Blog

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

15 Aug Art is a Unifier !

It’s a real boost to my Art-spirit when I walk along a busy city street, as I did yesterday in downtown San Diego, and see lovely sentiments of support for art!  These 3 doors into a large office building each had a patriotic message that the arts are for everyone, that they are a unifying agent in our society, and reminder that we have more likenesses than we have differences.

I am in San Diego to judge the awards at this year’s San Diego Watercolor Society’s (SDWS) annual international exhibition and start my “Color, Composition, and Collage Workshop” tomorrow.  It’s wonderful to be back at my old Alma Mater, San Diego State University, and work with the great artists here.

The SDWS International exhibition opens in September and if you are in the area, I can guarantee it will be well worth your efforts to come see the exhibit of 103 national and international artists’ paintings selected from 750 entries.  Be sure to check the San Diego Watercolor Society Gallery (2825 Dewey Rd., San Diego, CA) for specific hours then come enjoy that important bond we have with each other that reminds us of our unifying humanity and culturally rich creativity.  Kathleen

15 Jul Summer Painting En Plein Air!

Three En Plein Air events in a 6 – week  span, plus teaching in Canada in between, is a lot!  I really must not be so busy next year, me thinks.  But then… what do I want to eliminate?  Nothing.  So, I remind myself to just totally enjoy all that I do while I can do them.  Painting with wonderful artist-friends new and old, spending time with family and established friends I love and capturing those new inspirations in my sketchbook for another time.  Life moves too quickly and there will be a time when I don’t want to move at such a high speed.  Then I’ll paint all those wonderful paintings in my head …. off to the Calgary Stampede !!  Creatively yours, Kathleen

Planning my Painting                                                                                                               Capturing nature in watercolors

15 Jun Arts for Everyone

Coast to coast the painting competitions, art associations’ shows, museum exhibitions, street fairs and En Plein Air festivals are happening.  And that’s just the visual arts!  There is so much more.  The arts are a true unifier in our divided times and a welcome reminder of the beauty in our world that still soothes the soul.

This past month, in my working-painting world, I’ve been enjoying both ends of the competition spectrum by judging and demonstrating for the San Diego Watercolor Society.  As well as competing, being awarded and even collecting another “rejection” letter as well!

On June 7, I traveled to the beautiful Kenosha Public Museum in Wisconsin and was thrilled to receive the Georgia O’Keefe Award (see picture below) from the wonderfully organized and supported Transparent Watercolor Society of America (TWSA).  Next year will be their 50th anniversary with big celebrations planned.  I better start painting now for next year’s highly competitive exhibit!  But first, I’m off to the Greater Traverse City area to paint in a long En Plein Air (on location, rain or shine) event.  Hard work and fun ahead!

I hope you all make room in your busy schedules to visit an art exhibition, attend a concert, enjoy a play or listen to live music or create something yourself!  Art is a magic healer of many ills!  Creatively yours, Kathleen

At the Kenosha Wisconsin Museum, Kathleen Receives this special award

15 May See me this summer in Marquette

This summer the Lake Superior Art Association has invited me to give a talk at 7 p.m. on May 20 about travel sketching and turning those sketches into paintings.  I will share sketches and paintings from my recent travels to Antarctica.

I will also be showcased at Zero Degrees Gallery in Marquette.  And in 2026 I will have a solo exhibit at the Devos Art Museum at Northern Michigan University.

Please check out my website at: kathleenconover.com to see all my online art galleries and to learn about me and my painting techniques.  You can even see some videos of me painting!    Until next month, happy painting!   Kathleen

15 Apr Be a Lover!

My Blog message this month is “it’s good to be an amateur”!  Austin Kleon wrote that the original meaning of the word amateur is “lover of”!   He said that being an amateur at something just means that you are more interested in doing it for the love of that thing than for the money.  Doing our “thing” for the fun, joy and love of it is the best!

Whatever the creative endeavor may be:  gardening, cooking, volunteering or painting etc; let’s celebrate being an amateur and lover of that thing.  Never lose the aspect of newness, learning and loving what we do.  As a career artist, who is making money from the “thing”, I try to never lose being a “lover” of creating art.  I must consciously approach my day, my studio and each new painting as an amateur … because I DO LOVE THIS THING I DO!     Kathleen

Kathleen doing what she loves