Monthly Archives: August 2018

What’s in a name?

Posted on August 26, 2018 | 2 comments

East Field in Evening, tetraptych, acrylic on canvas, Kit Miracle

This week I created a set of paintings but I’m not quite sure what to call them.  They are of our east field in the evening, showing the stretching shadows.

I started with one painting, the one on the far right, and that just lead to another and another and another.  Four in all…so far.  I’m actually working on a fifth one.

Since these are all painted from the same vantage point, it’s not quite a series which I consider to be more of the same subject but not necessarily from the same view.  This set of paintings creates one broad vista, each overlapping by a quarter to a third.  They don’t exactly match as far as horizon and it wasn’t my intention to do so.  But I did want to convey the same feel.  Although they work well together as a connected work of art, the individual paintings each stands alone as far as composition and technique.

My question is, what does one call four (soon to be five) paintings of the same larger subject but from the same vantage point?  If a diptych is two paintings, and a triptych is three, what is four or five?

The best information I can find is a polyptych or maybe a tetraptych or soon to be a pentaptych.  Doesn’t exactly fall off the tongue, does it?

What is your opinion?

East Field in Evening 1, acrylic on canvas, 16 x 20, Kit Miracle

East Field in Evening 2, acrylic on canvas, 16 x 20, Kit Miracle

East Field in Evening 3, acrylic on canvas, 16 x 20, Kit Miracle

East Field in Evening 4, acrylic on canvas, 16 x 20, Kit Miracle

 

“Whatever you eye falls on – for it will fall on what you love – will lead you to the questions of your life, the questions that are incumbent upon you to answer, because that is how the mind works in concert with the eye. The things of this world draw us where we need to go.” 
― Mary Rose O’Reilley, The Barn at the End of the World: The Apprenticeship of a Quaker, Buddhist Shepherd

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Posted in art, contemporary impressionism, country living, landscape

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My favorite blogs

Posted on August 22, 2018 | 4 comments

The Little House, oil on canvas, 8 x 10, painted from memory, Kit Miracle

I could have titled this post Why write a blog?  There are just so many people online these days, sharing opinions, knowledge, how-to’s.  You can find practically anything on the internet these days.  Or so it seems.

I started my blog (short for web log) several years ago because, well, why not.  Art. Books.  Country living.  That’s about it.  I’ve been an artist for over 35 years now and have a little knowledge about the subject which I share from time to time.  In addition, I was director of a multi-discipline arts center for over a decade – music, dance, theatre, education…and visual arts.  I love to read since I first figured out how that works.  Piles of books wait for me but I do eventually get to them all.  Eventually.  And I love living in the country, ninety acres of peace and quiet – mostly.  Gardening, walks in the woods, flowers.  Oh, there is the matter of the neighbor’s cows in the garden, rogue boars, insects, birds, raccoons causing mischief in the corn patch.  I could go on.

So I thank all of you who have taken the time to read my postings, especially if something strikes a chord and you make a comment.  It lets me know you’re out there.  Those ads that WordPress puts on here are not mine and I don’t get paid for them.  Well, I could upgrade to an ad-free site but I haven’t.  Yet.

I try to post a couple of times a week, Sundays and Wednesdays, but no more as it becomes more of a have-to than a sharing of fun and opinion.  Who wants that burden hanging over their head?

However, I love to read other people’s blogs.  Some are inspirational.  Some share knowledge.  Some make me think. Some I read daily and some I just check 0n once in a while.

These are some of my favorites.

The Daily Motivator – Ralph Marston, essays of motivation and food for thought.

Gurney’s Journey – James Gurney, artist and illustrator who provides daily thoughts, demonstrations and inspiration for artists.

Joe’s Retirement Blog – Joe Manomet, great photos and very light-hearted.  Some travel in the New England area and beyond.  Not too fond of his local theatre reviews but I’m sure those postings are popular in his area.

Herbalblessingsblog – Carolee, gardener extraordinaire and a true inspiration.  I always learn something from her.

The Sketchbook – Shari Blaukopf, Canadian artist and teacher specializing mainly in watercolor with pen and ink, or pencil.

Fruitful Dark – Fritz of New Zealand.  Some beautiful art plus plenty of food for thought.  He hasn’t posted too regularly lately but I keep checking.

Raptitude – David Cain writes about some pretty deep subjects but plenty of food for thought.

Words In the Light – F.G.M. beautiful poetry, some music or video, thoughtful.

There are so many others that I check on from time to time. This is a very short list but give these people a visit.  You might learn something but I certainly think you’ll discover something in yourself.

What are your favorite blogs?

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What makes a great painting?

Posted on August 19, 2018 | 3 comments

Metropolitan Museum of Art

What makes a great painting?

The answer to this question is, of course, subjective and there are probably as many opinions as there are people who think about it. When I used to run the arts center and gallery, I was often asked this question.

My general reply is this:

  • Impact – when you walk into a gallery or museum, which artwork are you most drawn to? What is your initial reaction? Sometimes you may be attracted to beauty or color.  Sometimes you approach with curiosity.  Sometimes it is horror.  But what initial impact does the painting make on you?
  • Size – a wall-size painting is not always good art but it usually has impact. I have seen some pretty bad giant paintings but they usually get your attention, at least initially.  As an aside, young artists often want to create these very large pieces before they have any real talent or anything to say.  That makes them large bad paintings.  On the other hand, Monet created some huge murals of waterlilies which required a special museum to be built but that was towards the end of his life. And Picasso’s Guernica will only fit into spaces of a certain size. Size might matter but not always.

    Pollack’s iconic painting at the Met. Questions remain today about quality of workmanship but he certainly explored new territory in his time.

  • Composition – how does the painting flow? Although there are many rules of composition, the golden mean being one of the most well-known, I find it is more of a feeling of flow and balance.
  • Evokes a feeling – this is often related to composition but not necessarily. How do you feel when you view the painting?  Is it calming, exciting, emotionally disturbing?  What does your gut tell you? Does it touch the mind and soul of the viewer? Does it make you want to keep looking? It should be something beyond just wall decoration.
  • Originality – a great painting should provide something new to look at. Is it the same flower arrangement that dozens of other artists crank out or has the artist treated a common subject in a new way?  I think a great painting should explore new territory.

    Great paintings make you want to look closer.

  • Quality of workmanship – I admire quality of workmanship and appreciate how the artist actually handled the materials. An artist who cares for the process of the art will often care for the longevity of the art, too.
  • Memorable – will you remember this painting? Will it haunt you long after you have left the gallery or museum?  What will you remember about it?  This was a question that I often asked customers when I sold my work at art fairs long ago and they couldn’t make up their minds which painting to buy.  Which painting will you remember and regret not buying long after you’re gone?  And there usually was one piece more than the other.

As I said at the beginning of this post, this is a subjective list.  I’m sure there are many other opinions but most of these points would be generally agreed upon to answer the question, what makes a great painting.

What are your thoughts?  What do you think makes a great painting?

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Gallery show, update

Posted on August 16, 2018 | 4 comments

Kit Miracle at the J. Michael Dunn Gallery at Oakland City University, Oakland City, Indiana.

I took a drive over to Oakland City University today to see my newly-hung show at the J. Michael Dunn Gallery.  I’ll admit, it’s been a long time since I’ve had enough work to show at a solo show.  However, in the past few years I have been able to devote more time to painting and creating.

Most artists understand how amazing it is to walk into a gallery and see your work on display, especially if there are several years’ worth of work.  But to see everything out of storage and out of boxes and hung all together…well, it’s just a bit overwhelming.

I’ve posted photos of individual paintings over the past few years but I really haven’t seen the whole body of work in one place.  The first thing that struck me is the color.  I like color and it shows.

Then there’s the subject matter.   Still lifes, landscapes, portraits.  It’s all meaningful to me but I’m not sure it is to anyone else.  Nevertheless, I love seeing the work hung as a group.

The show runs from August 13th through September 28th.  The public reception and gallery talk is scheduled for Sunday, September 9th from 2 to 5 CST.  The gallery hours are M-F 10 to 5, weekends by appointment.  Check it out. Come on out for the reception or just to view the work.

https://www.oak.edu/facilities/j-michael-dunn-art-gallery

Kit Miracle, gallery show 2

Gallery show-3, Kit Miracle

Gallery show 4, Kit Miracle

Gallery show 5, Kit Miracle

Gallery show 6, Kit Miracle

Gallery show 7, Kit Miracle

Gallery show 8, Kit Miracle

Gallery show 9, Kit Miracle

Gallery show 10, Kit Miracle

Gallery show 11, Kit Miracle

Gallery show 13, Kit Miracle

Gallery show 13, Kit Miracle

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Posted in art, contemporary impressionism, oil painting

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Painting close to home

Posted on August 12, 2018 | 1 comment

Garden in August, acrylic on canvas, 16 x 20, Kit Miracle

Visiting new places is always fun and inspiring for artists, but many of the best paintings have been made close to home.  One of my favorites is one that Renoir painted of Monet in his garden.  It’s just a homey painting of a backyard with other houses in the distance.

Renoir painting of Monet in garden

Today I decided paint a scene that I see every day from my breakfast table. It is of my garden this month with the tall sunflowers and multi-color zinnias and other flowers.  The rest of the garden is still producing but is beginning to look a little straggly this time of year.  We’re still getting plenty of tomatoes, eggplants, beans, and peppers.  But it’s the flowers that I really love. The birds and butterflies love them, too.

Garden in August. The sunflowers and zinnias are in full bloom. The vegies are still producing heavily. Lots of tomatoes, eggplants, beans and peppers.

I got out early to take advantage of the cool morning and the shade.  The canvas is primed with a beige color and painted black on the border.

Garden in August, step 1. Here I have generally covered most of the canvas. Notice that I’ve edited the trees in the background to provide more interest.

The first step as usual for me is to lay in the general composition and the dark colors.  As you can see, I did some editing, removing the line of trees in the background and just including a few big trees.  I also squashed things together a bit for the composition.

Garden in August, step 2. More blocking in plus I’ve added the sky and most of the foreground.

Next I laid in more darks and some brighter greens as well as the sky.  I wanted a rosy early morning sky….so I made one.

Actually the most difficult part was painting the flowers.  It is so hard to get them bright without being gaudy.  I ended up painting a light wash of pale green over some of them to tone down their brightness.

The entire painting took about three hours minus some time for a phone call to a friend while I was waiting for paint to dry. The point here is that you don’t have to travel a great distance to find something worthy to paint.  A good subject might be just outside your window.

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Posted in art, contemporary impressionism, country living, painting instruction, plein air, plein air painting

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Winning Plein Air Painting

Posted on August 8, 2018 | Comments Off on Winning Plein Air Painting

Here I am with my first place winning plein air painting at the Jasper Arts competition this past week. It’s the top painting of the new bridge at the Parklands. The bottom painting is of a dead tree.

Here I am posing with my winning plein air painting this past weekend.  It was of the new bridge at the Parklands in Jasper, Indiana.  What a nice surprise!  I guess it was worth enduring the extreme heat and humidity that day.

Also, there is an update on my exhibit at Oakland City University.  It was supposed to open this past Monday but that has been pushed back to Monday, August 13th.  The end date has also been pushed back to Friday, September 28th.  The reception and gallery talk is still scheduled for Sunday, September 9th from 2 to 5 p.m.  Hope some of you can make it out. I’d be embarrassed if no one shows up.  ;-/

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Plein air painting at the Parklands

Posted on August 5, 2018 | 4 comments

Bridge at Parklands, plein air, acrylic, 16 x 20, Kit Miracle

I attended a plein air painting event today at the Parklands.  This is a new park in the area which just opened last month.  Already, it has become a popular destination for dog walkers, bicyclists, moms pushing strollers, just about anyone of any age.  Created from a former golf course, it features three lakes/ponds, several water features, an outdoor musical instruments area, exercise equipment activities, a pavilion for special events, a splash park for kids, and many other features.

Although the day was promising to be exceedingly hot with temperatures in the 90s, I elected my first painting should be of a new bridge over a waterfall.  Usually one only has about two hours to make a plein air painting before the sun and the shadows move too much.

I always start with a small black and white Notan sketch before I begin to paint. Then on a toned canvas, I lay in the darks.  Since I was working in acrylic, it didn’t take long for the paint to dry.  In fact, I had to use an acrylic retarder to slow down the  drying.

This is the view I selected. I liked the shape of the new bridge and the contre jour light (backlight). As you can see, I began painting in the darks on a red-toned canvas.

I start with a one inch brush which will get 85% of the painting done.  The bigger the brush, the less fussy I am.  Sometimes I begin laying in the sky.  In this case, I laid in some of the other darks and midtones and just kept working away.  The bridge was critical as any mistakes could really make the painting ….well, not good.

About 85% finished. Leaving the bridge for last, I concentrated on the landscape first.

The final touches are to add the lightest colors, the highlights, the sky holes in the trees, most with smaller brushes.  I really like the peeps of red showing through the painting.  I think it adds a little bit of liveliness.

A friendly little butterfly who kept me company quite a while. I think it’s a Painted Lady butterfly. Very appropriate.

One interesting thing happened to me while I was painting.  I had a little butterfly who just kept hanging around.  She walked along the top of the painting, then the sides, not even moving as I painted closer to her.  If I shooed her away, she quickly came back.  If my identification is correct, this was a Painted Lady butterfly. How appropriate.

After I finished this painting, I moved to the shade where I completed another one of a different scene.  Fortunately, there was a nice breeze all day but it was still pretty dang hot.

To my surprise at final judging, I was awarded first prize.  So it was worth the melting conditions.  Maybe the Painted Lady brought me a little luck.

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Posted in contemporary impressionism, plein air

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Gardening news, odds and ends

Posted on August 1, 2018 | Comments Off on Gardening news, odds and ends

Fresh picked basil, destemmed, washed and ready to be made into pesto.

We use a lot of basil in our cooking so I always plant plenty.  Instead of planting it in pots, I just sow the tiny seeds directly into the garden.  They’re about as big a specks of pepper but are very easy to grow.  If you’re diligent about weeding them when they’re just emerging, then you’ll have a big healthy crop.

Today was a drizzly, rainy overcast day.  Perfect for indoor work so I decided to make pesto.  I picked a huge bunch (overly ambitious) and set to work.  This is the pile of basil leaves after destemming and culling.  I ended up making six batches of pesto and then froze the rest of the leaves for other use.  I froze the pesto in my silicon muffin pan (they slipped out nicely when frozen) and an ice cube tray (not so much.) This will be so yummy in winter in a sauce or directly on pasta.  Yummm.

Squash plants with rag mulch. Still going strong.

The second item I want to report is an experiment I tried this year with my summer squash and zucchini.  I always plant a good row of these vegetables but it seems they die off halfway through the summer, mostly due to squash vine borer I’m guessing.  This year I decided to mulch the vines with some rags (old sheets and jeans).  I did this primarily to keep the squash from coming into contact with the soil as they tend to rot quickly.  But I had heard that there’s some connection between the squash vine borer bug and the soil so, why not?

The row of squash and zucchini. Notice the difference in growth. The zucchini (nearest) is nearly gone while the summer squash (rear) is still thriving.

One of two zucchini plants with a rag mulch. Still thriving, also.

Well, I’ll let you be the judge.  Most of the rags were placed under the summer squash plants which are still producing heavily.  I only had enough rags to place under two zucchini plants.  Result:  All of the summer squash plants are still blooming and producing, as are the two zucchini plants.  The rest of the zucchini plants have died.  So, this will definitely be on the list of experiments to try again next year.

The rags allow the soil to breathe and lets the water in while keeping down weeds.  I might try this with cardboard next year, too.  And I do rotate the crops in the garden every year.  Certainly worth trying again.

Finally, as Facebook is changing its rules, where I used to have my blog posts automatically repost to my personal Facebook profile, it will now be directed to my Facebook page KitMiracleArt.  You can follow me there.  Otherwise, I’ll try to remember to repost this to my personal profile.  I usually post on Sundays and Wednesdays.

Thanks again for stopping by.  I always love to hear from you.

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Posted in country living, garden

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