked the subject being painted so I want to change the class and focus more on teaching the basics so that they will have a good base of knowledge to take with them.

I just want to teach the joy of painting and spread that.

 

My plan is to work from a still life set up and teach how to scale and draw the subject on the surface, see color, recognize value, etcetera...

I am going to tailor this class towards people who are retired and those looking for a hobby.

I will also serve my scrumptious spread of home made snacks, good coffee and juice.

I will keep people posted on when the classes will start on my personal website as well as the 'Just paint It' Facebook page.

I also would like to offer a beginning airbrush lessons as well. Class size will be small and offered one evening a week for roughly 4-5 weeks and we'll cover lots of information during that time as well as hands on painting with every session. I will encourage much note taking as I will be talking and teaching lots of things. I will provide the airbrushes to use or you can bring your own. I will assemble a list of things required for students to bring, which won't be much. I have not decided on a set fee yet but it will cover the 4-5 weeks.

I hope that by doing all this, I will be able to eek out a meager living.

Gettin Crafty!!

Working on my Christmas card image

Christmas ornament production line

 Been getting quite crafty in hopes I can peddle some of my creative ideas and generate some sales. I have started an Etsy shop and will be promoting that and creating things to sell.

Birdhouses

Birdhouse from a gourd I grew

cute 'Foodie' earrings

'Naughty Nester' birdhouse

'Naughty Nester' birdhouse

Note cards featuring images of my paintings

Floor cloths I am making to sell.

So as you can see, I have been quite creative and busy.

I have been attempting to maximize my studio time and create some items to sell in hopes that when my steady nurse wages end, I will have a little bit to fall back on.

It's a start. I know it's an endeavor that will take much time and effort on my part to cultivate however I am willing to go the distance...it's just that reality is scary....

I hope I can make it all work.

With that, I need to throw some clothes on and head down to the studio to finish up some project and get them listed. More floor cloths need to be painted and I also need to work on my current painting.

Have a great day everyone!

Kath

The Art Hibernation begins!!!

Am digging in for the winter to fatten up the portfolio....

'Fall Kitty', acrylic on panel, 2013

   Hard to believe that the last time I updated this was in June.
I was so busy this past summer. Now that fall is here and winter is approaching quickly, my studio time has lengthened and my art hibernation begins.
Winter is the best time for most artists because we have a lot more free time to spend creating...  It's my favorite time of the year and it seems to be when I am the happiest.
My stress and my zen levels are balanced which makes me smile and feel at peace.
It's a good place to be....

Summer recap...

 This was the summer of gardening!!  I had decided this summer, I would trade much of my  studio time in order to dedicate it to home and garden projects. I had lots of things I wanted to do around the house this year and I was able to get many of them done. I am SO glad I did!!

This year, we broke ground and built this lovely garden!  We used to have these huge overgrown, thistle-y, evergreen bushes that I absolutely hated on this side of the house. There were also a couple tree saplings that insisted on growing all the time,  a defunct well and old pump for a sprinkling system that no longer worked and the huge steel post(which we had to cut down) from an old satellite dish tower... I had always wanted to put a garden here since it is the sunniest side of the property. So this is what we built! :)

I was able to hide the satellite post by putting the garden lady over it. I made the armature with chicken wire and a styrofoam head. Her basket held my gardening tools and also contained a couple empty beer bottles... Why the beer bottles? Well I am an organic gardener and slugs LOVE beer so hey...it was fitting for my lady to be a wee bit of a lush! ;)

In my garden this year, I grew two kinds of heirloom tomatoes. One I will grow again next year for sure, the other (Kellogg Gold), not so much...
My favorite was a Russian variety called 'Black Sea Man'. It is primarily a greenish purple tomato, when fully ripe and the flavor is just phenomenal!!! BEST tomato I have ever eaten! A close second is another heirloom variety called 'Hillbilly', which I have grown in years past. Both are a beefsteak variety. The picture on the left are the Black Sea Man tomatoes as they just started forming. They were so cute!!

The other thing I love to grow are hot peppers! These are Caribbean Red Habanero peppers. I had a bumper crop this year! I also grew jalapeno's as always and Chiltepin(extremely hot)  peppers.  This habanero is a scoth bonnet variety and it is SMOKING HOT!!! I dried them all but a small bag of them. I am going to make some hot sauce with what is left and the rest we will grind up to use to season foods with.
Capsaicin , the active component in peppers that makes them hot, is actually very good for you if you can stand it! When ingested, it causes your body to release endorphins which help to alleviate lots of ailments such as pain from arthritis, shingles and diabetic neuropathy. I have to say that it DOES work for neuropathy, as I suffer from that myself.

How lovely these peppers were this year!! Very few were eaten by insects and it was a warm summer so they thrived in the heat and the new garden bed they were planted in.
Chiles tend to like being ignored and will become hotter if not over watered. Now I did water my garden well this year but these chiles certainly didn't lose any of their potency!!

House projects!!

Now I also wanted to use this summer to complete a couple long awaited projects....

I had scrimped and saved for a VERY long time(about 10+ years) in order to save up enough money to replace my old 1970's white electric stove for a newer modern (but not very expensive) gas stove with 5 burners. This was the year! Summer began by shopping around for that.

Once we purchased it, I installed it myself because the husband was taking waaaaaay too long and I could not stand it anymore! Thank goodness I purchased that adjustable furniture dolly a couple years back. I just rolled it right in and used a minimum of 'shemale' brute force.  The new stove would NOT be complete without ripping out the old white tile backslash from the 1970's as well so that was my next project.

Now I didn't want, nor could I afford to replace the old laminate counter top so that forced me to coordinate the tile I chose. I wanted something with a higher end look so I settled on a darker, variegated color tile and a grout that matched the color of the counter top.

Ripping down the tile was a royal pain in the back side but it did alleviate some pent up frustrations because I could essentially beat the crap out of the wall with a hammer!

HOWEVER.....that causes a couple minor problems...see pic on the left...

Now some might panic over this but not me...I am always a 'I can fix that' kind of gal. I knew I had some scrap wallboard out in the garage so I decided I would just cut a piece to fit, mud it in and problem solved.

 VOILA!! Problem solved!!  Who say's chicks have to be all girly and act all ignorant and helpless...ppssfffttt....
I LOVE getting my hands dirty on a good home project!! Its fun to me! It's like creating art...the finished project can be seen in your head even before you start. When you can see it in your head, you map out how to get to the finished project so the plan is in place.

 I decided to lay the tile on a diagonal because laying it traditionally just looked stupid...so we had to buy a tile saw. Now that thing, albeit messy, was cool as hell!!
I had to wear a rain coat and a face shield but man, it makes short work of tile! These were thick tiles too so it took a wee bit of time cutting them all.

Finished!! Now one of my friends, there is always ONE, pointed out 2 errors...can you see them???? I surely didn't. He told me now that I know about them, it would bug the crap out of me...it did for about 2 days and then I said forget about it...nothing in lef is perfect and almost every great masterpiece has a few flaws so I am alright living with this very minor flaw...

Where is Waldo???  Do you see it??

 

Summer art show

This year I entered for the very first time, The Elkhart Showcase of art, which is one of our biggest regional shows.  I entered 'The Spanish Market'. This piece took me 3 years to complete and it quite large, 42"x30". It was very well received however I exempted myself from any 'purchase awards' because the highest 'purchase award' was $900.00 and the Best of Show Award was $1,200.00. Had I made myself available, I would have had to forfeit my painting and I am not ready to do that. A large chunk of my life went into creating that painting and I value you it much more than that...I just could not give it away.

Now I will enter next year and paint something smaller and valued more appropriately for those award amounts.

I was happy that my high-school art teacher, Pam Smith-Hellwege, a person that greatly influenced to my creativity, drove from St.Louis and attended the event. I was most happy to see her there! Here is Pam and myself in front of my painting.
I wish I had not worn that blouse because it made me look like convict or a referee..one of the two...

Cindy Marks, another of my former teachers, was in the show as well. Her entire family won purchase awards for their art.

It was a great show and there certainly were some STUNNING pieces of art there...

Great experience to be in the show...

Getting crafty!!

Cherry Pie a la Mode earrings

Most of my friends know, I like to create stuff...be is sculpting, baking, growing, sewing, building stuff...I just like doing it!  So, at the end of the year, I am trading in my nurses uniform for paint covered cloths and scruffy hair and will be creating full time.

Now most of my artist friends know that making a living selling paintings can be tricky so there are more than one way for artistic creativity to earn an income.

I will be making some fun things to sell at the gallery I am affiliated with and online. Will try my hand at whatever floats my boat. I have made several pairs of foodie inspired earrings and am also designing and painting some one of a kind floor cloths I will sell...I must say, it sure if fun creating these items! :)

This is a custom floor cloth I designed and created. It was a whole lot of fun making this because it also included sewing which is something else I love to do as well!  All the designs I will be making will be completely unique one of a kind creations.   They are easy to care for, if they get foot prints on them, just wipe them off.  I have always loved the look of these things and have wanted to make one for a long time. So here they are!!! I have a lot of exciting designs that I will be creating..

Here is a sneak peek at my current project. It looks quite a bit different now however...                                                                             Stay tuned for the progress on this one! I am loving creating this little painting!! :)

 So lets wrap this thing up...

Well....this was long winded! It's been months since I have blogged so lots to catch up on...

Keep watching me in the future because I am about to get really funky and creative in the very near future!!

Have a great day all!!

 

Kath

...The People have spoken...

...Gardens of Art...

2013 Peoples Choice winner, DeFries Gardens 4th Annual Juried Art Show

So this year I decided to enter the DeFries Gardens Annual Juried Art Show again. 

My submissions were 'Jungle Kitty'  and a painting I recently completed,  titled 'Glisten'.  

I was pretty certain i did not place for an award this year. Last year I received an email ahead of time letting me know I won however this year I did not get 'that' email.

So I went to the show feeling reserved but excited to see the wonderful art there.

I milled about looking at some very stunning works that didn't place and some works that felt felt should not have placed, but that's the nature of a juried show. You don't always agree with or understand what the judges 'saw'.

I felt some things were more worthy of awards than others purely by the thought, message and caliber of the technical ability that was put into them.

There were a couple one artists whose paintings kept drawing me back.

This gentleman's painting I thought was fantastic!!

His name is Keith Blanton and he is a local guy that I was unaware of. We had the chance to meet up and chat after the show and congratulate each other. I let him know I thought his work was just fantastic, especially this market painting.

Eye for detail is what draws me to a painting. When someone takes the time to go to such lengths, that hows fortitude, patience and a love for your work. Couple that with knowledge of structure, use of color and proper value...it ends with a stunning work of art and his work certainly met all those.  It was a joy to look at and brought a smile to my face.

Another work that I thought was just phenomenal was this one...its difficult to see since it was a water color under glass so photographing it was difficult.

This was done by an artist named Jan Lucking. It was a visually striking water color of a pair of old work boots, a pair of baby's feet, two wedding bands, a mouse trap hanging off the boot lace, a torn photo of an old photo of a young girl and a cob web with dew drops. THIS painting told a life story. It was full of symbolism of the cycle of life, the ups and downs and to me, THAT made for a spectacular composition and it was extremely well executed!! 

I felt this painting should have placed for an award but it did not. It dumbfounded me.

Now here is a painting that took the first place award. This is an oil. I was again dumbfounded by this choice because I felt the caliber of the work that was at the show, superseded this painting but I am not one of the judges. They like what they like.

While this painting is nicely done in a loose palette knife technique, I just felt it was flat and not as technically challenging as the two previous works I have just shown. 

Again, that's just my opinion and the only opinions that matter are those of the selected judges for the show.

All in all, there was a phenominal array of work there and it goes to show that no matter where you live, art and artists are everywhere!

Here in the heart of the Midwest, it makes me happy to realize that fact!

 So getting back to my painting 'Jungle Kitty'...

Imagine my surprise when I heard my name called for the last prize...

'The Peoples Choice Award'!!

I was SHOCKED!!! I was standing clear towards the back of the garden because I knew I had won nothing...until I heard my name!

To me, at a show like this...thats the BEST prize you can get because the jury are the patrons that went to the show. They choose what they like. Your public is the BEST JURY there is!

I am humbled, surprised and quite happy about the outcome of the show! :)

Oh but I can't forget to show you my second submission I had in the show. I titled this piece

'Glisten' and it is an acrylic painting of one of the flowers in my garden.

I was told that this was the runner up in the Peoples Choice Award category so that as well made me quite happy! This painting and 'Jungle Kitty' will soon be headed to the gallery I submit my work to, the Kingsbury House Gallery in Howe, Indiana.

The gallery is housed in a beautifully restored turn of the century hotel in the heart of a quaint Midwestern town. In the summertime there is a Saturday morning bustling true farmers market directly across the street in the town square.  If you get a chance, and would love to have a fantastic tour of the wonderful Amish countryside...travel to Howe Indiana for a stop at the gallery and an enjoyable ride. Linda chase, gallery director, has created a lovely, lovely space for us local artists. 

I am very pleased to be a contributing artist for this gallery!

Well that's about enough prattling about all things art today.... time to jump in the shower and begin the Fathers Day Festivities!

Happy Fathers day to all you fathers! Have a WONDERFUL DAY!

Kath

...So why not 'Just Paint It'...

Class is in session

Teaching my first class was a hit!

I have long dreamed of doing some teaching part time and spreading the joy of painting. 

I have worked very, very hard the last few years trying to reach a level where I felt I could make this a reality. It has finally happened and that makes me very happy!

For the past 12 or so years, I have focused on being a 'good' painter. I have been quietly studying and learning as much as I can and that has finally started to pay off.

For the last few years, I have had this idea in my head just to teach basic painting. To show people how easy it is and why it doesn't have to be difficult to 'see' things and understand that it's 'just paint' and if you screw it up, so what, you can fix it!

Paint makes people smile. It forges otherwise unlikely friendships and can take your life in directions, you may have never thought possible. I have made friends all over the world simply through painting and for that I am ever grateful!

   My first class was taught on February 8th, a Friday evening. For months prior to that event I began preparing by gathering everything I thought I would need, which is quite a bit!

I hung new lighting, purchased bulk supplies and started making thinking about how I would go about even teaching a class.

I wrote lesson plans and worked on projects all the while still working my regular job as a nurse.

To sum it up, I've been very busy!

Honestly, I think most people just came for the cookies!

They were a big hit! I baked them right before people started arriving so that my little studio would smell divine!

The first student to arrive was my best friend Rhonda. She and I have been friends since grade school. Honestly, she is more like my sister than anything. She's my extra right hand when I need her and she helped me get things set and also helped me straighten up at the end of the evening.

The next student to arrive was someone I had yet to physically meet but had been introduced to through my good friend Lisa, who lives in San Diego. Lisa had told me her friend Judy and her husband were moving to the area and we really should become friends. I have to say that Lisa was right! Judy is a wonderful person and one I am so glad to have become friends with!

As I said earlier...paint forges wonderful friendships!  I hope that the people who meet at my classes, discover, not only that they have a talent they didn't know existed, but forge otherwise, unlikely friendships in the process. Painting is nothing to be afraid of, it's just paint! If you muck it up, you fix it, no big deal so to that I say...Just Paint It!!

 

...Just who IS The Man...

So I have had this idea in my head for a few years. It was more of a simmering idea related to the things that aggravate you in life. The things that hold you down and lock you in. 

I could see this image in my head of this looming, powerful guy walking on the backs of people to get what he wants/demands. The cost of those wants is social decay, humiliation and absolute power over something...

'The Man' can be anything...it will mean something different to everyone and it's not based on any one particular person, more a group of issues.

 I decided that i needed to finally evict this idea out of my head and to bring it to life on canvas.

This subject is really a HUGE departure from my other style of paintings. This one is straight out of my head.

I wanted to keep some elements of the image almost caricature like and have parts of it be realistic.. 

At first, I was going to have The Man be a looming face-less entity in a dark suit and hat because that's what I have seen in my head and symbolically, that fits however as things flow, things change and I decided to give him a face. A big 'winning' smile that draws people to a character that is deceptive. A wolf in sheep's clothing as it were. I was also going to have every person on the 'road of people' be facing downward in a submissive position but I decided to have one facing the viewer. I am not sure if I will have the eyes closed or open yet...for now they are closed. I have one more element to add however I won't disclose what that is yet! ;)

This image to the right is how the idea started to flow out onto the canvas and you can see, much of it has changed and morphed as the ideas came out.

The idea for the industrial background was inspired from the Pink Floyd's  'Animal's' album cover.

I have always liked that image and so when I had the idea for this painting, that dystopian look fit what I saw in my head so that's where that one came from.

The idea to have to road be people was an easy one. I wanted it to almost look like a heard of sheep...sheeple. The turnip is easy! Everyone knows the old saying that 'you can't squeeze blood out of a turnip'...HOWEVER...The Man CAN!

Once I started roughing in the turnip (from a photo ref I took of me grasping a turnip from my garden), I decided to top just didn't work. I had to come up with something else, something more symbolic. Since the turnip basically represent the heart of mankind, then the idea hit me...have the top literally be the vessels of a human heart. So that's how that transition occurred.  As far as the other elements in the painting, I'll leave that up to the viewer to decide. I know what they mean to me but as i said, this will mean something different to everyone who sees it.  I know its a controversial departure from my usual work but I just had to get this guy out of my head. I am actually enjoying painting this very much! Its like a huge puzzle of dark symbolism! This piece has generated quite a bit of interest and I am allowing people to watch my progression on my Facebook page, The Art of Kathy Leib.

 

...Going back to High School...

   A few years back,  local high school art teacher Wendy Sparks, had contacted me about coming to speak to her junior and senior art class students. Wendy had seen my work at a local gallery and had read the review the South Bend Tribune had published about my solo show 'Faces' at The Spurious Fugitive Gallery, South Bend, Indiana. She asked if I would be willing to come in and talk to the students and I agreed.

I was really nervous that I would have nothing to say. She asked if I would bring in some of my paintings.  I brought 6-7 paintings with me and had a disc of images burned so that I could give a slide show. I finally got over my stage fright about halfway through my presentation. 

There were about 40 kids and it was early in the morning so some of them slept which is understandable in high school however it was those 4-5 kids that were genuinely interested that made me happy. They asked questions and studied the paintings and were just really interested in what I had to say and show them. 

The kids had done some really great work and a few were quite proud to show me their paintings and tell me about their plans to go to art school. Just this memory alone is making me smile and give me some goosebumps! It was something that thoroughly touched me! 

Those 4-5 kids, will be the ones who inspire you later in life. Those few kids will be the movers and shakers in the creative world...they will make their teachers very proud!

   I am pleased to say that Wendy has once again invited me back to speak to her kids and I am thrilled to do it. I don't think I'll be quite as nervous this time around however. 

I look forward to seeing what these kids are up to.  I will be thrilled to share their enthusiasm again!

   You see, the thing about art is that most dream of being this famous fine artist in Chicago, LA, London, New York...but then when you grow up, you realize artists are everywhere and have quite diverse and unlikely occupations. For instance, I put myself through nursing school at  age 23 so that I could have job stability. I have never regretted that decision, however, I have also never let that dream of being a painter...so I do both! One of my artist friends is a physician (pathologist) and you should see the detailed work he pulls off! 

   My talk this time around will be similar to what I said the last time...it will be one about never letting go of your dreams and telling the kids that despite having a job they may not have envisioned, they can still make art!

   

...It's THAT time...

Time to head off to this lovely little studio of mine, pour myself a hot cup of coffee and, grab a bite to eat and get this day going!!! 

I have a couple folks coming over to share part of the day with me. My friend Judy is coming over around 10:00 am and I also have a student that I agreed to teach for a couple hours for an impromptu class. After that...The Man will get some fresh paint applied to him!

I hope you all have a wonderful day and I will leave you with the luscious image of fresh Amish Cinnamon rolls!!! I am telling you, here in the heart of the Midwest Amish community, there is no taste much sweeter than that!

Have a great day!!

Kath