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!

Nov 13, "Dad's Spirit"

This is the two year anniversary of my father's sudden death of a "heart event", and this has been a tricky time for me and my family.  So it seemed appropriate to paint one of dad's favorite home-away-from-homes, his last camper, an Itasca Spirit.  This is from our big family trip to Grand Marais' Municipal Campground in July of 2014 for mom and dad's 50th Wedding Anniversary.  It was a great trip, we all had so much fun!  It was also mom's birthday and she and most of the crew went for a kayak tour around the bay.  After seeing everyone off, I stayed at the campsite with dad, my son, my youngest nephew and my older brother.  Dad was very worried about mom going off in the kayak, even though she was in a double with my athletic and fit youngest brother and she spent the whole time taking photos.  He loved her very much, and was so delighted at their return across the bay, he had tears running down his cheeks.
We have many great memories of road trips and "short cuts" with dad~

8x10 acrylic on cradled wood

$100 auction, $165 to buy

Nov 12, The Elm Tree

Man- it is really really hard keeping this project going! And I know that's what so many of you say when I talk about painting every day... this is a commitment, to myself more than anyone else, though knowing that you all are following along does kick me into gear, you know~ but I know that these challenges are good for my growth as an artist...
Does it sound like I'm trying to psyche myself up?
The answer would be YES.

SO I decided to paint a giant elm tree from our neighborhood-  I hate seeing them get cut down.  It leaves a huge hole in the sky.

8x10 acrylic on cradled wood

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or

BID on it for $100 (starting bid) and you may just WIN!

Nov 11, The Castle

I'm hoping this one looks good to Linda and Joe!

8x8 acrylic on wood, spoken for!~

Nov 10, The Creek

Okay, I have to admit that I am at the studio for my Painting Party, and am packing up for my art sale tomorrow at Bridget Clark's (5012 S 12th Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55417- https://www.facebook.com/events/884428778382841/) for our Artist Boutique and I need to post today's painting and of course I can't remember whose house this is!  All I remember is she had a few other shots of the house, and it's on a creek, that I seem to think is Minnehaha Creek, and in this photo there was a kayaker, and I decided to cut him out of it, though he looks like he's having a great time...
So come see me tomorrow!  And maybe I'll remember whose house this it...
I have to admit too that I quite enjoyed painting this one-  it's a lot like the creek at Dave Gilsvik's I was painting in October...
I do love water...

8x10 acrylic on cradled wood

$165 

or $100 auction!  Click here to BID or BUY!

Nov 9, The Purple Door

This is a beautiful door. I really loved the blue and the purple, and I happen to be wearing my comfy purple cashmere sweater today, which is why I chose this one, obviously.

The heart says WELCOME on it, but I couldn't quite manage that!

8x10 acrylic on cradled wood

$165 

OR $100 auction!

Click here to buy/bid now!

Nov 8, Lismore Lighthouse!

I believe this was taken by my friend Gil on her way home from holiday earlier this year of Lismore Lighthouse and I love the reflection of the tower, that glowing white in the water, the ripples, the light on the tower, the softer greys of the mountains behind...
Ahhh~
And I don't like this photo, so I may retake it tomorrow, but it's been a long day and I'm too tired! And these paintings are still taking me a lot more work than my usuals... but a challenge is a challenge!
At least til I get too challenged out...

8x10 acrylic on wood, $165

or $100 auction! Bid NOW!

Nov 7~, Robin's Prior Home

I kinda loved this one too- I'd heard Robin talk about how incredibly sweet and intimate this house was, and how delightful to live in, and how sad she was after it was sold and then taken down to build a bigger house. And it just looks like a sweet home!  This is a great photo too-  I loved painting the lights and darks of it~
Really, when I'm painting a house I usually am really fixated on the sky and the plants around it, more than the house.  Though this one is just so darn cute!

8x10 acrylic on wood, SOLD

Nov 6, The Moorhead Home

Ha!  This is Joe's house in Moorhead!  And it was more fun to paint than you might think!  I really enjoyed the trees and that rock in front, and I think you can kinda see the little statue near the birdbath, right?
And it is always a little hard to determine what color house paint really is... I mean, it's GREY, right? But is it a cool grey? or a warm one? Or closer to brown?

8x10 acrylic, $165 buy it NOW

or $100 bid here!

Nov 5, 105 Year Old Finland Homestead

This one has quite the story attached and I really really love the color of the wood and the grass and sky around it. Thank you April for sending it to me!  And I WILL be taking you up on your offer!

Hello Kat, this is in Alango Mn on the property where my husband's family grew up. His great great grandfather came here from Lapland, Finland. He started building this when he found the land that he would later turn into a homestead for his wife (Wilhelmina) to live in when she arrived with their son Eno, and her parents.

When Adam's parents decided to retire and sell their home this building was in danger of being demo-ed and burned. My husband couldn't stomach the idea so we took those pictures (along with several more) just before he numbered each hand hewed log so he could disassembled it and move it to our lake property north of Cook Mn. He reassembled it over a 2-3 year period. Log by log .

We of course made some modifications and it now our Myrtle Lake Cabin. 

The project was amazing in itself. We learned that things don't aways fit together perfectly but the beauty was in the modifications we made on the fly.

I learned how to chink in between, touching EVERY log! 

If you ever make it up this way..(Kris Musto is my best friend AND neighbor.. I know right!!) you are welcome to come stay. It's cozy. 

Stay well 

April Leinonen

8x10 acrylic on wood

$165 to purchase it NOW,

or bid in the auction starting at $100!

click HERE to start!

And more photos!

Ain't it amazing what a little persistence can do?!