September 30, A Landscape...

I'm hoping to paint some otters this October, and am planning on calling it "Otter-tober" again~  I think I did this last year?  or maybe it was the year before-
at any rate, if you happen to have any photos of otters that you've taken, and you wouldn't mind my painting from them, do please send them my way!  I'd love to have more to look through than just my meager selection-
Of course, this may also necessitate a visit to the Mn Zoo...

And this is another commission!  I'm so lucky!
The sweet Ruthie Pearl~
Love that smile!

sold~

September 29, Another Commission...

It's nearing the end of September, and October is almost on us.  I'm planning on painting an otter a day for October, calling it "Otter-tober"... though I think my goal will be to paint 20 otters, so as not to exhaust myself.  Because I'd also like to try my "Home-vember" project again in November, though this time I'd like to also offer to paint people's favorite photos of their vacations, you know the ones I mean- there's always one or two that represent that trip best and I think it would be fun to try to paint those- see if I can get some of the feel of them...

And this is a commission!

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold~

September 28, Baron

This is a family dog, on a beach, clearly concentrating on something just out of our line of vision... and he was a treat to paint~  those combos of darks and lights, browns, and that one blue eye!  What a great photo to paint from~

Which, if you are wanting to push some paint around this fall, is just what you should be looking for! Find those great photos you've been wanting to paint and come join me, and we'll paint 'em!
More info here!

12x12 acrylic on wood

sold~

September 26th, Blessed Animals!

Saturday we had our Annual Blessing of the Animals at Breck, where our students and their families bring their pets (stuffed animals too) in to be blessed by our chaplains, and I started the tradition four or five years ago of sketching their animals for them, along with Carol Grams, my fellow lower school art teacher.  It is part of the Homecoming festivities,  and it is a hoot!  We ask for donations for our local humane society for every sketch, and then we sit down and draw for two hours straight!  Kids line up with dogs and teddies-  we had a quarterhorse this year, and I drew a guinea pig and lots of stuffies too~  these are just a few of those~
And I'm surprised at how freaking BLUE they all are!  I mean, I did paint their backgrounds mostly in pthalo blue/green shade, but jeepers...

And Duane and Max and I performed our "Waterways and Otterways" Puppet Show-  I need to get someone to videotape it...

September 25, 1981 Lion

Thought it might be fun to see another one of my pieces from way back when!  This is a lion I painted in 1981, from a Walt Foster book about drawing big cats- this one HERE!  It's still in print!  I loved drawing and painting from it- learned a lot about animal anatomy! So I would've been 13-14. 8th grade...
Interesting to think I've been really interested in drawing and painting creatures for that long!

9x12 watercolor and ink on paper

September 24, Otter from 1984

I found another otter, from my high school days, I think~  this one probably best shows how I used the technique of creating fur I was trying to develop... and the pastel for color~

Thank you everyone who came yesterday for our "Waterways and Otterways" show at the MWMO!  The next one will be Saturday, October 13th from 1-4~ on my postcards it says the 12th, so do know it is the 13th!
And check this link for upcoming painting classes!

ink and pastel on paper, 9x12

September 17, Otter Reflection With Log

This one is a current favorite of mine, and you'll have to come see it next week at the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization for our opening show! The MWMO is located at 2522Marshall St NE, and our first EVENT is Sunday 9/23 from 11 to 2!

18x36 acrylic on canvas

$1295

Click here for purchase info~

9/16 LOLA Today! 10-5 at the Ivy!

Here's one wall in my studio at the Ivy Building! 2637 27th Ave S! the BIG building with the Ivy all over it!  We have an Open Studio today from 10-5~  My boys will be manning the door for you, so come on it, oogle at their legos and get a preview of our Otterways and Waterways Puppet Show (Duane will be working on it in the lobby!) and come on up!

Lots of art for you!

9/11/2018 Woofstock Dog

The day on Saturday started nicely enough, and the weather was lovely, and we saw a friend walking her dog as we drove through Uptown, but once we got to 43rd and Upton it got a bit more complicated.  There seemed to be no way to drive in and set up our tent, so Duane went to ask, and found we should drive around to the other end of the block. Upon doing that, we found more traffic and confusion, and it looked like there was no way to drive in because there were still cars parked along the street-
Now, I am usually game enough for anything, but I had twisted my back loading the car, and the thought of having to lug all of our stuff to our spot was daunting.  We'd been told we'd be able to unload from the car directly to our spot, so we hadn't brought a cart.
Thank god for Duane and Max because they were totally up for it, so we found out where we were (car still parked next to us...) and set up the tent and all!  And I forgot my phone at home, so Duane went off to get that, while Maxie stayed with me, and actually spent most of his time exploring the Wild Rumpus bookstore with all their pets!  I think he was in love!
So I passed out a lot of business cards, and did several "20 Bucks/20 Minutes" portraits, just to make sure I had something to do and made a little money. Here's a couple of those~

The idea is that you have to come ask me about this and I only do a few per show, if it seems I have the time.  The animal I am painting has to be in front of me, and I have to take the photo of them, and then you pay me 20 bucks and I spend 20 minutes painting a quick portrait on black paper.

That's it!  

Good experience for me, keep my drawing hand in, and you might get something you like!

When I do these, I'll mention it in the newsletter/mailchimp I send out~

Just so's you know!

September 10, Another Commission!

We had a great time at Woofstock, despite a shaky start! I'll post some of those pics tomorrow- my son disappeared for most of his time with me into Wild Rumpus Bookstore, to oogle all their pets including chinchillas!  And he of course bought a book about taking care of chinchillas....  I have told him that I did own one for a while. Now I think he thinks we'll be getting one... hmmm...
Busy week here in our house!  Come on by for LOLA this weekend to my studio in the Ivy Building if you are in town! 10-5 both Saturday and Sunday!

Ollie the Second, 8x8 acrylic on panel, spoken for!

September 7, Sammy the Pug

Here's another commission that I completed recently and was able to give to my client who presented it to her husband who hadn't realized it was being painted! I love being a part of that!

Oh and I will be at WOOFSTOCK tomorrow from 10-3 in Linden Hills Neighborhood of Minneapolis, 43rd and Upton, in front of "Creative Kidstuff" if you want to come find me~  I haven't done this event since Maxie was 4, and I'm not sure what to expect, but it should be a hoot! I'll be excited to see you AND your dog!

8x10 acrylic on wood

sold!

I think he was a bit teary, and like my husband too, in that he can't not be talking during a photo!

September 5, Tiny Otter from 1980

I found one of my really old sketchbooks, and a few pieces of work from eighth grade and high school... interesting to me.  Not sure how interesting to YOU...

Notice I was still signing myself as KATHY...  that just never seemed to be my name to me... but I didn't know how else to ask people to call me.

This is ink, using that calligraphy set an aunt gave me for Christmas one year.  Thank you!  I don't remember who it was, but I do think it gave me a new appreciation for line.  You can see I'm trying to suggest the fur, and getting that lovely big eye.  I used chalk pastels to color this in.  Still have those too...

September 3, Otter Joy!

I am now pretty happy with this guy- it took a bit, I have to say~ I don't often leave a painting to sit for so long, but this one's been waiting for nearly a year~  there was something funky with the way his paw was near his mouth, and his feet weren't as clear and now I am so tickled by the sweet little pawpads and all~  yay!
This one should be at the MWMO Exhibition!  I've been working REALLY hard on the coloring books for that, as well as the script for the puppet show and the group mural-floor rug!  Come see us on September 23!

10x20 acrylic on canvas

$400

click here for purchase info~

September 1, Redo of "Birdie"

Sometimes a painting just doesn't work out.  It ends up not looking like what I want it to look like, or worse, it doesn't look like what my client wants it to look like.  And so sometimes I'll futz with it, play around with background color, try to reset the eyes maybe.  But sometimes the whole thing is off somehow and just needs to be repainted!
So I redid Birdie!
And her owner loves it much better!  Thank you Jenny!

8x8 acrylic on wood

spoken for!

Birdie One and Birdie Two