My Love affair with trees.

I have long had a strong love affair with trees. I love looking at them, I love walking anywhere near them.

I love their shapes and colours.

To me they are so representational of all life.

When I began painting I was not so aware of this love, but eventually I realized that it goes way back many years.

The very first painting that I thought of as "Professional" quality was of a stand of Lodgepole Pines.

Personally it is probably my favorite painting of all time because it was my "First" that was, in my mind perfect.

Over the years since this painting I have painted trees in many shapes/styles and forms.

Needless to say trees are never the same,

the light in an hour can change the appearance of a tree.

so I present to you a few of the trees I have painted over the years......

"Lodgepole Pines"

12" x 18"
Acrylics on canvas board

This painting is unique in that one of these pined has a curved base.

Lodge pole Pines are quite unique to the Prairie areas of Canada
They (for the most part)
Grow straight and very tall.
For centuries the original Native Canadians,

and later settlers used them as the center beam for their homes.



 ~~

"Willow Bay"
12" x 18"

acrylics on canvas.
SOLD

Birch and Poplar trees by Lake Manitoba




~~
"A study in Blue"
Acrylics on Masonite
18" x 24"

 

A challenge from a friend that I could not paint a realistic painting using only blue/white and black.

~~

"Manitoba Morning"

12" x 18"

Acrylics on Canvas
SOLD

Sunrise from a friends Kitchen window.

(Commissioned)

~~

"The Way to the Lake"

12" x 12"

Acrylics on canvas

Again near Willow Bay in Manitoba, Canada

~~

"After the fire"

12" x 18"
Acrylics, Gold leaf and Mixed media
on canvas

A few years back a beautiful and very old 

stand of Spruce trees were destroyed by a forest fire

 alongside Highway # 6 in Manitoba, Canadas  North.

Amazingly after 15 years they are almost back to where they stood  years.

~~

 "The Old Railway"
12" x 18"
Acrylics/metal leaf & mixed media"
on Canvas
SOLD

A grown over escarpment where a CNR
spur line once existed
(near Moosehorn and Spearhhill Manitoba)

~~
"Miyajima Island Hot Springs"
24" x 24"
Acrylics  and mixed media
on Masonite.

painted from a wonderful photograph  taken by a friend when he visited Japan

~~

"Fourteen Trees on a  River Walk"
12" x 18"
Acrylics on Canvas
SOLD

Over Wintering,  a stand of newly planted trees.
Along Nosecreek park walk way
Airdrie, Alberta, Canada.


~~
"Moonlight in Manitoba"
 12" x 12"
Acrylics on canvas.
SOLD

The old road that my Dog Ben and I would walk in the evenings.

Just outside McCreary, Manitoba.

~~

As you can see I have represented trees in my art, in many ways.

I have used Acrylics and Molding paste, and Metal leaf
Every painting is very unique from the others, and usually they stand alone as a work of art.
The latest two Paintings I have done are actually a complimentary set.
I will not go into great detail about them as they are highlighted in the post just
before this one.

Later all
~~Kathleen

"Summer Sunrise"

"Summer Sunrise"

12" x12"

Metal leaf &

 Acrylics on canvas
SOLD

Well, not easy, but I think I captured this one in the manner I wanted.
Photographing any work with Metal leaf is so hard.
(Actually the colour is represented much better in the second Photo below.)
In reality this is a painting that gleams and changes with the passing of time daily,
making it quite unique.
The molding paste on this one was much thicker in the Leaves.

This presented a real challenge.

getting the edges painted in and the "Variegated Leaf"
on top took a long time.
Over all I am quite pleased with how it ended up.

As it is it is a very nice companion work to
My last work.

Both works are seasonal, and compliment each other and the Seasons they represent.

Comments and critiques on these paintings

(as well as any here in my blog)

are welcomed.
Please say hello after you are finished reading here.
I would so like that
~~Kathleen

"Sunset on Autumn Leaves"

"Sunset on Autumn Leaves"
12" X 12"

Acrylics and Metal leaf on Canvas.

SOLD

Hi all, I am beside myself with happiness.
starting yesterday, I began to create once more.
I have eyes that see clearly and I am so pleased.
It was very hard to get back into painting & creating Art.
I had moved since I painted last, 

and as well,

I experienced a bit of insecurity about my abilities to pick up,  paint and create again.

So, I dove in.
I love working with Gold/Silver & Copper leaf.
Hey, if your gonna do it, do it in style .

So here we go, a good step by step documentation of this work;

The first thing I did was add Gold and Copper leaf to the top 3/4 of the canvas.

At this stage I was not sure where I was going with this

so I painted the bottom in using white up to and just above the leaf.

I got a good stiff brush and scrubbed the white paint off the leaf in the middle of the canvas and softened that area.

I then scrumbled a mixture of "Goldens Green/Gold Liquid acrylic" and  "Goldens Yellow Oxide liquid Acrylic."

over the white to bring the leaf and the bottom 1/2 of the painting together

Once the paint was dry

 I used a smaller Tree stencil
from "Cutting Edge" and added the tree.

 I added the tree with "Goldens Light Molding Paste "

And sat around for it to dry.

 

(Yes, drying time took longer than creating this whole work)

 I started applying size to the tree & and branches

Once the size was ready, I started adding " Mona Lisa Variegated Blue"

metal leaf to the tree and branches.

 I was at the "Hurry up and Wait" stage LOL

(Took me about 3 hours to do this)

And then I waited for that to dry!

Once dry I brushed off the excess leaf, and fine tuned the leaf application.

My final stage was to add the "Falling leaves"

using Metal dust.

Metal dust is the very  fine bits I collect from the leaf when I brush the excess  off my paintings.

So I got out my trusty old toothbrush and splattered sizing on the canvas in the areas where I wanted the "leaves" to fall.

 That had to dry!

When dry I almost covered the whole painting with the metal dust and lightly tamped it down using the separator pages that are  between the original metal leaf  pages.

My final step was to do the

leaves piled up below the tree and on the ground.

For this I used dust and larger bits from all four types of leaf so as to give the work a nice base.

 

Final painting is at the top of this post.
I am thrilled at how well this work turned out.
Please let me know how you like it.
Until the next time
~~Kathleen
(Who is thrilled to be back)

For John who asked "How is that done?"

 

So, I have been working on My Japanese composition, but as is with many art works it is on hold for a while, so I can regroup and decide where I want to go with it, more on that painting later....
But, In the Meanwhile,  A few friends and I on Facebook were looking at
a composition done in threads and trying to figure out how it was done.
This is the work, and sadly I do not know who the artist is, so if anyone out there does, please let me know and I will give proper credit to this fabulous artisan.

The discussion on how this work was composed opened up another world to me.
And that is about how many people "Look" at art and wonder just that!
"How was this done?"
While I do have an idea, I am not sure, but for my many non`artist friends I will try to show you some of the products I use to get the looks I do.
The other day I was looking at a Cedar tree that did not make it through the Winter.
The fronds were a Golden Yellow and really quite beautiful.
So I snipped a few off the poor tree and brought them in thinking "Maybe I can do something with this."

They were so elegant in the way they fanned out.
So the problem was what to do?

I got out my old Window (Yes, an Old Window framed is a wonderful base to pour medium on and enables easy removal when the pouring medium is dry).

I cleaned it so the glass was streak/dust free, edged the sides with Duct tape to the size I wanted the completed gel to be.

Then I poured a good amount of "Goldens" self leveling clear gel  on the area I was going to use.

This is a good clear loose pouring medium.

I spread it out so I had about 1/4 " in total coverage and then began dropping the fronds on top.
While doing this I would snip the fronds that were too high or turned and repositioned them on the gel.

 I ended up with this.

Most of the fronds were covered, and I set it outside to dry after placing tin foil below the glass to heat (and quicken up) the get to enable to speed the drying process up.

 You can see the foil attached to the underpart of the glass to allow quicker heating in the Sun.

I let it dry fully (about two days, and added another layer of gel atop so that 99% of the fronds were now covered in the medium and set it out to dry again.
(The Sun works wonderfully in tandem with the foil in speeding up this process)
You can see some of the areas that are almost dry if you enlarge this photo by clicking on it.
These areas are mainly between the fronds where the darker foil is beginning to see through."Once fully dry and totally clear with no clouding at all I peeled the acrylic skin off the glass and ......
And I ended up with this.

A somewhat plyable clear skin (almost like a clear rubber)

that is glassy and contains the frond.
The two following photos show how clear the medium becomes,
I held it up to the Dining room window for an example.

 Now I have to decide what to do with this, but in the meanwhile it is resting on Parchment paper waiting to be affixed to a canvas and adorned.

It is important to know that the Acrylic skin is very adhesive and will stick to itself

 easily.
Parchment paper is a wonderful product that nothing sticks to so I use it as a kind of folder for the skin until I am ready to use it.
I hope this made sense to all of you.
More on this later as well.....
Later all

~~Kathleen

What if?

 As most of my artist friends are aware, I have a deep and long love for the Japanese Wood Cut artisans from the 16th century on.
The simplicity and beautiful detail these artisans produced, have fascinated me from the earliest I can remember.
Every detail and stroke has so much meaning.
I have used some parts of these woodcuts in my art already 

and thought the other day,
"What if two totally different artists work were combined?
How would their work compare side by side or impressed upon each other?

The first print is from a woodcut  Named

 "Portrait of Ono no Komachi" 

by Kiyonaga (circa late 1700s)

the second is
named
"The drum Bridge and Yuhi Hill at Meguro"

by Hiroshige
Circa 1856/58

 

If I combined the two of these prints  as one, keeping the integrity of both paintings, I would end up with something like this: 

 this is a project that will take a great amount of thinking and detail.
My eyes are still covered in Cataracts so I have to work very patiently and carefully.
(Thank goodness for the "Zoom" feature on my Mac!)
I will update everyone as I start this and hopefully I can make something that will not cause the "Realists" to toss their hands up in disgust!
Wish me Luck
~~Kathleen

A bit different from my Norm.

"Is She?"
Acrylics & Mixed media
on Birch cradled Panel
20" X 20"
SOLD

This has been a long work, firstly because my eyes are still not fixed, and secondly because I am treading in uncharted waters with the mixed media applications here.

Initially I was roaming on line looking at different Art blogs that centered on Mixed media.
I happened to see a work that is somewhat similar to my end result, but by following the instructions the Artist gave was able to replicate the illusion of a cliff reaching out to the sky.
Like it was floating on another world.

What I did find very interesting was the way one could make the bottomside of the cliff look realistic.
It was done by molding stones/rocks out of polymer clay. and affixing them to the painting to emulate what the underside of a cliff might seem to look like.

Having no polymer clay, I improvised using light molding paste, and after shaping the rocks, I dried them on Parchment paper.
(Note:  The rocks as such did not fully dry until about four days had passed )

But, being impatient, I affixed them with Heavy gel, and worked carefully around them in the soft stage.
I sprinkled some Cat litter on the cliff and painted over that.
(the look of gravel and dirt.)
Then (again improvising) I coloured some tar gel a deep Jenkins green, inserted the gel into a large syringe and squirted the gel in random patterns as if it were roots growing down.I let it all dry for a couple of days and started painting in the bottomside of the cliff.
I started with a Bronze metallic paint, and wiped a lot of it off leaving highlights.
I let that dry for a day.
In turn I applied Reds/Ochres/Greens and Yellows again, letting each colour dry between applications.
Finally I applied a Green/Gold atop everything wiped it off randomly and was ready for the last step.
I used Gold interference paint and lightly brushed that on let it dry a bit and using a damp soft cloth wiped the most part of that of....The Stones now had a sheen.


Then to the top.
I created an edge to the cliff on both sides with heavy gel mixed with molding paste.
The sky texture was created by using molding paste and a long Palette knife stroked across the Panel with long right to left strokes in a random manner.
Nothing was smoothed out.
I knew I was going to insert a figure so I left the area behind that relatively smooth.
I went to Pose Maniacs and searched for a nude female image that "said" what I wanted.
I downloaded it, and re painted it on  paper, transferred it to my computer and reprinted it on photographic paper.
I cut her out with an exacto knife, and affixed her to the panel.
Then I started painting a somewhat sheer robe on her (again) with the "wind" blowing it from right to left.
My initial wash paint of the robe was done in interference paint (a mauve hue)
I then used Zinc white for the initial stages of the robe and let the washes dry between applications.
The interference paint shined through the Zinc white giving the robe depth.
Eventually just a hint of the nude body behind the robe was showing and the whole effect was quite pleasing.
There was a lot of "Movement" to her robe.



Initially I placed a "moon" in bas-relief in the upper right corner of the painting, but it did not work, so I removed that recovered the area with molding paste and painted in a smaller moon in white.  I edged the right side with Yellow as if a Sun was hitting it and worked in Silver interference paint around the left side.  The end result was much more pleasing.
Back to the cliff bottom.
I used a #0000 rigger brush dipped in a dark brown wash and lightly painted in the roots emerging out the bottom of the cliff, often following the gelled roots down to the edge.
I highlighted a lot of the roots in the cliff in the same way and achieved a consistent look to them.
On the advise of a good friend, I darkened the bottom of the cliff somewhat and touched up the top area where she is standing with highlights.

I darkened the bottom and Changed the moon/planet.
The end result is at the top of this blog.
And she was done.
I am pleased that I came across the blog with the directions on how to achieve this effect!
One problem, somehow I have lost the link to the artist and her blog, so if it is you, please let me know and I will link to your initial instructions.
I Am very grateful for your help with this.
~~Kathleen


Comments and critiques are always welcome.
(If you are not a member of Blogger just insert your name into your comment and I will post it as such, Thanks)

Just a short explanation re my absense.....

I apologise for the absence here recently.
I have been having a bit of a time with my eyes as of late and the problem 

seems to be that I have developed Cataracts on both eyes.
While they have not been a problem up until now, I am beginning to experience

difficulty with my abilities to decipher close-up images.

So, while I will not be painting for a bit, I will try to maintain my blog with reports on my fellow Artists works.
As we all know Surgery re this affliction is very successful in this Modern day and age.
I have no fears, and look forward to painting again once the surgery is complete.
'Till then, let us celebrate artists that I so admire.

Thanks everyone.
~~Kathleen

"A True Artist of the North" More photos added.

"Camp Nanuk"

 Every once in a while we happen to meet someone so special that they constantly interact with what is good and nice in us.
As artists,  Diane Riley I have have started a page on Facebook for the artist to  exchange ideas. This site is without the political influences that are so common in the very large sites.
The artists involved in this site have no particular Genre of art but it is amazing at the diversity of the group.

"Mother with cubs"

One of our group....Kelsey Eliasson....is an artist with great talent.
He is very involved with Dog sled racing, Polar Bears and lives in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada during 

"Bear Season".

Otherwise he lives in the Yukon

on the highway that leads travelers/tourists into Whitehorse, in the Yukon, Canadas true North.
There he  managing his Art studio

 (The Outhouse Gallery)

Kelseys art for the most part, depicts the Wildlife and Peoples in the North of Canada with a unique style and great sensitivity.
Kelseys Art is vibrant and full of life.
He paints in colours so vivid they  are a strong contrast to what the average person thinks
The North is like.

 

"Gold Rush"

Kelsey also has a  has a blog.
A blog about Churchill, Manitoba,Canada and its' interaction with Polar Bears during "The Season"
When the bears come on land to mate, and give birth before they head back on to the ice flows.
The insight that Kelsey gives us about living in an area that is famous for Polar Bears is eye-opening and very down to Earth.

 He tells us about how the bears are air-lifted to "jail" tagged, and marked to be released when the Ice forms.....quite often by air to a destination far away.

Kelsey tells us about "Dancer" a well known (Bear) visitor to Churchill and his antics.....seems Dancer is a kind of Icon in the area.



"Portage"

I urge you to check out not only his art, but his blogs. 
In them he will give you a realistic point of view

of life in the far North today.  

The unique problems faced by those who live with the bears, 

and 

a tongue in cheek look at how the "Outsiders" opinions on the area usually differs from those of the residents.

Kelseys art:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150279699245565.506528.774885564&type=1
______________

To follow this blog and the wonderful writings of Kelsey Eliasson follow this link, you will not be disappointed.

http://www.polarbearalley.com/blog/index.php/2012/10/25/polar-bear-blog-snow-day-and-bear-day/
______________
The Bear season project.

Seasonal blog on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/PolarBearProjectID: 85967-kathleen_sauerbrei-7cfc0cf460945bb161b27c580a229bdb
____________

A couple of photos from Kelseys Blog;

 The infamous "Dancer"

~~

Curiosity is Quite normal with these bears.
Everything and everyone is fair game to them.


A series of photos showing just who is in charge here.
I sure would not want to tangle with this bear.

~~Kathleen
All comments and observations welcome.  Please identify yourself if you are not a member of Blogger, so I can post your message.

Old favorites, New ways of looking at them

A few years ago, I had a friend that went to Japan and explored.
While there on a sort of Pilgrimage he took some wonderful photos of what impressed him about the serenity of the countryside.
I have three favorite paintings I had done  from these photos.
One of a hot spring, the second a series of ponds feeding off a Hot spring and the other of a set of stairs carved all the way up a mountainside to a Shrine at the top.
While all three are wildly different in colour/subject  and style, they are such favorites of mine, that I have never parted with them.

"Falling Water"
18" X 24"
Acrylics on canvas.
(My very first attempt to paint water)

~~

"Steps of Miijima"
Acrylics on canvas

12"X24"
(My first attempt to paint depth without a horizon)

~~

"Ponds  of the Enlightened Spring"
Acrylics and Mixed media

24" X 24"
(My first attempt with using molding paste (stones & rocks) to create definition)

I hope you enjoy these paintings, as each was in some way a new ground achieved in my learning to paint process.
~~Kathleen

Creating art from different angles.

 A few years back I painted a Calla lily.
It was a special painting, as I had never painted a flower with such detail.
Fortunately for me, and a lot of revisions I finally got it right.
Any flower I have painted since, I have liked but never as much as the gorgeous white Lily.
It has been my Pride & Joy.
It is Painted in Acrylics

on canvas 

12" X 24"

SOLD

Recently I had a chance to see a bouquet of Calla Lilies and in looking at them I realized that the beauty and simplistic form of this flower formed a perfect spiral when I gazed at it from above.
At first I thought That nobody would know what I was painting.
But then as I gazed at my work in progress I realized that it was so obviously a flower.
A delicate exquisite flower.

Here is the Finished painting.
Acrylics on Birch Panel

20" X 20"
"Lily Rising"

Detail of the flower center;

I hope you like it.
This was a real challenge to me, 

but, in all I think it turned out quite well.

Comments and critiques are welcome.
Later all
~~Kathleen

Photographers and those Darned interlopers!

I take a lot of photos, a lot of them.
I see a cloud that appeals to me I take a photo.
I see a kitten in a very cute position and I take a photo.
I take photos to use as references for my Painting, many many of them.
Some I post on Facebook, some I post here on my blog and some I just keep for 

references to my Painting.

But, I have never ever called myself a photographer.
I have never claimed to know what all the accessories on my Little Powershot A480 are for,

and personally I do not care.

The other day a "Professional" photographer snidely made the comment that
"You are not a Photographer, and never will be!"
I asked her what prompted that accusation and her reply was.....
"You post photos all the time...."

Duh?

Of course I do, and I am not about to stop.
I have photos of my grandsons, the animals about our home, the landscape around my home and of course

the skies.

But, as well, I photograph a lot of my own art so as to post it here and elsewhere.
Nope not as a professional.....That is for the Gallery owners to have done.
They know the specific people that are incredible in bringing out the colours on my canvas'.

In the world of Photoshop/Gimp and many others,  lies the problem.
Yep those darned  non -professional people that use these programs are stealing work

 from out of professionals mouths.

Really?
Ansel Adams had his own technique and perfected it.
So has Annie Leibovitz.
And many others,
Karsh is a very good example as well.

Do you honestly think that any person would assume that they could do better?

(Not being a pro, that is.)
I doubt it!

The people that do these things are having fun.
They are playing around with a camera and a computer program that when combined

usually end up as a neat picture.
They are playing around with toys and having a ball doing it.

So, if you are offended that I did not bring my Canvas to you (as a professional) to record for posterity so be it!

If you do not like a (Lucky) shot of my grandson that turned out wonderfully, I still refuse to apologize.
If you work hard, and take wonderful portraits, good for you.
I think it is about time for you to check your ego at the door and see random shots
(manipulated or otherwise)

as a different way of making it work for different people.
I am sure you have never used any type of photoshopping program in your art, 

because you are a Professional.

Art in any form should never be considered elitist.
Grow confidence in your own talents and stop worrying about what others do.
Be proud of your work.

Be so proud that those darn interlopers just do not matter.
Stop wasting your time ranting and do your own thing without a care in the world.
They have their world and you, yours.

Later all
~~Kathleen

Guilded Tiger Work in Progress Finished.

"GILDED TIGER"
12" X12"
Acrylics and Gold
on canvas


Part I
The beginning:

As most of those of you know, I love incorporating Metal Leaf

Gold/silver/copper and any other bling into my art.
To achieve this without loosing the integrity of the painting is not always easy.

Too much in the wrong place, and it looses what I call dignity.
Metals work wonderfully in Abstracts.
You can shape and form them and enhance it with paint.

But to do an actual painting incorporating (In this case) Copper  leaf is very hard.
That is what I am now trying to do.

I will document my progress here, and if the finished work looks good 

(meaning not tacky!),
I will keep it, otherwise into the burn barrel and off with it!
I started out with a sketch of a Tiger in the snow behind a stand of trees
Blocked out everything but the animal and gilded it.
It then looked like this.....

This photo was taken @ night so it is darker and less representative of the actual appearance.
Being that it is all I have of this stage I have to use it.

Part II

I then (with the help from Goldens tech service), painted a full layer of Gac200 over the whole canvas.
Then waited two days for 

it to dry fully.
(Insert twiddling thumbs and checking "it"  fingerprints on the canvas here)
The Gac200 provided  a base for paint to adhere to when I painted the stripes on the Animal.
(Metal leaf is not the best substrate for Acrylics.)

I ended up at this stage:

This is a pretty good indication of what the actual painting looks like now.


Part III

Now I am going to paint in the rest of the canvas.....
Not in snow as originally intended but in a forest like setting.
I have to paint the underbelly and features of the tiger in a cream.

With advise and suggestions from Diane, I will use interference paint mixed with my cream base.
(Thanks "Dee")
So, for now that is it, I should be finished blocking in the greenery tonight.
Wish me luck.

Well, I coloured the background in a mottled dark  and light green....This way I will have complete coverage when I begin painting in the foliage.
Looks kinda strange, but it will really make a difference.
This will give you an idea of where this is going.
Now for the detail painting, probably the tree trunks first.


Part IV

Well, here we go again, seems this painting is taking more time drying than in painting :).
I am now going to work in the tree trunks (Birch) and begin to lighten them and detail them before I work in the foliage.
So be patient with me as I watch the paint dry.
(Never a fun thing to do at the best of times)

"till the next up-date
Hi all, been a while, but have been working painstaking on the tree trunks.They are such an integral part of the painting that they have to be realistic.
Here is where I am at now, I will get the tree trunks done to this point, and then shade/highlight them all at the same time.
Hope you see this (so far) as a positive move.
Remember clicking on the picture gives an enlarged view.
Comment/Critiquess most welcome



Part V

Well, a slow process, but productive, I have all the trees roughed in and am now working on the foreground.
From this point on I will be attempting to refine the painting with the details to make it look like the Tiger is just viewed quickly as it silently moves through the trees and brush.
I will add rocks to the lower Left and foilage to the lower left, the trees will have to be finished and the complete background reworked.

so the real work begins now.

Part VI
Finale

Finally done, this was a very hard painting to do.  The problems the metal leaf (Copper) Posed were quite unique.
I had to place the leaf on the shape and then cover the gilding with Gac100 (Goldens) so I could paint on the stripes.
Yesterday I got to the final stages of the greenery in the foreground, and completed that!
Here is a detail photo of part of  that section;

The end result has a slight mist lowering down over the Cat as it moves Stealthily through the Birch Trees.

"STEALTH"
Acrylics & mixed media on canvas
12" X 12"

Thanks for following the composition and creation of this work.
I appreciate all of your input.
Comments & Critiques always welcome.
If you are not a member of Blogger just sign your name so I can approve the post.
~~Kathleen