Studio News, September 2019

With "Untitled (Pigtails)," at the opening of the Artists' Choice Show at The Anton Art Center this past Saturday. Photo courtesy of The Anton Art Center.

Studio Newsletter, September 2019

Remember last month when I told you about all the exhibition rejection letters I was bracing for? well, to my surprise, they did not arrive. I was juried into 4 different shows, which delighted me to no end. Which means you can now see my paintings in the 59th Annual Thumb Area Art Exhibition at Starkweather Gallery (Romeo, Michigan), as part of the Detroit Society of Women Painters & Sculptors annual show (Grosse Pointe, Michigan) and at the Anton Art Center (Mt. Clemens, Michigan). At the end of this month, the Greater Michigan Art Exhibition will open at the Aldon Dow Museum of Science and Art (Midland, Michigan), and I'll have work there as well. I've included links to each of the shows so that you may see their various details and plan a visit to one - or more - of the spaces.

I am painting as much as possible, although between delivering artwork for exhibitions, various board and guild meetings, multiple trips to The Princess's college campus, and the tail end of the summer concert season (did you know that I am a volunteer bartender for a Detroit area ampitheater?), I've been running running running. Things should settle down in the next week, and I can build a routine that involves more easel time. I find that I'm the happiest and most balanced when I am creating regularly, and I'm very much craving more of that.

Looking towards the cooler temps, and the impending holidays, means planning, too, for an increase in pet portrait commissions. Which translates to fewer Daydreams and Figments. And preparing a body of these non-commissioned pieces right now so I am ready to submit for several winter deadlines (I am notorious for waiting until the last possible minute to send in my entries).  I am considering applying for a fellowship and a museum show, among other goals - ultimately it boils down to whichever opportunity best suits the work.

But, going back to the (cough cough) holidays, if you are considering a pet portrait, please begin the commission process now to guarantee a delivery window. My calendar fills quickly. Projects begin at $399.  Message me for more details.

I am grateful to the new students in my online classroom. If you are a new student and reading this newsletter, thank you!! This month we talked about color mixing and the germination of an idea - from the ah-ha moment through to the signed painting. The online classroom is centered around video, text and other materials, all available online for students' perusal at their convenience.  $5/month grants access to this exclusive content. It's a fabulous investment in your own creative growth.

And, finally, please let me know what you think. I'm always listening. Feel free to respond to this newsletter, shoot me an email, comment on the blog or interact via Facebook or Instagram. Locals can join my journaling group that meets monthly. There's all sorts of ways for us to connect!

Thanks, as always, for following along with my art and musings,
Warmly, Kim

Picture Book "A Dog Named Blue" - now available!!

The cover of "A Dog Named Blue," now available from Blurb publishers. When I first painted Amelia I never imagined that she would be re-christened "Blue" and inspire a book. In her defense, Amelia had a number of other partners in crime - animals who's portraits seemed to fall into a specific color category and prompt color-centric names. In typical ADD fashion, my brain started spinning 100mph. What if I turned those muses' paintings into a picture book for animal loving kids? I shared my idea with three friends in the industry, and they eagerly offered their expertise. I am truly indebted to them. Illustrator and author Matt Faulkner and children's book author and literacy expert Kristen Remenar edited an early version of the draft. They suggested key plot/conceptual changes that made it oodles better. Designer Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson worked her magic, pairing the images with perfectly color...

Tabby Kit

"Tabby Kit," 5" x 7", acrylics on a museum quality panel, depicting a tiny little orange striped guy from Morgue File . This painting can be yours for $289, which includes s&h inside the US. And in case you didn't see it, a little doodle of him is also available for sale here . Inquires may come directly to me . Although it certainly doesn't FEEL like spring here (snow and ice and wind chills, brr!), I can tell that spring is coming. The mercury is rising a wee bit each day and the days are getting longer and brighter. Over the weekend we drove with the moonroof open just to feel the sun's meager and oh-so-very-welcome warmth (although the heat in the car was cranked, too, in the interest of full disclosure!). I wanted to work with spring-like colors today, and this little guy was still on my mind , so I grabbed a small panel and got to work. Of course, I also have Poppy to finish and some changes to make to another po...

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...

Paintings With Soul

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