Drawings, Watercolors and Spring Is Here

"A Fine Cob" , charcoal, 16.5 x 10.5"   SOLD

I have been drawing a lot lately.....It is always a good practice to draw...free hand ....To get your values correct before starting to paint. Time spend drawing is time well spent. It helps get my creative brain working, seeing my subject and while I draw I start envisioning how I want to approach the subject matter, what medium, what support, what direction. The charcoal drawing "A Fine Cob " was drawn with charcoal and when I finished the drawing [which was immediately sold after posting it on my Kathi Peters Art page on Facebook] I knew I wanted to try to approach the same subject with my pastels. I haven't had them out for a long time and I felt it was time to get back into pure pigment and build pure color. I am working on that now, and I am grateful for the fact that pastel is a medium sitting patiently waiting for my getting back to the painting.

 

In the mean time I have finished the two new watercolors featured below. Both of these watercolors are now available for purchase on my website. The cute colt is a Welsh Cob foal ...all legs....and foals are a sign of sweet spring. Our spring is slowly appearing here. All snow is gone from our farm, and left in its wake the season mud, that seems to cover our chestnut pair as they sleep in the sun. I captured them standing together in the winter sun in a 12 x 16" watercolor, "The Winter Chestnuts". No mud coats at that time....white snow and winter's barren trees abound.

 

"The Bay Colt" ,watercolor, 10 x 8" 

"The Winter Chestnuts" watercolor, 12 x 16"

 

On the recent days, ones where we were blessed with sun and warmth, I have been out starting the cleaning of winter's debris....stones and dirt on the lawn, stones on the grass surrounding our stone pathway to our cottage and matted leaves burying the perennial gardens. I have made some headway, but there is still lots to do. It is always a labor of love and time spent out of the studio, cleaning the creative cobwebs out of my head, is always good for my soul.  Fresh air and sunshine.

"Russet" in Winter

"Russet" , watercolor  , 8 x 13"  ©2016   Sold

Snow storms and winter's bitter chill have taken their toll on my studio time and frankly my get up and go, as far as creativity is concerned. I've taken an afternoon here and there , but I've been so tired and not able to get into anything too deep or needing concentration. Maybe it is lack of sun....or lack of sleep.....but here is one watercolor done, which was immediately sold. This handsome Morgan mare was a subject that I took photos of years ago ....and yet I only got around to painting it now. I loved how she turned her head to see my approach, as she was tied to her trailer, having just come back from a drive. Russet horse in a russet harness. Lovely.

I have been sketching a lot lately. I have started to fill up a Moleskin sketchbook that was given to me by a good friend years ago when we got our Morgan driving pair. She told me to sketch at Acadia when we go driving....but frankly  I am always too busy taking care of the horses there , or just enjoying being with the horses on a carriage drive. No time to sketch. But I did start to use the sketchbook last year on our trip to Pennsylvania and Weyth country. I am loving the paper and how it works with pencil and ink. Liked it so much I ordered a second smaller Moleskin sketch book to use with wet media. Here are  two graphite sketches done and they will each become  future paintings I am sure!

"The Colt"

 

"The Pair"

As we brace for another storm.....snow and then rain!! .....I am grabbing some studio time today. I am getting into my watercolor paintings again.... I  am painting!!

One Subject - Two Mediums

"Head Study #2 At Acadia" , watercolor,  17 x 12"   ©2016

 Two works done recently. One subject. Two Mediums. Why?

This handsome carriage horse was first worked up as a graphite study, in order to get my values figured out in my head. Doing these preliminary sketches helps me a lot; especially when working from photos, and not from life. This horse was one of the horses who was on the American Driving Society's visit years ago to Maine and the carriage roads of Acadia. I captured more than several photos of this handsome guy and I have painted him before. This time I approached the painting a bit differently than other works done of him. His strong face and handsome features attracted me again. And because I have clients asking to purchase my sketches I have included the graphite of this image available on my website.

"Head Study #2 At Acadia", graphite, 14 x 11" ©2016



Working The Farm and Painting -That Is My Day

The garden's early blooming daffodils,so sweet.

My goodness, how times flies.  I have been busy…and a bit distracted. Spring has found its way into our neighborhood and our gardens still need tended…horses beg for attention. Some of my days, though, have found me in the studio. I have painted a few new works, shipped some of my work out to new collectors and to galleries and shows. I have delivered some art work River Arts Gallery in Damariscotta,Maine.  With spring comes walks with Nell, time to breath in the smell of our woods wet with melting snow, cedar, pine and spruce perfume the air, and birds are singing the age old 'rites of spring' songs. Life is good and sweet on the farm. I am starting to pack my pochade with the idea of getting out side and doing some painting of beautiful Maine……but for the most part, now my time is spent doing studio work.

 

 'Barn With The Yellow Door"  , Casein on paper,  8.5 x 13"

 "Barn With The Yellow Door" is a scene depicting our barn and my old  Tennessee Walker Duster, who I sadly lost last year... just about this time of year too. I miss the old boy, and as he was always my muse....when I went to paint our barn, my old Duster had to be in the painting too.

Our two Morgan boys, my 'Ginger Boys' , are now my muses....and this next work is of Devon. He prompted a mixed media piece in graphite and gold leaf. His face, chiseled and handsome, his large soft eye always gives my heart joy. Hopefully " Sweet Man' will touch someone else's heart too. I love the way the small gold leaf parts of the drawing highlight his face.

"Sweet Man" , Mixed media on claybord, 12 x 12"

 I am ready to start a new work now...in watercolor. So it is time to paint!!

Hard To Get Good Help

Studio helper.

As the days pass, and yes, they are shorter now, I have gathered up my work to pack and send down to Gallery B's 2-person show I am in, for the opening date of Oct 7th....in Lexington,KY. The latest watercolor that I finished, needs to be taken to my framer to be framed and I still need to frame a few small works that I will frame myself. Nellie helps me in the studio...and checks out each painting to make sure that it is tagged and signed! I would be lost without her!

I am almost done a 12 x 12" mixed media work......here are two shots of the work as it is in progress. I am playing with a new approach to what will be a series...I am sure. This is done on Ampersand Clay Board and I am loving this substrate!

Getting the drawing  right.........

Almost done the drawing and then going in with the paint......

Back to the drawing board.....I will post the finished work very soon. I am in with the paint already as my studio help sleeps....getting her beauty sleep!