Painting That Is "In Harmony"

"In Harmony"  , mixed media, 12 x 12"  ©2017

A four-in-hand team of Kladruber horses trotted by me on the carriage roads of Acadia. It was during a week of coaching on a bright fall day. The lead horses came down the road, right towards me, and the horses behind them could not be seen , nor could the carriage with its passengers be seen, as they all held onto their hats, when a low hanging branch threated their loosing their hats.  As I went to paint these handsome carriage horses, the woods background, with the sparkling back light, suggested such an abstract statement....I went a bit abstract....using contemporary colors. I'm pleased with how it all comes together and how the colors complement the more realistic equine." In Harmony" is available on my website.

New Works Done - I'm Pushing My Artistic Envelope

 "Rolling In The Deep" , mixed media, 12 x 12"

 

 

 It seems that I have been creating representative artwork for ages. I have. I feel a need to break out a bit from the artistic mold I have created for myself. Mind you, I am sailing unchartered waters for me...... but I am enjoying this voyage ....and I think it still nicely fits with my older work. So for the time being, I will be posting these new works in the same collection on my website as my more representative work. I only hope my collectors will come with me on this voyage. Hop abroad!!

 

"Rolling In The Deep" is the first...... It  happened at Acadia. A handsome spotted draft...one of a four-in-hand team.  A good roll after a good drive. It always seems to happen after a good bath too! If you have horses, you have seen them roll......often in deep something!!

 A mixed media work, it is done in acrylic, oil and casein. It is varnished and it is on a cradled board and does not need to be framed, but can be hung as is for a contemporary look.

 

"One In A Blue Moon" mixed media  , 6 x 6"  copyright 2016 kathipeters.com

 

 The second mixed media abstract work was done smaller...... same mix of media. The subject was one of two Belgians in a draft horses team working up Acadia this summer. I saw them when we were up at Wildwood Stables with our Morgan driving pair. Often I see a horse whose face captures my heart. This handsome Belgian guy was one of those horses. I really enjoyed painting this small work. "Once In A Blue Moon" is available framed .....and is ready to go!

 

The third one done so far is "Snow Drifting". I went into it very abstractly and then ended up finishing it in a more Japanese feel. I have always been fascinated with the woodblock work of Hokusai and Hiroshegi....I went for that feel, with an abstract spin. I really enjoyed creating this one too , as I wondered what I would do... as I worked through the composition. Another foray into abstract and representative work.......A chestnut horse rolls in the winter sunlight in his paddock of snow and hay. Dappled winter shadows , blue and purple surround the golden hay and sunlight. I have been there.......seen that.

 

"Snow Drifting" is also on a cradled board, with no need for a frame...ready to hang.

Ready to ship! 

 

"Snow Drifting" , mixed media, 12 x 12"  copyright 2016 kathipeters.com

 

Now I have to get back into some commission work I am doing.....so I paint.

The Fall Pair - New Casein / Mixmedia Painting

 

"The Fall Pair" ,mixed media, 12 x 12"

 

They work in the fields on the farms. They are the heavy horses who help get the produce to the markets. They are the gentle giants who helped build our world. The Fall Pair are the workers...gentle giants,

I used casein, acrylic paint in this work.

 

This painting is offered now unframed. Shipping within the USA is included in its price.

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

New Mixed Media Figurative Painting While Fall Starts It's Glow Outside

  "Enlightened"  , casein and mixed media      18 x 18"  ©2014 www.kathipeters.com

The days are shorter. The weather has been wonderful with crisp fall mornings that beckon me to start the day full of fall colors and sounds….. Leaves that crunch underfoot, crows cawing from tall spruce. I love it.

The fall weather brought visits from artist friends and my family. The owner of Equis Art Gallery and her husband came to pick up new work from me, and we got to enjoy days of touring Maine. I carried my camera and have reference photos of iconic Maine landscapes to keep me busy all winter as I work on my new body of work.

I feel a need to do more figurative work. I have started using our grandchildren as subjects. I hope they don’t mind!! “Enlightened” is a new mixed media work [casein, gold leaf and languid gold]. It is on canvas and is sized 18 X 18”. It was a fun painting to do and took me quite a while to do between company visits. This painting has been juried into the River Arts art show “Faces & Figures” that opens Oct 10th in Damariscotta, Maine.Hope you can make the show! There is some neat work hanging in this exhibit.

I have 2 paintings in the works now. I can’t wait to show them!

Until then….I will paint!

Our grape arbor is turning color...a fall burnt red.

The Ice Pony

"Ice Pony"     mixed media   18" x 14"

This painting is framed in a lovely distressed gold frame and it hangs in my office at the moment. It is painted in casein, acrylic and gold with some ink throw in for good measure. The horse is a lovely Icelandic perlino stallion........and looking back on it now, I was playing with the colors of grays/white horses when I painted this fellow. I suppose I could add this to my "Shades Of Gray" series. I have added the painting to my website..........

It is available.

Pony and Snow Revisited

This is an 8 x 10" mixed media painting on board that I have done before in casein, but felt a need to "revisit"again as a mixed media. This time I used casein, acrylic and ink to get the effect that I was looking for.This winter painting is available on my website.

'Frolic" the pony in this work, came into our lives when we lived in North Pownal. At the point we had 6 horses and Frolic became our granddaughter's first pony. He was a great guy...very well behaved and knew how to take care of a new rider. But not only did he know riders, he was a great driving pony who once was part of a handsome pair. A handsome Welsh pony....the kind that every little girl dreams of and for a while he was part of our Jackie's life.

Draft Nap Gold

I love painting white/ gray horses. I can see so many colors in a white horse. But when I painted this draft, for some reason I approached him with a solid white,very graphic,and not shadowed at all. With a gold background and his bed of gold and yellow hay, I wanted to "keep it simple".

Years ago [it seems, in another life] I drew fashion illustrations, wrote a fashion article about what was "in" on the fashion scene in Italy. Now a days, one would find me in jeans, covered with hay, dog hair and paint. I would not change a thing about my life....and my training in fashion, in illustration and commercial art often colors my work that I produce today. My painting animals is a far cry from the fashion world.........but I love it here on our tiny farm that feeds my muse each day.

This 16 x 20" mixed media painting, titled "Draft Nap Gold" will be put up on my website.

The Equestrian

I am painting today when I should be getting things together 'better' for my solo show with Gallery B in Lexington, KY. in May. But I really believe one [ meaning me!] needs to paint while the muse is hot. So I finished this mixed media painting [ 10 x 10 1/4"] of my mother as "The Equestrian". As I explained before in an early post on my blog, and will explain again.....I am working on a series of works depicting my family and times in their lives. I feel a need at this point in my life to make a statement about my family's past. I am hoping that someone will connect with this statement and understand what I am trying to say. At times I don't really know What I am saying?!! So good luck to us all!!

The wind has kicked up a notch here on the farm and gray clouds have replaced the sun that shone earlier. Spring is being it usual fickle self. I don't mind though as the promise of bulbs bursting and flowers blooming is so evident! So while the weather brews a storm, I will take care of things that need being done for the May show and think about what I plan on doing in the gardens when weather permits. It will at some point! It always does!

Leader of The Pack Finished

This mixed media painting on canvas ,18 x18" is done and as it was done with casein, pen and pastels I will be having it glassed and framed. I have had fun exploring this combination of milk based casein paint and pastels on the canvas. Casein goes down smoothly over the Colourfix primer and then the pastels' pure pigment floats it seems on the casein and primer base.
"Leader of The Pack" will be put into my website and is available.

Now for today and however long it takes..my desk is cleared and I am doing the inevitable taxes.
Oh, how I avoid this chore each year!!

Leader Of The Pack

This 18 x 18" mixed media piece on canvas is coming together okay...I am feeling that I need some work on 'movement' around the hounds and then I will back away and call it good. Working with the casein and pastels as been interesting to say the least. I have pushed the envelope a bit and plan on trying others in the near future...as time permits. I have a lot on my proverbial plate at the moment. I need to get some carriage driving artwork done.

Today the outside beckons with sunlight and birds singing their spring songs...tomorrow we will have a winter mix of rain and sleet. That kind of mixed "media" I can do without, thank you!

A Bit Over Whelmed

There has been so much happening the past few weeks...I am feeling a bit over whelmed by it all. All I need is for the snow to melt too fast and have all the gardens looking to have my care too and I will be panic-ed!! But I don't see that has happening ..seeing we still have two feet of white stuff to get rid of! I think Mother Nature is cutting me some slack!
The opening for a Belfast, Maine Art show at Aarhus Gallery was held last Friday evening to a VERY full house.I had one of my mixed media painting of My Family Series showcased there. I am working on some more of these.... a trip into my past and ancestry....and fun.

I have four shows I have been invited to....and a personal show coming up in Lexington, KY. in May titled "Finding My Voice"...at Gallery B.

The interview with me, covering my oeuvre of equine artwork, has come out in ART HORSE MAGAZINE.... and it is neat to see my work showcased so nicely..and at such a good time!

That being said....I am heading back into my paints and pastels ..yes, pastels....interesting combination..and the hunter painting....and I am starting a new driving work. If ONLY I could just paint.....and not have to do the paper work that goes with all this 'artist's life".............. a necessary evil! Heh ...the sun is out! A good omen!!!!

44N 69W:Radius Belfast

I havn't really been doing much showing in the local scene, but I did take one of my new mixed media family painting to the Belfast show “44N 69 W: Radius Belfast” yesterday.
That will hang at the Aarhus Gallery in Belfast through March 29, 2009. The opening reception is March 6th, 5 – 8 pm. I plan to be there…would love to see you all there!!!
This is the painting that I submitted…”How Ya Going To Keep Them Down On The Farm”…you know the song that asks… that after they see Paris?? [PAREE?] You have to see this one to believe it! And it is a small painting..only 8 x 6". But it is framed BIG! [ Not really!]

AND GUESS WHAT…. it’snowing OUT! Our weekly snowstorm promising 6 to 12 inches!

Work In Progress

Work in progress.....I write that and I think. “My goodness…I am a work in progress!!!!” :-)

Anyway…here are two “From The Loft “ shots as she stands today. I will do more this afternoon…. while I wait for a watercolor to dry.
Since the last time I posted I have gone into the painting with Titanium White casein mixed with Ultramarine Blue Deep casein and a bit of acrylic thrown in to the mix. I find that makes the casein dry a bit faster and glazes it so that it doesn’t give up so much of the bottom color as I brush through. My shadows are started to get where I want them and the darks are reaching the depth that I want. I have started highlighting the reflected light…and did you notice there is a lot of gray in white snow???

Here is a close up of Miss Vicky...there is Shiva Violet added to her body and glazed on the shadows. The hay will be the next project.

And then here is Nell! …Waiting for popcorn! She barks at the microwave. I think she thinks that makes it POP faster!!! Silly little JRT!

Now back to the drawing board!

From The Loft Series On Going

This morning I had a chance to get this painting really going. This is a view of our Cob mare Trevillion Victoria as seen from our loft, as I sat on the hay piled up to the high loft window. The sun was drenching the new fallen snow with purple and blue shadows thrown by the forest trees that fence our mares' winter paddock. It all begged to be painted!

I started this painting on a burgundy toned ground that I applied to the already gessoed canvas ..and sketched the mare with white pastel to get my composition correct. Then I started the painting with casein....

With Ultramarine Blue Deep and Shiva Violet, I figured out where I wanted my blue and purple shadows. The casein then needed to dry and that takes a while..so I worked on my newsletter and made some calls to clients...then back I went over the casein with acrylic...Titanium white....and the acrylic always picks up some of then casein ..blending and creating a glaze that I couldn't get with straight casein. The acrylic drys quickly and creates a skin over the casein...so for the next phase I won't be picking up so much of the dark blue and purple of the casein.

At this point the paint is mixing with the toned background and the casein... and so starts this 30 x 40" canvas for the "From The Loft" series.

The other two paintings in this series can been seen on my website in the Equine and Domestic Animals Collection . While this Loft painting dries, about 24 hours, I will be working on a commission that is all casein.....and it will be handled differently.

Start Of A New Day Done - Really

Here is a close up of the subject of the finished casein "Start Of A New Day", 18 x 18" on canvas. I put the last brush strokes on it today. [ I promised myself that I did!!] And the rest of the day was spent trying to fix my router for my DSL. It seems to be working now. I will keep my fingers crossed.

I also have several sketches I have worked up for a couple of new paintings.

But I do want to get back to doing some more of my family images / mixed media work. Some of the work done so far can be seen on my website in the Figurative Collection. It is a stretch from doing equine art, but I am feeling the pull to get back to that. This work has me playing with acrylics and casein mixed with some collage thrown in for good measure.

In the meantime I will be getting my thoughts together about what is happening to me this year, artistically and career wise. Good things are happening.....but I still have a hard time getting all my "ducks in a row".......paddling like crazy under the water....but skimming along it seems on the top!!

Heh...I am still afloat!!! and that is great!