Posted onOctober 27, 2024|Comments Off on Dancing Shadows, Revisiting the Southwest
Dancing Shadows, Junipers trees at the Grand Canyon, south rim, near the eastern side. I love the shadows and the southwestern colors. 24 x 30, framed.
The Grand Canyon in Arizona is one of my favorite places to visit. When I first went out there about a decade ago, as with most visitors, I was astounded by the beauty of the place, not to mention the size. It’s overwhelming.
That first visit gave me plenty of subject matter for painting. I love the colors, just the sheer beauty of the place. I know I’m not alone in this feeling. I’ve been back a few times and never get tired of the scenery.
Dancing Shadows, detail. Notice the impressionistic variations in the paint.
This painting focuses on the shadows of the juniper trees on the south rim of the Canyon, towards the eastern side. I loved the play of light and shadow, the colors of the earth, shadows and plants. I could probably paint there a hundred years and never run out of something interesting to see.
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
The Singing Tree, acrylic on canvas with sterling silver gilding, 30 x 24, Kit Miracle
I have a singing tree in my front yard. Actually, right next to the house.
Oh, it’s not belting out O Sole Mio or anything like the latest rap. It’s more of a gentle, low key humming, singing really. The first time I heard it was when I was walking around the yard on a windy day. I kept looking around to see if anyone was there. It took me a while to realize that the sound was coming from a tree. The twisted branches were rubbing against each other, creating a sound.
Our house, like so many older homes in this part of the midwest, is surrounded by yard trees. These were planted decades ago to provide shade to houses in the heat of the summer, long before air conditioning. The trees nearest the house are all maples, mostly black or sugar maples. (Lovely colors in autumn.) Although we’ve lost some of the trees over the years, there are still enough to provide some shade.
The Singing Tree, original photoThe Singing Tree, black and white photo manipulation
Last spring I took a photography course. I was mostly interested in learning how to use the features of my cameras. Didn’t need much help with composition. One of our weekly assignments was to get out and film nature. The Singing Tree was one of my entries. After some computer manipulation, I did a very striking black and white, almost abstract. I was going to paint is as such, but then reverted to a muted impressionistic painting with added sterling silver gilding. I even added a maple leaf motif to the edges of the painting, in sterling silver, of course.
The Singing Tree, detail 1The singing Tree, detail 2The Singing Tree, edge with leaf motif in sterling silver
The whole painting has been sprayed with clear acrylic which prevents the sterling silver from tarnishing. Adding the gilding adds several more steps to the actual painting which slows the whole process.
Posted onNovember 26, 2023|Comments Off on 125th Annual Juried Show – Richmond Art Museum
McGuire Hall, Richmond Art Museum, Richmond, Indiana.
I mentioned in a post a few years ago (October 2019) that my high school alma mater is in Richmond, Indiana. It is a beautiful and stately old school with many new additions over the years. What most people don’t realize is that it is one of the few public high schools in the country that has it’s own art museum attached.
As a student there, I walked past famous paintings every day on my way to class in the arts wing. I thought that every high school had an art museum. I didn’t learn until much later how unusual this situation was. I’m sure that walking through beautiful McGuire Hall had a definite impact on my eventual career path. It was very inspiring seeing real paintings by William Merritt Chase and T.C. Steele on a daily basis.
Richmond Art Museum still receives enormous community support. They are currently celebrating their 125th annual juried exhibition for artists living in Indiana and Ohio. I am very pleased to report that I had both of my entries accepted into this prestigious show. The two paintings are The Golden Marble and Leo’s Muse which I’ve discussed in earlier posts.
Leo’s Muse, final, acrylic on canvas, 23K gold leaf, sterling silver leaf, 16 x 16, Kit MiracleThe Golden Marble, acrylic on canvas, 30 x 24. 23K gold leaf and sterling silver leaf. Kit Miracle
If you’d like to see the paintings in person and many other beautiful works, the exhibit runs through January 6th, 2024. The museum is located on the north end of Richmond High School on Hub Etchinson Parkway where there is public parking. Admission is free. Feel free to stop in, see the exhibit and some of the artwork on display in the other galleries. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 to 5; closed Sunday, Monday and major holidays. Call 765-996-0256 for more information.
The most recent paintings that I’ve done have been with using a very limited palette which I’ve posted about previously. I’ve now cut the number back to four colors plus black and white. I like the challenge to see if I can adapt the most colors from just a few options. Actually, it works very well.
The original reference photo. I like the dappled light.
This painting is based on some photos that I took of summer flowers several years ago. Called August Bouquet, it showcases some zinnias and Queen Ann’s lace, plus others. The vase is sitting in the shade on an old wooden table, with dappled sunlight showing through. I’ve added some scissors as a foil for the flowers.
Vertical canvas prepared with thin color washesCanvas with sketches, and colored outlines
The canvas is a 20 x 16 vertical, 1.5 inches deep. I’ve already sanded and gessoed it and added a little texture. Then I added a thin wash of colors approximately where I anticipated locating the main shapes. After this coat dried (working with acrylics that only takes about twenty minutes), I then made a loose pencil outline of the flowers and other shapes.
The next step was to add color to the outline. I don’t try to make the outline colors match the subject, in this case, flowers. In fact, I often choose what I anticipate are contrasting colors to the final painting.
Middle stage with some fill-in color, loosely painted. I actually like this stage best. I think it would look nice in a larger size.August Bouquet, almost finished. I did not stick with the dark brown of the wooden table but kept to a lighter tone. I will tweak it a bit and add some gold or silver leaf details. Maybe.
Then the main shapes began to get filled in. I hesitate to call this the tedious part, but it is much more involved than the previous steps. I just have to stick with it until I’m done. I zone out, listening to music or a recorded book. Sometimes I fill in the background first; sometimes I start with the main subject. There are no hard rules here.
Canvas on my easel. I’ve turned off the painting light to get a better idea of values and colors. You will also notice a couple of shed snakeskins hanging on my easel. Actually, this is ONE snakeskin (about five ft) which my son found in the woodshed. He thought it would be fun to leave it for me in my studio…spread out on the floor. Big joker, eh?
I step away from the canvas often at this point to compare values, colors, shapes. The painting light above my easel can cast light which is too harsh so it’s best to turn it off while I compare values. This is a good point to take a break, perhaps overnight. I’ll often run out to my studio in the morning to see if the painting looks as I thought I left it or what glaring changes I need to make.
Although August Bouquet will be finished with a few more details, plus probably some addition of gold or silver leaf, I actually like one of the middle, less-finished stages best. One doesn’t actually need to put in every detail; in fact, it’s often distracting and doesn’t help convey the message of the painting.
Maybe I’ll paint it again with a less-finished look. What do you think?
My notes with a list of the colors I’ve used. All Liquitex or Golden Heavy Body Acrylics. These paints are high quality and thicker than standard paints. I can get more texture with them. My disposable palette with the four colors plus black and white.
Posted onNovember 7, 2023|Comments Off on Feature article in Southern Indiana Living Magazine
My work is featured in the November- December issue of Southern Indiana Living Magazine. Thanks to the wonderful write up by Judy Cato, she’s managed to condense forty years into two pages – with pictures! Thanks so much, SILM and Judy. Check it out here, pages 18-19.
Posted onSeptember 17, 2023|Comments Off on The Golden Marble – More Gold and Silver Leaf
The Golden Marble, acrylic on canvas, 30 x 24. 23K gold leaf and sterling silver leaf. Kit Miracle
This is another painting in the gold and silver leaf series that I’ve been exploring. At 30 x 24, it’s the largest one so far. I also completed this one before Leo’s Muse which I posted last week.
The subject is a young boy who has been playing dress-up with his sister. In a spirit of silliness, she has adorned him with ribbons and hair clips. His smile engages the viewer as he shows off The Golden Marble which is a prized possession.
Although I usually plan my paintings very carefully, I’ll admit that I really wasn’t sure where I was going with this one. I liked the subject. I knew that I wanted some gold and silver. Other than that….well…
A preliminary sketch of the subject of The Golden Marble
As usual, I did some preliminary drawings of the child. These are just to familiarize myself with the subject. I then sketched him on the canvas, a straight-on shot. Then I began playing with background colors. I elected to use some very bright and warm colors, radiating out of the figure.
Initial lay-in of colors. I did the background warm/hot colors first. The began a grisaille of the figure.Now laying in flesh tones, plus adding some detail to the background.
I then painted the figure in grisaille, those greyish tones. Later working overall with adding some detail to the background. More paint on the primary figure. Although I had some reference photos to work from, this doesn’t really represent the situation. I painted very loosely, adding more to both the figure and the background until I was satisfied.
The figure is pretty complete. I decided to add a carpet to part of the floor, leaving the rest as hinting at wood flooring.Applying the gold and silver leaf while working on the floor
Because the canvas is so large, I had to place it on the floor of my studio to work on adding the gold leaf. Again, no fans or air conditioning blowing as the metal leaf is so fragile and blows everywhere. It was pretty challenging to decide where I wanted to place the metal leaf, plus I kept switching back and forth during the process. Sometimes the gold would be on top; other times the silver would be. The fixative is clear so I had to carefully judge where I wanted to place it, and estimate the right amount of tackiness for the metal leaf to stick. Overall, I’m pretty pleased with the result.
The Golden Marble, detail 1. I left plenty of the warm background colors show through. As you can see, I alternated placing the gold leaf on top of the silver, and the silver on top of the gold. Abstract shapes alternate with more organic circle or bubble shapes. No real planning, just in the flow.The Golden Marble – detail 2 showing the texture of the canvas and close-ups of the hair decorations
The final steps were to go back and touch up the figure here and there. I have learned that it’s difficult to touch up or make changes in the gold and silver leaf as it just doesn’t look the same as when first applied. I may find some way to eventually meet this challenge, but haven’t yet.
The very final step is to spray a protective coat of clear acrylic over the entire painting. This keeps the silver leaf from tarnishing and the gold leaf from flaking off.
Overall, it’s a very striking piece. I want to explore my next subject in this medium.
Afternoon visitors. They’re eating fallen fruit from the orchard.
If you’ve been wondering where I’ve been, maybe imagining some exotic vacation, nothing could be further from reality. Mostly just hanging around here tackling one thing after another.
Although we had a week or two of pretty hot weather, last week was marvelously cool with temps in the 70s. We also have managed to have pretty even rain – not too much, not too little. All good.
My little raised bed garden has been producing better than I thought. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant. Note to self: plant less squash next year and more beans. And I just planted a fall crop of spinach and lettuce.
Unfortunately, all this produce came at an unlucky time when our 35 year old freezer elected to die. This involved a lot of hassle with the local big box store (HD) on delivery dates. But mostly the fact that the huge truck they decided to deliver the freezer – the same one that they delivered the washing machine two months ago – suddenly couldn’t make it down our drive. Lots of unhelpful phone calls until we cancelled the order and went with the local appliance store. Spent a little more but the service was great. I like supporting local businesses, too.
The second half of this misadventure is that the freezer resides in the back of my studio. Which meant, of course. hauling out most of the paintings that have been stored back there. Might as well clean it out while I’m at it. None of this was on my schedule. Anyway, it’s all fixed up now. On to other things.
The Golden Marble (detail), acrylic, real gold and silver leaf, 30 x 24. Kit Miracle
I’ve been experimenting with more applications of gold and silver leaf to my paintings as discussed earlier. I really like this but it is so tricky to work with. This is 23K gold and sterling silver on the thinnest of metallic sheets. Even a breath of air will mess it up while applying it to the canvases. Here is a detail shot of one of the largest paintings that I’ve done using this technique. I’ll post more about it later.
Deer in the bean field
And, the deer seem to be out in abundance. Although we rent our fields out, it’s sure a shame to see how much these visitors eat. The beans are high enough now that we mostly only see their heads. And they don’t seem to be skittish at all with the noises coming from the house and yard. Well, another couple of months it will be a different story when hunting season starts. Meanwhile, I love watching the twins playing in the yard just as any youngsters might do.
I hope to post a bit more regularly in the future. And I also hope that you’ve all been managing the weather – heat, drought, hurricanes. Autumn is coming and the leaves are even beginning to change. Can’t wait!
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 