"Sunrise"  11x14 Palette Knife Oil on linen

"The Rock" 10x12 Plein Air Study 

HI - yes, I know it's been a little while! Here are a couple of current paintings, the top one is one I did during the 2nd Annual Art Walk here in downtown Elko. The painting is a scene from a favorite hiking place in Soldier Creek, a difficult hike but one that is well worth it. I used a palette knife on this piece and even let a few of the kids that came by try their hand at it - so much fun to watch their faces light up with excitement over getting to paint and I came away with a painting that I love.

The second painting is a study that I did over a week ago on a paint out and I had thought at the time that my colors were very dark and gaudy, but the painting has grown on me now that it has sat untouched in the studio. I can't wait to go back to this spot and try it again!

Thanks for visiting,
Kathryn

Early Spring in the Canyon

11x12 Oil on Linen   Palette Knife

Plein Air

My painting partner

On Wednesday the weather predicted rain, I looked out the window and although it looked grey I decided my dog and I NEEDED a day out painting anyway and as it turned out for a few hours it was one of those fabulous days where the sun filters in & out, you feel so great when it comes out and warms you to the bone, you feel like your body is soaking up every ray. We only lasted a couple hours, one hour of fun and scoping the area, the other of serious painting. Just enough time before the wind kicked up so much that I had to hold the panel on the easel with one hand. I gathered some very valuable information and accomplished the subtle color notes of the grey day. We had a wonderful time together. 
And the painting didn't turn out half bad!

Thank you for visiting,
Kathryn

Red White and Blue

20x16 Oil on linen

The name for this painting sounds very patriotic! I kept trying to come up with a wonderful name for it the whole time I was painting it....which I enjoyed very much by the way. But really nothing would come to mind, I do get a calming feeling though when I look at this piece,
but I kept coming back to the simple colors of the painting for the name.

The piece of pottery is one I own from Tuscarora Pottery here in Nevada, a treasured piece and I remember vividly my guilty pleasure when my husband paid for it, which was more than I would have paid!  But I'm glad he did.

Thank you for stopping by!
Kathryn

Winter Sheen

20x30 Oil Palette Knife painting

Details

I wanted to paint a large painting with the values very close in range, I sometimes get carried away with my darks so to help me work that out I decided painting the values closer together might help me. I am very pleased with this painting, very suttle and the sheen on the mountain is just like it was the day I was standing out there painting the little study for this last February. I was unable to find my original photo's so the painting was done solely using my little study, between that and using the palette knife I felt very free to be the "artist"
and tell the story my way!

Hope you enjoy it too, thanks for visiting,
Kathryn

After the Storm

11x14  Oil on panel

My reference for this painting is from some photo's I took several years ago on a trip to the Tetons with some friends. The weather was very rainy and dreary for the first few days but the trip was still wonderful. It's never a bad trip when you go to the Tetons!

Thanks for visiting! 

 

 

 

Sarmons Ranch hay bailer

12x16 Oil on Linen

Last fall I went out to paint for the morning and wasn't feeling very inspired until I came a little closer to the hay bailer at work in the field and saw the blue flowers in their glory along the road. Sometimes it is the simplest things that need to be captured on canvas to make my day.

Hope you have a good day too.
Kathryn

Sleeping Wolf Study

8x12 Oil on Linen 

A fun little study on a wolf. My son loves wolves and recently asked for a wolf painting, so before he gets one I will be studying them intensely. I am using mine and my daughter-n-laws photo's that were taken in Yellowstone as reference material and reading up on their habitats. I have painted a couple before but that was before I knew what I know Now!  LOL.  Growing better and wiser is one of the best things about age, don't you think?

Thanks for Visiting!
Kathryn

Ruby Mountain Spring

20x24 Oil  Palette Knife

Details

A Palette Knife painting that I must say is my favorite to date! The photograph of this piece just doesn't do it justice. I must learn more about photographing the artwork for the web page.  This is a nice sized painting that will be framed in a beautiful gold frame to set off all the wonderful colors in this painting. I love the shadows of the clouds and then the sun sparks through to hit and it seems to just glow.  I painted this painting twice, I have one in a 10x12 Study and this large one. The two paintings are very close to the same with a few minor adjustments to color in the larger painting to read correctly. I like to paint small studies after my sketching process is done then on to the larger pieces, rarely do I sell the smaller study paintings as they are for my reference when it comes time to paint the larger paintings. 

I hope you enjoy it and thank you for stopping by.

 Kathryn

January Roses

16x20 Oil on Linen

In a classy frame

Work in Progress

This was certainly a good time consuming painting for me. Roses are difficult to paint and White no less! I've been wanting to paint the blue glass vase for sometime now and with the white roses I thought they made the perfect pair. I feel the painting is a success despite my struggles that I won't elaborate on. Struggling is one of the best learning tools that I have, in my frustration I push myself harder to figure it out.

Thank you so much for your visit!  Snow is suppose to be on the way tomorrow finally! I've literally been depressed that we haven't had our share of it yet this year.

Bring It

12x16 oil

A sunny afternoon drive brought us face to face with this horse, he looked up from his afternoon grazing as if to say "Bring It" I laughed and immediately thought,  tough guy! 
On another note, I say this phrase to my pup all the time and she brings her toys in after carting them all outside for the day, she's very smart and so much fun!

Hope your all off to a great start for your New Year, it's been a rough start for me so far, dentist, twisted ankle, the cat knocked a full vase of flowers to the floor and the house needs cleaning desperately but today all of that is on hold, I'm happily painting the day away!

Thanks for stopping by,
Kathryn