Blackbirds, Paper Peace Cranes and Telephone Poles….three of my favorite subjects.
Below is my photo reference
And a few steps in my latest, almost finished painting. A bit of a deviation from my “Industrial Evolution” series. Kathleen
A Beginning Intermediate And Finished
What a great group of artists in the Virginia Watercolor Society! Their annual exhibition is at the beautiful Roanoke College Museum and I’m honored to be their judge and workshop instructor. We come together as strangers and a week later are friends for life…through ART! Kathleen
I love painting poppies, but no matter what the subject here’s a trick for designing a good composition: once your background is ready,
try “auditioning” cut outs of colored paper to decide the shapes, values and colors that will be best to paint. Take a photo of the placement.
Remove the paper pieces and proceed to paint your subject.
At the very end of my paintings I often use this technique to make final, small but try important, decisions like
where a bright, saturated color needs to be, where my darkest darks belong or maybe where a few distant birds will fly. Enjoy!
Kathleen
This last month has seen “remarkable” activity: the STUDIO Gallery has been buzzing with visitors from all over the country;
I have taught workshops with wonderful artists and friends, plus there have been competitions and a few appreciated awards!
Here I am, at my happiest, painting!! Caught mid-splash-and-splatter, at our first nationally advertised Marquette Plein Air Festivaland Competition! Lucky me, I came home with the Second Place Award for “Morning”, an old tug docked across the street from my STUDIO Gallery!
There’s nothing like getting a push from 20 artists to get a painting completed! The Baltimore Watercolor Society is one terrific group
of artists and I had a great time teaching last week in Columbia, Maryland. They saw the beginning demo of Star and Stripes and wanted
to see it finished. So, here it is a 22 x 30 painting made from Watercolor and Gesso Juice. It was a fun week and new friendships were made.
I was this year’s invited artist to the Mississippi Colony for “creative coaching”. Over 40 excellent artists were working in their own direction and I was available for artistic consultation. The Mississippi Art Colony, who meet twice a year to paint, is the oldest (70 years) continuously meeting art group in the U.S.
They have perfected their painting and their fun to blue-ribbon excellence! (Yes, I’m in the picture. Thank Frida Kalo for this Fiesta Friday.) With so many artists, I had my hands full consulting with everyone. It sure wasn’t hard, as they are all very accomplished professionals.
Dance of the Winterbird just won “Best of Show” in this year’s International Society of Experimental
Artist’s (ISEA) online exhibition judged by Ruffus Snoddy. Thank you ISEA! I am thrilled.
The “experimental” element in his painting is the frozen crystals start; a technique I’ve played with for
decades. In this case, the water was thrown on the paper and the pigment poured into the water and left outside to
freeze firmly, then brought inside to finish. You can try a small version in your home freezer. Have fun!
Kathleen
I am pleased to let you know that “Urban Balance” was accepted into this year’s “Transparent Watercolor Society of America” (TWSA)
Exhibition, judged by John Salminen and Soon Y Warren. The exhibit runs from May 5 – August 5 at the Kenosha Public Museum,
Kenosha, WI. It’s been a while since I’ve played at totally non-objective painting. And, it was work! but the results are worth it.
I think I will play with this some more. Happy painting to the rest of you also! Kathleen
I have published a book containing many of my Industrial Evolution Series artworks. These pieces have garnered me many awards and are on display in museums in the US and around the word. Reproductions of many of these pieces are available for purchase on this website. The book can viewed and purchased here.
Three paintings at a time is my favorite way to work. Here is a beginning, intermediate and finished painting from three different inspirations. The third is “Wind in my Sails” and reproductions are available on this website. It’s not too late to sign up for my next workshop and learn all my secrets, including why and how painting on three paintings at a time works! Influenced by Florida in theme with sunshine colors!
I’d love to see you in beautiful Hobe Sound, Florida March 13-16.Contact Linda at: lindahirvonen@hotmail.com Fun in the Sun!