It's been far too long since I posted!

So you wonder what have I been doing if I haven't been doing art? I've traveled to Europe for five weeks, went away for two weekends, once to Jacksonville and once to Seattle, but moreso, I've been visiting a lot of doctors for back pain, knee pain and foot pain. (When it rains it pours.)

BUT...I always somehow find time to do some art. Remember that painting I was working on of the land/seascape of Maui I was working on? Well, I took that one back out and I'm finally putting the turtle in! I'm also working on a portrait of Jennifer Aniston. Why her? Well, she's just someone I want to do a portrait of, that's all. So, yes, I'm still doing artwork.

And this Thursday, come hell or high water, I'm going out painting at Sharky's in Venice with a group of outdoor painters. They've asked me several times and no matter how I feel, I'm going! I have to deal with pain anyway, might as well make it worth it to have it!

Meanwhile, my friend Diane Mannion has been painting her little heart out all this while and I'm sure she's pasted me in accomplishments. But that's okay, she still motivates me. I adore her. And I still watch online for new Dreama Perry paintings because I love her style. I can't paint like that, but that's HER style, not mine.

Other than that, I have literally thousands of pictures of Europe to weed through and find if there are some I'd like to paint. One taken in Venice I know I want to do, but I want to do it in Watercolor, and for those who know me best, know I detest watercolor, but the subject matter just seems to lend itself to that medium.

Will post soon! Hold me to it, Diane!

Working on a triple portrait!!!

These are my friends Walter and Christine, with their horse, Kyla. Klya passed away this year. Christine mentioned she never had a picture of the three of them together because one was always behind the camera, so I decided to make that happen for her by doing a special portrait. I am allowing her to see it in stages, but the top left hand corner I have a special surprise for her. It will bring the whole portrait all together. So far she loves it. I've mostly got Christine and Walter done, I'll need to "tweek" them, and Kyla is next. I saved Kyla for last because she is the most important portait of the three, also the fact that I'm right handed and I worked from left to right so my drawing hand had something to rest on! Still Kyla is the most important! This has been a challenge because I have not been well since I started this portrait, filled with back pain and more. But now I'm ready to hit the studio again and I have. It feels like I got my groove back!

After about a month or so of visiting the chiropractor for back pain, and then going to Aruba for my birthday and to get in a better mood, I'm ready to head back into the studio to paint!

Artist dilemnas

As an artist, you face many challenges. What to paint, where to paint, what colors to use, what mediums to use, how large should something be? ETC!!! Well, recently I got my new pochade box to paint outdoors at an upcoming two week painting trip to Tuscany, but when painting outdoors, your supplies have to be at a minimum and the weight of everything has to come into play. So the first thing was getting the right weight box...the pochade as pictured works perfect, it came with everything I need and more including a bag to carry it in.

Now I am trying to decide what oil colors to use because I don't want it to be weighed down with a ton of oil paints. For a normal class I can use a ton of colors and I do, but I have a rolling cart to carry my supplies in, which I won't have for the trip, unless I figure something different out. There's also more supplies than usual to carry like a tri-pod, a folding seat, drop cloths, waste bags, etc, so I have to be really particular! Then I have to figure out what colors are best to paint TUSCANY, I mean, you use different colors to paint those scenes than you would a snowy scene in Vermont! So I'm doing online research and I will also ask all the artists I know to help me with my questions. I know my friend Diane will say go minimum, three colors and white, but SHE can paint with just those amount of colors and do it good, I need more variety. What I need to do, is go painting with Diane and practice using the pochade box...want to go Diane? I'm ready...

Well, just about...haha!

Just goes to show, every painting has planning in it...

Working, working, working on a triple portrait...so does this count as one piece of artwork or three? (Three to me...it's a lot of work!) Regardless, the lady whom I'm doing this portrait for likes what I've done...thank goodness!

Kaua'i Painting FINISHED!!!!

Today I finished my small 8" X 10" painting of Kaua'i of a beach I stood on and gazed upon the Lord's beauty. I just had to capture it! Everyone who's seen it at the art center said I should do a large one. I will, but I made my mistakes and learned by doing the small one. There's a method to my madness. But I really like this one, it brings me back to Kaua'i, and that wasn't even my favorite Hawaiian Island!

CURRENT WORK!

Currently I am working on a triple portrait for a friend who lost her horse. She said she never had a picture of her with the horse and with her husband in the picture. So I am creating something that never happened. She had her horse "Kyla" for many years, so you can imagine the heartache. I'm doing it in pastels and as I compete phases of it, I'm sending her photos from my blackberry along with a message or a question. Sometimes while I'm doing portraits, I have questions regarding a color or something, so I take my time and do it right. This just happens to be a labor of LOVE.

Pictured is the initial sketch, the layering of colors to be sure I have the correct shades, and then the first blend of colors, and the second blend of her husband Walter. I have a lot of work yet to do, and when you look at it, remember the head has to be larger so when I put his hair in, it appears to hang over his head. She (Christine), looks very "excited" at this point, but I had to do that so I can tone her down a bit later on.

This has been fun to create.

I finally got a REAL "easyl" box!

My husband purchased for me a traveling easel box by "Easyl", designed by Kevin MacPherson. It weighs less than ten pounds and includes the easel box, tripod, brush wallet holder, brush bin, detachable palette board, a viewfinder and also a wet carry box! To make life a whole lot easier, he also got me a stone bag, which attaches to the tripod to hold it from tipping, and it holds stuff while you're painting. Also a closed hinged cup for my turpentine! I'm in HEAVEN! Can't wait to receive it, but moreso to use it!

Finished and sent out!

Actor and screen legend Tony Curtis passed away last year. I have been friends with his youngest daughter "Allegra" for quite awhile. I was challenged by an artist friend of mine to do a portrait of him, so I did. Allegra loved it. It is currently being sent to her and she should have it in about ten days. I look forward to knowing her response! I'm going to ask her to take a photo of her next to it and then I'll post it online.

I've won an award for photography!!!

I just received notification that I have won an award (although I haven't been told exactly what I've won), for my photographs taken at the Tampa Bay Photography clubs Day at Sunken Gardens a few weeks ago. I had to find twenty items from a list the club gave me and send in the photos. There were some really cool prizes like additions that can be added on to Photoshop, camera bags and more. Some of the prizes have a value of $500! I don't know how many prizes are being awarded, but there must have been at least 500 people at the workshop at Sunken Gardens from all over the state of Florida so I feel very, very honored for this award.

First entry I ever made with a photo was of an eagle and it made it into a calendar. Second photo (of a flamingo) I entered in an art show won first place in the photography division and made it to the "photo of the month" for my camera club's website! Now this! I am so psyched!

Enjoy the video and also shown are the "eagle" photo and the flamingo photos.

Yeah, me doing a crafty thing!

This is my newest fancy! Can you believe it, I'm doing a craft. My dear mother would be so proud of me, she was the queen of crafts! The blue pair is the one I started first. I had a pair of white flip flops and I had two turquoise bandanas, so I cut the bandanas in strips and tied them to the bands. It brought LIFE to the flip flops. Then I did two pairs for little girls. The material I used was a gift from my friend Michelle who when she saw the blue ones said, "Do some for kids!" She proceeded to give me some leftover material she had and voila, a new craft!

Now, here's my dilemna. I want to make these, I want to make a lot of these. But I want to come up with a CREATIVE name, and no two will ever be the same (it's nearly impossible anyway), I want that when people buy them, there's no one else who has a pair the same! (Sorry twins...)

Can anyone come up with a clever name for me? How does "Swatch flops" sound?

My favorite subject to paint

While on the island of Kaua'i, I was awed by its beauty. I can't begin to tell you how my digital camera took photo after photo! I knew I'd be painting these type scenes over and over again. (You'll get sick of seeing them...haha!) This is only an 8 X 10, and it's done in oils, which I started in class on Wednesday. As usual I was late to class (I'm NEVER on time for anything), and I had a huge interruption that day, as the lady I did photography for the local school system of the children's art show, I had to give her the CD of photos I put to music (which took like 10 hours of work), and I spoke with her about a half hour. So this painting was done in about two hours. Had I not had the interruption, and been on time, I would have had this completed in three hours. The rocks are just loosely sketched in with paint and to the left of the wave needs to be completed. But it's okay that this happened, because it gives me the opportunity to fine tune the whole painting. I simply love this painting already and I'm not done with it. I may try to sell it in the art center's gift shop. I think I want to do a large painting of this one. I already have the canvas. Why not, right?

As you can tell, this painting is currently being done. While in Hawaii a few months ago, I was fascinated with the mountains and I snorkeled with turtles, so I wanted to put both in the same painting! I only have the sky done and the mountains and the top of the water for now. Where that solid blue is, will be under water where the turtle lightly sketched in on the right side will be swimming. I'm going to take my good old time with this painting. It means a lot to me. If it takes me a year to complete, so be it. I'm being real particular with every stroke. This is considered a "tight" painting.

This painting is done in oils. It was painted under the direction of Margaret Egli who taught the class. I came to class rather unprepared because I wasn't truly sure what I was going to do, but as the good instructor she is, she had a few photos I could work from, so I did. Although I changed a lot from the photo I worked from, I kept the composition and basic colors, however, I changed the background which was mostly dark colors, to a light and airy colors to make it look like it has more perspective than it does, and I was very "loose" with my brush strokes, standing far away from the painting and not blending much. This is the first of this style of painting I've tried and I really like my first attempt. I am going to Italy to paint with the teacher of this class this fall and I can't wait! I've got a lot to learn from her until I go. Most people will ask, "How long did it take you to paint this?" My estimated time is six hours. I did it in two class periods of three hours, but I take breaks and get away from my work so it stays fresh. So to be honest it was in less than six.

Just because I haven't blogged...

Just because I haven't blogged doesn't mean I haven't been busy with artwork! Find this painting I did about a month ago in a class with Margaret Egli. Although I love painting with minimal colors as I was trained, there's something about the availability of colors, the simplicity of just squeezing it out instead of mixing it that I find fascinating! I like both ways, mixing and being "lazy"!!! I also love classic painting where everything looks exact and precise, but I also love impressionistic! I have a dilemna everytime I start to do artwork, because I have to figure out how I want the final outcome to be before what medium I chose it to be in (lately it's been a lot of oils, but I vary all the time), I have to decide what "ism" I want to follow (such as impressionism, realism, etc.), and how I want my interpretation to be stated. That's a lot of prep! Although I LOVE "plein-air" painting, which means, "on the outset" in other words, just paint!, I find myself still quizzical on how I want to approach every piece of art. Not to mention, some I do ultra fast, and some I do as slow as I want to, darn I'm moody and particular when I do my creativity, and that's okay! Next I'll post the work I've been doing. And for those of you who know how much I detest crafts, I found one lately that I'm so glad I started and I plan to continue IF it takes off. It will never though replace my love for art. OH yeah, don't forget, I like to write (I've co-authored two books), and I love photography. Whew! LOVE being creative as much as my husband likes sports! Enough said! I'm sure every woman can relate to what I've just stated!!!

Been Busy...

Sadly it's not been all art I've been busy with. Life does have a way of getting in the way of my artwork. Shame on it...haha!

But I'm back into painting as of today, because today was my first day back to a class, and I started a painting I normally wouldn't be doing, a landscape, with colors I normally wouldn't be using!

The most wonderful thing happened today, my current teacher and my former teacher met. They knew of each other, but never really met! I feel so honored that I was the reason they met! I am honored to know both of them. I'm sure I'll learn a lot from both of them, they are sweet ladies but even more, two of the most talented people I know! I'm so blessed to have both of them in my life.

I haven't downloaded my pictures yet from my flywheelers day, which was a creative day, nor have I downloaded pictures from my blackberry yet, so as soon as that is done, I'll feel like I've done a little more creativity.

Seems life has just gotten in the way lately, but the good Lord has done it for a reason!

Sleepy...

Today was a day of rest for me. The night before was spent at a hockey game, and afterwards stopped at McDonalds and got a large coffee after midnight...what a mistake! Originally wanted to spend my Saturday painting...instead spent it sleeping, and my internal clock is now off...I hate when that happens! Tomorrow is housework, and next week is NO art classes so that means I have to find time to do art! Let's see how dedicated I am! (Only other thing I have to do is get my hair extentions put in...and an art show on Thursday.) GO KATHLEEN!!!

Prep for art show entries!!!

Here are the three pieces of artwork I'm entering into the Visual Arts Center teacher/student show. All the work must have been created during the last year while taking classes at the center, which I've taken a photo course, and painting classes, so this is what I've done! The one of the flamingo is a photograph I took while at Flamingo Gardens which is located in Hollywood, Florida area. I took a class with a teacher named Spencer Pullen, who happens to be a FABULOUS teacher and he stopped me from being so darn scared of working my photos on the computer. Got the frame for a mere $9.95!

The one of the dog, is done in oils, and it's my favorite. Frame also was only $9.95!

The one of the little boy is the grandson of a friend of mine, he's SO CUTE, his name is "Dalton". He was at the beach doing what little boys do at the beach, playing in the sand and water. I think I did a post about the frame cost on this one...just the glue, the tiles were FREE.

They're not my finest work, but it's current work. Seeing that this is all I have to offer right now tells me to get my butt in gear...also, that I'm heading in the right direction!

Nice thing is I've encouraged a former student of mine to get back into her artwork, and that is good...we said we'll push each other. Her portraits are fabulous. I plan on telling her about this blogging method to keep showing her work. Her name is Erica, I've known her since she was like 14-15 years old. She's probably about 35 by now. (And Erica, if I made you too old, I'm sorry...)

Onto paint class right now...and I'm late as usual

Just had to make a quick post that I'm on my way to art class and I'm a little late but that's okay, I'm late for everything. At least I'm going.

Tomorrow night I'm going to an open house up in Venice with my friend Michelle who has an art gallery up there. I had the choice to go to a hockey game also, but the time with Michelle was asked first, so I fulfilled the request. Besides, who would want to go to a hockey game when you have something artistic to attend? It was an easy choice, but then, it wasn't a choice to begin with, I had promised someone else first.

I chose to post this picture because I felt it was the way to go.

Well, the best thing I can say about today was at least I tried. I went to Gilcrist park but just didn't feel right about being there. The weather was great, the day was crispy clear, there was a lot to paint, but my heart wasn't in it. BUT...I tried. I did one 8 X 10 painting of the sky and some water...when I went to put a boat in, it wouldn't take, of course the paint was still wet...the perils of painting outside! Then I tried to put in some seagulls flying and they looked like checkmarks in the sky...awful, so they came out. So what I finished up having was a painting of some sky and some water...big deal! GRR! So then I tried another approach, I went SMALL, focused...just did some juicy type plants, but it wasn't meant to be today...it came out horrible. Perhaps I was tired. I don't know, but I do know, it wasn't in me today.

Tomorrow is another day and tomorrow I am going to my last class of this session of classes in an advanced painting class. I wonder what I'm doing in there after my day today!!! But today was today and tomorrow is tomorrow. Tomorrow I will do better. Each teacher teaches you different things. My teacher Diane, taught me what I needed to know, that I needed to get back into my work, and to start painting from life again. Two things I definitely needed...thank you Diane! And Bob Cassell teaches me to go for realism, which I love, so perhaps I should focus there. In two weeks I start a class with a lady who does impressionistic with about 36 colors, whereas Diane uses minimal colors...both great ways to paint! I was taught with minimal and did okay, when I expanded my palette, I did so much better. So I'm curious to find out where the next class takes me. Going to classes help so much, it awakens your senses and motivates you to do something....anything, just work on the art girl! Even if you pull your hair out at times. (Oh, by the way, it's a good thing I didn't get my "extentions" put in when I was going to! Haha!)

Tomorrow's another day.

DAYS GO BYE-BYE

Four days went by and I haven't posted and I haven't done work, but I've been busy with other things. It's called life. My Dad's condo is going through renovation and I'm trying to help him with that, getting things done for him. That takes a part of my energy.

Of course there's housework which I never feel I can keep up with, and a dog, whom I adore, but still needs tending to.

If I didn't have my classes to go to I think I'd go crazy and I know I wouldn't be doing anywork, but instead do uncontrollable crying. I need to get a grip and funny thing is, it's always been my artwork that's brought me through it and tomorrow morning I am due outside to paint at Gilcrist Park. Thank GOD I have that to go to.

More artwork finished!

On my journey of creating 100 pieces of artwork this year, this week I completed a painting I started outside on Monday in my "Boot Camp" class with Diane Mannion. While outside, it was kind of glary, and the light was filtering through the backside of my canvas making it hard to see what I was painting. Sure I should have been standing in the shade, but it was SO COLD outside, yes!!! Even in Florida, it was cold! The 10 or so art students and I braved the cold with sweatshirts and long pants painting out hearts out, and wouldn't you know, some guy was in a bathing suit on a lounge chair taking in the sun...must have been from Canada! He must have been crazy, but then, he probably looked at us like we were crazy all bundled up. To each their own (but we outnumbered him...haha!).

In my other art class today (Wednesday), I worked on a variety of things. I first of all with the help of the teacher, framed the portrait of "Buddy"! Yipee! Now I can put it in the next show! I must admit, I touched up the nose to make it look a little shiny, like a wet nose every dog has!

In class I also did a quick wash of pink acrylic paint on an 8 X 10 stretched canvas. And I finished the plein air painting started on Tuesday morning in Dianne's Boot Camp.

What a creative day!

Also decided to go back to Saturday art workshop where there is no teacher but you can work on projects. Yes, I have a studio at home, but at home the laundry and other household chores call my name, and the phone rings, etc, just too many interruptions. Going there allows me the opportunity to really work. Except for the one lady who goes there who never shuts up. I've got to learn to tune her out.

Regardless, I'm doing my art! I'm a happy camper!

No artwork yesterday or today, but...

Haven't done actual artwork yesterday or today, however, yesterday, I picked up the tile to put around this painting as a "frame", and today, I started super-glueing it to the edge of the painting. It doesn't show well in the photos, but the tiles are very shiny! It seems to take forever to do cause it has to be done one tile at a time, and of course it has to be as evenly spaced as possibly, and STRAIGHT! It's definitely different!

Just a little frustrated...

I've done the artwork, but I'm having a hard time finding the right frame. GRR! BUT...I got a real bargain on one unique frame job I'm doing. I did a painting of a son of a friend and I wanted to frame it with shiny small tiles. Well, the tiles were the PERFECT color, so I brought the sheet up to the register at Home Depot but there was no price on it. I also brought to the register some superglue to glue them onto the canvas. When there was no price and I told the clerk there was no more sheets of that particular tile, he proceeded to GIVE me the tile free...now that's a bargain. He just put it in the bag. Guess they'd be throwing it out anyway. So that frame will be FREE...and it's a perfect match and fit...but I can't find a frame for my painting of Buddy. Patience...a home will find it.

NO creativity today...

I was busy preparing for my colonoscopy tomorrow.

YUK!

I made the best of it.

Pray all comes out okay.

Creativity is not just artwork!

Sure crafts are the first thing that come to people's minds, but to me, it's my photography. Today I went through nearly 400 photos I took while at "Flamingo Gardens" a few weekends ago. Fifteen were acceptable. I'm very, very picky. I have to be in order to get better.

I still have about the same amount of photos to go through of "Butterfly World", a place I visited that same weekend.

Then, I'll put them all into a movie show and present it to my camera club on Thursday evening. I love doing this type of creativity!

Here is one of the many photos I took. I just LOVE flamingos.

Look at the difference!!!

Oh, I'm having so much fun painting Buddy!

Two more hours of painting!

Today I painted for approximately two more hours. I was a little distracted by a few things, like making sure I'd get my car back from being repaired, and the two sisters in class who never, ever stop talking. And the one has a voice that is annoying, you know the type, just a decibel louder it has to be. I mean, if she wants to chat with her sister, sit next to each other not across the room from one another!

Regardless, I painted my heart out today. I was going to attempt to paint the hair just about one strand at a time, but the teacher caught me in time to show me instead of using a round brush, to use the flat brush and lift at the end of the stroke. Let me tell you the stroke is kind of like sweeping a floor, you apply pressure then lift at the right time so it comes out clean. If you use too much thinner, the stroke bleeds, if you use too little paint, it "skips" across your canvas.

Painting is sometimes like bowling, you have to not only hit your mark, you have to "find" your mark, and today, well, today I was on my mark. I was so excited to paint and have the luxury of time to paint. I can't explain how happy I was. I was content. Only thing was I was thirsty too but the soda machine took my dollar...drat!

But look at the end result of today's work! And I'm not done yet. I'm trying to figure out what to do with the bottom where "Buddy" is lying down. It's like he's floating in space, I need to "ground him"...give him some weight. Research tonight!

It's still not done, believe it or not, I have to lighten it up and also, I have to refine it more. I intend to get every hair going at the right angle, curve or whatever.

But I'm so pleased with what I accomplished!