Tag Archives: kit miracle

Too many books!

Posted on January 7, 2024 | 2 comments

So how are those new year’s resolutions working out for you? How did you do with keeping them last year?

Statistics show that about 1/3 of all adults in the US make resolutions. Statistics also show that 23% will give up their resolutions after the first week. And only 8% will keep them all year. I think I read that bit last year which may have influenced my list of resolutions that I made this year.

Actually, I prefer to call them goals. That sounds like something to aim for, not just I resolve to do such and such this year. Maybe that’s splitting hairs but whatever works, I always say.

Unfortunately, as with most people, I tend to want to fix everything at the same time. Lose weight, get more exercise, eat better, etc. We all know how that goes. I find better results if I stick with fewer goals than to tackle too many at once.

One of my goals last year was to not buy any books. That doesn’t make the top ten in resolutions, but is certainly needs consideration in my case. I have a wide range of interests and love books of all kinds. But…they do take up a good amount of room. And they’re heavy, very heavy if you have to move. Also, they’re visible proof of where I spend my money. New clothes? Nah. New books? Oh, yes, please!

Most of the books that I buy are non-fiction. I always justify my purchases in that they are actually reference materials, I can learn something from them, I might need to know this stuff later. What if the internet goes down and I’m left with only my personal library? You can recognize a true addict by the excuses they make. I even buy a lot of used books, many times for such low prices that I can’t pass up the good deal. (See what I mean?)

So, I’m mostly proud to say that I stuck with my goal to not buy any books last year. At least until July when I had a little melt down when I took my granddaughter to the bookstore. That doesn’t mean that I didn’t read; I just resisted buying the books. I’m fortunate that I have a fairly good library system which supports my reading habit. Also, I’ve made very good use of the two electronic systems that they belong to where I can borrow nearly anything from books to music, videos to movies. Too much, actually.

But back to the no buying book resolution, er, umm, goal. I got back on the wagon…mostly. I did have a few slip-ups with buying some used books online. Although I’m very proud to report that I went into the local bookstore to shop for Christmas presents for others and did NOT buy a single book for myself. That wouldn’t have happened in the previous years. Magazines don’t count, do they?

So how did you do with your resolutions last year? I did manage to add more fruits and veggies to my diet. And walked more (with the help of the dog.) Cleaned out a few attics but not all of them. Some of the other goals are being recycled for 2024. No sense in getting crazy about improvements, is there? We’ll just see what I can stick with this year. I haven’t given up ice cream yet.

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Posted in books, opinion

Tagged books, bookstores, goals, kit miracle, resolutions, self-improvement

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Peaceful Christmas to all

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Posted on December 24, 2023 in contemporary impressionism, country living, holiday

Tagged christmas tree, kit miracle, peace at christmas, shining little tree, snow, snowflake

Pen and ink, sketches and drawings

Posted on December 3, 2023 | Comments Off

This week I’ve been fooling around with some pen and ink artwork. If it’s a sketch, then it’s looser. If it’s a drawing, then it’s more formal. That is not an official designation, just my own idea.

Birdseye Branch Library, pen and ink, Kit Miracle This one is plain but I actually colored in the Christmas wreath with a touch of red and green on the samples that I printed for the library.

So about a week ago, I thought I’d do a drawing of the library for the library. This is the little Birdseye Library which was featured in a post a few months back. I thought a pen and ink drawing which they could reproduce and sell as note cards would help them raise some funds. Most people can afford a package of cards for $15 without too much of a stretch. As with a previous painting I did of the library, I gave them the reproduction rights. They would handle all the printing, selling, etc. They can put the image on T-shirts, bags, cards, whatever. I hope it helps.

I’ve enjoyed creating pen and ink sketches for about 40 years. I find them very relaxing and will often just doodle while watching TV or sitting outside. Some of the images of buildings and structures are more formal, but most of the landscapes are pretty loose.

The old bank building and other stores, Birdseye, Indiana, pen and ink. Kit Miracle

Inman Episcopal Church, first church in Birdseye, Indiana, Pen and ink drawing, Kit Miracle

This week I did five sketches. In addition to the little library, I did a drawing of the first church in Birdseye and an old bank building in the small downtown area. The little church was from a very old photo that someone supplied me. But the downtown buildings were from some of my own photos. I have boxes of old pictures. Many have turned out to be good recordings of places and buildings which no longer exist.

The Crabapple tree. Pen and ink, watercolor. Kit Miracle

A Quiet Place to Rest, pen and ink, watercolor, Kit Miracle

Finally, I sketched a couple of trees. An old crabapple which the grandson loves to climb. And a dogwood by the herb bed which shelters a bench, perfect for taking a break from yardwork. I have added a couple of touches of color in the form a cardinal pair. This is done after the image has been printed on heavy card stock in black and white. I’m turning this one into our Christmas card this year. So it’s part print and part original.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and all that jazz. Take a moment to enjoy some nature and get a breath of fresh air.

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Posted in pen and ink

Tagged Birdseye, country living, indiana, kit miracle, nature sketches, painting instruction, pen and ink

Painting with a very limited palette

Posted on November 12, 2023 | 1 comment

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 washes

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.

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.

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Posted in contemporary impressionism, painting instruction

Tagged acrylic, contemporary impressionist, flower painting, heavy body acrylic, kit miracle, limited palette, painters notes, painting from photographs, painting how to, painting instruction, painting with limited palette, snake skin, studio painting, summer flowers

Feature article in Southern Indiana Living Magazine

Posted on November 7, 2023 | Comments Off

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.

https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/68503997/southern-indiana-living-magazine-november-december-2023

Or follow the step-by-step process of how Pumpkin Head was created.

Pumpkin Head – final painting, oil on linen, 29.25 x 36, Kit Miracle, Halloween theme, telling a story

Pumpkin Head – Step-by-Step

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Posted in art, contemporary impressionism, impressionism, Uncategorized

Tagged art, contemporary impressionist, fall, judy cato, kit miracle, painting instruction, pumpkin, southern indiana living magazine

The value of sketching

Posted on October 29, 2023 | 2 comments

I was tinkering around in my studio this week in between starting some new work when I pulled out a sketchbook. Well, one of many. I have sketchbooks of all kinds and sizes. Some fit in a pocket or purse, others are what I call vacation sketchbooks where I record scenes, thoughts and ideas while traveling. There may be more than one vacation in a book. Some I will start and finish completely, while others I pick up as needed. One of my favorite sketchbooks is a handmade Japanese book with thick deckle-edged paper. I don’t remember where I got it but it is so beautiful that I choose carefully what I put in it. Most other books, I write in the back the maker and particulars. And my name and contact info in the front.

Found objects, present from my son. Praying mantis egg casing and three blue jay feathers.

I find sketching to be very relaxing but I’m not obsessed with it. I try out new ideas. Make notes of the materials I’ve used. Or I might write the name of a book that I heard about while listening to NPR. They’re my sketchbooks and I can do what I want. There really aren’t any rules. I might cut swatches from a favorite article of clothing before I put it in the rag bag, or add a post card. Or how about that sticker from that wonderful chocolate shop I visited in Paris. I would never remember the name of that again.

If you looked through my books, you might find some pressed flowers or leaves, lots of four leaf clovers (artists are good at finding those). A favorite quote from a Chinese fortune cookie.

Typical found birds nest waiting to be captured in my sketchbook.

Many of my sketchbooks are devoted to nature or natural elements. I have plenty of subject matter out here on the 90 acres. Plus, one of my sons would (and still does) leave interesting things on my drawing table. A birds nest, some feathers, a praying mantis case. I’ll hang onto these items until they become too ratty and disgusting to have around. But the drawing will last much longer.

A messy robin’s nest. See if you can spot the secret code in the drawing. Notice the thumbtack shadows.

One of my oldest sketches (not in a book but just loose paper) was of a very scruffy robin’s nest which my son brought me one day. I did a fairly large drawing, added some (imaginary) eggs, and scanned it electronically. I’ve used that drawing for many years. I’ve even printed it off on watercolor paper and painted it so I have two versions. Unfortunately, I have seen my drawing pop up on the web elsewhere under someone else’s name. Ha ha. What they don’t know, is that I added a secret code to the drawing so I know it’s mine. I kept the original drawing on my bulletin board in my studio for years until the paper yellowed but you can see the thumbtack marks in the corners. Yeah, those artists are violating copyright laws but I have neither the time, interest nor resources to pursue the matter.

Box of found objects. Birds nests, acorns, chestnuts, magnolia seedpods, etc.

Back to the point. I highly recommend keeping a sketchbook or two or four. They’re so great to relax, record your life, your thoughts. I’ve used pencil, pen and ink, watercolor, colored pencils and markers. I don’t use charcoal much as it tends to be messy and it smears but you can use what you want to in your book.

A dead bird. Anything can end up in the sketch book.

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Posted in art, country living, painting instruction, pen and ink

Tagged art, contemporary impressionist, drawing, drawing instruction, kit miracle, painting instruction, sketchbook, sketching

Soup and art

Posted on October 22, 2023 | Comments Off

Painting of the soup for lunch from my Food We Eat series. Served with homemade rye bread. Yumm.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/768213998/hot-soup-cold-day-original-painting-food?click_key=da66bb4eb481aab6e58af5f42436aeb49e12fe6c%3A768213998&click_sum=655420f4&ref=shop_home_active_9&pro=1&frs=1

Cold weather seems to bring on an appetite for hot soup. We make a variety of soups here on the farm not only because they are tasty and filling, but it’s also a good way to add those veggies into the diets of some people who claim they don’t like vegetables. We never make small batches of soup around here either so this is as small as it gets (an eight quart pot). Plenty to eat for a couple of days and plenty to share.

The other day I made one of our favorites, Thick Kale Soup. Don’t like kale? You will love this soup. My granddaughter says this is her favorite soup. I actually posted this recipe a few years ago but it bears repeating.

Simple ingredients: smoked sausage, onions, garlic, kale, potatoes, white beans, broth and spices. That’s pretty much it. Got company coming? Add more broth, potatoes and another can of beans.

Cut the smoked sausage into bite-size pieces.

Heat the olive oil in a 6 – 8 quart soup pot. Add the chopped smoked sausage. You can use any kind of smoked sausage – regular, light, turkey, or even Polish kielbasa. Stir and brown.

Add the chopped onion and stir until clear. Add the minced garlic. Keep stirring so they don’t burn.

Strip the kale from the stalks with your fingers. Much faster. Then rough cut.

Meanwhile, wash and strip the veins out of the kale. Rough chop and add to the mixture, stirring until wilted. Add the chicken or vegetable broth and cover. Bring to simmer.

Wash and dice the potatoes. Sometimes I leave the peel on just for added texture. Add to the pot after it comes to a slow boil. Cover and bring back to simmer.

Breaking down the potatoes with my very old, inherited potato masher. This helps thicken the soup, too.

When the potatoes are cooked (about 15-20 minutes), use an old fashioned potato masher and rough mash them in the pot. This just helps the soup to thicken.

Then add the two cans of beans (drained). Frankly, I just use whatever white beans I have available. I’ve even added butter beans and it works fine.

This is the final kale soup should look like.

Add the cracked pepper to taste. You probably won’t need any salt as the sausage is pretty salty, but suit yourself. I often use a couple of bouillon cubes to add salt, plus always some garlic powder.

Serve with crusty bread for a filling lunch or dinner.

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Posted in art, country living, recipes

Tagged country living, food painting, kale soup, kit miracle, recipe, soup, vegetable soup

October update

Posted on October 15, 2023 | Comments Off

Still gathering produce from the garden this autumn.

Autumn is my second favorite season (spring is my favorite). I think it’s due to the brilliant colors, all those reds and oranges and yellows. The garden is winding down but I’m still extending the season. Frost was predicted last week (didn’t happen) but I covered the vegetable patch anyway. Still getting some tomatoes and peppers. They’re small but we’ll miss that fresh and juicy taste when the last one is gone. I started a new crop of lettuce and spinach. The spinach isn’t doing well but the bib lettuce is coming along. We should be eating fresh lettuce in a week or so. I know it doesn’t seem like much to most people when you can just go to the store and buy fresh lettuce, but still there’s the pleasure of picking my own.

Covering the vegetable patch to prevent frost damage.

We lost all the peaches due to a late freeze this year but we’ve had a bounty of pears. My husband has the patience to sit and process them for the freezer. Future pies and cobblers. I get the fun job of picking them with my long handled fruit picker, with the aid of my grandson who thinks it’s pretty special to dodge the fruit as it comes down. The persimmons are also ripening. I don’t particularly like persimmons but a lot of people around here do. As do the deer and other night creatures. If you don’t know, you have to have both female and male trees to pollinate them. Just a fun fact.

The Kieffer pears just do not want to give up. We don’t spray so, no, they are not perfect. But they make great pies.

The potted flowers haven’t given up yet either but they’re getting pretty straggly. I like the roses that still put out an effort and a few late blooms. And I did take a grandchild to the library to paint pumpkins.

I returned from our trip to the Smoky Mountains last month inspired to paint many of the beautiful scenes that we saw. Sunrise in the Smokies, mountain streams, just so many awesome vistas. After a few small paintings, I printed some cards and painted some holiday scenes for a local gift shop and one of my Etsy shops. Tis the season and most artists and craftspeople are busy this time of year.

Smokey Mountain Sunrise, Acrylic, 10 x 20

Mountain stream in the Smokies. Acrylic, 10 x 20.

And, hey, it’s fall break this week, too. Hummm….guess I’ll cajole the grandkids to help me do some chores, like cleaning out the greenhouse and the shop. Both of those tasks have been on the list all year. Maybe pick up some walnuts for replanting. I picked seven gallons of redbud seedpods which we’ll sow in the woods. If you don’t have this beautiful understory tree in your area, I truly feel sorry for you. A good excuse for a walk in the woods with the kids.

Anyway, I hope that you can get outside to enjoy the final warm days of the season wherever you live.

Traditional Arts Today in Ferdinand, Indiana

KitMiracleArt – one of my Etsy shops

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Posted in art, country living, garden

Tagged autumn in the country, contemporary impressionist, country living, fall break, fall gardening, gardening, kit miracle, pears, persimmons

Great Smoky Mountains in Autumn

Posted on October 1, 2023 | Comments Off

A watercolor / pen and ink sketch from our cabin.

We were able to get away to visit the Great Smoky Mountains this past week and meet up with some old friends. The cabin we rented had an unbelievable view but the park itself was well worth the trip. I haven’t visited it for years. Of course, the towns outside the park had grown a bit (A LOT!) but the natural beauty of the park is still impressive.

Morning view of the mountains from our cabin.

As the most visited National Park in the country, it’s amazing how well-maintained it is. We took a ride through two parts of the park during the week and were able to get out to enjoy the views and visit some historical buildings. I would have loved to just park and paint the scenery but I’m sure our friends wouldn’t appreciate watching me paint for a couple of hours. Well, maybe next time.

The Ephraim Bales cabin (and other buildings).

We took the Newfound Gap Road tour first and had a picnic lunch by the river. Since we had plenty of time, we then drove down to Cades Cove. That was an adventure. Although we avoided the weekend crowd of leaf-lookers, we got stuck in a miles-long traffic jam of cars inching forward. The road is one lane and one way. There was no indication of what was causing the delay. People were getting out of their cars and walking past us. We came to find out that there were supposedly some bears in a tree up ahead. Although we didn’t see any of those bears, we did see a mama and cub run across the road in front of us before we got to the traffic jam. There was also a plein air painting event going on, too. Added to the people who were trying to spot the bears in the tree, it was a little chaotic.

Cades Cove, Smoky Mountains. We had plenty of time to view the scenery since we were stuck in a traffic jam.

Anyway, it was a beautiful day for a drive and a picnic.

Although not the oldest national park, Great Smoky Mountain National Park, admission is free and there are plenty of activities for people of all ages. But I wouldn’t recommend approaching any wild bears. They’re not pets and they can move very quickly. As my granddaughter remarked when we told her about the crowds of bear watchers, are you kidding me?!

All these people thought there were bears up in the tree but we didn’t see any.

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Posted in landscape, travel

Tagged autumn, black bears, great smoky mountains, kit miracle, landscape, mountains, national park, pen and ink, rivers, travel, watercolor

The Golden Marble – More Gold and Silver Leaf

Posted on September 17, 2023 | Comments Off

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.

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.

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.