Looking Homeward

"Looking Homeward" , oil on canvas, 16 x 20" ©2016  kathipeters.com

 

 

The image for this painting started as a graphite sketch in my moleskin sketchbook. I kept looking at my sketch and the image of the chestnut horse looking into the distance...[ looking into his future? ] and it kept saying paint this. The landscape was not so important in the scheme of the composition. The sky was as important an element, for me, as the subject himself. I used my palette knife mostly in the painting of the sky and the landscape. The pensive horse was painted with brush and more detailed, but with a bit of knife work in his mane.  

 

I enjoyed looking at this painting as it stood in my studio on my easel. I enjoyed painting it. And I was very happy when one of the galleries I am with, asked to have it in their gallery after seeing it on my website and my Facebook page. I was changing out work with Equis Art Gallery and agreed to send it down with new work that they wanted.  I explained that it was just dry enough to ship.....and would be send down unframed. They agreed to that. So off "Looking Homeward" went to New York. And then I was pleasantly surprised to heard from Equis Art Gallery that THAT painting had sold as soon as it arrived in the gallery.......a half hour after it had been unpacked. I thank Equis Art Gallery and owner Juliet Harrison. I know that pensive chestnut horse is in a good home where he will be taken care of and loved. That is what I want for all "my horses".



 

 The graphite sketch in my Moleskin sketchbook that prompted the

finished painting of "Looking Homeward".

More Charcoals and Gouache Work

"Bedded Ewes" , charcoal and gouache, 7 x 9.5" ©2016 kathipeters.com

 

While still working in my charcoal , and adding a splash of color .....I captured some images of the sheep in a friend's flock. We visited the Maine farm on a cold rainy April day. The birthing barn was warm with wooly mothers and their off spring, bouncing lambs with sweet faces and bright eyes.

This artistic venture back into charcoal, seems to have kindled my artistic muse. I am enjoying getting my hands dirty, and thinking in black and white, working with values. Some of my small charcoal works on paper have gone to Equis Art Gallery in Red Hook, NY. I hope collectors of my work go check them out. They are 'going' at very easy on the purse-strings prices.  Some I consider studies, as I really liked them and feel as if I would like to explore them more as paintings. Some are really finished artwork.

 

 

"Dinner Is Served" , Charcoal and gouache, 12 x 20.5"  ©2016 kathipeters.com 

So far our spring has been lovely. I am behind on getting my veggie garden in, but the perennial gardens are coming along fine.

In between gardening and barn chores ....I am fitting in studio time. More works in the works!!

 

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

Three Sketches and Drawings Available

 

"Two"  graphite study ,  9 x 12" ©2016 kathipeters.com

 

While working on several paintings in the studio, I worked on several drawings/studies ......and here are three that I have decided to sell. They are available on my website.  At least one of these will become a painting.  I am always a day ahead of myself. 

 

 

"Alone With His Thoughts" , graphite , 16 x 20" ©2016 kathipeters.com

 

Days go by and I can easily loose track of what day of the week it is, but I always know what I am going to do tomorrow in the studio.That is a comforting feeling.

 

"By Sun's Set-Study" , 18 x 12" ©2016 kathipeters.com 

 

 

 

Big Painting For A Small Studio

"INVERNO",  Mixed Media , 30 x 40"

 

I often have painted large works. I have always felt a bit cramped in my studio when I slap that big canvas on the easel and start blocking in the image …..But my latest large work [large for me at 30 x 40”] just came together easily and I never felt like my creative vision was too big for my small studio.  My creative muse soared as I took a simple scene of one of our Morgan boys dancing on his winter mound of hay, surrounded by bright sunlight snow, against the sun’s glow through the forest that surrounds our farm. I played with graphic design a bit more in “Inverno” than my work of late. I’m feeling there will be more work like this one in my future. Maybe a throw back to my years of graphic design and commercial art.

I used my oil paints, my casein paints, and acrylic paint and oil pastels in “Inverno”,  over the initial sketch done in charcoal. I played around with this painting. I think it worked!

“Inverno” is available …..Ready to make a statement in its new home!

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!!