Tidewater Farm's Summer's Bee Balm

"Summer's Bee Balm", casein , 10 x 10"©2016

This painting will be available at Tidewater Farm's  'A Taste Of Tidewater ' art event to be held on August 20th , 2016 . For more information about the event and the availability of this painting please contact the U.Maine Cooperative Extension  207-781-6099. 

 

Les and I have been driving our horses. It is that time of year where we get to do what we love....and horses are a big part of it. I won't get much studio time over the next few months, what with gardening and driving....but that's good. I always come back with new ideas and my creative juices flowing. A vacation of sorts to keep my brain working.

But I will be drawing... sketching

Sea Holly and Alpaca Sketches

"Sea Holly" charcoal on paper, 11 x 8.5"

"Sea Holly" is one of the perennials growing in my gardens. I love its spikey presence. I explored their personality in charcoal...I know now I have to paint them. Their design element is strong as they stand out in the garden. But I need to capture their lovely incandescent blue....a color that stands out in  a sea of green, Their spikey flower heads and spikey leaves ask to be touched, experienced when one walks the garden paths. I am waiting now on their growth in the front garden. I think I want to try capturing them plein air....painting in the garden. I want to do more of that this summer, as time permits.

For now, this sketch was an interesting approach. This drawing is available unframed. Shipping within the USA in always complimentary.

 

  "The Wet Alpaca" , charcoal  , 11 x 8.5"  ©2016  www.kathipeters.com

 

Another sketch done recently was prompted by a visit to a friend's farm one cold, very wet spring day. I was photographing spring lambs when two inquisitive resident alpacas came to check what the strangers were doing in their lambing barn. What intelligent soulful eyes the alpacas have.  Their hair coats were soaking wet, but they looked huggable. This sketch is also available on my website. I am fascinated by alpacas now!

 

In a couple of weeks we are headed to Acadia with our Morgan pair. I don't know how much painting time I will be able to squeeze during our 'driving marathon". I'll do my best.  I can't wait to drive the carriage roads of Acadia again. I'll be taking lots of pictures for sure, for future paintings! 

Floral Series, So Far

 

Time seems to flies these days. I have been working in the studio all day, but have been very neglect ibex of posting and blogging about my new work. I think that the last time I sent out an email newsletter was last fall … yes fall of 2015. At least I can not be accuses of filling your email boxes with spam !! But I do need to apologize for not getting my latest works out there for those who are interested in my art … and I know there are some of you out there in cyber world who are collectors and following my work.

 

"Bee Balm After Winter#1 "   charcoal on toned rag,   20 x 12.5"  ©2016

I have been painting,drawing and creating new works in new media and stretching my creative repertoire. I have started a series of floral work  in charcoal, conte and gouache. So far works are on paper. I plan on using other substrates and mediums as I see where I can go with this series.

 

"Bee Balm After Winter #2  , charcoal on toned rag  12.5 x 20"  Sold  ©2016

 

I started with portraying my spent bee balm seed stalks, as they stand after our old Maine winter.  I am enjoying this working series.… with 5 done so far. I am starting to do another subjects too. Working in a  series as always been a favorite way of working for me. It is as if one finished work pushes me onto the next… all connected , all different. Here are the works so far. What do you think? 

 

"Bee Balm After Winter #3  , charcoal on toned rag  12.5 x 20" ©2016

 

"Bee Balm After Winter #4" , charcoal on toned rag paper  8 x 8"  ©2016

 

 

"Bee Balm After Winter #5 ,  charcoal and qouache on toned rag , 20 x 12.5"   ©2016

Plein Air Painting In My Garden

"Japanese Iris"  pastel on paper,  12 x 9"  ©2015 www.kathipeters.com

With the weather being wonderful...and finding a few days where I actually am able to get some uninterrupted painting time...I headed outside with my pastels to do some plein air painting. I didn't travel far. It seems I have been away from home too much lately. I just worked in my back garden....my studio garden. I don't have to lug my equipment very far!! I did a pastel of my Shasta Daisies in full bloom. Then I did another pastel of my "Japanese Iris" in all their splendor. I think I want to do more paintings of them while they are in bloom, but I might have to work from photos, as these days my painting time is limited.

Summer in Maine is short lived. I will enjoy our time carriage driving and the time I spend working in my flower gardens.  New flowers are blooming everyday! I will try to paint more of them.

Still Studying - After All These Years

"The Cob - Walking Away"  Oil on Canvas  10 x 8"   ©2012 www.kathipeters.com

 

My vegetable garden is in fall mode.My perennial gardens are growing rampant. I have been busy painting and drawing .....and  studying.Yes ,studying. I recently bought several books in my never ending quest to tweak my artwork and stretch as an artist. I strongly feel that if I want to grow as an artist, I need to read and learn from artists past and present.So I study!!

But I have been painting too. The above oil painting is of a Welsh Cob.....our Welsh Cob mare, Victoria. She does NOT like to have her photo taken and dislikes even more having me doing a painting of her. What started as a plein air painting became a studio painting as she decided that she had had enough of me.


And as the days get shorter and the afternoon sun dips lower and lower in the sky I felt the need to paint my last roses blooming in my studio garden. I just finished this 6 x 6" oil on copper......so two paintings done recently. I have been drawing too This is good!

 "Last Roses Of Summer"   Oil on copper panel   6 x 6"  ©2012 www.kathipeters.com

   . So what books am I reading now???? "Hensche On Painting" What have I learned? To get OUT OF THE STUDIO.....and paint outside to learn color!!  And I am also reading "Childe Hassam - American Impressionist" So what am I learning there? [It is a big book!] that I need to paint more!!  That being said....I am off to paint!

The Sun After The Storm

For two days we have had weather that seemed more like August than June. I mean this is spring, we shouldn't have temps in the 90's here in Maine!!! When it is that hot outside ..my loft studio gets heated like a oven. Not a fun place to be. But today started with cooling fog and then cleared and a lovely breeze blows through the house. So why was I out working in my gardens?? And taking pictures??? Why indeed! It is too nice to be in the studio!! I think I will take paint and paper out into the gardens to work.
Boy, this is a hard job!!

My poppies have started opening at last....I can't wait for their brilliant bobbing heads to add excitement to the very green landscape. So out I go to capture their brilliance!!