Day 2

After thinking more about why yesterday's painting seemed so easy to paint, I realized that it was because of the canvas panels and the brushes that Carol Marine recommends. Normally, I would take my usual canvas panels and the brushes I like to a class, but a few weeks ago, I was listening to the Internet radio show "Artist's Helping Artists.". The topic was how to get the most out of a workshop, and they highly recommended using the supplies that the instructor calls for, simply because you may discover something that you really like. Well, I REALLY like the smooth canvas Raymar panels and the brush Carol recommends! I think that painting has been easier the last two days because I'm not wrestling the paint onto the canvas; there's a greater ease in application. I'm definitely switching to the Raymar panels. If anyone is interested in buying my current supply of panels, let me know!


Tuesday's focus was on values and an afternoon of 10 minute paintings.

Workshop

Lately, I've felt I'd reached a plateau in my work, as though I was stagnating a bit. I knew that it was time for some new input. I've had a couple of terrific oil instructors on a regular basis, but their primary subject matters aren't still life, the subject that still appeals most to me. I've been following a painter named Carol Marine for the last six years and admire so many things about her work that her workshop was an easy choice. Easy to choose, not so easy to get into. She's an excellent instructor as well as painter, and her classes fill up rapidly. A year and a half ago, I registered for this May 2012 workshop in Sedona, Arizona, and here I finally am!


This afternoon's assignment was to paint anything that we wanted, just to give her an idea of our levels and to see how far we could get in an hour. I looked at my paint and the canvas, and decided that I'd forgotten
how to even hold the brush (I hadn't painted at all in the last two weeks and had workshop jitters.) I just had to close my eyes and go for it without thinking too much about it, otherwise I may have stood there paralyzed for the rest of the week. The resulting painting was actually a pleasant surprise. I don't think that any of my little paintings has been that effortless. Go figure...


I've come this week to learn more about color mixing, edges, and composition (as well as marketing.). After today, I've figured out that I could coast this week if I wanted to, but instead I'm going to challenge myself. I stopped at the grocery store this evening to buy a lot of white items to paint. White still stumps me, so I'll try to work on that this week. I'll try to post all of my paintings, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Forgive me if my pieces look like Carol Marine's, but I always start by trying to duplicate what the instructor is doing and then by using those skills consistently, it doesn't take long to make my own twists on technique and color.


Here's this afternoon's painting.

Africa Commission

11x14" oil on canvas

This is my newest painting from my experiences in Africa.  While in the villages, we kept our cameras in our bags unless we could ask someone for permission to photograph them.  One afternoon, we did have an hour in the market of Kwaggafontein with the freedom to photograph everyone and everything of interest to us.  The photo of this young shopkeeper was taken across the street from her with my zoom lens.  It's obvious from her posture and expression that her business didn't welcome any "monkey business."   I wanted to capture her youthful beauty and strength. 

To read a bit about my trip, and see all of the resulting paintings, please visit my blog  Painting By Heart

A Glimmer

It feels like ages since I last posted something.  I've been hard at work, but only recently am I wrapping up some "blog worthy" pieces.  I experienced a two week period where I wiped the paint off of every single canvas I touched.   It was a (thankfully) short, but very frustrating period that had me seriously doubting that I'd ever get anywhere with oils (I feel this way on a semi-regular basis!).  I took a day or two off, painted some more bad paintings, wiped them off and then suddenly had a few successes.  I have three paintings right now that are close to being finished, along with the one I'm posting today.

Sun Drenched Blossom,  5 x 5"            $75, unframed

This little painting was exciting to me for two reasons.  First, it was the first painting that I hadn't had to wipe out after 80 hours of painting and secondly, it's a glimmer of where I think I'd like to go with oils.  I love the glow and the expressive brushwork I achieved here, especially since I so often rely on extremely dark backgrounds to push the intensity of light.  In this painting it's produced by the warm petals on the cool background.

I'm looking forward to soon showing you the other paintings I mentioned!

Questions?  Contact me at info@juliekirkland.com

Sprinkles On Top

This week's challenge was to paint donuts.  It was pointed out that we could paint them instead of eating them.  Yea. Right.  The biggest challenge in painting these (besides not eating them until I was finished) was that the stack of donuts kept falling over.  The combination of the hot light I had focused on them and the weight of the upper donuts slowly crushing the lower donuts was evidently less than ideal donut engineering.  Did you know that when donuts topple over, they make no sound?  

This 6 x 12 inch original oil (unframed) is $175 plus shipping and applicable tax.  Don't hesitate to contact me at info@juliekirkland.com if you have any questions. I'd appreciate it if you'd "Like" this painting on Facebook (button below).

Spring Still Life with Egg

It's only March, but it feels like spring here in the Rockies.  Of course, every March, Mother Nature coaxes us into believing that winter is over--the days grow warm and the trees begin budding and leafing out.  And even though anyone who has lived here anytime at all knows that it will turn cold and snowy in an instant, we all like to believe that we've seen the last of our parkas until next winter...


I'm celebrating spring today with lighter colors that reflect the season. The color of this vintage tablecloth is a perfect compliment to this blue robin's egg.  My favorite part of this painting is the dogwood petals and the multiple colors I used to paint them "white."


Buy it now price on this painting is $85 unframed.  It goes up for auction tomorrow on Daily Paintworks with a starting bid of $30.  Click on the link to my Daily Paintworks Gallery in the right sidebar of this page.


www.juliekirkland.com
info@juliekirkland.com


Follow me on Facebook:  Julie Kirkland Fine Art

Cottontail

I loved the backlighting in my photo of this bunny, especially the way that the light highlights her tail.  This 6 x 6" oil can be purchased unframed through my Daily Paintworks auction that runs for 7 days starting today.  Starting bid is only $25 and, as usual, if you are able to pick up the painting in person, I will refund shipping charges that are added at the end of the auction.  To view the auction, cut and paste this address into your browser:

 http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/41609

Questions? Contact me at info@juliekirkland.com and to see more of my work, visit my website at http://www.juliekirkland.com

"Fluffy"

"Fluffy"                      12x12in.                oil on canvas panel

I've just finished a commissioned portrait of Fluffy, the beautiful pomeranian that you see above.  As usual, the eyes and the tongue were my favorite parts to paint.  I've painted mostly short haired animals and found Fluffy's fluff to be a challenge that turned into pure fun.   This week, I'm turning my attention to another commissioned portrait of a young African girl with lots of dreadlocks.  The overall shape of her hair is not unlike Fluffy's, but the texture is definitely different!


I'd like to point out a new feature on my blog, and that's the Daily Paintworks Widget that you see on the right.  The widget constantly rotates through my painting gallery on DPW, and gives you a link directly to the painting that you click on (and then into my entire gallery as well).


The piece that went up for auction today is "Satsuma Gold," a 6x6 inch oil.  As promised, I've continued to paint tangerines, and they continue to keep me interested.  In this particular painting, I focused on having softer, cooler edges and, just for fun, created that "hot" shadow.  Starting bid is only $25, and again, if you are local I'll refund the $10 shipping to you when you pick up the painting.  Check the rotating widget I mentioned and click on the painting image to go straight to the auction.

Satsuma Gold            6x6 inch           oil on panel

P.S.  If you know of anyone that might enjoy seeing my art, I'd love it if you told them about it and sent them a link to subscribe to my posts!  And, if you are on Facebook, I'd appreciate you clicking "Like" to share it with your Facebook friends.  Thanks, friends!  (Starving artists need all of the exposure they can get!)

Tangerine Challenge

Tangerine on Turquoise,  6 x 6" Oil on Canvas Panel  $75 unframed

I've been true to my word and have kept at the challenge of painting the same object multiple times.  I have actually kept a total of 6 of the tangerine paintings (the others were best wiped off.....)  Everyone who visits the studio seems to have a favorite, and this one happens to be mine.  I love the complementary color contrast of the orange and blue.  I'm still enjoying the subject matter and the infinite variety of things that I could try, so expect to see more of these!

This painting, "Tangerine on Turquoise" is currently available in my studio and will be sold through a Daily Paintworks online auction that starts tomorrow, Jan. 17.  Visit my DPW gallery http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/jkirkland-51 and click on the painting image to take you to the auction.
You can see more of my work at http://www.juliekirkland.com Questions about this painting, or any of the other tangerines?  Contact me at info@juliekirkland.com.

New Year, New Goals

"The Fruit Gets Sweeter As It Ages"    6 x 12 inches   oil on panel

Are goals and resolutions the same thing? 

   goal

  noun

1. the result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; end.  2.  the object of a person's ambition or effort; an aim or desired result; the destination of a journey.
RESOLUTION noun    1. a firm decision to do or not to do something.

Goals and resolutions both involve a directed effort at something, but a resolution seems focused more on just the end result, while a goal acknowledges that the journey along the way is just as valuable (or more so) than the destination itself.   I've never been one for making New Year's resolutions, but I have gotten into the habit of setting new goals to promote growth in my painting skills.  My goal this year (or for at least a few months!) is to paint the same item everyday for a week.  Initially, I thought of doing this as a way to become more confident in my color mixing--mixing the same colors for 5 days in a row might help me mix color without having to think about it so hard.  But the exercise is evolving into something even better:  a journey that unfolds before me as each little painting suggests a new thing to focus on in the next.
I found a Satsuma tangerine at the market a few days ago and, feeling inspired by it's eloquent leaves, decided that it would be my first subject for the year.  I've done three versions so far in the last three days at the studio.  With the first, I focused just on getting the color correct.  I set the Satsuma on my windowsill and got to work using definite brushstrokes and angles to create a graphic look:

Satsuma 1      6 x 8 inches  oil on panel

That led me to experiment with doing the next version with softer edges:

Satsuma 2      6 x 6 inches  oil on panel
For painting number 3 (top of the page), I set the goal of trying to turn the edges of the fruit and leaves using temperature (cooler color at the edges making the edge recede).  That was my initial goal, and I did think of it occasionally, but mostly I was just having so much fun painting that I forgot to focus on that and just enjoyed the process of painting it!  What do you know--I had already begun to think less about how to mix the colors involved and was just doing it!   I'm still interested in focusing just on color temperature tomorrow, and I'm sure that will lead to trying something else the next day.  In fact, I'll need a minimum of 10 days to even scratch the surface of possibilities.  I'm picturing the public coming into my studio at the next Art Walk:  they'll see a wall full of the same tangerine and carefully back out of the room so as not to provoke the lunatic artist.
And so, I prefer goals to resolutions.  Goals involve a journey.  I'm on a road trip where I can pull off to see everything that intrigues me from serious learning experiences to huge balls of twine.  From day to day, I don't know where a painting will take me, but it will always be exciting. 
A note on the title.  With Satsuma's, the older the tree, the sweeter the fruit it produces.  In fact, the most flavorful fruit comes from trees that are at least 50 years old.  That encourages this old tree!
"The Fruit Gets Sweeter As It Ages" will be sold through a Daily Paintworks online auction.  Visit my DPW gallery http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/jkirkland-51 and click on the painting image to take you to the auction.
You can see more of my work at http://www.juliekirkland.com  Questions about this painting, or any of the other Satsumas?  Contact me at info@juliekirkland.com
Happy New Year!

My Christmas Peeps

The last month has had me busy working on commissions that were ordered for Christmas. One day though, I did feel the need to break out and just be silly, thus "My Christmas Peeps." Just something to entertain myself! I especially love the cool fresh feeling of the blue background and how it complements the blue on the peeps. If you are interested in bidding on this 6 x 8" oil, the starting bid will be only $25, and the bidding begins tomorrow at www.DailyPaintworks.com. Just click on the auctions tab, then search for my name. If you have any trouble finding it, contact me at info@juliekirkland.com

A New Beginning

Blue eggs enchant me more than white or brown, or even green ones.  And blue SPECKLED eggs are even more intriguing.  I imagine that they hold some exotic promise--much the same way I view the beginning of 2012.

The auction for a "A New Beginning" (3x4 in. oil on stretched canvas) begins tomorrow with a starting bid of $25.  The "buy it now" is $45.  It's a small gem that shows handsomely on a table top or mantle, and just the right size to tuck into an intimate corner.  Follow this link to the auction: 

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/30011

If you're interested in buying it now for $45, contact me at info@juliekirkland.com

Raven

The Raven, 6 x 6" oil on panel

I haven't painted much in the last three weeks.  I had a lovely vacation in Charleston, South Carolina with my husband and then returned just in time to move my studio at The Second Floor Studios into another room, and then paint the entire space and put it together in time for Art Walk and our Holiday Open House the next day.  I had exactly 3 1/2 days to accomplish this, and somehow pulled it together enough to make it presentable!   There's still a lot of stuff to finish, like a second coat of paint on the woodwork and weatherproofing the windows now that it's colder, but I'm tackling that only a little bit each day in order to turn my attention back to the easel!





"The Raven" is the last little painting I did before I left for Charleston. I especially love the little bits of orange popping up around the edges. You can buy "The Raven" now for $80 plus $10 shipping, or you can visit my daily paintworks auction that begins on November 17th. Starting bid is only $35.00! http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/23850

www.juliekirkland.com

Sir Galahad

This painting wouldn't be nearly as delightful if this puppy's name had been anything but "Sir Galahad!"  He looks like he'd fit inside a small bowl, and I have no idea of his breed, but it makes me happy to just look  at him.  "Sir Galahad" is a 6 x 6" unframed oil.  He comes unframed for $75 plus any applicable tax and shipping.   For more information and to purchase, contact me at info@juliekirkland.com.

The Best of Friends

I remember hanging out with my best friend in high school, sitting in the sun and sharing secrets just like these two. These two girls happen to be two of my daughter's girlfriends that she is still close with. "The Best of Friends" (6x8 inches, unframed oil) is being auctioned starting now on www.DailyPaintworks.com. Just visit my member page and look for my auctions listing. The starting bid is $50. You can buy it now for $95.00 plus $10 shipping (and sales tax if you are a Colorado resident.)

The Young Collector

I was hiking with my husband recently on a beautiful autumn day.  Much of the way, we followed a family with three young children.  The youngest was just a toddler and was bouncing here and there as he ran along.  With his bright orange sweatshirt and shining blonde hair, he reminded me of a little sunbeam.  I was lucky enough to have my camera ready when he bent down to reach for another treasure.

"The Young Collector" can be purchased for $320 (framed) plus shipping and tax (if you are a Colorado resident).  I take credit cards and you can ask me about making payments if that would be helpful.  Contact me at 

info@juliekirkland.com.

Summer, San Luis Valley

At 10 x 20 inches, this is the largest painting that I've done in quite awhile. It's a view of the mountains from a bison ranch and nature conservancy here in Colorado.  You might be able to tell that it is early summer, since there are still some remnants of snow on the mountains.

"Summer, San Luis Valley" is framed and available for purchase for $800.00 (plus sales tax if you reside in Colorado).  If you're interested in this piece, contact me to see what we can work out!  I can be reached at info@juliekirkland.com.

"Sun Seeker"

"Sun Seeker,"  8 x 10 in. oil on canvas panel

Cats always find the sunny spots in the house don't they?  I see a cat lying in the sun as I work, and often think how great it would be to stop and lay in the sun, too!  "Sun Seeker" comes framed for $290 plus applicable tax and shipping.  As always, if you have any questions, contact me at info@juliekirkland.com.

"Julian"

This portrait of Julian was commissioned by his parents.  I fell in love with him as

I painted  his engaging eyes and bright smile .  Doesn't he just exude "boyish charm?!"

Autumn Stream

"Autumn Stream", 8 x 8 in., oil on panel

All artists love autumn.  The colors, textures, and golden light are a feast for the eyes and senses.  I have so many fabulous fall reference photos that I'm excited to paint, and this scene is one of the handful that I've chosen to paint recently.  Initially, I painted it with a brush, as I normally do.  I ended up with an overworked, dull result that I scraped off of the canvas.  The ghost image left on the canvas confirmed that it was a good composition and that I had been on track with the right colors, I had just scrubbed the paint to death by stroking it over and over.  I've discovered that whenever I'm not using enough paint and pushing the paint around too much with my brush, using a palette knife is like hitting a reset button in my brain.  The palette knife forces me to use more paint and to lay it down in one stroke without scrubbing it into the canvas.  I'm very happy with the results of this painting!  The palette knife strokes lend a sparkling quality to the water and the fall colors are fresh and bright.

The price of  "Autumn Stream" is $200 plus shipping and tax (if applicable).  You can purchase it at that price right now, or you can visit http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Buy/Auction/16942 to participate in my online auction.  Starting bid is $100, and the auction ends October 6th. 

Contact me at info@juliekirkland.comwith any questions you may have.