Friday, March 28, 2008

"Umber"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

U is for Umber. Inspired by an exercise that Carol Marine presented at our recent workshop - purely a values study. And it's hard. So I did this piece strictly with Burnt Umber - but with a tad of black and a tad of white - I wanted that sweatshirt to separate itself from the overall tones. I just loved painting this. I almost hate to part with it.



"French Dip"

12 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

I revisited my photos from Philadelphia, a quick trip I took a couple of years ago - it was the Renoir that made this a choice - titled 'The Large Bathers'. Taken from the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Please click here for a larger view.




Thursday, March 27, 2008

A Mention in Southwest Art Magazine


The editor of Southwest Art Magazine was kind enough to feature me in their 'Artists To Watch' feature, in the April issue. I am very proud. Please click here if you'd like to read the article.

"Groovin' On a Sunday Afternoon"

9 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

A young man leaning in for a closer look at Seurat's "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte", one of the most popular masterpieces in the Art Institute of Chicago.

Please click here for a larger view.



Wednesday, March 26, 2008

"Tree"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

Okay........ this is a hard subject to paint. Yikes. I'm one to break for trees. I am in awe of them, especially isolated in a field, as if it owns the property. This mighty oak was spotted on a drive west of Austin. A Texas tree.



"Same Hair, Different Day"

9 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

It could be her in a previous life. Did we have the same hair? A woman relating to the awesome portrait 'The Blue Mandarin Coat', by Joseph DeCamp, which hangs in the High Museum of Art in Atlanta.

Please click here for a larger view.


Tuesday, March 25, 2008

"Shoulder To Shoulder"

9 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

Something new to show you today - doing my best to catch up on some gallery pieces. This young lady was standing shoulder to shoulder with the French sculpture 'Bust of an African Woman' by Charles Henri Cordier, inside the Art Institute of Chicago.

Please click here for a larger view.


Thursday, March 20, 2008

"Schmidtzinsky Road"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

I'm back in my studio - so very happy to be painting again. I thought I'd jump right in and continue with my alphabet series and I'll bet you never predicted S being Schmidtzinsky Road. I flew past the sign, on my drive out to Fredericksburg, just west of Austin, and vowed to catch it on the way back. How could you not? Here's a sweet, old homestead tucked back on that lovely little road.



Tuesday, March 18, 2008

My Week

I'm back home - bear with me - I've got a lot of catching up to do. I drove 14 hours straight yesterday, from Austin to Atlanta, so I'm a bit of a zombie today and soon enough I'll get painting again. This past week has given me increased respect for both teachers and truckers.

So if you'd like to hear a little about the new adventures of Karin - please read on....

Day 1 - I took a deep breath, jumped in my car, turned on my Tom Tom (which by the way, I could be a walking advertisement for) and proceeded down the dark road, heading west. Yikes. One of my greatest regrets, along the way, was that I couldn't stop in my 82-mile-an-hour tracks and take pictures of some of the most beautiful landscapes. It was just impossible. The bayous beside the interstate in Louisiana, the hundreds of quirky, colorful water towers spaced out for miles, the long shadows of the cars on the highway ..... I saw dozens of paintings in my head. I stopped for the night in Lake Charles, Louisiana - stayed in one of those hotel/casinos, which was quite the visual experience. I had never stepped foot in a casino and if the 50+ security guards would have looked the other way, I could have taken some of the best shots and done some of the best paintings of my life. The gamblers. Ugh. What a subject. Alas...... that's one of many lost photo ops.

Day 2 - Not long after I headed down the road, that road turned into a bridge equivalent to the most nightmarish roller coaster ride on earth. I was the one in the left lane, going 20 miles an hour, screaming at the top of my lungs. I was terrified. I think it was an hour before I pried my grip off the steering wheel. I hate heights.



The landscape soon became flat and absolutely stunning. I was thinking about the song "I Saw Miles and Miles of Texas" as I headed for Houston - where I met two friends for lunch. No time for photos - I had to get to Austin to meet up with Carol Marine, who was my teaching partner in the workshop.

Carol, by the way, is the most delightful person. I have a dozen of her paintings, all bought on eBay, so I'm a big fan of her paintings - but seeing more of her work and watching her paint affirms that this woman is gifted. Really gifted.

Day 3 - My only free afternoon - I waited out the rain and headed west towards Fredericksburg in hopes for some good landscapes - meeting some creatures along the way.

Day 4 - Up at dawn and the first of the 3-day workshop. Twenty students and all were great fun from the very beginning. Carol and I did similtaneous demonstrations - mine resulted from a borrowed photograph from one of the students - which was a great subject to try out.


Day 5
- Our second day of teaching, talking and another dual demonstration - this painting resulting from one of my own photos. What I thought was interesting was the examples of two different painters using two different sources - Carol painting what was right in front of her and me painting from photographs.


It was a completely new experience for me to have 21 people watch me paint. The trick was not to turn around.


I also contributed some figure drawing tips that have helped me.



Day 6 - The last day of the workshop was about painting faces, enjoying the oils and being loose with the brush strokes. I painted a student and Carol painted this fabulous self-portrait.



We spent the afternoon talking about the business part of being an artist - Justin Clayton and Qiang Huang, fellow DailyPaintworks artists and friends - joined the group as well.


I wrapped it up with a great feeling of accomplishment - I did something new and I learned a lot myself. Thanks to all who participated in the workshop - it was my pleasure and truly a privilege. I hope to do it all over again one day.

As I left Austin, I thought the only negative thing about the city was their scary overpasses - otherwise a beautiful place to be. I need to get some sleep, catch up at work and I'll be back to painting in a day or so. It's good to be home.

Monday, March 10, 2008

Happy Trails

Just a quick note - I'm heading to Austin, Texas to teach a 3-day workshop with my friend Carol Marine. A brand new experience for me all around - I've never been to Austin, never taught, let alone took a workshop - but I'm very excited to do it all. Also planning to take hundreds of photos along the drive, out in Texas and in the workshop - so I'll be back in a week with lots to show and tell. Happy trails.

Quote of the day -
"I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life - and I've never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do." - Georgia O'Keeffe

Friday, March 7, 2008

"White Satin"

9 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

Sargent's portrait of Elizabeth Ebsworth was done in 1897, and I'm certain she would not be caught dead in an art museum wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Such casual dress was unheard of in public places, and I'm reminded that I'm very happy to live in a time when it's perfectly acceptable. The Sargent painting hangs in the Art Institute of Chicago.

Click here for a larger view.


Wednesday, March 5, 2008

"Refinery"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

On to the R for Refinery. I've developed this odd affection for industrial areas - the older the better. Factories are usually so basic in form, like big blocks on pavements. Gritty, messy combinations of shapes. I spotted this sugar refinery while driving around Seattle's outskirts - you can see a glimpse of the skyline to the left of the horizon. Good light, around 7 in the evening, with a rare slice of the clear sky.

I did five different versions, one right on top of the other, not so much until I was satisfied - and I am - it was more a learning experience - decision making. One hour turned into three, with another hour this morning. And I had no idea what I was looking for. I think I was fascinated with seeing that a few strokes could change everything. Drastically. Pretty unusual for me to add the sign on the building, but somehow it just felt complete when I did it. Always learning.


One more thing ...... in an effort to teach myself more movie-making, I made a short video called A day in Chicago. Click here to view this new YouTube addition.


Tuesday, March 4, 2008

"Quintessential"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

This painting came as a result of my admiration for a fellow artist, Terry Miura. I have this great desire to paint landscapes - but I tend to only appreciate those done in a more impressionistic style. Sharp, realistic versions just don't do it for me. I can be driving along a quiet road, see a composition that stops me in my tracks - but it's the composition, the color - not the fact that it's a road or a barn or a field of wheat. It's more of a snapshot in my brain made up of areas of color, mostly blurred from the distance. That's what I want to paint. I'm not really concerned whether this looks like a typical painting of mine - I really rather enjoy the freedom of the subject and the use of the oils.

I also thought this new piece would be a perfect Q for my alphabet series. Very Quintessential of the countryside outside of Seattle, specifically Duvall.



Sunday, March 2, 2008

"Pike Place Market"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

On to the P in the alphabet series - the Pike Place Market. A must if you're in Seattle. I chose to tackle this scene in a more impressionistic way, the only way to contain the 'busy'.

Color-wise, it really was more muted than you'd expect - the oldness coming through - with spots of greens and reds breaking up the greyness - which is something I resisted at first, but appreciated when the painting was done.