"Sunrise"  11x14 Palette Knife Oil on linen

"The Rock" 10x12 Plein Air Study 

HI - yes, I know it's been a little while! Here are a couple of current paintings, the top one is one I did during the 2nd Annual Art Walk here in downtown Elko. The painting is a scene from a favorite hiking place in Soldier Creek, a difficult hike but one that is well worth it. I used a palette knife on this piece and even let a few of the kids that came by try their hand at it - so much fun to watch their faces light up with excitement over getting to paint and I came away with a painting that I love.

The second painting is a study that I did over a week ago on a paint out and I had thought at the time that my colors were very dark and gaudy, but the painting has grown on me now that it has sat untouched in the studio. I can't wait to go back to this spot and try it again!

Thanks for visiting,
Kathryn

Sarmons Ranch hay bailer

12x16 Oil on Linen

Last fall I went out to paint for the morning and wasn't feeling very inspired until I came a little closer to the hay bailer at work in the field and saw the blue flowers in their glory along the road. Sometimes it is the simplest things that need to be captured on canvas to make my day.

Hope you have a good day too.
Kathryn

Ruby Mountain Spring

20x24 Oil  Palette Knife

Details

A Palette Knife painting that I must say is my favorite to date! The photograph of this piece just doesn't do it justice. I must learn more about photographing the artwork for the web page.  This is a nice sized painting that will be framed in a beautiful gold frame to set off all the wonderful colors in this painting. I love the shadows of the clouds and then the sun sparks through to hit and it seems to just glow.  I painted this painting twice, I have one in a 10x12 Study and this large one. The two paintings are very close to the same with a few minor adjustments to color in the larger painting to read correctly. I like to paint small studies after my sketching process is done then on to the larger pieces, rarely do I sell the smaller study paintings as they are for my reference when it comes time to paint the larger paintings. 

I hope you enjoy it and thank you for stopping by.

 Kathryn

Embracing Winter

48x24 Oil on linen Canvas

The painting is a large one and deserves a large wall to hang it on!
It turned out very nice and takes me straight to the location up in the canyon.
The Lamoille Canyon is one of my favorite places to hangout and this spot is one of the first places you come to if you go into the picnic area just as you start into the canyon, you are treated with this view as you go across the bridge.
I'm considering doing a Spring version of this painting on the same large 48x24 format....seasonal paintings, I so enjoyed this one I think I'm going to have to follow through with my idea.

Thank you for stopping by!  Enjoy the day.
Kathryn

The Snake River

20x24 Oil on Linen panel

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Snake River runs through the Northwest and while we were on vacation this fall I never tired of watching it's meandering magic. When I started this painting I knew exactly what I wanted to achieve and I wasn't going to stop until I got there.  Does this painting just pull you in and make you  want to walk along the banks to find out where it goes?  If it does then I've achieved what I wanted.
Enjoy your holiday and give thanks for your blessings.
Kathryn

Maynard Dixon Painting attempt

The View

9x12 Oil

a photo of an article on Maynard Dixon

painting on the side of my studio with the view.

 I found an old article about Maynard Dixon and my first thought was to try to paint the Ruby Mountains with his style to see what happens. The scene of course is different but has all the same elements for color that I wanted to get.....I need a whole lot more practice, but dang is was fun to try it! 

Tomorrow is a New Day!  


Thanks for visiting.

One Little Aspen

Plein Air - 10x12 Oil on Linen

I have spent the last couple of days out taking advantage of the great weather while we have it. Today I was feeling a bit adventurous and went down a trail that I've often stopped and viewed from the road but it looks a little treacherous to get down next to the water. My dog and I decided to give it a go, and it was well worth the little slide from the roads edge, after that it was a gorgeous treat for both of us for a few hours.  I am pleased with today's painting.

Sure hope the weather holds out for a while longer, I'm enjoying getting out and training my pup and my eyes to trust what I see, plus I'm not ready to paint snow just yet!

Thanks for stopping by!

In the Studio

18x48 current project in the studio

20x30

Two large paintings that I'm currently working on in the studio, the 20x30 is a large version of the small study I did standing in the river while camping a few weeks ago and is almost complete and sitting on the drying wall while I contemplate the final touches to make it sparkle with life. The top painting is one I've thought about for a very long time, I did a small 6x8 study of it a couple of years ago while my son was fishing, the granddaughters were picking wildflower seeds with grandpa and their mom who is a photographer was busy taking her own photo's, we ate KFC out of the back end of the truck and had a wonderful day....Yes, I think about all of this while I'm putting the paint on the larger painting and I have high hopes for it to turn out as wonderful as our day was!

Check back next week to see what happens!