Watercolor Coaching Study

"Coaching Study" watercolor and ink, 8 x 12" ©2017

   

I have always loved the protocol and tradition of coaching. There is an excitement of a team of four horses pulling a coach with passengers dressed in proper attire , and with the bugler sounding the arrival or departure of the coach..... How wonderful.

The reference for this work was provided by friend and photographer Sarah Seaman.....thank you Sarah! I am sure I will do an actual larger finished painting of this beautiful scene.

This smaller watercolor and ink study, "Coaching"  is available on my website now.....

as I work some new work.  I'm painting!

In The Middle Of Winter

 

 

Winter has dropped her blanket of white on our farm. It means more studio time for me, after the shoveling and barn chores are done I head to the studio each day. I love this time of year. The farm and the forest that surrounds our home seem magical, cloaked in white as more snow falls softly from the skies.

 

I have been busy shipping commission and sold work for clients nation wide. New works are in the making...I hope you will find one that 'grabs you'!

 

"Arriving Back At The Barn" , watercolor, 9.5 x 20"   copyright 2016 kathipeters.com

 

The recent watercolor that I did of a four-in-hand carriage scene, up at Acadia, "Arriving Back At The Barn-Acadia", was sold as soon as it was put up on my website. I'm leaving my watercolors out for future watercolor work.... it feels good to be back into them. But I also will continue my foray into abstraction with representative work.

 

And so I paint [ in my cozy studio].

A Fall Special Sale Of Selected Works

  It has to happen....I have never done this before, but my studio is getting too crowded....and if I want to continue painting, [and I do] I HAVE to move out framed works. This dilemma is your gain. So grab a cup of tea, coffee or a glass of wine and virtually walk around my virtual art sale. It is a great way to collect my work at discounted prices. Collect for your own walls... or for that special person on your holiday shopping list.

 

"Crow #3 - I Drink Diet", Casein,  6 x 6", framed and shipped!

 

 

"Raspberry Island - Port Clyde, Maine" Oil on copper , 6 x 6"  Framed and shipped.

 

 

 

These are just a few of the paintings that are being discounted. I invite you to look at the Special Sale Page... and I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised! Nell and I need more room to stretch out and get to work in the studio........

 

 

Nell says "Shop 'til you drop!!!!! Woof!"   :-)

A Change Of Address.....Or A Need To Simplify My Life

"Ground Driving The Belgians - Acadia"  Casein  6 x 6"

I have moved....well , no I haven't moved....my blog has. It has been a long time it seems since I started my blog on BlogSpot....ions ago. It is time to make my life easier NOW. I am not getting any younger.....in fact the opposite seems to be so. So, one less Internet connection would be nice....less bother .I am moving [or HAVE moved my studio blog to my website KATHIPETERS.COM

There you can find my usual  mundane chatter and new art works in the making, ... or already done. Just like I have been doing here for nigh on 6  years now???? Wow , times sure flies when you are having fun! And I am having fun! Finally back driving our horses, and enjoying life to its fullest!
I hope you will come on over to my NEW BLOG PAGE .......and stay in touch. I love to read your comments and to have you continue to follow my art... and collect my art!  I have to feed those horses you know!  So bookmark the new blog page.....and come on over.
 

Sit and visit for a while.....you are always welcome at Cob Cottage Studio!

 Nell and I are waiting for you!

 

 

Team Work-New Watercolor

"Team Work"       Watercolor on board        12 x 20"  

They work up at Acadia,this handsome pair, pulling the carriages that folks take to enjoy another experience,another view of Rockefeller's miles of carriage roads on Mount Dessert Island. This is the way Mr. Rockefeller wanted us to experience the carriage roads in Acadia National Park......not speeding along on bikes, not seeing the views that open up through the trees,displaying the ocean and islands that surround Mount Dessert...not seeing the moss that grows on rock,not smelling the cedar and fir that stand sentinel on the roadways. A slower time...a more gentle time...try it if you go there. You won't be disappointed....I assure you. Everytime I get a chance to drive the carriage roads behind a good pair of driving horses [or even in a cart with one horse in draft] I revel in the moment. I think I am due for an Acadia fix!

This watercolor, started a bit ago....is finally finished."Team Work" is 12 x 20" and ready to be framed.Now onto the next painting......

But I am taking time to enjoy the last of summer's color.....my gardens are in that leggy out of control stage they always seem to get at summer's end. It is a bit sad...but soon the brilliant fall colors will be surrounding our farm...the view from our deck. To everything there is a season!!!

My Morning Glories....a delight every morning!

Cat For Sale

"Mittens is being very bad!!"

We have always had a cat. Sometime more than one.There was a time when we housed  [in the barn ...not the house!] 22 cats of different colors, types and ages. We had bought an old 200 year old farm in southern Maine and with it we inherited a plethora of cats and added our two house cats who we moved in with, into the mix. [We also inherited a flock of sheep with the farm,but that is another story!] Over the years the number decreased, attrition by condition! Needless to say, we cut down on our feline dependents and today find ourselves with just Mittens, a now 12 year old [give or take a year or two] Maine Coon Cat of dubious lineage. She was born on that old farm,nestled in a cozy den amongst the hay bales in the loft. A friend and I pulled the snarling hissing, scratching kittens out of their den.The whole "kitten -kaboodle" of them! My friend adopted two of the kits and I kept Mittens....the rest were picked up by cat rescue to be sent to their forever homes. Mittens is my buddy as I write and work on the computer. She enjoys the peace and quiet of the upstairs loft office space. It is where she does not get dragged around by a certain Jack Russell Terrier! It is her safe zone. We all need a safe zone where we can have peace and quiet....hers is here, beside me....she purrs her happy song while I work. I love her when this what is going on.......BUT of late she has started waking us up early in the morning while she enjoys her 'playtime'...she runs like a banshee through the house, over our bed.....very annoying to say the least! If this continues she WILL find herself on the side of the road with a sign attached : FOR SALE-FREE!

The winter watercolor I am working on of two Belgian drafts is almost done...it is just needing the details....and it will be then good to go! I am headed down to the studio now.....as Mittens sleeps in the office....she needs her rest you know! She was up early.

Two Paintings Done - Dog And A Horse

"Aiming For The Target" watercolor on paper 13 x 18"

This watercolor was finished this week, along with this small casein on board of the Jack Russell Terrier and her favourite outside toy, that is a bit chewed up and raggedy. I will have these two new paintings on my website,

"Play With Me" casein on board 5 x 5"

The past week , for the most part, has been sunny and warm.What a joy! The snow is melting and even though it is February I am thinking of my gardens and what needs to be moved, transplanted and pruned!

Speaking about moving........I am moving my studio out of my loft and into our walkout basement room that will afford me more room to work in, and direct access to the outside and gardens. I am thinking that this summer, I will be able to take my easel out and paint in the back patio near my arbor and gardens! I will miss my window on our world on the farm...my studio window where I can see all the fields, the barn and our horses. But the trade off will be I will be able to actually stand up anywhere in the new studio!!!... and can step back and look at a painting I am working on with out having to worry about falling down the spiral staircase! I am excited!

New studio.....New paintings!!

Thinking about Summer?

I am sitting in my studio putting off doing barn chores. The outside temperature reads 6 F.. It is much more comfortable here in the studio loft, with good music playing and the pups sleeping...but I know I need to get the chores done. They are saying we might get up to 20" inches of the white stuff starting the afternoon?? Our horses are way out in their fields digging through the snow for grass. It is as if they know that after tonight there won't be as easy a dig to find those few green blades buried under the heavy new snow.

The above watercolor "Heading To The Pull" reminds me of summertime.........a long way off it seems now. I love going to the Maine fairs ...with all the noise and commotion...the smells of dough boys and popcorn...of hot dogs cooking and of sweet candy floss. This painted scene is one that you could see at any fair. It is a framed and matted watercolor ...the image is about 9 x 14" ...and it is can be seen on my website too.

Now down to the barn I guess and get chores done before the storm hits...........

Caught With A Mouthful

I just finished up this little watercolor of my Duster [Tennessee Walking Horse] caught with his mouth full....always eating. It is small...quick and it is done! It is 10 x 4" on watercolor board and though it is for sale...I won't be putting it up on my website.

It was a good day to stay in the studio...very cold and windy here. I had ordered a bunch of art supplies and today part of the order came....I can't wait to get started!! New canvas and new ideas!!

Focused

Corgis...Corgis..........Cardigan Corgis!

This is a 7 1/2 x 11" watercolor on watercolor board from a sketch of a Cardigan herding cattle......what captured me about this shot was the intense stare of the Cardigan on the eye of his subject. His human mom sent it to me. It is as if he is saying [ with his eye] "You better go where I want you to go!" and you know...I think the cow has got the message! Of course the shadows and movement of the moment captured me too. I am a sucker for a shot with great shadow and movement.

I am putting this watercolor up on my website............

Also I want to mention that I am a member of the Canine Art Guild...and am one of the artists in an online art show called "Helping Paws" , where a portion of the sales go to the canine rescue group of our choice. I have a small casein of a Pembroke hanging in the show and all of the money fro the sale of this cute PWC painting goes to CorgiAid. Take a stroll over and check out the great show ...and be sure to help out CorgiAid. CorgiAid is a nonprofit organization founded to provide> financial assistance to corgis and corgi mixes. They help rescue Corgis from dog shelters or other non-permanent homes, then foster them until a new forever home is found. Medical and other expenses for these dogs can become high. That is why I wanted to donate the sale of this Corgi painting 100 percent to CorgiAid. My painting is titled "Just Sitting There" [ 4 x 6"]

And now I need to get focused on the job at hand..........more on that later!

The Filly Coming Five

Yesterday I painted the barn doors...and I also finished up this 12 x 8" watercolor of the filly. She has been the subject of my work a lot in her four short years. I was with her when she was born...and she is my helpmate when I am down doing barn chores. Maggie is always willing and curious to have her picture taken. A willing subject...but sometimes a little too willing and up close for long shots! But I LOVE HER EYE..... and so will be painting it often...and willingly!

My barn now sports a bright yellow door....as does Les' work shed. I have started the back barn door and prepped the potting shed door...all to be painted yellow. When I finished up the front barn door and was watching Maggie watching me painting the door.....I saw the lovely red in her bay coat against the yellow door...........yup! This will be a new painting I am sure!

Today dawns a bit cloudy. But I need to get the barn doors done before the weather changes...I know it will turn cold and wintry soon. So the watercolor I am working on now of a Cardigan Corgi herding cattle will have to wait a bit.

Can It Get Any Better Than This??

This is one of the nicest days weather wise .......the fall colors are a blaze and the sun is shinning. I just ate my lunch by the garden fish pond, listing to the running water and the rustling of the leaves as the squirrels and Corgi play in the woods. I am delaying going up to the studio..because some hornets took up house-keeping in the studio while I had the deck sliding-doors open to let in the warm fresh air. Good excuse, huh?

But I do have to post that this watercolor is done...........12 x 12" on watercolor board....it was fun painting it and I had a neat photo as reference from a Peruvian Horse Farm in Texas. JyW Coyote Creek Ranch. They breed the beautiful Peruvian Paso Horse on their farm.... and this is a painting of Three Peruvian Paso Horses.. full of 'brio' !!! Love doing portraits like this! I am calling it "Trio Brio"...neat huh?

I guess I have to get to work today. My sister arrives this week and I will be having fun and visiting with her over the next weeks.....But it won't be all playtime...I am sure I will get some work done!!! Not!

Side-Saddle Watercolor

It has been a while since my last post...The Skyline Farm art exhibit went off well last week. It is always so gratifying to see the works all hung and then stand back and take in all the beautiful artwork that is year's Maine artists sent for the show "Fertile Ground". The work was mostly landscapes.....but all off Maine. My co-curator for this show, Karen Pettengill, and I hung it all in record time. I guess we have had enough practise over the years...and have always worked well together. We have worked together in a green house, as grooms for a four-in-hand driver and now this!


I managed to get works shipped out last week and then my husband and our Corgi and I headed over to New Hampshire to see my brother and his family. It was a long week for me...but fun and I survived it!!!


Today I finished this watercolor and then I attacked my studio mess.....I feel like I deserve a break now, so I am headed out to mow lawn. This grass must stop growing soon...??!! but I think I I like mowing over shovelling snow!


"Kentucky Side Saddle" is 15 x 10" and is a watercolor on watercolor board. The rider looked so comfortable on her horse, as she sat talking to folks. I HAD to paint her. The watercolor is more about her than her horse, though he was a handsome fellow.

In past years I have enjoyed summers at Acadia, with my husband, driving our Welsh Cob mares. Lazy summer days with the pair trotting down the carriage roads built by Mr. Rockefeller, so that he could enjoy the spectacular views of Mount Desert Island and coastal Maine. If you have horses and haven’t been there, you need to go!!

At Wildwood Stables, where we camped with our horses, I took many shots of the draft horses there that pull the carriages that take the tourists through the carriage roads, so they can get a glimpse of the beauty that hides on these roads forbidden to the automobile. This casein is of one of those big boys, on a respite. I have done several versions of this draft, in different mediums- in casein, watercolor, acrylic, liquid gold, and pastel. Some of those can be seen on my website.

“A Quiet Spot” is the latest version of this gentle giant.

Up Close....and Personal.

I am busy packing more paintings to go to yet another gallery. This painting "Up Close" will be exhibited in Saratoga this summer at Terry Lindsey's Equidae Gallery at the Hilton Hotel along with 5 other works of mine. It portrays the old Standardbred tongue loll. All business, and focus on the race. This watercolor has a graphic punch to it....with colors that are a tad more brilliant than what is displayed here.
Okay.....back to the wrapping and taping!!