Tag Archives: acrylic

Stars and stripes

Posted on May 28, 2023 | 1 comment

Waving Glory, original painting, acrylic, sterling silver gilt, canvas board, K Miracle

I always get a little thrill when I hear a band playing and see the marchers, whether musicians or military. Something about the big booms of the drums. But particularly the waving of the stars and stripes.

Stars and Stripes, original painting, acrylic, silver gilt, stretched canvas. K Miracle

With several patriotic holidays coming up – Memorial Day, Flag Day and July 4th – I felt impelled to create a few small flag paintings. Just some stars and stripes, waving, as you might see anywhere this time of year. The unique thing with these paintings is that I’ve added some real sterling silver gilt to them. Yes, really! Let me tell you another time how challenging it is to work with the sheets of gold and silver.

Flay Day, 5 x 7, acrylic, silver gilt, K Miracle

Anyway, all the paintings have been coated with clear acrylic so the silver won’t tarnish over time.

I couldn’t add the neat videos for these paintings to my blog but you can check out my shop to see the videos of the flags on a turntable which really shows off the shine of the silver. Just because I wanted to, you might say.

KitMiracleArt.com

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Posted in holiday

Tagged acrylic, flag paintings, holidays, july 4th, memorial day, silver gilt

Spring will arrive – eventually

Posted on February 27, 2022 | Comments Off

My last post earlier this month was about Snomagedden. The weather in the midwest has been all over the place – ice, sleet, fog, freezing rain. Later this week we are expecting temps up to the 60s. I’ll be watching for spring flowers as the daffodils are already up several inches.

My show at the Harrison County Arts in Corydon has been very successful. Last week I gave a gallery talk which was well-received. The reporter Judy Cato came out twice. Once to interview me and another time to bring her friend Lorraine, the photographer. And then this coming week I get to pick it up the show.

Judy Cato (reporter for Southern Indiana Living) and me.

But I am already on to the next thing. I’ve decided to paint some bridges and started with some train trestles and tunnel bridges, graffiti and all. It’s been fun so far. I’ll let you know how that goes.

Stay tuned for the next thing. Happy spring until we meet again.

Tunnel bridge on Schnellville Road, complete with graffiti.

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Posted in contemporary impressionism

Tagged acrylic, bridges, contemporary impressionist, indiana, kit miracle, train trestles

Solo show opening this week

Posted on January 16, 2022 | 1 comment

I gave a little background behind the Breaking Bread series. I could only exhibit about six paintings in the series due to space limitations.

My solo show at the Harrison County Arts gallery opened yesterday. This is in downtown Corydon, Indiana, the first state capitol of Indiana. It’s a quaint little town and is about thirty miles west of Louisville, Kentucky. It gets a lot of visitors and many people work in the big city.

Harrison County Arts is a co-op of a group of volunteers who manage and present quality art and crafts of regional artists.

There are plenty of other beautiful art items for sale in the backrooms, ranging from jewelry and photos, to sculpture and furniture.

I dropped off my work the week before and the volunteers did the rest. They did a lovely job hanging the exhibit although the space is limited. My show is the last exhibit at this gallery. They’re moving across the street to another space which is several times larger.

This exhibit features a few paintings from my Breaking Bread series. The remainder are mainly focused on Southern Indiana scenes and locations. There are a variety of oils and acrylics with a few prints in a rack.

Director Julie Schweitzer and me. Everyone was masked and being very careful during this time.

Despite being a chilly Friday night during a pandemic, the turnout was very decent. Many guests had interesting questions. As an artist, I always have something to spout on about my work. I didn’t see anyone’s eyes glazing over. And everyone wore masks!

The show runs through February 26th and there are pieces in all price ranges. The location is at 121 E Chestnut Street, Corydon IN 47112. Their hours are Tuesday through Thursday, 12 – 4, Friday 12 – 6, and Saturday 10 – 2.

If you’re looking for the gallery, this is the outside. It’s on Chestnut Street in Corydon next to Butt Drugs (yes, a real place).

1 Comment

Posted in contemporary impressionism, landscape

Tagged acrylic, art, contemporary impressionist, corydon, gallery exhibit, harrison county arts, indiana, kit miracle, oil painting

Commissioned artwork

Posted on October 3, 2021 | 2 comments

A recent commission. The customer wanted to feature a bit of the courthouse square, change the season so the weeping cherry tree was in blossom, and tidy up the flowers. It’s still in my style but I didn’t mind making these adjustments. Acrylic on canvas, 24 x 36.

If you have been an artist for any length of time, you have probably been asked to create something especially for someone. Maybe a friend or a relative, someone special. It is always difficult to decide if that is really what you want to do. Here are some concerns for you to think about.

1. What is a commission? This is basically when someone asks you to create something special for them. Frankly, commissioned artwork was the norm until a few hundred years ago. Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Chapel. At that time, the artist was primarily a sculptor and didn’t want to do the job but was persuaded one way or another. That turned out well.

2. Know your style and what you are comfortable doing. If you have been an artist for any length of time, eventually someone will ask you to make something for them that just doesn’t fit your comfort zone. Maybe they want you to copy another artist, or perhaps paint an abstract painting when you paint only in a realistic style.

To be totally honest, I was asked early on in my career to copy another artist’s painting and just was not comfortable with it. Although I eventually I complied (it was a relative), it never sat well with me and I haven’t done it since. Be true to yourself.

3. Don’t compromise. This hooks in with the paragraph above. Know your style and stick with it. If the client wants something different, you may just have to pass on the job. It always helps if you can steer them towards someone else who can help them.

4. Take notes. I have several notebooks which I have filled over the years with notes for commissions. Obviously, the client’s contact information, but more details about what they want. You might even have a list of questions before you meet. For instance, size, materials, deadlines are obvious. Less obvious are what they want in the commission and what they don’t.

5. Come to an agreement. If you really want a formal agreement, you may need to draw up a contract. I don’t usually do this but it is a good way to cover yourself should any misunderstandings occur later. Are they agreeing to your style? Will you submit sketches or mockups? When do they want the final?

6. Arriving at a price and getting a down payment. You should do a little research ahead of your meeting or perhaps you will have to get back with the client later. Remember to include your materials, time, driving time or shipping. Condition for submitting the final product. Don’t forget your overhead. And don’t be afraid to ask what you deserve. Do some research for your area and medium. What are other artists charging for similar commissions with a similar level of skills and background?

7. Ask about a deadline. Is the commission for a special event or doesn’t the client really care when you complete it? I really like to get the commissions done and off my plate. If there is a deadline, do you have time to meet it? Is it around the holidays when everyone else is clamoring for work that must be done yesterday?

8. A commission is work for hire. Get comfortable with that idea or don’t accept the commission. Maybe you’ll be excited by the first few commissions you have, but perhaps by the 100^th, you’ll be so tired of doing them. Raise your prices! I did house portraits for many years until I became annoyed with them interfering with the work I was really interested it. After awhile, I kept raising my prices until I finally just had to quit doing them.

9. Do your best. If you have agreed to accept a commission, then you owe it to your client to do your best. Maybe you’re getting a little tired of work for hire, but get this one out of the way. Then decide if you still want to keep doing them. But remember that your reputation is on the line and a disgruntled client can be a real pain. If you can’t make it right, maybe you can refund their money and aim them in the direction of an artist who can better suit their needs.

10. Ask your client for input. Most people who commission an artwork are thrilled with the prospect of having something made especially for them. Ask for their input and a written recommendation. Develop a thick skin in case they have some criticisms. It might prickle at first, but you can always learn something from a good critique.

To see a step-by-step demonstration of how I created this painting, go to the Artworks tab or click here.

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Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged acrylic, art, commissioning a painting, commissions, kit miracle, painting instruction, work for hire

One more week!

Posted on June 18, 2021 | Comments Off

Beach Girl, preliminary color sketch for Wings and Jump. 16 x 12, acrylic, Kit Miracle

One more week to view my solo exhibit at the Thyen-Clark Cultural Center. I must say, the number of visitors has been terrific and the comments in the guest book are so touching. Thanks so much for coming out.

Wings, Intimate Spaces, Beach Series. Acrylic on canvas, 18 x 24. This little girl is fascinated with the seagulls. Thus, the double meaning of the title. I wish I had done this painting on a larger scale.

If you would like to have a personal tour, just contact me and I’ll meet you there if I’m available. Otherwise, admission and parking is free. And the exhibits are open seven days a week. M-F 9-5, Sa 10-2, Sun noon – 3.

Jump, Intimate Spaces, Beach Series. Acrylic on canvas, 36 x 24. Kit Miracle Notice how the little boy’s feet are just lifting off the sand, thus the title.

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Posted in art, contemporary impressionism

Tagged acrylic, beach series, contemporary impressionist, intimate spaces, kit miracle, Thyen-Clark Cultural Center

Two more weeks!

Posted on June 11, 2021 | Comments Off

Gallery view 1. Visitors are invited to examine the paintings up close or from afar. Photography IS permitted in this exhibit.

Only two more weeks to see my exhibit at the Thyen-Clark Cultural Center in Jasper, Indiana. It has been such an awesome and inspiring experience to show my contemporary impressionist paintings in this brand new facility.

Gallery view 2. Kit Miracle exhibit. You can see the other two galleries across the hall.

The number of visitors and the flattering comments made in the guest books are humbling. As my son told me, Mom, although these paintings are large, this gallery makes them look small. That is just how beautiful and large the gallery spaces are.

Gallery view 3. Kit Miracle, contemporary impressionism.

The show closes on Friday, June 25th. If you haven’t had a chance to drop by, please plan to do it soon. I’ve met many friends and guests at the gallery for a private tour, not only of my show, but the entire facility. Just let me know if you’re going to be in town and I’ll be happy to meet you there.

Jasper Community Arts / Thyen-Clark Cultural Center

100 Third Avenue

Jasper IN

Hours: M-F 9-5, Sa 10-2, Sun noon – 3. Free admission and plenty of free parking in the rear of the building.

Gallery view 4. More paintings in the exhibit.

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Posted in art, contemporary impressionism

Tagged acrylic, contemporary impressionist, gallery exhibit, indiana, Jasper Indiana, kit miracle, Thyen-Clark Cultural Center

Something a little different

Posted on September 6, 2020 | Comments Off

I’ve been taking a break for the past several weeks from working on my current series of paintings Intimate Spaces: Breaking Bread. Although I tend to be pretty disciplined when I’m working on a big project, sometimes I need a respite. Recently I’ve returned to some old themes, particularly western scenes and my travels. Culling through a couple of decades’ worth of old photos, scenes that I may have skipped previously, now draw me in. It doesn’t always have to be the entire picture, just a small portion of it. And I always feel free to change things around.

Atrium at Longwood Gardens, du Pont estate, Pennsylvania. Acrylic on canvas, 16 x 20, impressionistic style, Kit Miracle

Here are a couple of my most recent paintings from my travels. The first one is of the Atrium at Longwood Gardens on the du Pont estate in Pennsylvania. Although I visited in March of that year, it was still beautiful. The gardens under glass were particularly impressive. Touted as the most beautiful garden in America, I couldn’t disagree.

Garden Cherub, acrylic on canvas, 20 x 16. Pittsburgh, PA Kit Miracle

The second painting is from a different trip to Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh to be exact. One of our favorite places to visit is The Strip District, a multi-block area of food shops and restaurants, fish markets and collectibles. This particular shop had some very enticing items in the front of the shop, but as I walked through the store to the back, they had a garden shop with rusty gates and ironwork, birdbaths and outdoor trellises. I loved this little garden cherub. Now I wish I had purchased him but at least I could capture him in paint.

Both of these paintings are painted on red-toned canvases which peeks through, adding another layer of liveliness to the scenes.

In case you are interested, these are both available in my Etsy shop KitMiracleArt. AND….I’m having a 20% off Labor Day sale through Monday. Free shipping, too.

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Posted in art, contemporary impressionism, garden, landscape

Tagged acrylic, art, contemporary impressionist, gardening, longwood garden, pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, strip district, toned canvas

After School, 96th Hoosier Salon Exhibit

Posted on August 28, 2020 | 2 comments

After School, acrylic on canvas, 30 x 30 Kit Miracle This painting is currently on exhibit at the 96th Annual Hoosier Salon show at the Indiana State Museum through October 25th, 2020.

I’m thrilled to have my painting After School on exhibit at the 96th Annual Hoosier Salon exhibit at the Indiana State Museum.

This painting depicts two girls having a snack after school. I assumed that they were in band or cheerleaders as they were dressed alike. I was attracted to the silhouette shape of the figures. Despite the high contrast of the figures against the light background, the painting itself actually has a lot of color. Notice the distinctive color outlines. These are painted before the rest of the painting, however, sometimes I go back and reemphasize the colors.

The background is painted very loosely and doesn’t really include any details except the umbrella. It’s always as important to know what to leave out as well as what to include. More details, parking lot, would not have added anything to the painting, just more distraction.

This is another painting in my Intimate Spaces: Breaking Bread series.

After School, detail 1. Acrylic on canvas.

After School, detail 2

The painting is currently on exhibit at the Indiana State Museum. The exhibit opens tomorrow, Saturday, August 29th with free admission. It runs through October 25th. You can find the Indiana State Museum at 650 W Washington St, Indianapolis. There is so much to see at the museum it’s certainly worth the trip. A great outing for kids and adults. And it’s right next door the the Eiteljorge Museum of Native American and Western Art, too!

If you can’t visit the museum in person, here is a link to the exhibit online. All the works are for sale, of course.

2 Comments

Posted in art, contemporary impressionism

Tagged acrylic, art, contemporary impressionist, Hoosier Salon, indiana, Indiana State Museum, kit miracle

Lunch at the Museum

Posted on July 26, 2020 | 2 comments

Lunch at the Museum, Kit Miracle, acrylic on canvas, 30 x 24.

This is the seventh painting in my Intimate Spaces: Breaking Bread series. A bold, vertical portrait, this painting certainly grabs attention. I’ve been noticing that in addition to telling a story, my portraits often include a wry sense of irony. Yeah, I just now figured that out but looking back at much of my work, I can see what often attracted me to the scenes initially. Maybe it’s my quirky sense of humor but hey, it’s my work and I can do what I want.

Anyway, this scene was when I took my granddaughter to the Carnegie Museum complex in Pittsburgh a few years ago. All that walking around to see dinosaurs and artwork and more is hard work. We stopped for lunch in the museum restaurant.

I guess that the first thing that strikes the viewer is, “What are those things coming out of her head?” This, of course, as any photographer will tell you is a definite no no in composition. You don’t want trees sprouting from your subject’s head. But here with those globe-shaped lights, it works. Some rules are made to be broken.

Lunch – detail 1. A sweet portrait but not saccharine.

There is a lot of vertical in this painting. Not only the canvas but the stripes, the lights, the straw for the girl, the wood on the table. The head is not quite in the center but everything leads to the face.

Lunch detail 5. Those squiggles become chairs and tables on the outdoor patio, viewed through the window of the restaurant.

Lunch detail 4. Up close, the people in the background look like beans, but again, from a distance, they come together.

I particularly like the balance between the warm and cool colors. Even within the cool areas, you can see quite a bit of color if you look closely. It’s about one third to two thirds ratio of warm to cool.

Lunch, detail 2. I captured this little still life even in a portrait.

Another little still life. The loosely painted silverware and napkin come together when viewed at a distance.

Some people like to see a photo realistic finish on paintings but that is not my style. (Been there, done that.) As a contemporary impressionist, I look to convey the message with as few strokes as possible. Looking at my paintings up close often reveals a jumble of bold brush strokes. But stepping back about six to eight feet, it all comes together. This is done to deliberately allow the viewer to become a participant in the experience by filling in the details with their own eyes where there may actually be none.

Canvas prep and under painting. This abstract painting doesn’t necessarily follow the composition of the painting but is designed to give a little guidance. Look closely to see my initial sketch of the subject before I begin to paint.

I also like to paint on a toned canvas, often with a rough gesso base to add texture. One of my favorite colors is a reddish tone which adds sparkle where it peeks between the brush strokes. This is particularly good for landscapes that have lots of green. However, the tones on this series of paintings are more somber, greys with some splashes of color. The subject is then drawn on top before I start painting. When my husband saw all the prepped canvasses in my studio, he thought I was switching to abstract painting. Well….not yet.

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Posted in art, portrait

Tagged acrylic, art, Carnegie museum, contemporary impressionist, kit miracle, painting instruction, Pittsburgh, toned canvas

Plein air painting – oil and acrylics, tips and tricks Part III

Posted on June 28, 2020 | 2 comments

Plein air painting on the rim of the Grand Canyon. Duck on a Rock is the name of the formation. It was very, very windy that morning so I had to secure the easel.

My last post about plein air painting addressed how to do watercolors. In this final post, I will address how to do oils and / or acrylics.

There are many similarities with painting plein air in oil or acrylics. Same supports – panels or canvasses, same (similar) brushes, same easel, etc. The biggest difference is that oils take a long time to dry and use some volatile chemicals, such as, mineral spirits. Acrylics are painted with water and dry in less than fifteen minutes. This makes a big difference if you are transporting the canvasses. Oil painting will smear and get everywhere, whereas, acrylic paintings will dry quickly and be ready to transport within minutes.

Although I painted in oils for over a decade, now I do plein air painting almost exclusively in acrylics. Mostly for the ease of transport and quick drying times.

This is a typical French easel. It is a wooden carry box and easel all together. These have been around for over 100 years. There is also another smaller French easel called a half-easel. Both weigh quite a bit and, in my opinion, not too comfortable to lug around.

As always, my main concern in plein air painting is weight and ease of transport. There are many wonderful easels but the most common is the French easel which has been around for over 100 years. There is also the half-box easel and new aluminum easels which help a bit with the weight. Another option is the pochade box, either homemade or purchased. It seems everyone is trying to get smaller and smaller. I have a pochade box which is a beautiful piece of art furniture, but not really practical for my needs. I never want to get it messed up!

This is a beautiful little pochade box, similar to the one that I have. It is so exquisitely made that I hate to get it dirty. One needs to use a camera tripod to attach to the bottom as it doesn’t come with legs. However, you can just set it on a table or bench to use. The one that I have will hold a canvas up to 16 x 20 but that is not very practical for this size.

As usual, my main concerns are with weight and portability. I use another light weight aluminum easel (Stanrite 100) this one with spikes which fold out, but the whole thing collapses to about 25 inches. That I carry in the same homemade carrier as my watercolor easel. And another backpack devoted to acrylic (oil) painting. For some reason, Stanrite quit making these easels but I expect that is mostly because they last so long. You can probably find them on Ebay or one of the resale sites.

The typical gear that I take with me for acrylic painting. Backpack, selection of brushes and paints. portable travel palette, sketch book, panels and canvasses, gloves, water. Not shown would be a container for water. For oil paint, there would be two containers of mineral spirits and a portable oil paint palette.

Many of the items that I carry with me are the same, but some are devoted to acrylic painting. Paints, types of brushes, larger water jar, rags, etc. For oils that would be oil paints, brushes, and two jars of mineral spirits (one for cleaning brushes and one clean). Backpacks are cheap so just keep one packed for each of the type of work you wish to do. I have made separate lists for each type of plein air art activities that I do to remind myself what to take.

Easel

Chair / stool

Umbrella / bungees

Bag

Paper

Support

Clips

Acrylic travel palette (Mijello)

Or…oil travel palette

Brushes -assorted

Paints – assorted

Water and cup

Or Mineral spirits (two jars)

Spray bottle

Pencils/pens

Sketch book

Tape / clips

Multi-tool / pliers

Paper towels / cloth rags

Sponge

Bug spray

Sunscreen

Hat

Camera / cell phone

Apron

Scissors / knife

Snacks

Business cards

Some folding green stuff (money)

Bandaids

My backpack will hold canvasses or panels up to 11 x 14 inches. Larger canvasses will have to be hand carried or strapped onto your pack. When I travel, I will keep a plastic bin to contain all my canvasses.

These are the reminder cards that I keep in my kits. They remind me of what I need to take. I’ve used these kinds of cards for many things, vacations, camping, etc.

Most of the other equipment is the same as listed in my previous post about watercolor painting. Bug spray is a must to ward off mosquitoes or biting flies. I once had a guy who was hauling manure and (I think) deliberately let some out near where I was painting. Bungees help to anchor your easel or attach an umbrella. Very disappointing to return to your easel only to discover it face down in the weeds. Oh, well, such is the life of the artist.

And, yes, it is OK to tweak your painting when you return to your studio. Yes, there are some purists who think that is awful, but, hey, it’s your art and you can do what you like!

The main thing is to relax, enjoy yourself and have fun. It’s not a competition; it’s an adventure.