Three Little...Doggies?

I am shipping these off today along with Night Watch to some new clients. The little dog portraits were only 4" x 4" and were a lot of fun to do. They were the last pieces I did before moving my studio around and thereby creating one big...MESS. 9 o'clock last night I decided to shut the doors and not look until tonight when I can get back to work.

Friday is the first art reception I've actually attended since Abby was born (1 year on the 18th). The Annual Library Showcase is here and I've been progressively getting more and more excited to go. Don't know what I'm wearing, don't know what frame my new piece Autumn Leaves is wearing, either, but it's a show! I can't wait to see my art buddies again.

I'm about to start experimenting with some tempura techniques this week. I am in between planned paintings right now so I'm going to see what I can come up with using a mixture of egg yolk and acrylic. I'm hoping for a glow comparable to that of gloss medium but with a different blendability. I suppose you will find out how it goes later on in the week!

Literature & Art

I was at the local college recently inquiring about an English degree and the assistant chair of the department mentioned a class in the coursework that involves the link between literature and art. This intrigued me, as when I read a great work the imagery can be very vivid. Even more so, it can be inspiring as well.

Let's take one recently made well known again in popular culture - Beowulf - but let's put the movie aside. Reading the vivid descriptions of this monster my mind goes wild. Emerald greens, deep crimson reds and burnt umber mixed with iridescent golden hues. Facing a stagnant pool of inspiration maybe all we need to do is pick up a good book. Reading a great piece of writing does not have to stop at high school.

What good piece of writing have you read that inspired some fantastical artwork?

On another note, I did want to mention an artist I found on etsy.com. Ironside Impastos (Jan Ironside) has some great work using an impasto technique and lots of color, which I love. Check her out: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ironsideimpastos.

Another Saturday Morning Musing

I love art of all media. Even more than painting myself, I enjoy looking at the work of other artists and am continually enthralled by the talents of others. I am annoyed when I hear an artist claim that there is a substantial difference between craft and art (this no-go ranks in with politics and religion to me). What is fine art other than the craft of applying paint and creativity? And if you made this distinction then what is mixed media?

We can all learn something from one another. I do not count myself among the professionals but I have been blessed to sell a few. I fear that once someone thinks of their work as professional they may be less inclined to grow, and right now that is what I strive for most. I am afraid to be stuck in one tradition or style. I think to excel in your own particular painting you need to study all work.

I'm fascinated by art quilting. I think the artists who create these fabulous works of art must have a finely honed sense of color theory. Unlike a painter, who can create their own hues with some dabs of paint, a quilter is left with an already created stash of fabric from which they must assemble a creative work of art. Work ranges from the traditional patterned quilts with various shading and color transitions to full out artistic objects in fabric. Ai Kijima has some fascinating quilt art made from fusion techniques.

Anyway, time for my second cup of coffee. Good morning all!

Katie

New Painting

This one measures in @ 4" x 5" and is a mini-painting painted on the sides. Easily suited to a small easel or framing. I'm about to start working on some mini-ornaments made from portraits. Abby is first up!

Finished Autumn Leaves/Sleepy Hollow's Head

20" x 24" and completed with time to spare for Thanksgiving. I started this before Halloween and so it has a darker feel to it, but it is a great size and is currently hanging in my living room waiting to be framed for the Winter Artist Showcase at the library nearby.

Hope you like it!

Where is your muse at 3:30 am this morning?

Mine is probably still sleeping upstairs. I woke up at 1:30 this morning as if it was morning and have not quite gotten sleepy again yet (I am going to suffer for this tomorrow). Since I'm not liking the idea of pulling out all my paints and getting to work just to fall into a coma mid-painting, I thought I would work on the blog.

I've been aware of the painting-a-day movement for some time, but never really paid a lot of attention to it. An art teacher I used to study under, Roger Lawrence, told me on more than one occasion that the only way to improve one's technique is to study and work daily at the craft of being creative. Lately I am beginning to take this to heart and am thinking of at least working on a one painting a week project. Perhaps this will grow into a one painting a day project sometime in the future.

While doing research on this trend I came across a fine artist in every sense of the word. His work is beautiful, and even with my amateur eye I can tell his technique is finely honed. Undoubtedly his work is probably well known in knowledgeable circles already, but I live in my own little cocoon and so have only come across it now. The link to Julian Merrow-Smith's site is: www.shiftinglight.com. The name of his one a day project is the Postcard from Provence series. Love his work. LOVE IT.

Ok, my eyes are starting to blur. My guess is sleep is finally deciding to return to this forgotten dreamer. 'Til next time!

Finished Boston Portrait

It's 8" x 10" on canvas...I am thinking of framing it in a rustic frame but I'm not sure. Right now it's unframed sitting on my bookcase. I really like this painting even though it's not my usual style. I limited my palette and tried to concentrate the detail on the Boston herself... her name is Moxy, btw.

Boston Terrier Portrait

This is early on in a piece I'm working on based off of my Mom's rambunctious Boston.

Night Owl Original 20 in x 30 in on canvas

FINALLY a finished piece! Still working on the autumn themed piece I posted earlier. It will be up soon. In any case, I'm actively working on the studio site http://www.bunschotenstudio.com/ and people can now purchase straight from my site via paypal. Shipping will be invoiced separately until I can get the shipping calculator to work. You can also purchase via my etsy shop where you may have more options for purchase. www.etsy.com/shop/katiesstudio. As always prints are available on Imagekind but I don't yet have a decent enough photo to post this one up. No natural light today!

Please let me know if anyone has questions - a note to artists - I noticed another artist used yola.com to create a *free* site and I was able to do so as well. This is a great site to make your web presence, especially since most of us lack a substantial marketing budget. ;-)