Annie’s Room, acrylic on canvas, 30 x 30. Kit Miracle
Woo Hoo! I made the front page of the current edition of ArtistsCreating, A bi-monthly e-magazine for artists in southern Indiana. There’s a feature article about me inside, too. Check it out here.
Download the FREE e-zine to see what else is happening in the area arts. http://www.itsallart.com/AC.AprilMay.2020.pdf
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Posted in contemporary impressionism, Uncategorized
Tagged acrylic, art, contemporary impressionist, indiana, kit miracle, magazine article
A typical country road with a little stream, one of many that we saw on our drive.
Well, how has your week been going? Have you been a dynamo, rushing about getting all those long put off projects done or tackling spring cleaning? (I hate you.) Or have you been sitting around in your pajamas all day watching game shows and reruns of golf?
I’ll admit, I’m somewhere in the middle. Certainly not accomplishing all I had laid out a week ago. (I always make a weekly plan.) Spending way too much time on social media and watching official news conferences. But I find they just make me anxious and there really isn’t much I can do about the current crisis but what I’m doing already. I have enjoyed, however, the many creative ways that friends are entertaining their children at home. One guy created a Hogwarts School, complete with costumes and characters, and posted daily videos. (He was exhausted by the end of the week.) Others are tackling nature in the backyard or nearby parks. Wonderfully creative art projects abound with photos to prove all the fun people are having. Some moms may be hitting the wine bottle a little earlier than normal but, hey, wine is a food, is it not?
St. Patrick’s day was celebrated by my little leprechaun friends going outside to see the spring flowers.
I did get some spring yard work done. Being outdoors improves my spirits. And spent some time in the studio but not as much as I should have or usually do. I’ve talked by phone to my family and friends more than normally. It just feels right to keep in touch, especially since so many people are isolated right now.
I’ve got several books started but only finished one. Well, there’s always next week.
We discovered this quaint little foot bridge over a small stream. I am sure I’ll have to go back to paint this scene.
After a few days of rain, my husband and I took a nice drive on country roads to look at spring emerging in little corners here and there. Then we went over to the lake; he fished and I sketched. And then picked up take-out dinner at a nearby restaurant. Nice to eat someone else’s cooking for a change.
A quiet cove at the lake. This was a good place to sit out of the wind while I sketched.
Since the stores in this area seem to be out of bread, I reposted the link to the Crusty Artisan Bread recipe that I posted on my blog a couple of years ago. Several people have tried it and found it surprisingly easy and yummy.
Anyway, whatever your situation is, I hope you are safe and healthy. I’d love to hear what you’re doing with your days. May we all look back on this trying time in years to come and say, “remember when….”
Pine tree. One of several sketches I made while at the lake.
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Posted in country living, Uncategorized
Tagged country living, indiana, landscape, spring drive
Sunrise, a new day, a new beginning.
I don’t usually comment on current events or situations, but I thought I’d do a little reflecting on the current situation that is occupying everyone’s minds these days. With the craziness of people hoarding toilet paper or buying twenty pound bags of rice and beans, I’d like to add a few of my own thoughts on the matter
We live in a 140 year old house. I often think about how many chicken dinners were cooked in the kitchen. How many people have passed through the doors over the years. That the former owners lived without electricity or central heat or running water and some of that wasn’t really that long ago. They boiled their clothes in a tub outside. When we first moved here, there was an outhouse in the backyard. Although we removed it, it sure would have been handy when the kids were little so they didn’t have to come in the house to use the bathroom.
Our place is about twenty-five miles from the nearest real grocery, not counting the local dollar store for bread and milk. This means we keep the cupboards stocked a little better than most. But we also grow a pretty good sized garden which helps.
The power goes out once in a while when a storm has knocked a tree onto the lines. We’re prepared with oil lamps (yes, you can still buy those at farm supply stores), or kerosene heaters, or a camp stove. We don’t have to use those items often, but they’re handy. When Hurricane Ike rolled through the Midwest in 2008, the power was out for five days. Fortunately it was summer so we just opened the windows and “pioneered” it. Our teenagers took off to stay with friends when the batteries in their devices ran down. My husband and I enjoyed the peace and quiet.
Although we’re both retired now and don’t have to go anywhere, we’ve got plenty to occupy our time. Clean up after-winter debris and prepare the garden for planting. Finally get around to cleaning those attics. Painting, of course. Plenty of reading material. Go fishing or biking or hiking.
We still have electricity and running water. Really, folks, I don’t think those things are going away during this crisis. The factories are still making toilet paper and food deliveries will still arrive from the warehouses. Be patient and put things into perspective.
I have people from all over the world who follow this blog. Many are not so fortunate as we are regarding supplies and medical resources. Let us be grateful for what we do have. Many of you are working from home or have restricted activities. Why not take this time to enjoy your families? Try a new recipe or two or ten. Pretend you’re on Chopped and see what you can concoct just from your cupboards. Spend some time with your kids or significant other. Write your memoirs or plant some seeds. Call your parents. When was the last time you talked to an old friend? Now might be a good time to catch up. Try a new hobby, particularly if you already have the equipment sitting in the closet or basement.
Maybe we can all view this time of uncertainty and turmoil as an opportunity to reset. Turn your faces towards the sun and feel the warmth.
We’ve had an unusually warm winter down here in Southern Indiana. The warmest recorded in 140 years! Very little snow but plenty of rain. The past week saw temperatures in the 50s and 60s. All of this warm weather has given a real push to spring. Today I took a little walk around the yard and this is what I saw.
Crocuses all over the yard, appearing in the most unusual places, courtesy of children planting them where they wish.
First, several different kinds of crocuses. Over the years I’ve purchased bags of these in the fall and let the kids and now grand kids plant them. It is always a surprise to see where they come up. And some of them seem to travel from where I planted them many years ago. I really don’t know how they do that.
Daffodils emerging with day lilies in the background.
The early daffodils are always a welcome harbinger of spring. It seems the singles come out earliest, especially the ones that were already naturalized in this old homestead. We have doubles and other colors but they come out a bit later. Another “walking” plant as they seem to come up in the strangest places, not where I have planted them at all.
Forsythia jungle. This will be a golden mountain in another week or two.
The forsythia jungle has grown from the three small plants that I bought end of season at the tractor supply center many years ago. About fifteen years ago, I had one of my sons dig up the resets and plant them along the road. The past few years they have made quite a showing. I hope the travelers enjoy them. He replanted some lilac starts, too, but they’re a bit slower.
Flowering quince, ready to pop.
This is a flowering quince bush ready to pop. I’m sure the sun and 60 degree temps will lead to an explosion of blooms real soon. The start came from my mother’s garden so I always think of her when I pass by.
Twenty tons of rock delivered this week to repair the winter damage.
After all the rain and mud this winter, we just had twenty tons of rock delivered for the drive. It seems that we’re always trying to keep up here on the farm, man against nature…and nature is winning.
Down at the creek. The peepers are creating a cacophony of noise!
The peepers are going to town down at the creek. I love this early sound of spring. Sometimes the beaver have dammed the stream so I can see a one acre pond through the trees. Fortunately, not this year.
Hazelnut bushes with catkins.
I also spotted a lot of hazelnut bushes coming into bloom. They’re not real showy but they make a nice addition to a spring bouquet. I cut some forsythia branches last week and forced them into bloom. It only took about three days for them to come out and brings a needed touch of spring indoors. Check out this previous post for how to do this.
Runaway daffodils. I really don’t know how they got here.
Some call this vinca an invasive species but I really like their periwinkle flowers. Yes, I have to pull out tons of vines in the spring, but I think they’re worth it.
Tulips and flowering trees will be out soon as will the spring beauties and violets. And my husband prepped the cold frame for sowing some lettuce soon. Can’t wait.
Anyway, that’s the spring update from this part of my world. I hope you are seeing signs of spring in your neck of the woods, too.
Posted in country living, garden, old house
Tagged country living, crawford county, flowers, gardening, indiana
February’s Art Production. The Food We Eat Series. Acrylic on canvas. Kit Miracle
I thought I’d do another post about a month’s art production. I created ten food paintings for the series The Food We Eat. I love the bright colors. Most of the meals were at home but a few were while I was away. I really don’t eat out that often except when traveling. Guess we like our own cooking best.
For those who may be interested, I am using my own photos for the paintings. The pictures cover a span of over ten years so I have a good amount of inspiration. They are not projected on the canvas but are drawn free-hand. Dang, those circles and ellipses on the plates and glasses! What a challenge! And they’re all either 16 x 16 or 16 x 20 on canvas of 1.5 deep.
In addition to the food paintings, I did more tree drawings but they’re not shown here.
March will probably see some more food paintings but I think I’ll take a break. I have other ideas rolling around.
The titles that you see here – reading top to bottom, left to right are:
Each meal has a story which is on my website. Kitmiracle.com You can click on the individual photos to see closeups of each painting.
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Posted in art, contemporary impressionism
Tagged acrylic, art, contemporary impressionist, food, kit miracle, original painting
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