A lily in the making

They say, that a Rose is a Rose.....
But a Calla Lily is an expression of grace and beauty!
I do believe that A Calla Lily is a difficult flower to paint.
This beauty is a cream white with very soft green undertones and struck me as such a delicate flower.
The way the flower twists and turns around itself, kind of makes one wonder what it is trying to hide.
In all I have always loved the shape of these flowers. They are graceful and just plain lovely.
Hopefully I have done this beautiful flower justice.

~~Kathleen
"Lily"
Acrylics on Canvas
12" X 24"

Finally a new beginning....Update

Well, it is coming along, I will change the foreground a bit to enable the perspective to
appear a bit more clearly.
I have not got the depth that I want yet.
No shading, no true colour, but a lot of work between the first picture and this one.
More later.
~~Kathleen

"Hidden Lake on Mt. Sarrail"
Unfinished work
Acrylics on canvas
12" X 12"




Finally, after a month of being very sore, and unable to even hold a brush properly, I have begun to paint again.
I am working on a painting of "Hidden Lake"
You can get to this lake, but only after a 19 kilometer hike up the side of Mt. Sarrail.
But what a view.
It is hidden way up high within a Valley
on Mt. Sarrail in the Kananaskis area of The Canadian Rockies.

The Mountain behind the lake is Mt. Indefatigable.
And yes, it is that big.
This view (that I am painting)
is from above the lake before the decent to the area.
The mysteries of nature are wonderful and abound in this area of Alberta.
Hopefully I can do this scene justice, and that the paint falls from my brush in a pleasing manner.
~~Kathleen

The Best Little Restaurant in the county!

"Side Street"
Crossfield, Alberta
Canada
Acrylics on Canvas
12" X 24"

Often we are pleasantly surprised when we go into a restaurant!
It might be the decor, or the setting, and often can be the food!
Yep, even in this day and age, we do have places such as this one that serve wonderfully home-cooked meals.
Shepherds Pie, Chicken Stew, Roast Chicken with all the trimmings.
Topped off with a spectacular home made dessert such as Apple, Raisin, Cherry Pie.
Maybe a Home-made cream Puff slathered in real whipped cream,
and or a home-made Danish, cookies and date squares!

Everything in this little Jewel is Home Made!
They don't even have a deep fryer!
So, no French fries, and or fried foods.
Just old-fashioned made from scratch meals.

The decor is homey and pleasant.
The staff is wonderful and the coffee is always fresh!
The place is always packed with the regular coffee drinkers in the morning to
the working men in from the fields and or Job site outside.
Huge servings of hot nutritious food.
Every one eats everything up and the plates are left bare.

Patsy, (the owner) will be getting this painting for Christmas from her staff.
I painted it just for them.
And for her, a woman that has a right to be proud when she says.
"I own my Own Restaurant"
~~Kathleen

"Lake Louise Has Frozen Over!"

"Lake Louise Has Frozen Over"
10" X 10"
Acrylics on canvas

I painted this today.
I have been studying the Group of seven (plus a few more) and am totally enthralled with the style that these fabulous artists painted in.
Everything they do/did was perfection, and so cleanly painted.
I have tried in this painting to achieve a detailed work without using any details.
If that makes sense.
I tried to let the colours and hues of the paint work for itself.
Hope you like it!
~~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

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