New ..... A Downeast Lighthouse Painting

"Dice Head Lighthouse - Castine,Maine" , Oil  12 x 12" ©2015 www.kathipeters.com

My latest oil painting depicts the beautiful “Dice Head Lighthouse” of Castine, Maine. A summer road trip Downeast prompted a visit to this lighthouse. The surrounding trees, in the yard of the lighthouse, had branches draped with gray -green lichen. I was fascinated with the way it decorated the landscape…..and chose adding it for my first work depicting this interesting lighthouse. The current tower was built in 1829 out of rubble stone, remodeled in 1858 and has long since been dark, replaced by an automated light tower. The lighthouse is a delight to the eye.

Fall has settled in on our small farm. We are starting to put our carriages away for the winter, and getting ready to pull out the snow blower and put away the lawnmowers. I love the cool [some cold] nights and sun filled days where bright orange and yellow color washes the forested edges of our fields, dispersed by the dark greens of our spruce and pines. The horses are full of energy and playfulness. The yard is busy with the seed hording of our resident varmints and Nell is in hunt mode all day in full terrier tradition.

I am trying to find time to paint……………

Back Into Watercolor For My Latest New Painting

 

"Heading Out - Acadia"  watercolor , 11 x 25"  ©2015 www.kathipeters.com

"Heading Out - Acadia " is a new color painting,  finished last week actually....Another 4-in-hand turnout that captured my attention this summer, up at Wildwood Stables in Maine's  Acadia National Park. I captured them as they were eager to get out onto the carriage roads on their first visit to Acadia. I chose again to just portray the horses.....without the carriage, [a marathon type vehicle] as they went by....all movement and energy. Wonderful memories of an Acadia trip. If it were a commission I would have included the carriage and the driving party….but this is an original done with artist license.

 

 

 I am back into my oil paint now, working on some scenes of horses at liberty and some Maine landscapes.  We are also busy with guests coming and going on our Cob Cottage Farm. Summer is going too, but we have been blessed with some awesome summer like days lately...days that beg me to head out into my gardens and try to catch up on garden taming and transplanting. All too soon the cold weather will come all too soon. I will enjoy this weather while it lasts.

 

 

Also a quick reminder!!!.....Don't forget to take advantage of my ongoing Small Work Sale........it is still going on until I take it down. Strike while the iron is hot , so to speak. Some neat small paintings are included in the sale. I'd hate for you to miss out on a good deal. The small paintings make great gifts for the Holidays!

 

 

My Gardens Are Growing & News

 

Summer has really arrived. …physically and figuratively! I sit writing my blog on the deck. A lovely breeze stirs the green heavily laden trees .The sun shines down on the farm encouraging the gardens to grow. The rugosa roses scent rises in the warm air, bathing the deck in their perfume. Birds are busy at the bird feeders that hang in front of the grape arbor, flittering back and both from the trees to the feeders. A humming bird flies by me as he makes his rounds to window boxes and hanging baskets filled with petunias, zinnias,nasturtiums, marigolds and begonias. Nell sleeps in the shade beside me. Mittens sleeps under the table, half in the sun, half in the shade. Life is good in the summer a Cob Cottage Farm.

 

Most days , weather permitting , we have been driving our Ginger Boys up at Acadia National Park National Park. Each year we wonder if this is going to be the last year of us being able to do this. I pray that it won't be… but we aren't getting any younger and everything is  getting so expensive too.... fingers crossed that art sales keep coming in and our life can go on.

 

"Chestnuts Two" , casein on board , 12 x 12" ©2015 www.kathipeters.com

 

My news on  the art front?  I have my painting “ Chestnuts  Two.” In the current art exhibit at River Arts Gallery’s Members Show. What a talented bunch of artists I am in the company with at River Arts!!!!  Hope you all can make it to the show.

 

Then I have decided to not have my sketches available for purchase anymore on my website and I will be taking off the ones left on my Sketches and Studies page, in a very short time. The ones I do have left up on my website are seriously been discounted! Don't miss out !

And over the next few weeks, I might not be painting much. Time to reflect on my current art work, spend time with my husband and enjoy our days carriage driving our two Morgans. It is a fun sport which  you can share with friends who don't ride or drive… we love doing that!

 

And I  love to paint carriage horses!!

New Oil Paintings And Distractions Galore

"In The Summer Light"          Oil on gallery wrapped canvas       10 x 10"

The summer days are flying by too fast it seems. I am getting ready to head down to Saratoga Springs, N.Y. again for the reception at Equidae Gallery, and for me that always seems to be the end of my summer "busy busy" time. My boxes have already arrived there with my paintings and I will  also taking two larger heavy oils on copper works with me...They will be there for the Equidae Gallery's champagne reception on the evening of August 3rd. In the morning of the 3rd, I will again be doing a painting demonstration and talk. The talk this year will be about my painting in casein versus painting in oil, and why I like painting in oil on copper panels. I hope to see new faces there, and I will be letting folks try oil painting on copper and casein painting on paper!! It should be fun!

Last week I did an oil on canvas of my horse in the summer hot sun....and our fields that are no longer green. I love the contrast of the hot yellow sun as it hits my black horse and the cool blue greens against the dark shadow of the forest background. "In The Summer Light" is on gallery wrapped canvas, sized at 10 x 10".
I also did a small landscape of a favourite scene viewed from Acadia's carriage roads. We love driving on the back of Little Long Pond and the dark forest roads that offer shade on a summer's drive.One of the stops we so enjoy  looks back down on Little Long Pond's boat house and the ocean beyond.The Rockefeller family has gifted us, the American people, with such a beautiful gift of  roads to drive or ride our horses on and to recapture the atmosphere of a slower and more gentle time. We should cherish this.

So I painted this Acadia scene.....  this small gem of an oil painting in oil on copper,

 "The Boat House From Above"

"The Boat House From Above"         Oil on copper        6 x 8"

So now I need to get back to planning my gallery talk,make notes...and pack up some paintings for a new Gallery I have been invited join [More on that later]. The garden needs  tending.....and all the daily chores on the farm call. I guess I need to get crackin'......Until next time!!

Docent For A Day



Yesterday morning on Cob Cottage Farm

This past weekend the fall color was brilliant. Every year that we have been here on our small Maine farm, we marvel at the beauty surrounding us and feel so blessed to have this spot to call our own.

So having in mind that the driving scenery would be lovely this past weekend, we headed down to Skyline Farm and Carriage Museum in North Yarmouth, Maine to work as docents for the art and crafts show that is taking place there this fall. My art is hanging there, along with some absolutely beautiful pottery, glass work,quilting, jewelry and hand crafted furniture. There is art work from other Maine artists too.....a great show to be in or to see! Our dogs came with us. We had a busy day, but it was fun to talk to folks about the paintings and carriages that highlight Skyline Farm. I enjoyed be a "docent for a day"!



Skyline Farm's Art Exhibit has something for everyone!

One of the many interesting carriages at Skyline.

Now back at home today, I am working on commission paintings and some new ideas I have brewing, The wind is whipping the color off the trees out side. But the pups and I are cozy in the studio and will be here for the rest of the day. Galleries are asking me for new work..... I have my paint out on my palette...time to do what I was born to do, here on our small cottage in the woods.

We love our life on this little farm in Morrill, in Downeast Maine. Part of our love affair with this part of Maine is due to the lovely views we have when we look out our windows from this little cottage in the woods. On a morning last week, this is the sunrise I saw out my studio window. How great is that? Shots like this make me want to do more landscape work. How could I pass up the chance to depict this glorious God given morning?

News for the New Year:

I was juried into the Richeson’s 75: Artist’s Choice Exhibit 2008. My casein painting “She Rode a Purple Horse” will be hanging in this exhibit at the Richeson School and Gallery in Kimberly WI. From January 15th thru Feb. 22nd. This show will be available for viewing on-line after it's opening. There will be an artbook offered for purchase by the Richeson Gallery depicting all artworks in the art show.

I also have been invited to take part in The Grand National Celebration of Western Art Show & Sale 2008" in Pinion Hills, California. This is an invitational show where 5 of my new equine paintings will be exhibited, April 4th - April 12th, 2008.