Uncategorized

15 Jul Summer 2026!

There is no doubt that the wonderful, busy, hot season of summer is here!  Since my last blog I have taken a wonderful workshop from Jean Pederson (we’re never too old or too smart to learn), gardened, participated in Marquette’s Plein Air Festival (so fun), gardened, hung my one person exhibition in Glen Arbor, Michigan and gardened some more.  I’ll leave you with a few shots of my activities and hope everyone is making the most of these days (too few in North Country).  I know I’m trying my best to pack as much painting and fun as possible into these not-so-lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer!   Kathleen

Pederson Workshop Art                      Upper Harbor Marquette                           Glen Arbor Show                  Peonies in my yard!

15 Jun “Friends”

My dear friend, Carol, sent me a card recently that said “Friends are like flowers … they bring a smile to your face”.  So true!  By June the hard winter is over, friends gather, neighbors visit in their yards, travel commences, celebrations happen and flowers emerge.  Friends and flowers both, are in glorious full “bloom”.

I don’t paint portraits of people but my “Life Cycle” series of flowers reflects my inspiration from loved ones, friends and family.  This lovely Iris in my garden, also from Carol, makes me smile for sure.  More than that, it is inspiration for painting because it holds the deeper meaning of a special friendship that multiplies over the years and it is this symbolism that propels my inspiration into action.  (A little less gathering, traveling, and celebrating and I might actually get to painting this gem)!  In the meantime, I greet “Pink Iris” in the morning and just smile!  Artist or not, everyone can feel the inspiration from things that make you smile.  Enjoy, Kathleen

                       Pink Iris in the garden.

15 Apr A Lovely Award

Greetings everyone! I hope you might be interested in how some of my paintings get started.  A painting like “Lines of Communication” doesn’t actually start in the studio.   It starts farther back in my life-experiences than I can remember.  But there are certain links I can identify:  growing up in Southern California and being around boats, going to San Diego State for college and learning to sail, then spending most of my adult life in Marquette, Michigan, near the Lake Superior shore and the industrial ore docks and ships.  “Lines of Communication” started out totally abstracted and non-objective.   I, like most artists, pull from our real-life experiences, familiarities, and subjective preferences.  As I developed the painting’s shapes and lines, imagery from my subconscious memory emerged.  I was delighted to finish this painting suggesting a boat hull, dock pilings, ropes, wires and power poles.

The judge, Don Andrews, judging for the International Watermedia Exhibition (IWE) from Watercolor Artists Society of Houston (WASH-H), must have received the “communication” because he awarded this painting fourth place, the Les McDonald Memorial Award.  An honor for sure!

Thank you, always, for your interest in my work!   Creatively yours, Kathleen

15 Mar The Gift of Play

In this momentary lull between holidays, workshops and travels, I’m giving myself the gift of “play”!  With no direction, plan or expectation, I am pushing the limits of my “toys” (watercolor paints, water, and 8×8 or 11×11 paper) to new limits.  I am a Watermedia painter because I love the freshness and fluidity of watercolors.  Things like – splashing, running, squirting, wet-in-wet color blending – are my favorite painting methods which I use often, especially on my “play days”.

Guided by intuition, I develop some into “finished” pieces while others might be brought out to play on another day.   It’s just for the fun of watching paint flow.   Did I mention I love the fluidity of Watercolor?   Enjoy!  Kathleen

20 Feb “All We Need is Love”

Here’s a collage Valentine to all of you for our month of Love!  When I’m in a little lull between big projects, traveling or wanting to “play” in the studio,  collage is a great way to try new things.  I keep them small and use many for cards.  Your special people will love the hand-made, personalized notecard from  YOU!  Kathleen

                 Happy  Valentines Day !

15 Jan Happy New Year 2026

A new year, a new set of goals, new resolutions, renewed dedication to my “gratitude journal”, and a new suggestion from a friend … determine a significant word for myself for the year.

Hmmm, Faith?  Hope?  Believe?  Yes to all those important words but I want something a bit more specific to me, applicable and useable in all aspects of my life.  It was difficult for me to define what was stirring inside of me.  Finally, I settled on the word “intention”.  I feel it is worthy of a year’s focus – to make it a habit in my life at large, as well as down to my small tasks, and especially in my work.

So today in the studio I “intentionally” tried to express the essence of a shoreline landscape I often see on Highway 2 in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  I “intended” to do this as minimally as possible.  I worked in simple ink for a very limited palette and tried not to get bogged down with the details.  I gave thought (intention) to each sketch before I painted, one after another, for hours with no post-judgement.  (That will be another day).  For today, I found success in my attempt to be more intentional in the studio.

Thank you for being here, my friends.  Happy, Happy New Year!  Kathleen

15 Dec The Holiday Season 2025

This is the season of giving; to our loved ones, our favorite causes, in appreciation of service, our spiritual tithing, for any number of reasons.  It feels good to give or share some of what we have.  This may be a stretch but … that is often what teaching feels like to me.  I love this quote by Pablo Picasso, “The meaning of life is to find your gift.  The purpose of life is to give it away.”

At this stage in my career, I have received an unexpected gift of finding the next step in my journey as an artist.  It is the very rewarding “purpose” of teaching; sharing my gift, my passion, and my skills.  My goal is always to help other creatives get to the next level of expression and mastery in their personal work.  I have found my “gift” and I love it “giving it away”!

Another wonderful gift I receive when teaching my classes is enjoying the beautiful landscapes across this country.  Happy Holidays to all you creatives, and especially you “enablers” who help the creatives find the time to create.  Kathleen

In a cotton field after my recent workshop for the West Texas Watercolor Society (WTWCS)

16 Nov Last Throws of Summer

With warm weather waning, I took advantage being able to paint outside one last time on a lovely day.  I’m calling it “the last throws of summer”, literally.

There are just some things I can’t do in my small studio, like throw paint around.  Following the lead of the wonderful UK artist, Sam Boughton, I went outside and really threw some paint around.  Trying to catch the essence of sparkling water, curving shoreline, gritty sand and big sky, I had a great time and filled two watercolor books!  Will I do anything more with them?  I don’t know.  But, just looking through the pages fills me with an energy that opens the door for my Muse to come play with paints again, even if its inside my small studio.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!  Kathleen

15 Oct Joy of Lights!

As our days grow shorter and the nights get longer, we have the opportunity for more light, not less.  With candles in our homes, porch luminaries, and  holiday lights starting with Halloween! They brighten our neighborhoods for all to enjoy!

The ones that never cease to fascinate us, however, are the Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis.  Autumn is a busy season for them (depending on where they are in their 15 year cycle of activity).  This year, we enthusiasts have been gifted with a lot of activity in the sky and every photographer has tried catching the perfect shot.

I gave up trying to “catch” the lights with the camera decades ago and, instead, I grab the watercolors.  The “lights” are always a fun challenge in the studio and always another emersion into nature and expression of my appreciation for the beauty around us … even though sometimes I have to get up at 3:00 a.m. to see it.  I hope you enjoy the Joy of this season’s “Lights” from my painting table.     Creatively yours, Kathleen

15 Sep Fall Beginnings

It’s been a busy month but not much painting was accomplished … some months are like that.  We creatives can get down on ourselves about the lulls or down times, but I guarantee our Art-brains are not idle. We take it all in:  the big picture and the little details.  I continue to be alerted/stopped in my tracks by the way light filters through the trees, the patterns in reflecting water, the ever-changing gorgeous skies and just plain “life”.  Isn’t it grand?!

I’m thrilled to now be represented by the Zero Degrees Gallery, 525 N. Third St., Marquette, MI.   With 40+ artists included there is literally an art form to warm anyone’s heart.  Great artists and great artwork there!  (A nice bonus is that I sold a significant painting the day after my display went up.  WooHoo!)

This month’s photo is from the San Diego Watercolor Society (SDWS) class last month where I (hopefully) inspired the artists to try painting a “concertina”.  SDWS is a large, very organized, busy, FUN, encouraging society in our art world.   I would encourage anyone to join their workshops, online demos or exhibitions!

Color, shapes and fun is what Kathleen Conover teaches in her workshops.

Until next month, I hope everyone has a chance to get out to see some color in the trees.  It’s one of those “must do” items for the fall.  Breathe in the beauty and our many Blessings.  Breathe out the stresses!  Kathleen