Changes

Snow blankets the look-in-to garden.

We thought that spring had come but winter charged back in with biting wind and snow. The horses were starting to shed, but when the weather changed, I think they now are appreciating their winter coats. Over the weekend we awoke to a fresh blanket of winter white.....lovely to look at and not so deep that we had to spend hours shoveling. If but all the storms would be like this!!!

And while the weather took a turn for the worst I Moved my office to my studio….pc and desk and files…..this change will make it easier for me to take care of business. It also allows me the use of my larger monitor for reference of images while I paint. Easier on my eyes!! My studio is finally put back together, after days of bedlam …sort of. I am working again, doing some drawing and working on some new paintings. I have my summer galleries plans laid out…..and need to get ‘to work’ on new work. This is good. I also will be doing some painting demonstrations this summer…..all in the works.

And locally in Maine, I have 2 paintings hanging in the Aarhus Gallery’s "44n 69w Radius Belfast"  show which runs March 1^st - April 1^st. The opening reception is March 2, 5-8pm. Their openings are always packed and entertaining. Aarhus is a lovely Belfast Maine Gallery. This all-encompassing show, featuring work by Maine artists, celebrates the vast creative local community. From the sales of this show, the gallery donates 20% of proceeds to food banks within a thirty-mile radius of Belfast. This is wonderful, especially this year….the way things are. I am happy to take part!!

Now.....back to my drawing.....and the changed around studio. [I think I do this every year at this time....change things around!!] Back to work!!!!

©2012 kathipeters.com

Time for Relflection, Poetry, and Packing

 Spring On Our Farm

I love the rush of wind through fields,

The secrets that the woodlot yields,

The yellow of the promised leaf

   of birch,of alder, willow, lurch.

The green of grass to green of spruce.

The songs of birds when spring lets loose,

The pond's soft ripple as touched by wind.

The Lilac's purple potential bring.

The barn sits empty during day..

The horses out and far away in fields they eat,

the new spring sprigs of grass so green and soft gray twigs.

I love the gentle change of greens

that spring at our Cob Cottage means.

by me....Kathi Peters!

In the driveway road side stands a lonely yellow tulip..I am not sure how this lone tulip arrived at this place. But I am leaving him there to surprise me each spring.....a bright spot of color against the brown and gray of the spring woods.

In between painting and walking dogs,  ...I have been busy getting works ready for several shows that are opening on the east coast this May. The two painting shown below are headed to New Jersey for the New Jersey Equine Artists' Association's National Juried Exhibition "Art of the Horse, 2010".  The show opens at the Somerset Art Association in Bedminster, NJ  on Thursday, May 20th and will run through Sunday June 20th.

 "Shades Of Black#9"     and   "First Snow- Revisited"

Then I have my casein "Riding With" juried into the HIT-on the Hudson Equestrian Art Exhibition  and Charity Auction.This is a three part event running from Memorial Day until September 10th, when the works of art from the exhibit will be auctioned off at an evening gala.

 "Riding With"    casein on paper    9 x 12"

Closer to home, my painting "I Can Do It Myself" will be in the show opening at "The "Festival Of Art " held at the Hutchinson Center in Belfast, Maine opening May 14th. This is a fun show with works from Maine artists all over age 50.!! I qualify!!

You know, it takes an organized person to keep all the information and paperwork together, filled out, and paintings shipped on time to the different venues. I am flying by the seat of my pants in this part of "The Life of An Artist". I am not organized for the most part!.....but I can paint...and I find I can STILL write poetry!! Enjoy!

Hue and Saturation

Today I worked on my panel ..........it is coming together ...and I feel I need to get it done, so I can varnish it before sending it off to hang in the mother image.........I just found out today that I am almost OUT of purple........Shiva Violet! This is not good.....I know I cannot find Shiva Casein paint any where near Belfast ...never mind Morrill, Maine!!! I need to make a note to myself to always have two of every color! Lesson learned!

Tomorrow I won't get much done in the studio.....the vet is coming to float teeth on the equine kids and to give everyone their checkups. I am sure the horses will be so happy. NOT!

Show Opening In Belfast Maine- May 22, 2008

I have been working..both in and out of the studio.

My gardens are starting to look good. I think that June is when they are at their prime. I am looking forward to that! Both our sons gave me plants for the gardens for Mother's Day [and dinner out to boot!!]. Such good men they are!!!

On The art front: The 2008 Festival of Art presented at The Hutchinson Center in Belfast opens on Thursday, May 22nd with a Reception for the artists and public. I will be there... and so will my casein "She Rode A Purple Horse". My painting "In Your Face" is hanging in the Gothic Building storefront window in Belfast on Maine Street , along with some other local artists' works, to celebrate this show. There is a Biblical saying "A prophet is not recognised in his own country"....so it is with me. This is almost my first local showing...new for the Belfast arena, not Maine. I look forward to getting more involved with the art scene here.

"The Horses In Art" show at the Columbia Art League has closed and is now being moved to the Wildlife Experience Museum in Parker, CO. My two casein paintings [ "Shades of Black # 8" and
"Shades of Black # 9" ] hanging in that show, will be traveling to the museum for the Opening Reception on June 6th, 2008. I will not be able to go to that opening.....

Early this year I did a watercolor of this Belfast building that I love looking at. It is on Main Street and when you drive into the town Belfast, Maine, you can’t miss this corner building, as it is right in your face.

This painting is a 10 x 8” casein on canvas board. I am working on some other scenes from this area of my world, as I venture forth and document my impressions of Waldo County, Maine. The earlier watercolor of this scene is already on my blog and on the watercolor page of my website. It is interesting to compare them………………..one spring and one summer…….?

Jacob Cotswold

There was a farm on a road near us where a lady raised sheep. There were 'flocks' of them..big, little, ewes, rams, and baby lambs. I was fascinated with them. They sported horns....some had many horns, so many they could have formed their own band!!

I stopped one day on my way to Belfast for shopping and talked with the lady who had all these sheep. She was very proud of all her flock and let me snap photos of them for future paintings. This is the first of my works depicted these neat sheep.

They are an ancient breed that are mentioned in the Bible. This was my first introduction to Jacob Cotswold sheep, a rare breed. I have raised sheep before, as a child on my family's farm in New Hampshire for 4-H, and again on our farm in Pownal, Maine. I always loved sitting with the sheep, listening to them chewing their hay and the peacefulness of the barn.

I miss my sheep...............but for now 4 horses,a cat and a Corgi are work enough.

I will stick to painting my sheep.

Out And About? Not!

Earlier this spring, while snow was on the ground………I vowed that I would paint outside more often this spring and summer………..I did some quick sketches this spring of surrounding landscapes, houses and Belfast’s seaside atmosphere and lovely Victorian architecture. This watercolor is of a wonderful building in Belfast that has fascinated me since we moved into this area over five years ago. You can’t miss it as you drive into Belfast on Main Street…it is in your face. A lovely building!

When I lived in Italy, I painted and sketched often in the streets and piazzas of Rome. I had the works sold on the spot, as passer-bys watched me work and asked to purchase the works as I completed them.

Today I find I can’t work for long outside……….and even though I planned on working more outside, I prefer the studio and it’s bug free environment. Guess I am a sissy in my old age!!