Painting Small With Big Color - Carefully

"Lady On The Gray"  casein  5 x 5"       ©2012 kathi peters

Snow falls on and off today.It covers the ground with a clean soft blanket,hiding the icy spots....so I walk slowly and carefully. A bit of caution is called for. I heed the warning and proceed prudently.

And I have been painting small.....small works, but pushing the color....and this is good.The beautiful snow falling inspired me to paint one of my perfect Christmas trees that stand in my gardens. I also painted a small 5 x 5" casein of a wonderful side-saddle rider on her gray steed.Both small works will be available through my website.

"The Perfect Tree"    casein     5 x 5"  ©2012

And in between painting small paintings I did a larger,but not too large, 12 x 9" casein on paper, depicting a four in hand ....as seen from a different angle. "Four In Hand From Above" was inspired by a scene from Maine's Acadia's Wildwood Stable.The horses were waiting by the barn, beneath the loft window on a hot summer day....I love seeing the world go by while sitting in the hay loft !!

"Four-In-Hand From Above"   Casein  on paper     12 x 9"  ©2012

So I have been busy in the studio....and walking slowly, carefully around the farm.

Small Jack Painting

"A Cozy Spot"     Casein on Claybord     5 x 5"    ©2012

As Winter rages outside....Nellie,resident JRT,holds down the couch after a rough morning playing in sleet and rain .....lucky dog! I am back in my studio with an afternoon planned of more creating. Lucky me!

This is a new small gem of a painting, a casein, ready to be framed and looking for a new home! It is available on my website in the Small Works Collection.



I am Stoked



"His Flock"  Casein on board    12 x 12" ©2012 kathi peters

The year has started wonderfully....I am so happy to announce that my casein painting "His Flock" was selected as part of the FAV15%  (the jury's favorite 15% of the entries) in the December 2011 BoldBrush Painting competition. This is a huge competition that highllights the works of the best of the best.......and I AM stoked to be elected to be part of the FAV 15%!!
I just wanted to share.........

Horses and Hound and Maine Winter

Duster looks out over distant fields.   ©2012 kathi peters

Winter has been cold and bitter of late....winds howled and snow blew.The horses cherished any sun they could find,soaking up any warmth it might afford them.But I have to admit that the snow covering the farm and forest is beautiful to look at.....soft to walk through....and not that hard to shovel.I am grateful for small miracles!

Victoria enjoys her side of the barn.  ©2012 kathi peters

Nell soak up sun anywhere she can find it in the house.   ©2012 kathi peters

The buoy chime swings in the wind. ©2012 kathi peters

I have been working in my studio each day. I have finished a new painting of a mare and foal. "Mother and Son" will be up on my website soon. I am also busy on an smaller casein painting on paper....a four-in- hand driving scene from up at Acadia National Park.....a freguent subject for my artwork. I paint what I know and what I love......Acadia is so beauiful. Combine that with carriage driving.....heaven!!!

But now it is cold out. Winter is in full force and my days are spent in the studio,...while our resident horses and hound look for comfort in the warmth of the winter sun, while they dream of spring,summer, warmer days.

Winter In Maine Is Cold

Graphite Self Portrait ....or having fun!      ©2012 kathi peters

It is cold. It is winter and we live in Maine. One would think that we would be used to this....but it always is a bitter reminder that Mother Nature is in charge... and we get what we get and HAVE to cope, as we bundle up in multiple layers, to go down and do barn chores, waddling like Michele men through new snow and ice. THIS is when I wax nostalgic for Italy......sun and warmth. I have been looking through old photographs of my life, ions ago,in another life.....growing up in Italy. A lot of sweet memories there.....and they help warm my winter days in Mid-coast Maine.

But I have also been painting.

I have done a new oil painting, again with a copper panel for the substrate.The subject of the painting is an old bicycle that stands leaning on an old tree....and has been standing there for several years now....summer, winter,spring and fall...in all weather....in snow or rain. I have been wanting to, planning on painting it, for a long time. Each time I drove by the yard where the bike sits, I would say to myself...."Paint that!"  It was time to do it last week....so here it is. I have added it to my website.

"Retired"    Oil      10 x 10"  ©2012 kathi peters

The sun is dipping lower in the sky now. The temperature only rose to a chilly 10º F. today, is starting to fall again. I guess it is time to bundle up, waddle to the barn and close the horses up in their cozy stalls for the night. They will appreciate it. Winter in Maine is cold.

 

Our stand of spruce.    ©2012 kathipeters

American Saddlebred Painting Done

"A Sweet Ride"   casein on paper    9 x 12"            ©2012 kathi peters

The first week of the new year is over and I have two painting chalked up as done. I have had the luxury of long spans of uninterrupted time, where I have been able to start approaching some paintings that I have been meaning to do for a long time. I am starting into them now!  
We are expecting snow tomorrow....I am in the mood for painting with oils, so I am starting a winter scene to get ready to shovel the real thing tomorrow. Today is a sunny day but very cold out.....I am staying cloistered in my studio.

The above casein painting is finished....a fun Saddlebred horse painting.  Now back to the easel.

A Fjord Pair

"Fjord Pair"   Watercolor      11.5 x 16"    ©2012  kathi peters 

The watercolor of the Fjords is done and before the snow came, I was able to capture a good photo of it. I have put it up on my website purchase, unframed.
Now,with NO snow outside, I am finished up a 9 x 12" casein of an American Saddlebred horse and rider. A lovely studio day for sure!       

New Fjord Pair Watercolor In The Works

The New Year celebrations are over.We enjoyed dinner with fellow artists and their spouses.[the unsung heroes!].Artist Susan Renee Lammers and her husband Robert invited us to a lovely dinner highlighted by a delicious seafood chowder that we shared with Gregory Dunham, his wife Pat and their daughter.There was much laughter and talk....a great start to the new year 2012. Now it is time to get back to the studio with new conviction and to create.

"Fjord Pair"  watercolor  ©2012 Kathi peters

I have started a watercolor of a driving pair of Fjords horses.It is almost done at this point. A second painting,a casein on paper sits on my easel, and I work on that while I wait for the watercolor to dry between glazes. I am not one for hurrying up the drying progress of watercolors with the use of a hair blower....I prefer to let nature take it's course and elect in stead, to use that time to change direction,with new eyes and work in another medium.....still a water medium... but in my first love casein!

And I have prepared a copper panel for a new oil....Now I need to get that idea sketched out onto the copper.  A new year...new ideas!

Maine is cold now.This morning the temperature was a bone chilling 3º F. Nellie and I are trying to work up energy to head down to the barn to do barn chores.Just a another cup of coffee and I should be ready to go!!

Cold frozen ground,with clouds rushing by. © 2012 kathi peters