Category: Art

Inspiration. It’s a Funny Thing…

…the sentiment of a moment in time.

He Is Risen
He Is Risen! Watercolor in my art journal

Inspiration

Someone had posted a photo on social media that I just loved. It touched me in it’s simplicity and it’s beauty. The image stayed with me. I found myself reflecting on it. It was the inspiration for this watercolor in my art journal. You never know when inspiration will strike. When something you see or experience in some way, becomes ingrained in your soul. I sat at my drawing table and wondered if I could do the image justice. If I could capture the feeling it left with me. I love that we get to take the memory of a concrete thing and turn it into a piece of art that evokes the emotion and the sentiment of a moment in time.

 

Evening Drive in the Woods

Creative spirits have discovered the wonderful gift of time to create.

Evening Drive in the Woods
Watercolor in my art Journal
approximately 5″ x 7 “

Coronavirus…Interesting times for us. Lots of uncertainty, fear of the unknown, fear of the known.
One thing I think many of us have discovered is the gift of time. Time to dream. Time to pray. Time to sit quietly. Time to reflect. Time to value and give thanks for all the good things in our lives; our family, our friends, our health, our homes, our freedom.

Creative spirits are loving the wonderful gift of time to create. To explore our creative potential. To play. Maybe to start an art journal or learn a new medium. Perhaps to practice. To perfect a technique. To bask in the glory of creation. To acknowledge that we have been blessed with the gift of being able to create with the greatest Creator of All!

It’s has also apparently opened the door to dreaming about an evening drive in the woods!

Take care of yourselves!
Kathy Ann

Rise Up!

Rise Up!
An Intuitive piece
Oil and Cold Wax on Cradled Wood Panel 10″ x 10″

Oil and Cold Wax. There is just something about it. It draws me in. It constantly surprises me. I’m never quite sure where it will end up, and I love that! 

This was an amazing piece to create. First I added gesso to the wood surface, then added a layer of blue and teal acrylic so that when I scraped it back, it wouldn’t be just to a white surface. When working in this medium I work 100% intuitively. I just immerse myself in the glory of the color palette and play with the all that scrumptious, creamy paint. What a wondrous texture! The thing I love about the process of painting with oil and cold wax is the fact that I could never ever create the same piece twice!

 

 

 

 

Fire on the Mountain

Fire on the Mountain

I have long been interested in encaustic art. I even bought all the various supplies…small crock pot, griddle, wax, temperature gauge, all of it! But I was intimidated by the process and worried about the fumes since I have asthma. Then I saw a painting from a fellow artist, asking her if it was encaustic and she replied no, thereby introducing me to the world of Oil & Cold Wax.

Of course it took me a while to actually start experimenting with cold wax…starting with this portrait, since I was primarily focused on faces at the time.

So now here I am in 2020 and there has been a definite shift in my art. I joined Matt Tommey’s online artist mentoring program, that I credit for somehow influencing this shift. I have been participating in Created To Thrive for a few months now, and even though I have been sporadic in participating and taking advantage of all the advice and guidance available, I am glad I joined. It feels good to belong to a group of like-minded creatives.

But that’s not the only influence on my dive into oil and cold wax…I have been watching YouTube videos that have inspired me as well. Gently guiding me through the process and man oh man am I having FUN!

So, anyway…here is my jump back into the medium. I feel a newfound passion for the medium and enjoy experimenting like never before! A sense of freedom and a lessening of the fear of failure or screwing up. SO glad I am on this journey and so glad I live in a time with such a tremendous access to learning on the internet!

Take care,

Kathy Ann

 

Summer Art Journal 2016…Just for Fun!

I spent so much of today engaged in art of some sort…a wonderful day!

I am having fun working on an art journal for a class I am taking, Art Journal Summer 2016 thru Bloknote Academy online classes. For those who don’t know…Art Journaling is a fun way to create, practice, try out new techniques, mediums, & styles…just for fun, not for perfection.


I have been wanting to start an Art Journal, but wasn’t sure where to start…I figured this short, fun, summer long workshop would be just the ticket!

I was right! So much fun and so helpful to have talented guides as a beginner.

Happy Dance!

Take care,

Kathy Ann

Mysterious in Turquoise & Gold

Whew, this was some sort of challenge from beginning to end.

She was inspired by this sketch from late the other night…the one I told you about that seemed to take on a life of her own(nothing new about that!), going thru many different phases and ending up here.

She seemed to have a story to tell, and I hope this is where she ultimately wanted me to go…
Mixed Media, pastel, acrylic, paint pen, stencils, and ribbon on canvas.

I am glad she is finished. I think I will be creating more like her.

Thank you for joining me on her journey.

Take care, 

Kathy Ann

Flagstaff 4th of July

Flagstaff is the epitome of small town, all American, Independence Day celebrations. We do love the 4th of July!

The day starts bright & early with the Infamous 4th of July Parade. And by early…I mean EARLY! The parade may start st 9:00 AM, but if you want a good spot on the curb with room for the entire family (and by ENTIRE family I mean mom & dad, grammy & pa, aunties, uncles, and cousins galore!), and your camp chairs, you need to get there by 7:30 or earlier. Yep, that’s right – my daughter in law & kids got there at 7:30 AM and claimed the only spot left in the shade, facing away from the sun (logistics is very important here!).
Next on the agenda is a walk over to Art in the Park (the local arts & craft festival) to browse the creations of the many talented artists & artisans displaying their wares while enjoying a day surrounded by music, yummy food and art.

Since my husband is a veteran, next on the agenda was a walk across the street from the park, joining some friends at the American Legion for a little craft show they were putting on in the parking lot.
Next is fireworks at the country club…and yes, the whole town shows up for this, too! My husband & I didn’t make it to the fireworks this year 🙁, but the rest of the family enjoyed the festivities…More food, music, fun & games for the kids, fireworks and most importantly, family & friends!

Love this town! Love this family! Love our  community!

Hope your Fourth was as good as ours!

Take care,

Kathy Ann

It’s not Summer without a Pretty Wreath on the Door!

Enjoying today’s Flagstaff summer monsoon storm…Perfect weather for finally getting around to creating my summer wreath for the front door. What better way to welcome guests than with pretty flowers on the door!


Too bad these are not quite as popular as they once were…I used to have my own dried floral business back in the day…Always so easy to get lost in the creation of pretty arrangements. Still love it! And it’s second nature to me….I can whip out a wreath in no time at all. 

I could never figure out a good way to ship them…otherwise I could perhaps still sell them in my Etsy shop…I know there are places were they are still popular and people would prefer hand made to Walmart mass-produced versions….

Anyway, Happy Summer!

Take care, Kathy Ann

Something New…#2

Still working on teeth…

This one of my daughter, Teresa, who recently received her Masters Degree-while taking care of her new little baby girl, and taking care of the rest of her family…she is truly amazing!…was coming along nicely until…

I kept working and reworking those darn teeth…and yep…it ended wadded up in the trash…sigh

 I need to learn when to stop messing with it…it was all downhill from here…😳<<<<<<<<
.another day…

I can and I will…I just don’t know exactly when… 😜

Take care,

Kathy Ann

Update to”Glitter, Sparkle,Twinkle, Shine…”Bluebird of Happiness”

It turned out I was not a fan of the feather inserted into the roses by the Eifel Tower…So I replaced it with the “Bluebird of Happiness”. MUCH better! And we could all certainly use a little more happiness!

Take care,

Kathy

She wore ‘Flowers in her Hair’

There have been many, many discussions in the workshop I am currently taking, about copyrights as they apply to collage artists, and I must admit, it made me so very nervous about using collage as a background. Legal stuff…

My latest on a collage has gone through many revisions. Not my flower girl herself, but the collage background.

There have been many, many discussions in the workshop I am currently taking, about copyrights as they apply to collage artists, and I must admit, it made me so very nervous about using collage as a background. Legal stuff…

So, although I absolutely loved my original…I was not comfortable about some of the collage elements and the whole copyright thing…there was even mention of not being able to use scrap booking papers, ephemera, stamps, etc. if you are planning to sell your work…aargh!

I was really bummed, cause I really thought collage might be my “niche”…ah well…Apparently it’s ok to use items like ephemera, letters, music, etc., from before 1922. Will have to research further…

At any rate…here she is for now!

Take care,

Kathy Ann

 

Crazy, Wonderful!

…You know that feeling when you look at something grand (at least to you) that you have achieved and all you can do is stare in wonder and amazement?

Serene_IMG_0340 [92944]

My first ever watercolor face…definitely a complicated medium. Seems less forgiving than acrylics…I would think the shading was looking good and then I would add to it and BAM!  I would totally ruin it! Wet paper + inexperience with a new medium= scary! So glad to have tackled this. Didn’t have all the suggested supplies, but didn’t want to wait for my Amazon order…learned a lot, with a whole lot more learning to go.

I stood in my studio(that I used to call my craft room)after finishing the above piece…looking at my drawings & paintings from the last six weeks…this is CRAZY! Crazy & Wonderful & Exciting to realize that my forever dream is actually coming true…You know that feeling when you look at something grand (at least to you) that you have achieved and all you can do is stare in surprise, wonder and amazement? Yeah, that’s where I’m at…Happy & Enjoying the Journey!

Studio_IMG_0341 [92960]

Retirement – and Art! (or…Art & Retirement!)

World_Canvas_IMG_0308 [45247]

Yes! I did it! I finally got to that golden utopia of retirement…and I am loving it!

I spent the first six months adjusting to the new non-schedule. I have to say, I never found this to be difficult nor boring. I have been looking forward to this for so long, with so many endeavors planned, that it has been pretty easy and definitely painless.

Since I retired in July, I spent the summer and fall enjoying the great outdoors, grandkids, friends, and holidays. Trips to Lake Powell, kayaking adventures, helping with grandkids occasionally, hiking and porch sitting took up the summer. Next came all the holidays and family fun!

Now it is February and I have embarked on my most anticipated and treasured journey. I have re-ignited my creative dreams of being an artist…not a florist or a crafter, not an amateur photographer…but an honest to goodness artist. The journey has begun…

I am taking an online Mixed Media workshop titled, Let’s Face it, which is a fabulous year long workshop with an emphasis on portraits/faces. The workshop includes lessons by a total of 17 Artists, so we get to see, experience, and learn lots of different styles and techniques. A new lesson with video instructions arrives in my inbox each week. There is also a private Facebook group that we all (520+ artists strong from all over the world) share our work and receive support and kudos from. It is AMAZING and I am so impressed by the wonderful artists I get to be a part of.

Drawing faces is my long time passion…I have been drawing faces since I was a young girl. I would go to BINGO with my mom…she would doodle all these women profiles and I was enthralled! So I copied her style, learned by watching her, and would spend the hours at BINGO happily drawing away!

I believe this will be one of my greatest adventures. I am already learning SO much and we are only 5 weeks in!

Below is my first ever painted face – titled her “Imagine!”

In Process #1
#2
#3
#4
#5
Finished – Imagine!

Till next time!

Take care,

Kathy Ann

 

 

%d bloggers like this: