Dec 30, Another Commission!

I don't think I posted this one yet...
And it is SUCH a cute kitty!

Though now that I look at this, I don't think this is the final image... because I went back in and fixed the eyes,,..

8x8 acrylic on wood, sold!

Dec 29, Little Eddie!

So I taught two classes at Wet Paint yesterday, a kids' Pet Painting class from 10 to 1, and an adult version from 2 to 5-ish, and this is one of the photos left behind from the kids' group that wasn't used, and I thought maybe it was one of my adult's photos and I just couldn't stand it when no one claimed it so I used it for my demo because seriously, WHO can resist that face?!?!

9x12 acrylic on canvas pad, 

end of the year special!

just $165!

Usually valued at $218!

YAY!

click here to buy now!

Happy Holidays!

Hi!  Wow!  Dang, I really meant to post a lot more this December, but sheesh!  THAT didn't happen!  I would like to try to post once a day for an actual year, and so there's my New Year's resolution for ya!
I also thought I'd let you all have a look at our Holiday Letter!  Some of you should be getting an actual Hard Copy in a letter from us, but if you aren't on my actual snail-mail list, here's a version for you!  you can print it out and wrinkle it up and pretend I managed to get it to you~  that's what I spent all day yesterday doing- getting the letter together, figuring out how to print mailing labels AGAIN (I just don't do it often enough and I always end up wasting about 10 sheets before I figure out how to line the addresses up properly on the darn page- Avery!), and then sticking the labels onto envelopes and writing little notes to everyone...
Whew!
I love people!

Dec 15, Another Kitty~

And this one is doing that thing, you know, that thing that makes so much cat hair get stuck in the drain...

8x8 acrylic on panel, spoken for!

Dec 13, A lovely Cat

Another sweet commission- I redid her face a bit, her nose wasn't quite right-  it's funny, because every animal is so different, yet their anatomy is similar, cat to cat or dog to dog, but it's those tiny little bits, that ear just a bit bigger or smaller, the face slightly dished, that makes that cat MY cat. Not this one, in this case, but you get my point.

I remember a long time ago, with my cat Toby, my companion of my twenties living in Uptown in Minneapolis, near the MIA, and thinking once that even in a crowd of cats that looked almost exactly like him, I was sure I'd still be able to pick him out.

Of course, there's love involved there too~

9x12 acrylic on wood, spoken for~

Dec 12, Another Commission~

This is Miss Tess, I am told.  I like posting and am getting my commissions done in time to send them off for Christmas, so I thought I'd post a few~  I don't think I'm blowing any surprises, I hope! Though if I do, that would mean I have a bigger following than I thought...
I've been a bit stressed lately with the political environment so I took an "Abba" break this morning, and listened to their greatest hits CD on my way in to school this morning instead of listening to MPR. It made a difference so far in my attitude, and the back of my skull isn't aching the way it has for weeks. Let's see if it helps the world any~
I'll post a few more critters this week~  we're happy in my house to have some snow~ the boys spent yesterday evening piling up their home-made "sliding hill" against the alley fence. It's about four feet tall- terrifying. I'll go down it when I get home this afternoon!
Hope you are having a lovely day~
XO

8x8 acrylic on wood, sold~

Dec 7, A Commission~

Yes, this is Boo, and it was meant to be a Christmas present, I believe, but when I sent the image to Dan he had to show it to Carol for whom it was intended, and so the cat was outa the bag. Or dog in this case~ and it was good that he did show Carol because she suggested that Boo had a bit more white on him than I had seen in the initial photo.  SO this is why sometimes its a really good idea to send me more than one photo for a commission, because while I will use one for the main pose and lighting and structure, other photos can further inform color and smaller details.

8x8 acrylic on wood, SOLD

December 4, Whew!

Just signing this one! 

Wow- so I'm still painting one more house, kind of as a part of the project because it would be fun to hang it, but I haven't been able to get to it yet.  Usually, I can carve out a smidge of time somewhere in my day to at least paint a little bear or a moose or an otter, but this has been nuts!  I have to admit I had a bit of a crisis last Thursday evening when I realized I just couldn't accomplish what I had intended to for that day (which was to drop my artwork off at Artistry for the Gifts in the Gallery Holiday Show, which opens tomorrow evening people!  Come see me!) combined with the current political mess and feeling the solid ground shifting under my feet, and I just kinda melted down, gently, and my husband applied a poultice of pinot noir with a sprinkling of "An Idiot Abroad" (both of which helped in this situation).
SO it was a splendid and full weekend, non-the-less, and thank you everyone who came by the studio for the Winter Frolic this weekend!  I'll be at Artistry at the Bloomington Art Center on Wednesday from 6 to 8, and I'll also be in Zumbrota at Crossings at Carnegie this Sunday the 10th to teach a Paint Your House class, from 11 to 4! Sign up HERE!
And here's a shot or two of the HOMEvember show, which I did manage to hang last Wed, though I still have two pieces to get over there- they needed a little touching up~

Do plan on coming by for the Wed, Dec 20th HOUSE PARTY at Diamond's, 

from 6 to 8pm!

We'll have refreshments and I'll bring a variety of stuff for sale, paintings and cards and books, just in case you haven't finished your holiday shopping by then!

It'll be great to see you, as always!

Nov 28, Sandra's Childhood Home

This is Sandy and Jan's childhood home in Bloomington, and I really was trying to be looser with this one- I think that patch of simple strokes to the left of the front door is my favorite part of the entire painting.  There's that part of wanting to paint more expressively and to try to leave out those futzy little details so you are getting an impression of the whole rather than trying to paint detail.  It is so hard with architecture!  So much of painting buildings seems to be about those fussy little details!  But I'm happier with the feel of this one... nice tones~

8x10 acrylic on cradled panel

$165 BUY NOW

or $100 starting bid at Auction HERE!

Nov 27, Rachel's House

My friend Rachel lives in Wisconsin somewhere, and is fairly newly married, and apparently lives in this incredible cabin/house and I haven't been invited there yet!
Though I have to say I'm pretty sure I'd be welcome if I figured out how to get there...
Rachel was our favorite dog, Gus' previous owner before we were lucky enough to take over!
This was another tough one.  I'm sure you just love me saying this all the time, but I'm still thinking I may go in and lighten up the sky because I am just not seeing enough contrast in this...
Hmmmmm....

8x10 acrylic on cradled panel

Spoken FOr!

Nov 26, The Ship's Quarters, Bayfield, WI

Had a few too many things going on today-  if and when I do this again, I need to make these smaller or charge more!  It is really hard to get them done in the time I have available~  and enough whining~  I loved painting the tree!  and all those sweet rails on the banisters!  Or are they just called railings when they go horizontal?
Here's what Nancy wrote to me about this fine edifice!

Nineteen years ago we took on the challenge of this tired almost 100 year old house in Bayfield. We thought it would be a worthy and rewarding experience for our two young sons to see this "sows ear turned into a silk purse."  We gutted the lower level and turned it into three rentable suites.  The upstairs two bedroom apartment housed our weary bodies as we worked on weekends to get it ready for rental.

Our now adult sons still look back with pride on Ship's Quarters.  We just this weekend closed and winterized the old home.  Driving through the snow storm to close it up for 2017.

Our granddaughter's birthday is November 26th and her Daddy, our son's birthday,  November 28th.   We give thanks for both of them.... and Ship's Quarters.

8x10 acrylic on canvas

Spoken For!

Nov 25, The Oregon Lighthouse!

Yay!  This was another fun one, all that pink heathery stuff and purple shadows and blue sky! my friend Laura took this one in southern Oregon, she says, and it is a working and lived-in lighthouse. Just love it!

8x10 acrylic on cradled wood

$165 BUY NOW!

or $100 starting bid at THIS AUCTION!

Nov 24, Julie's Parent's House

And here's another lovely home, in Wisconsin, on a late spring afternoon, perhaps...
I like the long shadows, and the tall twin cedars by the front door~
Took a bit longer than I'd hoped-  wow, these really are taking more time than I am able to have and I'm stressing out a bit-  I may be calling it done on the 28th~

8x10 acrylic on cradled wood, 

$165 buy NOW!

Nov 23, Francene's Cabin!

Okay, so it isn't actually Francene's cabin, but someone she knows who loved it quite a bit~  and it just seems such a lovely image and all that wood, and there's little pine tree insets in the shutters that I couldn't quite catch...
And I want to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!  I am so grateful for all of your support and comments and well wishes!

8x10 acrylic on cradled wood

Spoken For!

Nov 22, The Cheese Factory

This was another fun one!  Lisa and Donny live in this amazing place, that used to be a cheese factory, which is something I never heard of before Lisa sent the photo and asked me to paint it.  I'm including a photo Lisa sent along of the original Cheese Factory so you can see the similarities-  I was a bit worried about getting the building structure right with all that greenery, but since I love
painting skies and plants and trees, it wasn't as complicated as I was afraid!
And now I'm realizing I HAVE heard of the Cheesecake Factory, from the Big Bang Theory... maybe that's why this sounded sorta familiar?

Hope you're having a Happy Thanksgiving!  All our best wishes to you!

8x10 acrylic on cradled wood

Spoken For!

The original Cheese Factory, 1910

Nov 21, Mina's Parent's House!

Wait...
Did I do it AGAIN?!  I did, didn't I?
On the list I posted a few days ago, I said I was going to paint Laura's Lighthouse photo... but I decided to paint Mina's Parent's House instead!  At first I was not sure I could do this one, with the focus on those crazy pink flower bushes-  I don't think flowers are easy to paint...  but the more I looked at this photo, the more I appreciated the contrasts and values, and those wonderful tones in the wood siding, and just the crazy angle the photo was taken from intrigues me!  So I had to paint this one!
I think the biggest difference between this painting project and my dog and cat ones is that I am not as confident in painting houses (this fast and this many, anyway!) and so I didn't really push to get you all committing to buying your paintings, which is also why I made them available with auctions as well as at a retail and not commission price~ so thank you SO much those of you who've decided to snag yours right away!  I really appreciate it!  And thank you for all the generous and supportive comments too!  I'm gradually feeling a bit better about each one, which was my point at the start.  And I'm sorry I keep falling off the list, but if you have specifically ASKED me to paint yours so you can buy it, I will still paint it for sure!  Don't worry!

8x10 acrylic on cradled wood panel

$165 BUY NOW!

Nov 20, Kendra's Family Vacation Home!

Yes, this was actually really really fun to paint, and makes me think I oughta be asking my friends and relatives who live in warmer climes for photos of THEIR houses.  Its just SO fun to paint palm trees! And I love mixing blues for that swimming pool too- and the sweet curve along the edge of it... and the red flowering bushes....  I love the negative spaces in the palm leaves, and the dark cool shadows with such bright sun...
Not that I don't love Minnesota!  But I'm so glad Kendra sent this to me!
Here's Kendra's note to me~
Hi, Kat!

First of all, I have to say that I think your first painting is fantastic!  Your email certainly conveys your frustration, but keep up the good work!  It also got me thinking about vacation homes, so I'm sending this one along too, in case you need any more for your November project...It's the house we stay at in the Bahamas and the owners have ended up becoming great friends of ours.  It holds a happy little place in our hearts and might be enough of a different type of environment for you to paint due to all the sunshine and palm trees :) 

Happy painting, Kat! :)

Happily,

Kendra

8x10 acrylic on cradled wood

Spoken For!

Nov 19, Karen's Cabin

See, this is why I can't make a list...  because THIS one wasn't even ON it!  So I need to apologize to Sandra, and see if I can squeeze her in a little later, but I just really wanted to paint this one!

I really loved painting this one! It's a typical cabin, to me anyway, maybe a little bigger than I'd ever be able to afford, but one I'd certainly love to hang out in! Look at that porch, and that chimney, and lake, and those trees!  And that sky!

8x10 acrylic on wood

$165 to BUY NOW!

or go ahead and try bidding on it for $100 HERE!

11/18 Julie's Crab Apple Tree

I'm not quite sure that actually LOOKS like how I'm thinking it looks, the little crab tree to the far, far left of the image...
And I think some of this should maybe be a bit darker....

But overall, I'm pretty pleased!
Whew!

8x10 acrylic on cradled wood

Spoken For!

11/17 Kim's Evening House

I like the light in this one, and the leaves on the ground, and that fall-ish sense of the light... the yellow planter and some of the light in the windows contrast nicely with the darker blue of the house~
Yay!

8x10 acrylic on cradled wood

$165 BUY it NOW!

or $100 starting bid for auction!

Nov 16, Gina and Eddie's!

This is my friend Gina's new house!  Pretty darn cute, ain't it?  Say hi if you drive by!
And I thought maybe I'd post a sorta Official Kinda List here, so this is what I've painted and what I'm planning on painting-
and I think I'll just go to the 28th~  maybe I'll paint a couple after that, but I'm getting behind on commissions and I gotta make the bacon too!
And I may or may not paint one on Thanksgiving...
Oh and I'll be hanging all these up at Diamond's on the 30th of November, through December, and we'll have a little "House Party" (get it?!?!) on Thursday Dec 7th from 6 to 8!  Come if you can!
List follows the painting~

8x10 acrylic on cradled panel

$165 buy NOW 

or $100 auction starting bid!

11/1- The Old Chapel Schoolhouse 

11/2- Kris' Friend's Treehouse 

11/3- Wisconsin Dane Co Blind  

11/4- The Umbrella (Lori Jacobson) 

11/5- 105 Year old Finland Homestead (sold) 

11/6-  Joe Larson Moorhead home (sold) 

11/7- Robin's Prior Home (sold) 

11/8- Lismore Lighthouse, Scotland 

11/9- The Purple Door (Kerry C) 

11/10- The Creek (Wendy R) 

11/11- Linda and Joe! 

11/12- The Elm Tree 

11/13- Dad's Spirit 

11/14- Mary W House- SOLD 

11/15- Ellen S winter whites (sold) 

11/16- Gina G 

11/17- Kim M

11/18- Julie SC 

11/19- Sandra S's mom's Art House 

11/20- Kendra W's vacation place 

11/21-  Laura J- Oregon Lighthouse

11/22- Lisa S's cheese factory 

11/23-  Home

11/24- Kate T 

11/25- Julie P's parents' house

11/26 Nancy A's Ship 

11/27- Sandra E's family home

11/28- 

Nov 15, Ellen's Winter Whites

I was meant to do this one yesterday, but somehow I havent' been keeping as tight a rein on this project as my past ones, and I don't really have an Official List, and so I've kinda lost track of who wanted to be painted when and I've been painting the houses that I wanted to!  Though I DID want to paint this one too, of course, because it's pretty darn fun trying to get as many colors of white as possible!

I also really loved the way the photo is taken through the archway over the walk... and you can just see the edges of it at the top corners of the painting!  Isn't that fun?!

8x10 acrylic on cradled wood, sold

Nov 14, Mary's House

I am feeling a bit better about painting today... dang, but it is tricky, figuring out what you want to spend your precious time on~ there's these wonderful people I want to be with and talk to, and even more wonderful people I haven't met yet, and those wonderful people I love who live too far away to be with that I want to communicate with, and it's coming on to the holiday season, when all that emo gets poked to the highest lever...
Anyway, this is a sweet house, and I had a good time painting it.
Thank you so much~

8x10 acrylic on cradled wood

click here for the $100 starting bid for the AUCtiON

or HERE to BUY NOW at $165!