Posted onOctober 15, 2024|Comments Off on Picasso visits Birdseye library
Autumn is here and we were introduced to a new artist, Pablo Picasso. I recently taught a free children’s art class at the little Birdseye library. Picasso was so famous and painted in such a variety of styles over the decades that I thought there would be something for everyone. And there was.
Always getting in the spirit of the class with Picasso stripes and beret.Me giving a very brief discussion of Picasso’s styles over the decades.
These free children’s art classes are designed for kids ages 8 to 14 but we actually had a four year old (with grandma) up to a sixteen year old. It’s 25 miles to town so the idea is to offer some fun art activities for this rural area.
Beginning stages of work.Picasso’s peace flowers
In this case, I always enjoy trying to channel the featured artist, at least in dress. I gave a brief introduction to Picasso, why he was important, and some discussion of his changing styles over the years. The kids were very receptive. Although I offered a few projects which focused on emulating the artist, they were actually free to create their own paintings. I love the variety of work they came up with.
Capturing the cubist idea of viewing a face from both front and sideLet’s copy a Picasso self-portraitHummm….the northern lights with hearts. I think Picasso would have loved this.This artist was fascinated with the harlequin squares.
We’ll do some self-portraits at the next class in November. I’ll look forward to what the kids come up with. All materials are included. Call the library to register as the class size is limited. https://jdcpl.us/birdseye-library/
Well, this looks like Pikachu but we love it anyway.
Posted onJune 9, 2024|Comments Off on Creativity in Art: Three Books You Need to Read
It is no great secret to anyone who knows me that I am a true book addict. I love books. Just everything about them except their weight when you have to move them. There is hardly a room in the house which doesn’t have a shelf or at least a pile of to-be-read books.
Last year I put myself on a book diet, i.e., vowing not to order any books for the entire year. Ha ha. Well, I stuck with that intention for most of the year, with some exceptions. Gift cards could be used. And of course, the libraries, and free digital resources. This forced me into rereading some of the many books I already own rather than buy new ones.
However, it’s a new year and my wish list is long. But I have been a bit more cautious about the size and number of books that I buy, still concentrating on rereading old favorites.
The Art Spirit– by Robert Henri
First published in 1923, Henri did not actually write this book. It is a compilation of his class notes and lectures by one of his students, Margery Ryerson. Henri taught at the Arts Student League of New York and the National Academy of Design. He emphasized using some of the new styles of the day (impressionism and cubism) to capture some of the grittier sides of life, particularly urban scenes. He is credited as being the founder of the Ashcan School and instructed many soon-to-be famous artists.
My copy of The Art Spirit is pretty old, underlined, starred, and has notes in the margins. This is the only book that I took with me on vacation recently. I often find that in rereading an old favorite, I will pick up new ideas and I did here.
Be a warhorse for work, and enjoy even the struggle against defeat.
You are working for your character, and your pay is to last you all your life.
I believe that keeping one’s faculties in full exercise is the secret of good health and longevity. It made Titian a young man at nearly a hundred.
Perhaps mental inactivity is the most fatiguing thing in the world.
This is not necessarily a how-to paint book but a book about creating and living as an artist. An old book, still in print, which reads like new ideas.
The Creative Act: A Way of Being – Rick Rubin
Best known as an icon in the music industry, Rick Rubin has created a long shadow as an innovator and producer. Upon reading this book, you can immediately see why his influence is so great and he’s so respected among those in his field. He’s a deep thinker.
The nearly 400 page book is filled with short chapters which give you inspiration and things to contemplate. Especially surprising is that despite Rubin’s music background, he uses the term art in the broad sense of the word -physical art, music, writing, dance, nearly any kind of creative pursuit. I was pleasantly surprised.
This is not the type of book that you want to rush through, but to take in small bites, read and reread sections, then begin again.
I suggest that you check out a copy of the book’s chapter headings at 78 Areas of Thought, either online or in the bookstore. You will want to consume the ideas, yet take time to savor them. A book for your shelves for years to come.
Life in the Studio – Frances Palmer
You may be surprised by my choice of this book since Frances Palmer is a potter. She’s also a gardener, cook, businesswoman, and creative soul. I think I mostly bought the book because of the beautiful photographs. They are just exquisite.
I admit, my first pass through the book was just to consume and enjoy the photography. Truly wonderful, not only the lighting, but the entire settings.
My second pass through this book was to read how Frances Palmer became the creator that she is today. Yes, she does talk about some technical aspects of learning her craft, but I enjoyed the wabi-sabi nature of her work. The pottery is filmed displaying colorful flowers from her own garden. (She turned the tennis courts of her house into raised beds.) Palmer also hosts intimate meals for friends and family featuring her family recipes served, of course, on her tableware.
But some of the parts of the book that I appreciated most were her journey from beginning crafter to the renown artist that she is now. Her insecurities, her difficulties, the support of her friends and family. And I especially like that she is still learning and adapting to new ideas and techniques. It is a big step for any creator to get out of their comfort zone and try the untried, not knowing how it will turn out or be accepted.
If you like unusual clayware, beautiful flowers and photographs, earthy recipes, and some nice biographical scenes of a successful artist, I certainly recommend this book.
These are not the only books on creativity that I like, but I think this is a good mix to fire up your artistic juices. Give yourself a treat this summer.
Leo napping, original painting, acrylic on canvas 16 x 16 with gold leaf on sides.
As an artist, I’ve often been asked over the years, where do you get your ideas? This is a tough question because you can’t just go to the store and pick some ideas up. Well, maybe depending upon which direction you feel like moving.
For me, ideas can come from a variety of sources. Something I see, read about, even from dreams. Sometimes I think I want to explore a certain idea but end up going in an entirely new direction. That is what happened to me recently.
I was contemplating a series of local scenes. Landscapes, cityscapes. Just a variety of ideas have been strolling through my brain. Then I found myself noodling around with some sketches of my cat, in fact, various cats that I’ve owned throughout the years. (Not forgetting all the dogs, birds, lizards, and a variety of other pets we’ve had over the years.) No, I am not a crazy cat lady. I like cats and it seems as if I’ve had one around nearly all my life.
Tom. Original painting on canvas with gold leaf on front and sides. 8 x 8 x 2.5Princess, original painting on canvas with gold leaf on sides and front. 8 x 8 x 2.5
So I started with some sketches of my little buddy Leo the cat. He seems to manage to find so many different ways to sleep that he’s almost acrobatic. One particular pose leads to another. Then I removed his ratty old blanket and put him on an Oriental carpet. And this lead me to think, Why not really jazz it up with some gold?!
Anyway, Leo was the first victim, er uh, volunteer. Then came Tom, my dad’s cat. Then Princess who is just too too glam. Adding backgrounds of oriental carpets and some real 23K gold or silver leaf. I have never done anything with gold leaf before but, hey, it’s always good to try new things.
Ki, original painting on canvas, 8 x 8 x 2.5. Unfinished.
Then I realized that I was running out of cat subjects. Even photos of my old cats.
So with the help of a friend who volunteers, I went to the local humane society. BINGO! Back in business. They have lots of cats. Every time the volunteer was telling me that this cat was shy or standoffish, it would come and climb all over me, waiting for its ears to be scratched or belly rubbed. Such a beautiful variety. These people do such good work, especially with the help of many volunteers.
Who doesn’t love cute kittens?!
But what really broke my heart was seeing the older cats who appeared in good shape but had been turned into the humane society because their owners died or who were no longer able to take care of them. How confused they must be. They looked so sweet and loving.
Anyway, I’ll be making more trips back there in the coming months. If you have a humane society near you, check it out next time you need a new pet, or just another pet. They definitely get high marks on my list.
Meanwhile, check out my Etsy shop KitMiracleArt to keep track of the new golden cats.
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.
Posted onDecember 23, 2018|Comments Off on High Noon, a street scene
High Noon, acrylic on canvas, 24 x 36, Kit Miracle cityscape, landscape
I had the idea for this painting rolling around in my head for some time. The middle of the day is not my favorite time to paint as the shadows are often small and the colors are too washed out. However, I wanted to try this back-lit village scene with the street, buildings and cars.
High Noon, detail 1, showing the contre jour lighting and impressionistic brush strokes, Kit Miracle
There weren’t really any people around at the time that I took the reference photos for this painting which is surprising considering all the cars that were there. I decided to add some people to the landscape to give it more life.
The challenge for a painting like this is, first, to get the perspective correct. Perspective can be conveyed not only from the actual drawing but distance is also indicated by the shading. The farther away the objects, the lighter the shading. The second challenge is to ensure that the colors are right, that enough details are included without being too focused on details. It’s all a matter of balance.
High Noon, detail 2. Adding people to a street scene makes it come alive but you don’t need to include every detail. Let the viewer’s eye fill in the story.
I added more color to the street to “lay it down”, that is, to make sure it didn’t appear floating. This is where having a lot of experience in plein air painting helps. Photos often make the darks too dark and the lights too light. Copying a photo exactly often gives unsatisfying results.
Overall, I liked the challenge of this painting. It has been on display at a local gallery and many people have recognized the scene and commented on it.
Posted onJuly 8, 2018|Comments Off on Memories of Paris
Memories of Paris, 24 x 36, acrylic on canvas, Kit Miracle
I completed this large painting this past week. Well, I may not be finished as I keep tweaking it. You would think that a painting of the sky through some tree branches would be easy but I’ve worked on it for some weeks.
Memories of Paris, detail 1, acrylic on canvas, Kit Miracle
I’m not quite sure why I was attracted to this subject. Maybe the cool spring colors. It seems to exude a feeling of peace.
Memories of Paris, detail 2, acrylic on canvas, Kit Miracle
It was my intention to just give an impression of the sky view, not to paint every detail. In fact, I think that is boring. I like the viewer to bring something to the scene. If you look closely at the detail images, you’ll see many variegated colors, both in the foliage, the flowers, and on the tree limbs. But also, look at the blank sections of the painting. You’ll spot a vapor trail and some wispy clouds.
Memories of Paris, detail 3, acrylic on canvas, Kit Miracle
And, do you see the surprise that I hid here? It is a pair of birds. Maybe they’re getting ready to build a nest in one of the trees. Not overly obvious, just a sweet sign of spring.
Posted onApril 22, 2018|Comments Off on Wyoming Landscape
Wyoming Landscape, original painting, acrylic on canvas, near the Shoshone River, impressionistic style, Kit Miracle
If you have never visited the western United States, you really must do so someday. I particularly love Wyoming, Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. However, when my husband and I visited a few years ago, we took the northern route across the Big Horn mountain range, (a nail-biter for sure). After we crossed the mountains and were heading to Cody for the night, we drove along this river valley.
The scenery is just so beautiful. Peaceful and with the bluest sky you’ve ever seen. I imagine it’s a different story in the winter but this was summer. As I searched through old photos earlier this week, this subject caught my eye. Of course, much editing as usual, but the landscape just called to me. Oh, how I want to visit again.
This is painted in acrylic on stretched canvas. I’ve painted the edges black so the painting doesn’t necessarily need a frame. Such a peaceful painting. Enjoy!
Posted onNovember 19, 2017|Comments Off on Studies in Red – Oil Paintings with Heart
I’ve always liked red paintings. When I did art fairs for many years, they seemed to be very popular with my patrons, too. Everyone has room for a red painting to brighten up that special spot.
The four paintings that I completed this week are predominantly red or at least in the red/orange family.
The Birdcage, oil on canvas. 12 x 16, Kit Miracle
The first one, The Birdcage, features the antique birdcage that I bought at a flea market earlier this summer. I paired it with some bright red fabric printed with beautiful little birds. Then I decided to do a tea theme with a teacup and small teapot, along with some luscious lemons. Although the painting is a little busy, especially after the simplicity of the others that I’ve been working on lately, I think it works. Boy, that birdcage was difficult to paint! The other challenge was to depict the birds on the fabric without letting them take over the composition.
The Conversation, oil painting, 10 x 10, Kit Miracle
The second painting I did this week is called The Conversation. I can just imagine two friends having a lovely talk in the afternoon sunshine. It looks as if they just left, doesn’t it?
Lamplight, oil painting, 10 x 10, Kit Miracle
Then I painted this bright interior painting called Lamplight. This depicts an interior scene, perhaps an entry hall, with a lamp and a simple bouquet of red flowers. The gold frame of the mirror helps connect the objects on the table.
A Sunny Corner, oil painting, 10 x 10, Kit Miracle
My final painting this week I call The Sunny Corner. I’ve always loved the play of sunlight and shadows on interior walls and floors. The effects are often fleeting but beautiful, nonetheless. The chair just invites the viewer to take a rest and enjoy the sunshine.
Visit my Etsy shop, KitMiracleArt, to see many more painting details.
I always enjoy reading other blogs. Some I check daily, some are just weekly. Many are about or by other artists. It always makes the artist seem so approachable when I read what they have to say in their own words. Plus, there is so much to learn!
Dinotopia by James Gurney
One of my favorite artists and blogger is James Gurney. He is the author of the famous Dinotopia series of books. His own artwork is wonderful. He works in plein air much of the time but not always. His plein air paintings are usually done in smallish art notebooks (5 x 8) and are usually in gouache.
Color and Light by James Gurney
I was first introduced to his work through his book Color and Light. Later I ordered a used copy of his drawing book The Artist’s Guide to Sketching where he and his college roommate, Thomas Kinkade, bummed across America in the 80s. Wow! What company! They also both worked at a movie studio for a time doing background cells for space animations. And, he’s just seems to be a really nice person.
The Artist’s Guide to Sketching by James Gurney and Thomas Kinkade
Gurney also includes videos of his work, reviews favorite books, museum exhibits and many other artists. Certainly work checking out.
Posted onJuly 10, 2016|Comments Off on Plein air painting, old buildings
Hoosier Desk Building, Final. Watercolor / pen and ink, 11 x 14, Kit Miracle
Today I decided to paint this old factory building. It has undergone so many renovations and additions over the years. Very interesting from many aspects. I selected this broad scene (and it really could have been a panorama if I had brought larger paper with me). I may end up doing some close-ups of the interesting architecture over the coming months.
Today’s challenge was to work with some speed in order to beat the changing position of the sun and the shadows. This is why so many artists like to paint on cloudy days. I don’t so I just have to paint quickly or remember where I want to keep the sun and shadows even as they move.
Plein air painting, Hoosier Desk Building. Beginning
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 