Last night I sat outside with the chill falling, enjoying the flames in the firepit. I think we had a frost but it doesn’t seem to have made much of a difference.
The Hunter Moon rising, October 9th.
Tonight I stood outside for awhile to wait for the rise of the Hunter’s moon over the ridge. As dusk was falling and the dog and I were waiting, a soft shadow drifted into the bean field. A deer. One of many nearby. The dog, of course, took off. Just the love of the chase, I expect. I don’t know what he would do if he caught one but there’s really no danger of that. The deer glided across the field in leaping arcs. He’ll be back.
Plein air painting with a friend down by the river earlier this week. It was so peaceful.I’ve painted this scene several times, in many seasons. The tall maples and reddish dogwood set off the white house and the clear blue sky. So brilliant.The dogwood backlit by the afternoon sun. My granddaughter says it looks like stained glass.
I try to get outdoors as much as I can this time of year. Took the grandkids to paint pumpkins at the local art fair yesterday. Went plein air painting down at the river with a friend earlier this week. But even a walk through the woods with the dog are pure pleasure. The squirrels sure aren’t leaving many hickory nuts and the walnut harvest is paltry compared to last year. Never mind. Plenty for all.
Purple ironweed looks brilliant and healthy this late in the season. It contrasts nicely with the beanfield in the background. It was actually covered with straggler butterflies a week ago.Surrounded by fall colors which seem to have changed overnight, at least the past two weeks.
We had a bit of a drought earlier this summer but with some rain. Crops around here are abundant. The farmers are scurrying to get it all in before the next big rain but I think they’ll be alright. None predicted for awhile.
Anyway, I hope you can get outdoors to enjoy the crispy fall air. I’ve painted nearly everything in the area throughout the seasons, particularly autumn. But I guess that you’ll see more seasonal work as the months go by. It never bores me. I find the rhythms of the seasons comforting. I hope that you are able to enjoy some natural beauty in your area, too.
A beautiful sunrise over Lake Patoka. Photo courtesy of my friend Joan M. who lives nearby.
Posted onSeptember 12, 2021|Comments Off on Paint for money…or paint for love?
If you’ve been an artist for any time at all….say more than a minute or two…you will begin to wonder what to do with all your wonderful creations. Maybe the closet is full, or they’re being stacked in the back room or your studio. Maybe someone in your house is urging you either subtly or more strenuously to get rid of that stuff!
I’m not really sure where the notion that creating something with the intention to sell it became tainted, particularly for artists. After all, we have bills to pay, food to put on the table, braces to buy for the kids. I can’t really think of any other profession where not making any money by your labor is considered a good thing. So unless you are willing to live rough and sacrifice some of the niceties like flush toilets and a shelter, then you must really give some thought to creating in order to make money.
I painted several of these little pumpkins in watercolor with pen and ink outlines. They were fun to do. I sent them as postcards to some friends and will probably add them to one of my online shops.
This doesn’t mean that you should only consider the financial aspects of your work, but it should be in the equation somewhere. I think the key here is to find balance between doing what you love to do and making some things to sell.
For instance, I did art fairs around the country for many years. This can be a rough way to make a living but I knew quite a few artists who made their entire living doing fairs. Packing up the vans and trucks, carting everything across the miles, setting up in various weather conditions….not easy. But some of the artists and crafters loved the lifestyle. Live up north in the summers; move to warmer climates in the winter. I even knew a couple of jewelry makers who floated around the Gulf of Mexico all winter long, only stopping long enough to catch their mail. They would then put the push on to hit the art fair circuit from May through September.
I actually enjoyed talking with patrons. I had figured that I could sell at least one red painting per show. (For some reason, people always have room for a red painting.) And I would have my big showstopper paintings which would entice people into my booth in the first place although they often settled for something more modestly priced. My bread and butter work were the all original line of fruit and vegetable paintings that I did, all 8 x 10, matted and wrapped. Yes, that felt more like production work but well…
Since the advent of the internet, the world of options has expanded exponentially. We’ve all become accustomed to shopping from our laptops or phones. You can set up shops at Etsy or Ebay or your own websites for very low fees. And guess what? You don’t have to worry about the weather, either! There are print on demand sites, and group websites, the list is endless.
But that brings us back. What to sell?
A couple of my autumn minis. Themes such as apples and pumpkins are very popular, but I also do small autumn landscapes for variety.
Here is where a little trial and error comes in. Or just walk around some galleries, gift shops, art fairs, etc. Do some online research, too. (You can get ideas but don’t copy!) What do you like to do? Make chairs? Do you really think you can sell those $2,000 masterpieces? Well, maybe…eventually. But how about looking at what you do like to do, then trying to scale it back? You don’t have to give up the big, challenging pieces. Those are what inspire you to keep going. Your style may change over time. That’s OK. Maybe you’ll look back in ten years and wonder what you were thinking when you made it. Or maybe it will be a collector’s item and the crowds will be demanding that you make more, and bigger.
I guess the bottom line here is that don’t let anyone tell you that you’re selling out if you decide to devote at least part of your time to creating work that has a ready market. You’re not. You’re trying to stay in the game and affording yourself the opportunity to make more, bigger, and better creations. So, unless you have a large trust fund or a very wealthy sponsor, just keep digging in and keep on keeping on. You only have to answer to yourself.
These are a few holiday minis that I’ve created over the years. Many times I’ll repeat a theme, or print them on cards. I sell these mini paintings online and in local gift shops. Each one is painted separately so they’re all individual but very similar.
With the extra warm weather this fall – it was 80 degrees here two weeks ago – we have been enjoying our time outdoors. But this is the time of year for fall cleanup. Battening down the hatches, so to speak. The farmer who rents some of our fields picked the beans this week. Amazing how quickly they can move. Sometimes they’ve been out there until one or two in the morning but this time it was daylight.
The garden is ploughed. Just resting until spring.
The garden is plowed and ready for spring. Although we don’t plow every year, often just tilling, this year we decided to do a deep plow. The autumn leaves have been ground up to mulch. Although I still enjoy the meditative quality of raking, I must admit that just grinding the leaves up with the mower is much the easier work.
The big pots are emptied and tidied away. Will fill them with flowers next spring, six months away.
All the flowerpots are emptied and stowed away. The greenhouse is cleaned, mostly. I’m going to see if the lemon tree can make it through in there. We no longer heat the greenhouse in the winter but on a sunny day, the temps can get to the 80s. The lemon tree was started from seed and, to our surprise, it has thorns! Getting too large and spikey to bring back into the house.
The poor lemon tree. With thorns. It will make or it won’t this winter. Will keep you updated.
I’ve deadheaded many of the perennials and saved the seeds to sprinkle around in spring. I discovered a patch of beebalm that I’d tossed along the road several years ago. The bees can always use more forage. And I’ve already dug some perennials and replanted them. More to go if I feel like it.
The flowerbeds could use a little more attention but when can’t they? I’ll get to them. Or not. The shop needs cleaning and I never did finish the attic. Oh, well. There’s always something to do here on the old place.
I finally installed the new printer that I purchased a couple of months ago. I’ve been printing out some notecards on it and it does a fine job. Put some of these on one of my Etsy shops and have them in a couple of local shops. Doing some holiday paintings for the local shops, too. But I’m really ready to get back to the bigger work. I have a solo show coming up next spring and still need a few more paintings.
And the holidays are coming up. Well, as I said, it’s always something out here in the country. Hope you’re all staying safe and well. I always welcome your comments.
Posted onOctober 18, 2020|Comments Off on Pumpkins! Pumpkins! Pumpkins!
Ever since our visit to the pumpkin patch a few weeks ago, I have been obsessed with painting pumpkins. Well, this has gone on long before that visit, but there is just something about the shapes and colors, the many varieties of these humble squashes that appeals to me.
Pumpkin Head – final painting, oil on linen, 29.25 x 36, Kit Miracle, Halloween theme, telling a story
The first pumpkins that I painted were several years ago in a large painting of my granddaughter and son carving pumpkins. I posted the “how to” of that painting here. Pumpkin Head presented many challenges. When my granddaughter wanted a happy face, my son replied, “No, they’re born as pumpkins but they die as scary jack o’ lanterns.” A bit macabre sense of humor, I’d say.
Fall still life set up.Little Turk. Love the shape and warty bumps on these pumpkins.
Big orange pumpkin with sunflowers.
Since then, I’ve painted little white ones and little orange ones, and pumpkin buddies. Pumpkins with flowers and leaves. And some larger pumpkins. I know it’s not “high art”, whatever that is. But it amused me this autumn. But I think I’m done. They’ve sold well in my Etsy shop and some local shops. I guess that I’m not the only person who loves pumpkins.
Little White. I did two of these and they both sold instantly. Guess white pumpkins are popular this year.Two Pumpkins. This is one of the older paintings of these little friends.Pumpkin friends. The small squash is actually more yellow than orange but this is the way it turned out.
Back to prepping canvases for the larger series.
Or…maybe something else.
Fall decorations on the farm. My husband’s old 1952 Allis-Chalmers tractor all gussied up for the studio sale a few years ago. He even washed it! And this was his idea entirely.
View of Madison, Indiana, from the inn. It’s a quaint, arty little town about forty minutes up the river from Louisville. I wanted to get a photo of the sunrise in the morning but the whole river valley was fogged in. Couldn’t see a foot in front of myself.
The soft days of autumn seem to be sneaking up on us. From temperatures in the 80s a week ago, to lows in the 50s and even 40s now. I love autumn with the smell of wood smoke and newly fallen leaves. The golden sunshine and the reds and yellows of the leaves. Everything seems to be winding down…but not quite yet.
This is the view from the Clifty Falls Inn. That is the Ohio River and Kentucky on the other side. Another week or two, and those hills will be ablaze with color.
My husband and I visited Clifty Falls State Park in Madison, Indiana. This 1400 acre park sits on the banks of the Ohio river and boasts some beautiful views of the river scenes, foliage, and the town of Madison. There is some great hiking here, too. Unfortunately, with the dry September, the falls weren’t running so we’ll have to plan a visit for another time.
The variety of pumpkins and gourds at the farm was amazing. I could have brought home three times as many. But they provide a little fall color for the season. And in the end, get tossed into the chicken pen. The ladies are very appreciative.
We just spent one night at the inn but it was a pleasant getaway. On our return, it seemed as if the leaves had begun changing colors overnight. We stopped to buy pumpkins at the Cornucopia Family Farm. This was our first visit but apparently they have many visitors from a wide area. Whole families were there for the hayrides and popcorn, children’s activities and, well, to buy pumpkins. I have never seen so many varieties. I wanted them all but had to restrain myself.
We discovered this beautiful little country church as we were looking for the pumpkin farm.
As we drove home on the country backroads, we saw little churches and just enjoyed the day. There were several Amish buggies on the roads. It was Saturday, after all. Just so relaxing to be out and about.
Late garden harvest of loads of peppers and a few tomatoes. Plenty more peppers to pick, too!
Summer tasks are winding down here on the farm. The garden has about had it but I’m a hold out for the last green bean. Still have plenty of peppers to pick as well as the sweet potatoes. And the zinnias which I grow for cutting are still vibrant. Some of them are taller than me!
Firewood. This is nice, dry and seasoned firewood and splits easily. The basement is already stacked but there’s plenty more wood to split.
It’s time to put away the fishing gear. Although, really, does the season ever end? The impatiens and coleus are getting a little leggy.
The leaves are starting to turn and drop. We usually just grind them up with the mower for mulch. And our stack of winter firewood is growing. We share a log splitter with the neighbor which is great for gnarly old pieces of wood. But the boys actually like to split the wood by hand with a maul. There is a lot more skill to this than it looks, requiring just the right swinging rhythm and twist of the wrist. It’s nice of them to come out and help the old man out once in awhile.
The zinnias that I use for cutting are still going strong. Some of them are taller than me! In the background are the desiccated stalks of the sunflowers that the goldfinches have stripped. And those poles on the left hold motion sensitive lights which help scare away the night critters. Sometimes.
The next month will find me out tidying up the place before it gets too cold. Maybe sitting by the firepit with a hot beverage and a book. I hope you have a quite place to retreat, too. Enjoy the season.
The last rose. Well maybe, maybe not. Sometimes I bring this little beauty inside in the winter just to enjoy the beautiful perfume on a cold day.
Way the Wind Blows, acrylic on wood panel, 8 x 10, original painting, Kit Miracle
With the nasty weather screaming through the Midwest the past couple of weeks, I’ve been surfing through old photos and files for subjects to paint. I came across some images taken on a visit to New England to visit family.
This is a painting of the cupola on the 200 year old barn at my brother’s home in New England. Made of red oak, the original timbers inside were marked with Roman numerals for assembly at some time in the past. I was attracted to the late afternoon sun as it caught the weather vane on top. One wonders at the history this barn has seen in its long existence. These old buildings always make me reflect on life as it was back then.
Although the subject of the painting is not one of the more complex that I’ve painted, I just enjoy the peace and calm of the scene. Very plain. Which just demonstrates that a one doesn’t need a lot going on in a scene to make compelling painting.
Painted on wood panel in a contemporary impressionist style, this small painting will fit in many spaces.
Way the Wind Blows, framed. Sometimes framing a painting makes all the difference.
When the wind is in the east, It’s good for neither man nor beast. When the wind is in the north, The old folk should not venture forth. When the wind is in the south, It blows the bait in the fishes’ mouth. When the wind is in the west, It is of all the winds the best.
Posted onNovember 4, 2018|Comments Off on Trees at Alton, Indiana, on the Ohio River
Trees at Alton, Indiana, on the Ohio River. Plein air, 12 x 16, Kit Miracle
Yesterday I drove up to Indianapolis to drop off a couple of paintings at the Indiana Plein Art Painters Association annual member exhibit. I haven’t entered this before, mostly because of the three hour drive. But the day was a beautiful fall day, starting off with some fog in low-lying areas. The fall colors were breathtaking. For those of you who think Indiana is represented by flat cornfields, nothing could be further from the truth. The southern part consists of beautiful hills, rivers, and streams covered mostly by deciduous forests. This time of year, the landscape is a panorama of golds and reds. It was just a glorious day for a drive.
One of the two paintings I entered is Trees at Alton, Indiana, on the Ohio River. I just painted this back in late September. As you can see, the tall trees on the left are just beginning to show some color. Alton is a tiny little collection of houses and has been flooded many times over the years. But the people who live here are passionate about living on the Ohio River so they always come back. There is something mesmerizing about the big river with its barges and other river traffic. I can just sit and watch the river for hours.
This scene is pretty classic. Just some trees, a path leading into the picture, a river and some hills. A very peaceful vista.
If you’re interested in seeing the whole exhibit, it is at the Hoosier Salon Gallery in Carmel, just north of Indianapolis. The exhibit runs from November 10th through December 14th. The reception is Saturday,, November 10th 5-9 pm. There are many beautiful paintings of all parts of Indiana and most of the work is for sale. Take a gander at this exhibit and visit lovely downtown Carmel with its many arty and eclectic shops and eateries. A great time for some holiday shopping.
It was a beautiful early fall day on Friday so I decided that my dog Mikey and I needed to explore the big woods to see how things were progressing towards autumn. I always take a bag to collect fall things – acorns and pretty leaves, bits of lichen and moss. Our property is a mix of gently rolling hills and streams with some acres of hardwood (red and white oaks) up on a hill. It is one of the highest places around and one of my favorite escapes.
Beginning of the walk through the east bean field.
I usually don’t head up to the woods in the deep summer – too buggy and too many weeds. So I was eager to see what had happened since I’d last been up to the big woods last spring. Of course, this called for long pants and long sleeves, and some bug spray. Dang, I hate chiggers and ticks! And biting flies!
An old weathered tree stump on the dry creek bed.
Through the hickory grove. Love the way the light strikes the dead cedar on the left. My companion Mikey waits almost around the bend. He’s very patient.
Another almost dry creek bed. Look closely and you can see plenty of deer traffic through here, especially some very large prints.
I’m always fascinated by interesting patterns of fungus and lichen.
It’s a little early for many of the leaves to have changed color here but there were the beginning signs. And, as expected, the creeks were really dried up after the past few weeks without rain. Normally everything is very lush, even in the deepest of summer.
Mikey loves to go into the woods and runs about 20 feet for my every step. Of course, one will never see any wildlife as he chases it all off. But I eagerly look for signs and wasn’t disappointed to see some pretty big deer prints in the mud near one of the creeks.
Getting ready to cross under the powerline. Usually this is a cleared path but since we’ve added another path, this one has grown up over the summer. The weeds were taller than me! I’m heading towards that dead tree on the hill on the upper right.
Wading through chest high weeds, I appreciated the brilliant colors of this late patch of goldenrod.
I actually just walked through this (looking back). Path is totally grown over with some fierce briers, snatching at my hat and clothes. I can’t imagine the early pioneers and explorers wading through this kind of terrain, although deep woods really have little undergrowth. This is caused by the open spaces that were created when some trees were taken out.
Reached my “resting” chair, an old chair that we dragged up into the woods on a favorite lookout space. I had to clear the weeds off just to sit down.
Over the past 30 years, we have done some selective timbering. The last time was a few years ago and a new path was cut to the big woods on the hill. The old path had grown over but I wasn’t prepared for just how much it had grown over since last spring. I almost got myself into more work than I anticipated as I had to practically hack my way through the overgrown weeds and briers. It was a relief to come around to the new path (and mowed) area. I sure don’t know how the pioneers did it except that real heavy woods don’t have much undergrowth.
We’ve hacked our way through the briers and have come out on the downside of the loop with the cleared new path. Yay!
Now the hiking is much easier, exactly what I was anticipating.
Coming out of the top woods, heading back under the powerlines.
The view from the top of the woods on the hill. If you enlarge this photo, you’ll see farms in the distance which is about a mile or more away.
Easy walking through the lower woods. These are mostly hardwoods, red and white oak.
Poor Mikey was as tired and thirsty as I was. I have never seen him lie down to drink. I think he really wanted to roll in the water on the cool sidewalk.
Mikey and I had a good hike (about a mile and a half for me) and much more for him. But we were both exhausted by the time we returned to the house. An immediate shower was called for to help prevent any chiggers or ticks from digging in. So far so good. Lots of good material for future paintings and a pleasant way to spend a fall morning.
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 