June 24th, THIS time, the turtle!

Sorry-  not great internet up here, go figure!  This is the turtle I meant to share with that last post, and since I missed yesterday I figured what the heck?  I can post twice today!
This is one of the red-ear sliders from the Mn Zoo~  a bit trickier pose than I'd anticipated....

6x6 acrylic on panel, 

starting bid of $25, click here to get in on the auction! OR to buy right NOW at $65!

And this is Teddy again.  Dang that fluff!  WHY, oh why did we get a beige, fluffy dog instead of a nice shiny tight skinned black one that would be SO much more fun to paint?!?!  Ack.  I see SO many problems with this painting.  It may get gessoed over today.

June 24th, "'Nother Terrapin"

I was absolutely exhausted yesterday.  I've been painting a lot, it's true, and trying to push my understanding of the human mystery...  so frustrating and kinda fun too!  I am also planning on teaching a class up here next summer, at the Art Colony, which has been one of those personal dreams of mine... ain't that funny!
So I've been struggling with humans, Max mostly, and here is him with Fatouch- and another one I'm working on of Max and Duane looking at Frank's little stream at his and Monica's house in Key Largo two years ago when Maxie was still in diapers!

June 22, Teddy Fluff

I have been really pushing myself these past couple days... being in Grand Marais seems to do that.  I want to figure out how to paint people, and I want to push myself to become a better painter, and I know it comes down to practice and experimenting and being willing to be a newbie at something.  You can never know it all.  Anyone who says they're an expert is lying.  You can be extremely knowledgeable about something and even have a degree (or a PHD) in it but it is impossible to know everything about it especially in a subject as personal and fraught with emotion as art.
And I like to paint dogs.  I think I know how to paint dogs.  But I have a really hard time painting my own damn dog.
Here's Teddy.

6x6 acrylic on panel, auction here, starting bids at $25~

My other really hard subject is my muse of a son.  He's just too damn adorable.  So I have to paint him.  What am I suppose to do?

I have to admit I like this one.

June 21, "Duluth Terrapin"

So we stopped at the Duluth Aquarium on our way up yesterday because I wanted to see the otters, but I don't think it's the best place to see them unfortunately...  however there are some other pretty darn cool creatures there!  I am up in Grand Marais at the Art Colony painting with Liz Sivertson and am looking through my images for inspiration. Tricky.  I painted a couple otters today, starting with this turtle and a Max.  I really do want to get better at people.  We are tricky subjects...  Max took this photo of himself with my i-phone on the ride up-  I was letting him play some games on it because he'd been mostly good and this series of selfies was a little surprise for me!  Ain't he sweet?  So the perspective is a bit scewed but I like the gaze... I'll try more later, with a blue/green ground.  And it is funny how the beginning of a class can still set me on edge and make me feel like I don't know what I'm doing, which I suppose is the point in trying to learn... make yourself a little bit uncomfortable and you'll step out of your habits...
Anyway, a turtle~

6x6 acrylic on panel, auction starts at $25, click here to bid!

Maxie Selfie 1

June 19th, "Catalpa Sky"

Yup, I sure love my catalpa!  I just love saying the word "catalpa"....  try it yourself!  And the flowers and the pods, and those big heart shaped leaves..
We had a catalpa next to our driveway when I was a kid, with a huge trunk.  My brothers and I would draw up plans for our underground cavern hideout that would start with a hidden door in the trunk of that massive tree.  Never got further than the plans, but boy did we spend some happy hours planning!

6x6 acrylic on panel, click here to start a bid for auction!  Starting at $35!

June 18th, "The Catalpa Breeze"

I wanted to paint something GREEN today, seeing as it is so BLOOMIN' GREEN here in Minnesota!  We've had such great rain and some good thunderstorms (which I define as that low distance rumbling and some flashes of lightning but nothing TOO loud and close and scary...) and this is from my Mother's Day Catalpa tree that Duane and Max planted for me last year, blowing around this morning.  I LOVE catalpas and was asking for one for a long time-  Duane doesn't want the backyard to be too shady because he loves growing our veg out here, but I want the shade to keep the house cooler...
See how much he loves ME?

 Painted on a magenta ground, 6x6 acrylic on panel, auction starts at $35, click here to bid!

June 17, Rosie

Good morning!
I have been struggling for the last two hours to paint a 6x6 painting of my son, and I can't get the expression right, and I have to go and take care of other art-business associated things (collecting art from the end of an exhibition) darn it so I can't keep struggling and I am NOT going to post the crappy thing until I've figured it out and succeeded so just forget about THAT, but here is a lovely commission I am delighted to share with you~  Rosie!

Sold!

June 16th, "Satisfaction"

So, yesterday we had a great Father's Day Brunch at our house, and after the brunch Max received the Chima Lego set he'd been being good and keeping track of his behavior for over a week in anticipation of getting-  wow what a clunky sentence but I'm not sure how else to say it!
Anyway, while two adult men helped him put it together for two hours, he was nothing but a face of complete contentment.  We are lucky that he is usually like this~!  pretty easily satisfied!

Maybe it looks like he got jelly on his cheek...
6x6 acrylic on panel, bid for the auction starting at $25!  Click HERE!

June 15th, Happy Father's Day!

Duane is actually IN the photo I used for this painting, but I wanted to try focussing just on Max...  I am working on people, looking at those skin tones... dang!  SO much is going on is a FACE!  Why do I have such a hard time with people, and find dogs and cats to be such a joy?!
This is painted on pink... may try painting on blue instead to get those skin tones to pop...

Whadaya think?
6x6 acrylic on panel, up for auction!  Starting at $25~  click here to BID!

June 14, "Honey Moon Tree"

I started painting these "Negative Space Tree" a number of years ago, I think after seeing Timouth's trees up in Grand Marais...  scroll down on his blog link there to see some of his work!  I have two of his trees hanging in our house.  It was the way he paints the sky around the trees that I love!  And Liz Siverstson does this too!  AND I have a few of HER paintings TOO!  AND she has one of MINE!!!  AND I am going up to Grand Marais next week to take a class from her again!  Wahoo!!!!  I'm not sure if she realizes this yet or not....  but it will be a gas!
Anyway, this is a little tree I did yesterday as a Demo on how to paint a Negative Space Tree, and everyone loves painting these so much I think I'll offer some Sat afternoon or maybe even Friday evening classes (wine included!) just on painting these!

And you can try to get this one on this auction!  Starting bids at $25!  or buy outright for $95!

6x8 original acrylic on panel-

CLICK HERE to BID or BUY!!!

good luck!

June 13, "Mug O Love"

The last day of our Painting Lessons Class!  And I am giving a demo on how to post to my blog, so that's what this is!  I will add that you CAN also bid on this one if you'd like to!
I heard that today is the full moon, and it is known as the Honey Moon because it is on a Friday the 13th...  so Happy Honey Moon!

This is a 6x6 acrylic on panel, click here to bid for $25!  Or to buy for $75!

June 12, "Minnehaha, June 2014"

So, Tuesday we went for lunch at Sea Salt by Minnehaha Falls after Painting Lessons class and I took photos of the falls so I could do a painting demo on how to pull up a photo and crop it and then use it as the focus of a painting~
SO here is the painting!

And I rather like it!  Pretty darn fun!

It is an 8x10 acrylic on panel, for $160~  click here to purchase!

June 11, "Nectarine"

...and I can tell ya, I ate this one as soon as I was finished painting it and it was as JUICY as it looks!  I dripped juice all over the studio floor and got it all over my paintbrushes!  Good mornings work at the studio!  This was a lesson in how to create a new color for every stroke-  trying to keep your brush work thoughtful and your colors more conscious!

6x6 acrylic on panel, this is another auction!  Click here to BID $25!

And this is another demo for class, looking at skin tone~  lotsa colors in there!

June 10, "Backyard Visitor"

Ha!  Recognize that pointy little nose?  Those bright little button eyes?  Those naked pink fingers?!?!  Yes, this little bugger was hanging out in our backyard this winter quite a bit, maybe living in our compost heap.  At least bunking in the gap between ours and the neighbors' garages at the least!
Do you see a spark of intelligence in there?  It didn't run away when approached... I don't think they have the greatest eyesight...  but I didn't want the dogs to mess with it regardless!

The fur was a bit tricky to render... but I'll still offer him up for auction!  Maybe you have some love in your heart for a possum!
6x6 original acrylic on panel, $25 starting bid!  Click here to bid!

June 9, "Small Blue Mug"

I started a week-long Painting Lessons today, and this is my little demo painting of a sweet little blue mug on our round wood side table...
It is always fun to go back to painting from life after painting animals and landscapes from photos!

I'll put this one up on auction too!  Starting bid at $25!  Snag this mug for your morning dose of ART!
Click here to bid!

June 8, "Two Harbor's Dog"

And the boys all just went to the park at Lake Hiawatha, so I could PAINT!  This is the lovely dog at that wonderful house/shop on the scenic route up to Two Harbors from Duluth, B.E. Nelison isn't it?  I love his work!  But I can't find him on google... I wanted to set up a link~
Anyway, this is his dog, and she was beautiful and shiny and he said he'd just had her down in the lake and that's why her coat is so glossy.  I love painting black dogs!  Look at that shine!
Wahoo!
Oh and I've added a page to this blog about the 30 Dogs in 30 Days Project!

And I thought perhaps I'd try offering this one as an auction~  so 6x6 acrylic on panel, auction starts at $25!  Click here to BID!

June 7, "Gus Straight on"

What a great morning to sit around and paint, though that never lasts as long as I'd like...
This is Gus, Max's favorite dog, who doesn't seem to mind a five year old draped across him like a cape...  Max was putting my necklaces on Gus this morning at 6:30 while I was trying to stay asleep.  WHY does he have to wake up earlier on the weekend when I can actually sleep in til seven?

I do love Gus' gaze in this piece-  those eyes really speak of distances and warmth and affection... to me anyway.  I don't know what you see!

And he's available now!  And YOU can get in on the 30 Dogs in 30 Days of July  by sending me a photo of your dog!
6x6 acrylic on panel, $75~  click here to PURCHASE!

June 4, "Shadowed Glance"

Yes, I know I am kind of all over the place right now-  I have a bunch of toads I want to paint and some tortoises and our new dog Teddy who isn't so new anymore and I haven't painted her even ONCE!  That's gotta be some kinda spiritual deficiency there…
This dog is gorgeous, and I believe I stole the photo from my cousin Alexis' Facebook page so maybe she can identify it if she is reading this…  I honestly am not sure how far these blog posts are read so maybe just maybe I am testing the internet world to see how much people know and how fast word can travel…
At any rate, the "30 Dogs in 30 Days" July 2014 Project will be commencing in less than a month and I am looking for photos of dogs to paint for this!  I suppose I better make a page on this blog with more info… great idea Kat!  So send me your dog photos, folks!  I'll look through all the submissions and select the ones I love the best to paint-  if you want to commission YOUR photo, then I will paint it for sure but may have some discussions with you if I need a better shot!  I will be painting all the dogs on 8x8 panels unless you want a 10x10 or a 12x12 but no bigger because I need to be able to complete it in a day!  Usually I paint in the morning…

So that's why I had to paint this dog today-  I've been wanting to paint her for a while (not actually sure of the gender…) and this was one of those joys of being able to get it done!!!

Thanks for allowing me to be better and better at what I love to do!

This is an original 6x6 acrylic on panel with a hanging system on back, for $75-  click here to buy!

June 3, "New Legs"

Hey all!  I am BACK!  Wow!  I had a great time in DC with the 6th graders, though I got sick and was left at the hotel to sleep most of Friday, despite my wanting to keep moving… sometimes it is better to give in to sleep…
SO here is another lamb from Dee and Adam's farm!  Maybe Dee will chime in on this one and let us know her name too!

6x6 acrylic on panel, ready to hang, $75!  Click here to ! purchase

May 27th, "Wobbly Lamb"

This one is an 8x8 and was dashed off a little quickly-  I am heading to DC with the 6th graders tomorrow, and don't know how often or when I'll be able to paint, so the posts for the next five days may be abbreviated or null….
Just wanted to let you know!
But this guy more happily demonstrates those wonderfully gangly limbs with the knees as big as their heads and the way they throw themselves around just to stay on their two feet!

SO great!

8x8 Acrylic on Panel, ready to hang!  click here for purchase info~ $145

May 25th, Memorial Day "Spring Lamb"

Yup, we went up to the farm yesterday, and I have a ton of new lovely photos!  We'll see what most takes my fancy in the upcoming days, though I do have to warn you that there WILL be an amphibian series...
This little fella was heading away, with his long tail dangling behind him~  my sis-in-law is so good with animals!

$65   6x6 acrylic on panel, click here to purchase!

May 25, "Spring Ewe"

Wow!  Amazing how these lovely long weekends get taken over by those little daily tasks...  but I DID manage to get this painted this morning, in between emptying the litter boxes, doing dishes, sitting with Max to watch "Peg and Cat" on PBS... and NOW we're going to head up to the FARM!  this was taken last year, and I hear there are at least seven new lambs so we'll see what we see!

This is a 6x6 acrylic on panel, ready to hang, $75~  click HERE to purchase!

May 24, "Pugly Mug"

I took this photo at ArtAWhirl last week, when this amazingly adorable puppy came in with a human and I GOT TO HOLD HER!!!!  Oh my goodness-  really, there is just that undeniable CUTENESS forcefield around a little critter like this!  Gosh, I think even a hungry eagle would have to cuddle this puppy!

And this one is a 6x6 acrylic on panel, ready to hang for $75!  Click HERE to add her to your collection!

May 23rd, "Pacing Face"

Yes, I really love those goofy photos that can be taken these days-  you aren't really planning any of them, you just click and click and click because you know you don't have to keep them all, just the ones you love, and sometimes even those don't look all that great at first, like the one I used as a reference for this painting, which I am extremely pleased with!  It is a blurry, out of focus shot and I had to take a few liberties here and there, but I love the crop and the shoulder leading out of the photo and that you can't quite see his eyes as he's about to walk right under you…

Yes.  I really like to paint!

This is a 6x6 acrylic on panel, ready to hang, available for purchase at $75 by clicking HERE!

May 22, "Threshhold"

I am so attracted to the contrasts of dark and light, and to those lovely humpty round shapes of bears…  the strokes I get to make to suggest their girth and fluff are so satisfying.  And that cave entrance is like a pair of curtains… is the bear prepared to make her debut?  Does she know all the world is a stage?

Hope all your entrances are to your liking!

Ooo and I figured out how to add a watermark!!!  I am SO proud of myself!  SO this bear is a 6x6 acrylic on panel for $75, and the watermark is NOT included!  Click here to buy!

May 21st, "Spring Snortin'"

So, I thought I'd do a bear today.  I so enjoy that sense of sculpting around the nostrils, getting the shapes and bumps on that head and all those lovely tones in the rough shaggy fur…
I swear this guy had his eyes shut and was just finding his way by his nose~

This one is a 6x6 acrylic on panel, $75~  click HERE to purchase!

May 20th, Slide And Glide

I really meant to paint a turtle today~  couldn't find the photo I was looking for, so here's yet another otter~  this one is a little more simplified-  the photo was really blurry and dark and details are hard to see, but you can still get the sense of those muscles and that smooth pelt, and the feel of the cool water flowing over~

Don't you want to be an otter too?

this one is smaller!  the others' keep selling as fast as I paint them!

6x6 acrylic on panel, $75~   click here to purchase!

May 19th, "In The Meanwhile…"

I was trying to think of a good title for this one, as a metaphor for being between worlds or thoughts or actions, between jobs or lovers, you know that space where you aren't really acting or going but just floating there, suspended, kind of waiting for that next thing that you know is coming, maybe mentally resting…

In the meanwhile…
Maybe a fish will come by…
10x8 inches acrylic on panel, $160, Click here to buy now!

I had a great weekend at Art A Whirl!  Thanks all of you who dropped by!  The next big things on my calendar are the "30 Dogs in 30 Days" July of 2014 Project, so send in your dog images, and the Painting Lessons of JUNE!  I'll be teaching a Week-Long Intensive this June in my studio in South Minneapolis!  June 9-13 from 9:30to noon daily, with a few afternoon field trips to museums and zoos if you like!  Let me know if you are in!  More info on that HERE!

May 16th, "Rising"

I LOVE this one!  There will definitely be a larger version-  there's just that wonderful sensation of floating, hovering just below the surface, the boyancy, the weightlessness of that position, just before breaking through that slight resistance to the sharp loud air…

Dang~  SO many colors are on this great green planet!
"Rising" is an 8x5/34 inch acrylic on panel, available for PURCHASE HERE at $90~

May 15, "Underneath"

I am in love with water reflections… gonna be researching this and painting a few bigger to play with these effects…
And come see these guys and more at Art A Whirl!  I'll be at the Northrup King BUilding Fri night (7-10) and Sun afternoon (2-5), just off Central on 14th, then go right-  parking may be a bit of a bother with construction but COME ANYWAY!  And on Saturday I'll be at Diamond's for the lunch hour!  1618 Central Ave NE, within walking distance of each other!  Please do let me know if you need assistance with parking or directions!
And this little fella is available for purchase HERE!

6x6 acrylic on panel, $75

May 14th, "Push Off"

Sometimes we all need a little something to push off from…  just to get us going.  Dad was telling us at Sunday dinner how his hips are getting old and not helpful, and how he's used his hammer when going on electrical jobs, carrying the whole tool belt with him just to check an outlet.  He would use the hammer as a boost, gripping it by the head and pushing down on the handle to prop himself up from the floor…
Not sure the otter is using this rock for the same reason...

Come see this guy in person this weekend at Art A Whirl! I'm in the Northrup King Building, #394!

 Or buy him NOW!  

6x6 acrylic on panel, $75

May 12, "Paddlefoot"

Ha!  Happy's mom's day to all!  yesterday we went to my mom's for dinner and on the way stopped at the Mn Zoo for more otter photos because I need more, and the place was PACKED!  And we only had an hour, half of which was spent walking slowly in because Max discovered some beans all over the ground and needed to pick them up, and then their subsequent pods…
Anyway, we got into the Minnesota Exhibit and the otters were doing their supreme acrobatics in an absolutely wonderful manner, and Max could only take standing there so long so Duane stayed to take more photos and Max and I went on.  We stopped again at the bears because they were all over the place, but I had a hard time taking photos of the bears AND keeping track of Maxie.  Then at one point when the brown bear was making great shapes against the light in the cave (you'll see paintings of that later!) I looked around and Max was gone.
Mother's Day and I've lost my kid.  Perfect.
I texted Duane and called Duane and was unable to get through.
So, looking like the extremely distraught mother I was, I forced my way back through against the crowd, bawling out "MAX!!!!" every few steps.  I was just coming back around the corner by the otters and there was Max with Duane.
Casually, off-handedly Duane says he didn't have any reception on his phone in here.

I turned around and headed back to the exit.  We went to gram's and had pork roast and applesauce.
I was still a bit steamed…
At any rate, Duane took some incredible photos again~
And this is from one of them!

"Paddlefoot" 6x6 acrylic on panel, ready to hang, $75  Click Here to Buy!

Friday May 9th! "Donald, From Wabasha"

This is the Golden Eagle living in Wabasha at the National Eagle Center.  He is quite the fellow!  I love the gleam in that eye, and the sharply hooked beak~
SO glad it is Friday!  Has this been a hellacious week for anyone other than me?  Whew!  Come see me tonight at Diamond's to take down the cats, or come next week to Studio 394 on the Fourth Floor of the Northrup King Building, just down the hall to the right from the ELEVATORS!!!  That will be a HOOT!  I'll be there Friday May 16th from 7 to 10!  Come take a peek, have a drink on me, check out all the amazing art!

Donald in Wabasha is 6x6 acrylic on panel, ready to hang and available NOW for $75!

Click here to BUY!

Kat Corrigan: Paint!: May 7th, "White Wolf Walking Away"

Kat Corrigan: Paint!: May 7th, "White Wolf Walking Away"

May 7th, "White Wolf Walking Away"

Man.  Still haven't caught up with the rest of the world yet!  And did I mention I have a couple dog paintings in this really fun book, that I'd forgotten I'd submitted work for?  it's called "1000 Dog Portraits" and includes a number of other artists I've gotten to know, and Roz Stendahl also of Minneapolis has a PILE in there!   I've been at the Wet Paint "Paws on Grand"Sketchathon with Roz for the last few years- too much fun!
And I just learned that I get to have a show at the Bloomington Art Center of my dogs!!!!  Wahoo!!! Details will be forthcoming, I am sure~  SO exciting!!!
And this wolf was from the wonderful pile of photos Max and Duane took for me at the Mn Zoo last week so I would have something to paint up in Grand Marais~  I've been wanting to paint her badly!  This is a little 6x6 but I imagine there will be another larger one coming up!

And I'll be at Diamond's again this Friday to take down the cats, if you want to come watch how it's done, or heckle me about it!  6-8pm, 1618 Central Ave Ne Minneapolis!

White Wolf Walking Away is a 6x6 acrylic on panel, ready to hang for $75!  Grab her NOW by clicking HERE!

May 5th, "Water Resident"

This is an 8x10, acrylic on PINK panel!  I never knew I'd enjoy pink so much!  Dang this is fun!  I am so grateful to my husband Duane for taking all the incredible photos I used as a basis for these paintings, and for the art colony and for all my friends up there and for everyone who's been in one of those classes with me because we all learn something from every encounter!  I'm a bit swamped being back at work and trying to get my work back in control…. any teacher will tell you that sometimes it is more of a pain to have a substitute teacher for your classes than if you just stayed here!  Ack!  And it is so close to the end of the year, we are trying to get all these things finished…
Anyway!
I am SO excited about this new body of work… seeing physical beings in another way...
OTTERS ROCK!

Click here to BUY NOW!

9x12 acrylic on panel, $215

May 3, "Above"

This is a smaller version of a larger piece I am struggling with-  still at the Art Colony in Grand Marais, MN!  I tried sticking it out again last night, but was so exhausted by 11 that I opted to just go home to bed, and instead of staying up being a night owl, I came in at 6am and painted alone, listening to Jeff Buckley, singing aloud...
Here's a view of the rainbow over the suburban when Mom stopped by to try to talk me into going to breakfast-  I'm wanting to just paint so I stayed and had toast, and now I am nibbling at smoked trout (YUM) and cheese and crackers.  I am just pretty darn content, missing the boys a bit, but really enjoying the painting and the companions!

"Above" 6x6 acrylic on panel, $75 click HERE to buy!

 Rainbow over the Suburban, 8am Friday May 3rd, Grand Marais MN~ from the Art Colony door...

And this is a piece I am liking the feel of so far... stay tuned!

May 2 more otters....

Yup.
This happens year after year up here.  I arrive, paints and brushes in hand, ready to jump in and get started, and wahoo!  Something incredible happens!  I never know just what it's gonna be-  though this year, because of Duane and Max's zoo expedition on Tuesday, I am saturated with incredible otter photos.  Though I do have to say there is an irresistibly amusing Tapir at the zoo, doing amusing things as well....  hopefully I'll have time to get to her too!
Here's a few shots of the otters so far~

 This guy has the MOST intense face!  Though I suppose being underwater and having all your orifices clenched tight against the water could add to that look....
18x18 acrylic on canvas

 This one is a larger one of tuesday's otter~  I LOVE the foreshortening of that entire chest!  I gotta say, I've been listening to Queen for most of this painting time, over and over, all the albums I have on my laptop which is quite a few.  And I am just continually more and more fascinated by the life of Freddy Mercury, and of just who he was and how his voice comes through and what the words of his songs have meant to me at different points in my life and how he still speaks to me now.  Pretty amazing.
Shoot I don't know how big this one is-  bigger than the first one!  Like twice as big!  If you are interested you can contact me and I'll find out for sure and give you a price~

And this guy is the first with some surface reflections visible~  I like that, glow and shine-  how to paint that....

More tomorrow-  maybe I can post earlier... this is tough staying up late-  I automatically wake at 6 regardless...

MAY 1! Breathe....

Okay~  I am here-  up at the Art Colony in Grand Marais with me mum~  been painting OTTERS today~  kinda can't help it-  good long drive, fresh otter photos, those great crazy little fun loving faces, and that big old body like one giant MUSCLE...  I love painting the shades, the shadows, trying to get the reflected light underwater...
So now I've got two pink canvases waiting to dry-  because I want to try painting on a different ground and see how that feels....  what will pink do to the greens and purples and browns?  Hmmm...
and I've got this little guy for you, if yer feeling otterly...
I LOVE the blues and greens!  It's like I get to paint abstractly AROUND the little bugger!!!!!

Though now I look, it appears to be greener...  hmmm...

Anyway, lovely little schawoopy muscly little sweetpea!  All yours!  Click here to buy!

$75 6x6 acrylic on panel, ready to hang!

And here's the other OTTERS, and my pink canvases!

You'll see what happens to them TOMORROW!!!!