"And Sloane makes three"

"And Sloane makes three"
Acrylics on canvas
8" X 12"
Sometimes the very best things in life are not evident!
The things we cannot see in a painting are what makes it whole.
This is my niece on her honeymoon walking to the beach in Italy.
Her new husband is following her, (taking her picture)
I saw the original photograph and thought
"How like Ainslie this is"
She is a determined woman, a smart woman, and a beautiful woman!"
And I love her.
I wish her and Julian a lifetime of sunshine and sandy beaches.
And they will have them
because
They work hard for what they want.
~~Kathleen

"Getting it right!"

Full Painting

Close-up
This is a partial close-up of my latest work. It belongs to a series that I call Botanicals.
The challenge of letting the idea flow to a canvas is great.
Composition/size/colour/ style all have to be taken into consideration.
While the process (after completion) seems easy, the intensity of
"Getting it right"
is always there.
(Full painting is just above)
An artist is never satisfied with her work, even after it is supposedly finished.
Something always looks like it could be clearer/deeper/more defined and added to.

Saying "It is done" is a form of getting it right, and when you not only say It is done, and then leave it alone for good,
you have accomplished a work of art.

Stopping at the right time is crucial.
Hopefully I have learned this.
I have a lot of beginnings in my life every day.
Very few ends, as life tends to go on.
Here's to digging in your heels and saying
"ENOUGH"
Once in a while it is not a bad thing to do!
~~Kathleen

"Euphorbia Waringiae"

"Euphorbia Waringiae"
16" X 20"
Acrylics on canvas
I am working on this right now.
It will be a companion work to go with
"Papaya" & "Split Leaf Philodendron"
(Both featured elsewhere in this blog)
I have always wanted to do a series of like minded paintings.
Actually, I am thrilled at how wonderfully these works are turning out.
Maybe I have found a niche?
No matter I am enjoying, and that is what counts.
The only interruption has been the making of a wee tiny Light saber
(Darth Vaders none-the-less) for my grandson to replace one that mysteriously got lost.
Darth must have a Red Light saber! So now he does, and my abilities have now increased ten-fold in one little mans eyes!
One might say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder in all seriousness.
At this point in his life, my art means absolutely nothing to him.
But
I CAN MAKE LIGHT SABERS!
Now that is an accomplishment.
Be happy everyone
It is not what we think about what we do that is important.
It is how we make those that we love feel that really counts.
At least it is to me.
~~Kathleen

A monthly Challenge

Yep, this little painting is part of a regular monthly challenge @ Wet Canvas.
Every month we are given a different photograph and if we choose to,
we paint it..
It is so interesting to see the different styles/ways and techniques we all use to achieve our goal.
The real challenge for me, is that I promised myself that I would paint every different strokes photograph with my Art knives until I complete a painting that looks somewhat like the original reference.
This month I didn't do all that badly, and am rather pleased with what I accomplished.
It is not a work of art! but, it is a beginning
and I will do better next month (I hope)
~~Kathleen
(Who thinks that no matter where you are in life, new roads are exciting places to explore)

I think it is done....

"Papaya"
Acrylics on canvas
16" X 20"

....But then again, no painting is ever really finished in an artists eyes!
Seems everything needs tweaking, a glob of paint here, a new line there.
But it is important to know with anything that we do that there is a time to call it done!

Without ever saying,
"I am done this now!"
we would never get the chance to enjoy our work.
We would never be able to share our accomplishments with everyone.
We would never be able to move on to new challenges and endeavors!
So I am done this painting now.
I do hope it pleases you!
~~Kathleen
(Who is already thinking about her next challenge)

What is the "Pot of GOLD" really?

I watched a spectacular rainbow the other evening.

It began behind my daughters home and ended up landing right atop
the neighbours barn (3/4 mile away).
Now was the pot of gold the Farmers barn?
In this day and age when Farmers struggle to keep their farms, one wonders
if most people realize their plight?
Do any of us think about farmers when we eat much of the abundance on our
tables?
Do we realize that being that they are on the bottom of marketing chain,
that they receive the least of anyone for the food they produce?

Do most people realize what one Harvester/seeder/combine costs now?
How about pest control, Government standards set up to protect you the consumer?
How much more today do these regulations cost the farmer?
Their income has not risen per unit in many years, because as they may get paid more as opposed to ten years ago, the operating costs have risen 100-fold.
So Maybe the neighbour farmer has a Pot of Gold in his barn!
If so, he sure worked hard for it!

If you ate today....Hug a Farmer!
~~Kathleen

Brothers and families

I have three brothers.
I love them all so much.
They are Kind, intelligent and thoughtful.
And they all have daughters two of them have sons!


My older brother just attended his daughters wedding In Connecticut.
One wonders about the thoughts of a father when his precious little girl gets married.
One wonders about the pride of looking at a little girl as a woman and hoping that all will be good in her new world!
One wonders.
Especially when thousands of miles separate them.


Another brother has two girls & one son, and is now a grandfather to five little ones (four girls and one little boy)
He is as well a father/grandfather of exceptional qualities.
Loving,kind and gentle.
He loves his children and his family as a whole unit.
Nothing separates his love for his children


The third brother has one daughter, and he has just become a first time grandfather. Big, burly and gentle as a lamb when he holds his newest little girl.

I love my brothers, all three of them are educated,kind,compassionate men.
All of them are full of love laughter and kindness.
All of them have worked very hard all their life.

I am the luckiest of sisters.
I have three brothers and each and every one of them is a wonderful man!
I love you guys, you all have always inspired me.
~~Kathleen

Excitement with a new project.

"Papaya"
Acrylic on canvas
16" X 20"

I have begun a new painting.
Yep, the excitement is there. When I begin something new, everything from the size of the canvas to the colours is all encompassing in my mind constantly. Quite often the beginning process will take me about a week.
I think of an idea, brush it off and say "No way!" to myself.
Next thing I know it is back in my mind, and I am mulling over the potential/possibilities in my mind. Again, I brush it off. I pass my painting area, and check out the sizes of canvas I have on my shelf, and think "Weeeeel Maybe" and again brush it off. I browse Google for ideas, start a rough sketch in Paint, and think
"Heck this may just work."
I leave it alone, all the while it is in the back of my mind. Then I get serious, and start to accept/reject ideas, colours and shape and form.

I plan what I really want and just know that I will never be able to accomplish this!
I walk past my Easel and pop a canvas on it. Look at it, and wonder "Will it really work?"
And again I leave it for a while. I go back and if it is a subject that needs a background, I paint what I think will work with my minds eye and the finished painting.

Transferring the sketch is the next thing done. And again I leave it for a while.
Then, I begin to motor....I am relentless until I am finished. Time has no relevance, and Sleep patterns change, eating times vary and the painting becomes an obsession with me.
I take small breaks sporadically (usually play a computer game or something of the sort.)
I go back to the painting and am amazed as it unfolds! Some how, without fail everything lands where I want it to, and it is as if from my brain to my paintbrush there is a direct connection that allows no interuption in the flow. It kind of paints itself.

Now the amazing thing is that often, the end result has nothing to do with what my initial idea was.
But, I am always happy with the final work, and am at odds with myself in wonderment in trying to figure out just how I actually was able to accomplish this work of art!
Heres to new beginnings in our lives, and may the end results always be pleasing to you!
~~Kathleen