The holidays are so busy, even out here in the boonies. But it’s good to take time to reflect. Take a walk. Enjoy the weather. Try not to get overly exercised about every little detail. So I tell myself.
I don’t have a tree up this year and haven’t put out a single decoration. Just too busy with some family things going on. But all my holiday shopping was done long ago. And the presents that needed to be shipped are out of here, too. I just need to wrap a few more. Plan a quiet meal.
But I did have time to create my own Christmas cards. This is our front door. It’s a very old house and that is a very old door. The flag is there because a storm knocked down a limb which knocked down the flag. However, I thought it looked festive. I made the ink drawing, then printed it out on cards. And they were all hand-painted so no two exactly alike. It was very soothing work, with a holiday movie or tunes on. Sometimes, a little peace can be found in unexpected places.
I hope you all can find some enjoyment and comfort this holiday season. Be safe.
Warmest wishes for a peaceful Christmas and New Year.
Fall decorations. The impatiens are still hanging on.
The fall colors have been really spectacular this season. We had the right amount of rain early on but little rain from August until recently. I was afraid that the colors would be drab and the trees would just drop their leaves. I was wrong.
Ferdinand State ForestAnother view of the state forest
I read some survey that said Southern Indiana was rated as one of the best places to see fall color. As I always like to joke, it’s like New England but without the crowds. Gently rolling hills and wooded. The farmers were able to get a jump on the harvest and most every field is cleared by now. We have had a couple of rains in the past two weeks but they only keep the dust down. And we haven’t even had a frost yet in my area so I’m still harvesting the last scraggly tomatoes and peppers. That is about to change this coming week.
Geese on the lakeWatercolor/ pen and ink sketch of the Ferdinand State Forest
Meanwhile, I’ve been able to get outdoors, go for a drive or have a lunch in the park with my husband. I did a few small sketches and one middling painting, too. Just pleasant to be outside.
Geraniums in October
My flowers have held their blooms, including the geraniums. And my lilacs and rhododendrons have even bloomed this month!
In addition to the free kids’ Picasso art class that I taught last month, we just painted our self-portraits this week. How to draw cats is next month.
Unfortunately, not all is good news. My husband had a serious injury on his tractor (just getting on it) which sent us to the emergency room. This had me scrambling for first aid supplies and trying to remember my old classes in first aid. He’ll be laid up for awhile.
Deer impact.
And…I had my first run-in with a deer on the way home from the grocery this week. In the middle of the day! I’m posting a photo of what that coated safety glass will do when a large animal hits it. I didn’t even see it as it bounced down an embankment. Fortunately I was poking along that day but the damage to the car is not pleasant. Calls to the insurance company and locating a repair shop added to the stress. Well, no injury, fortunately. My husband and sons have hit a total of eleven deer over the years. A very common accident in these parts.
The cardinal who won’t quit.
Finally, the cardinal that I posted about earlier this year is back, fighting his reflection in the windows. Doesn’t he know mating season is over? He’s looking a bit bedraggled now but he’s still persistent.
I hope you all have been able to get outside and enjoy the season. Snow is coming soon for some of us. Time to hunker down for the winter.
Posted onOctober 15, 2024|Comments Off on Picasso visits Birdseye library
Autumn is here and we were introduced to a new artist, Pablo Picasso. I recently taught a free children’s art class at the little Birdseye library. Picasso was so famous and painted in such a variety of styles over the decades that I thought there would be something for everyone. And there was.
Always getting in the spirit of the class with Picasso stripes and beret.Me giving a very brief discussion of Picasso’s styles over the decades.
These free children’s art classes are designed for kids ages 8 to 14 but we actually had a four year old (with grandma) up to a sixteen year old. It’s 25 miles to town so the idea is to offer some fun art activities for this rural area.
Beginning stages of work.Picasso’s peace flowers
In this case, I always enjoy trying to channel the featured artist, at least in dress. I gave a brief introduction to Picasso, why he was important, and some discussion of his changing styles over the years. The kids were very receptive. Although I offered a few projects which focused on emulating the artist, they were actually free to create their own paintings. I love the variety of work they came up with.
Capturing the cubist idea of viewing a face from both front and sideLet’s copy a Picasso self-portraitHummm….the northern lights with hearts. I think Picasso would have loved this.This artist was fascinated with the harlequin squares.
We’ll do some self-portraits at the next class in November. I’ll look forward to what the kids come up with. All materials are included. Call the library to register as the class size is limited. https://jdcpl.us/birdseye-library/
Well, this looks like Pikachu but we love it anyway.
My rendition of the musicians. You don’t have to include every detail, just make hints of many items.Musicians at the music festival.
Being an artist means that you continue to view the world through an artist’s eyes. You’re always looking around you with an intention of expressing your views through whatever means with which you are most comfortable. For me, it’s capturing my views through quick sketches. These are not finished drawings or paintings, but quick translations of what catches my attention.
Many of these sketches end up as finished paintings. Most do not. They are just recordings of my thoughts and viewpoints. There is something about sketching which makes me look more closely. As opposed to photographs., which do not always. The sketches dig into my consciousness, impressing certain details that I would normally overlook with a quick photo.
The full quick sketch kit – plastic bag, sketchbook, collapsible water container, paper towel, plastic eraser, pen, mechanical pen and paint box.
I keep a quick sketch bag at the ready. Since my favorite tool is watercolor, paper, and pen, this is what I keep in my bag.
A one gallon ziplock bag
A small sketch book, probably for watercolor or at least pen and ink, sometimes precut watercolor postcard sizes
A mechanical pencil
A pen, usually a commercial fade-proof and waterproof ink, nothing fancy
A plastic eraser
A folding water container
An old-fashioned metal PRANG watercolor box, filled with my good paints, only eight colors
Two or three good brushes, small enough to fit in the color box
A paper towel or cloth rag
A bottle of water
This is it.
A few samples of small sketchbooks I keep on hand.A homemade postcard from watercolor paper, and another sketchbook with tear-out pages.
This is light weight. Always packed. Ready to grab at an instance and get out of Dodge.
My old metal Prang watercolor box, filled with the good watercolor paint and a few brushes. I let it stay open overnight until the paints have dried out so it travels without making a mess.
This past weekend I participated at a small local arts and music festival. I haven’t done art fairs for thirty years so it was a good opportunity to renew my experience. And to discover why I don’t really want to do it any more.
Capturing the tents of the vendors.Vendor tent at the festival.
But it also afforded me a few hours to sketch the people and entertainers at the festival. Fun to experience that. But also fun to know that I don’t have to do this any more. And I had a good opportunity to people watch. With my quick sketch tools.
Are you ready to get out in the world with some quick art tools? The better prepared you are to go, the more likely you will be to do so. Be prepared.
Farmhouse through the Trees, oil on canvas, 18 x 24, Kit Miracle
I recently sold an older painting which had been on my Etsy shop for awhile. The subject is of a white two-story farmhouse with a smaller white building behind it. All painted with spring trees just leafing out so plenty of nice greens. This was a plein air painting, meaning that I actually painted it outside during the spring season.
It was a delight to finally sell this painting, actually to a repeat customer. He was delighted to get it. And I was happy to be able to find it easily in my studio (which is not always the case.) What has puzzled me about this painting is that it was one of the most popular on my site, a favorite of many people. I’ve just always been surprised that it hasn’t sold before.
As an artist for many years, I have some paintings which have lingered in the studio for a good while. And then suddenly, someone sees what I actually saw when I painted the subject. That is always rewarding.
Anyway, I’m rambling here. My point is this, if you see some artwork of any kind, and you really like it, then you should buy it for yourself or someone special. A painting is not like a donut that will go stale after a while. Beauty is always in style.
After so many early summer activities – gardening, hosting company, chores around the house – I’ve finally be able to get back to doing something fun for me. Mostly painting for upcoming exhibits.
Nick’s Pond, 20 x 16, acrylic on canvas, Kit Miracle
I don’t usually lack for ideas. Quite the opposite – too many ideas. But when I hit a dry spell, I sit with my notepad and just start brainstorming. Sometimes I think of a theme, or a location, or something that’s just a challenge. Not all of the ideas I consider reach fruition. Some turn out quite awful, to be frank, but you don’t see those. Maybe it’s a quick glimpse of a cloud or weather formation. Or maybe I want to try some new materials. I really like to do landscapes and to capture human forms. Not much into capturing ugly (to me) – rusty old implements or derelict buildings. But any of this could change in the future, maybe next week.
The Conversation, 12 x 16 acrylic on canvas, Kit Miracle
The past few months I’ve been capturing my travels to California this past spring. Totally different landscape for me. I mostly just did simple sketches, watercolor with pen and ink. But this inspired me to try some bigger, more finished paintings in acrylic on canvas. Many of these were challenging, even to the point where I asked myself why I decided to even try them. But I usually finish what I start as I’ve encountered that messy part of working on a painting about 60% of the way through where it all looks like garbage. Funny how that often works itself out.
Here are a few pieces that I’ve done the second half of the summer. And loads more ideas to come. There just aren’t enough hours in a day.
Palace of Fine Arts – Front View, 16 x 20, acrylic on Canvas, Kit MiraclePalace of Fine Arts, Back View, 16 x 20, acrylic on canvas, Kit MiracleThe Visitor, 24 x 24, acrylic on canvas, Kit MiracleRed Lanterns, 16 x 12, acrylic on canvas, Kit Miracle
Creating prints from natural materials can be a whole lot of fun for you or your kids. I had an opportunity to conduct another free class at the little library a couple of weeks ago. This was the last of a series of free kids art classes this spring.
The idea was to collect some interesting natural materials, cover them in paint, and use them to make prints. The materials I used were just collected from my yard. Ferns, leaves, flowers, weeds. I also added some feathers and even a snake skin for texture. Maybe you can take a nature walk with your kids to collect the materials.
One of my demonstration sample print pieces on top of a painted sunrise.Repetition leaves in a pattern
Some of the kids used artist canvas boards, but we found that paper or cardboard works best as supports for the prints. The paper can be plain white or colored, or even textured. Some of the kids did a pre-print drawing or rainbow on their papers. There are just so many ideas.
This was a pretty messy project so as before, I recommend a disposable table cloth, lots of newspapers, disposable plates for palettes, and disposable cups for water. Actually, after our class was done, nearly everything got wrapped up in the tablecloth and tossed. Easy cleanup.
I also recommend that you AND the kids wear some protective clothing or aprons. An old shirt turned backwards works great, too. Things may (WILL) get messy.
Some of the kids wore gloves but others opted not to.Once they got into it, the prints were flying like mad.
The paint we used was acrylic but tempera or poster paints work pretty good, too. And we used cheap makeup sponges instead of brushes.
Before we started, I showed the kids some of the sheets where I had practiced with some of the materials. Then I demonstrated the process. Afterwards, they painted their leaves or whatever, pressed it into their papers, and used some newspapers to really rub in in. Then they needed to gently lift the leaf or natural materials off. The most difficult part was to judge how much paint was enough and not too much or too little. They caught on very quickly.
The kids selected from a big pile of natural materials. They had about six colors to select from.
This would be a great project to do outdoors on a summer day. The kids didn’t sit down as they kept moving around, trying new materials. I was so happy to see them having so much fun.
Printing light colors on a darker color paper worked well, too.Just a sample of some of the results of our class.
If you try this out, please let me know how your project turns out.
Summer is nearly upon us and people everywhere are getting ready to do a little traveling. Maybe for vacation or maybe just to visit some friends and family in distant places. Most of us capture our visits with dozens if not hundreds of photos in our phones, or as I like to call them, our personal entertainment devices. But how many of you actually go back and look at all the photos you’ve taken? Probably not too many.
I want to encourage you to develop the habit of recording your trips and making small sketches in a travel journal. This doesn’t have to be complicated or involve carting around tons of equipment. And you surely do not need to record details of every minute of your trip. But a travel journal is often helpful to prompt your recall of that marvelous chocolate shop in the Marais District of Paris, or the intriguing rock shop at Zion National Park. A note now will save much time trying to recall those lost memories.
I recently had the very great pleasure to visit relatives in California, both northern and southern. Although I have traveled to California before, this visit was pure pleasure and exposed me to many beautiful sights. Plus, I dined on all kinds of delicious food. Yum.
Since I was traveling very light, I only took the barest of art equipment and a journal in which I’ve recorded many other trips over the years. I make brief notes of daily activities, plus some essential facts about the details of my travels. My greatest pleasure is to capture some scenes through sketches and small watercolors. The best part of my recordings is that they help me to concentrate on the scenes and set them firmly in my memory. Obviously I can’t capture every scene, but am happy with the ones that I do. They mean so much to me when I review my travel journals at a later time.
Small sketch kit. Prang watercolor kit with my added professional paints, book, mechanical pencil, permanent ink pen, collapsible water container.
These are some of the sketches from my recent journal. My metal Prang watercolor set has been refilled with professional watercolors. It is so old that it’s a collector’s item now. I only carry three or four small brushes, a mechanical pencil (no sharpener required), a pen with permanent ink, a folding water container, all in a resealable bag. The notebook is only 5 x 7 inches. I have smaller sketchbooks and larger ones but this size fit in my backpack and was easy to carry.
Municipal Rose Garden, San Jose
The first day we visited the beautiful Municipal Rose Garden in San Jose. I could smell the scent before I even entered the gardens. People of all ages were strolling or lounging in the shade of some magnificent redwoods. We sat in the shade and caught up with life while I made this sketch. You do not have to include every detail when you are sketching but may take liberties to change things to suit your needs. You’re trying to catch the spirit of the scene, not necessarily the exact replica.
Pillar Point Harbor at Half Moon BayDriving down California Highway #1
Another day we drove out to Half Moon Bay and walked out to Pillar Point to see the surf. Later, we drove down the iconic California Highway #1 to Santa Cruz for dinner on the pier. I even spotted a plein air painter on a bluff above the ocean.
The Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco
One day we took the train up to San Francisco for a day of sight-seeing. Starting at the Palace of Fine Arts, we walked to Crissy Field, down the shore to Copper’s Corner. I sketched the Golden Gate Bridge from this vantage point. Fortunately my son took pity for my knees and respect for the hills of SF to hire cars to take us to various spots. We ended our outing having lunch at the famous Sam Wo’s restaurant. I was exhausted by the time we took the train back to San Jose.
Later, I flew down to LA where I reunited with my sister and nephew and niece whom I haven’t seen in many years. They were the best hosts and tour guides. We visited the outstanding Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. Another day we went to the Getty Museum atop the hills. The collection was beautiful as was the museum and the views. One day was spent at the wonderful Hilbert Museum viewing its impressive collection of California art. Special kudos for my nephew’s husband and his navigation of the LA traffic, all without a hint of impatience.
Did I sketch everything that I saw or visited? Of course not! But I captured some significant to me places and events. Plenty of food for thought and future paintings. Meanwhile, I can refresh my memories with my sketchbook and notes.
So while you’re planning your next trip or vacation, don’t forget to pack your sketchbook and some drawing materials. Happy traveling!
Here are a couple of links to previous postings about travel sketching.
Posted onMarch 31, 2024|Comments Off on Spring, time of rebirth and renewal
A little house on the hill overlooking the Easter eggs hidden on a sunny spring day.
No matter who you are or what beliefs you hold, nearly everyone experiences a time or season when they feel compelled to break out of their rut and try something new. For many of us, spring is that time. Other people seem to adhere to a new year as a new beginning. Sometimes we just want to shake off the old and strike out for new territories.
As an artist, I’ve had many rebirths over the years. I painted in watercolors for over twenty years. Then I just couldn’t figure out where I wanted to go with it anymore. So I switched to oils and explored that for ten years. But I became concerned about the fumes in my studio. So I switched to acrylic paints. There were challenges with each medium and some things I had to learn from the beginning. However, after I mastered the mediums, then it was very stimulating to try some new ideas and challenge myself.
I think many artists go through such periods of renewal and rebirth. It’s what makes us the creative people that we are. We get bored doing the same thing all the time.
Brightly colored Easter eggs hiding under an azalea bush
In the past couple of years I’ve explored adding metallic gilding to some of my paintings. That definitely has been a learning experience but it has taken my work in some new directions.
More recently, I’ve been working with some different color combinations. A little brighter, not my normal palette. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. The whole point is to break out of my comfort zone.
Here’s my basket of eggs!
This week I created some Easter cards for you. These mini-paintings are approximately 4 x 6 plus margins. They are watercolor, pen and ink on Fabriano watercolor paper. They are all originals and make nice little pieces of frameable art. I am giving these away for free. Just drop me a note on my Facebook page, KitMiracleArt. Send me your name and address. They will go to the first four people who respond. Free shipping, too, US residents only. (Sorry, it’s the free shipping.) When they’re gone, they’re gone.
Posted onMarch 24, 2024|Comments Off on Georgia O’Keeffe visits Birdseye this month
Cow skull. This is the largest one in my collection.The outside of my studio is decorated year round with my found collection of skulls.
Another famous artist visited our little library this month. After the exciting visit by Van Gogh last month, Georgia O’Keeffe thought she would pay a visit. She brought several of the skulls from her collection for the kids to use as subject matter. These included a cow skull, a fully-antlered buck skull, two antlerless deer skulls, and a bird skeleton. One of the boys in the class pointed out that the small deer skull was probably a baby as it had no teeth.
Two brothers working on their paintings. One is using the large deer skull with antlers and the other is referring to some O’Keeffe paintings in an art book.Discussing the branching of the antlers.
I thought the “ick” factor of the skulls would attract the kids…and it did although probably not as much as I anticipated. In this rural area, hunting is part of the culture and most kids are used to seeing or being around hunting and fishing. In fact, my sons both were required to take a hunting and boating class in seventh grade which makes sense.
Sketching your subject before you paint helps you to become familiar with all the shapes and shadows.
I showed the kids how the skulls were alike and different. They were allowed to examine them closely (they’d been cleaned with bleach water several times and were pretty old. I also suggested that they practice by making drawings of the subjects before they try to paint.
Discussing brush sizes. Each girl has selected the skull she wants to work from.Each child is encouraged to choose his or her own composition.Someone was interested in layers of fossils, and added a whole flock of crows later.
We discussed why O’Keeffe was attracted to bones and skulls when she lived in the desert southwest. And we also viewed some of her paintings, how she changed them or added to them. The kids were allowed to choose the the bones they wanted to work from and create their own compositions. One child chose to create an archeological dig of bones and fossils in layers.
The next class will be in early May and is open to ages 8 through 14. Contact the library to sign up for this free class. We will be making nature prints from real materials that we’ve gathered.
I'm a professional artist, retired director of a performing arts center, bona fide book addict, and enjoy the quiet life...most of the time. I'd love to hear from you or get your ideas for future posts. Come back soon!
I'm a professional artist, retired director of a performing arts center, bona fide book addict, and enjoy the quiet life...most of the time. I'd love to hear from you or get your ideas for future posts. Come back soon!
my90acres 