A New "Emerging" Painting

A New "Emerging" Painting - Stevie

"Stevie," from the "Emerging" series, 12" x 12", acrylics on museum quality panel, starring a young Thoroughbred race horse and a smidgeon of dramatic light (and some glare in both upper corners from studio light!), $599 to the first asking nicely. Ask here!

With Stevie's painting, I decided to go with a (somewhat) historical limited palette - only 5 tubes of paint were used. Which created some challenges, I agree. And I may redo this composition with different choices, but first I want to simmer with it a bit.

In process pics are here - along with some great conversations about color and value.

I'm officially starting year 8 of daily painting. That's 8 years of getting in the studio and creating something, mostly start to finish, daily (well, for me, at least 5 days/week). At first, daily painting pushed me way out of my comfort zone, then it became an important creative habit that fed my muse. As of late it's become more (to me at least) about production and doing a job, and less about passion (which is a blog post for another day).

In a previous life I ran a software company's customer support center, and I was always cautioning upper management about metrics usage - what you measure becomes what you focus on, and that doesn't always reflect upon or serve your purpose.

So all these years I've been counting up the paintings created (1613 for those who might be curious), but really, what I should have been focused on all along was measuring the growth and range of my comfort zone and staying connected with my passion. Which is something a little more ambiguous to chart, I admit.

But it can be planned by taking on projects that push me to think, experiment, and dig deep. I can actively pursue my own education with workshops, classes, and group painting trips. And reflect on where I've been vs where I'm currently standing vs where I want to be.

Which means you'll see more paintings like Stevie's, where I'm working a limited palette and studying value vs other color characteristics. Yes, conversely this means I will be taking on fewer commissions as a result (so if you are considering portraits as holiday gifts, you best act now - I have 14 spots left!).

For those of you who have been along for the daily ride since the beginning, thank you SO MUCH for your time and attention. I hope that my shift (which has been gradually happening, now that I look back) from primarily commission based canine portraits to embracing ideas of color and atmosphere (while still painting lots of fur and other objects) won't be too disappointing.

And hopefully you'll find value in the conversations that ensue over on FB with respect to the evolution of each piece. I have 100s of in- photos sorted into albums by painting title, and if you click on any one image, there's individual comments/commentary along with them.

And through this change, my commitment to adding beauty to the world through my art and actions continues. Thanks, as always, for following along,

Kim

Dear Copyright Thieves

Dear Copyright Thieves, Just because it's on the internet doesn't mean it's free for the taking. So let's just stop pretending the internet is a free-for-all. Don't play the card that you didn't know - that's insulting. And don't also tell me that you meant to follow up and get permission but never got a chance to. That's insulting too. And by the way, don't you have a copyright protection notice on your own site? And don't even try and point the finger at a third party who commissioned you to make a copy of my painting - again, an insult - you and I both know the difference between a reference photo and a painting. And don't tell me that I asked for it because I share my artwork on the internet. I share my paintings and ideas and the stories behind them so as to encourage others to pursue their own passions . I do not share so that those lacking integrity and morals can copy and market the images as their own...

Fisher Price Little People Puppy, Toy #10

"Little People Puppy (Toy #10)," 6" x 6," acrylics on masonite, starring a spunky little spaniel with jointed legs made by Fisher Price This painting is $75, with free shipping inside the US. Purchasing is as simple as asking . I didn't play with this particular version of Little People toys, but I find them very sentimental never the less. They are well designed and charming. I tried to figure out what year Fisher Price made these particular jointed toys which I own (via ebay - I have circus characters too!), but got distracted learning about the history of Little People in general. They have seemingly been around for 50+ years! The Little People barn was a HUGE part of my childhood. The barn doors opened with a "mooooo," but in my head I heard welcoming nickers. Those horses and chickens were real. The brown and orange shag carpeting of my parent's family room became lush rolling pastures of green, and the Little People...

Golden Open Acrylics

I get all sorts of process oriented questions. Most recently I've been getting asked a lot about my paints and palette, which made me realize what a nice blog topic this would make! I use a Masterson Sta-Wet Premier palette box . This is comprised of a box (think Tupperware) with a sponge liner and a slice of palette paper that work together to keep my paints wet. This setup allows me to work with the same palette for about a full week, having the box open for multiple hours every day. You can see what the palette looks like at the beginning of a new session above - below the exact same palette after this week's work. For the last 25 years I have used Golden brand acrylics, mediums, and varnish. I love the overall quality of these paints and the fact that, when I have a question, their customer service department is made up of artists who actually use the products. Until last year, I used their Heavy Body paints exclusively. They have a buttery consistency, a little loose...

Paintings With Soul

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