"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

Winter Sheen

20x30 Oil Palette Knife painting

Details

I wanted to paint a large painting with the values very close in range, I sometimes get carried away with my darks so to help me work that out I decided painting the values closer together might help me. I am very pleased with this painting, very suttle and the sheen on the mountain is just like it was the day I was standing out there painting the little study for this last February. I was unable to find my original photo's so the painting was done solely using my little study, between that and using the palette knife I felt very free to be the "artist"
and tell the story my way!

Hope you enjoy it too, 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

Musical Sounds of the Stream

20x30 oil on linen canvas

This painting was done using a small study I did this summer while camping in Lamoille Canyon here in Nevada. I stood on the rocks in the stream one evening and thought about how the sounds of the stream were music to my ears, the kind of music that takes you away from all of the things going on in life and you just relax into the moment.

Hope you enjoy this painting, it was a pleasure for me to paint despite the challenges of going from the small study to the larger version.

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!

Gold in the Canyon

 

20x24 Oil on linen

Where I live here in Northeastern Nevada it is gold country. Gold is in abundance deep down in the ground and gold mining is the main source of income for a lot of families in this territory. The Ruby mountains were named after trappers found red garnets in the 1800's and named the Rubies after their ruby color.....I enjoy watching them turn red in the sunsets most evenings and thought that was why they were named the Ruby Mountains for a very long time. Well, despite the history lesson, I found Gold in the Canyon.


Hope you have a lovely day!

Rush of Yellow Lupine

8x10 oil on linen

I went out last week one day on a photo shoot and the wildflowers in this spot were spectacular. Spring was slow to arrive this year...actually I think it skipped us completely and now we are in our summer season. We are the lucky ones without the extreme heat, enjoying the 80 degree temperatures, LOVE this kind of summer.

Thank you for stopping by!  Yes, training the puppy has slowed me down a bit but I am sure enjoying her and the kitten. A whole lot of laughter at our place. :-)

Winter Symphony

Palette Knife on gessoed hardwood panel 13x18x1 1/2

Spring/Summer is slow to come to us this year. Strange weather indeed, so instead of waiting for the fall/winter to post this painting I decided to go ahead and post it now. A very lovely painting with lots of paint but there are some areas with very little if any paint that gives it the sparkle of sunshine glinting off the snow.

Meet my new assistants!

Bailey the pup

Jake the kitty

Bailey 6 weeks old

Jake 5 weeks old

When the work day is done the fun begins! 

Have a nice day! Thank you for stopping by.

Arroyo Vista View

8x12 oil on Linen panel

One of the views from my front porch, nice isn't it? Last year at this time I painted this scene and it was a disaster and is in the "burn me" box. After I finished this painting I dug out last years just for fun to see my progress. I had a wonderful laugh and gave myself a pat on the back, got one from my husband and daughter-n-law too!  Now I'm going out to Burn that Box! LOL

Here are a couple of paintings from the last 2 classes, I know some of you are interested in seeing what is pushing me outside of MY Box. Stacks of chairs and rusty wheels...stuff I would not choose to paint on my own but has helped in my growth.

 Have a great day! Thanks for Visiting!

Early Morning Shadows

10x12 Oil on Linen

On this spot of the road if you look the opposite way is a gorgeous breathtaking view of the glaciers in the Ruby Mountains, however, the little aspen grove behind me with the sun peaking through is what really grabbed me and begged me to be painted.

Here's to simple pleasures in unexpected places, especially here in the high deserts of Nevada!

Thanks for visiting!

Aspen Glow - Large Palette Knife

24x171/2 Oil on gessoed hardboard
no framing needed 
- Palette Knife Painting -
SOLD - Thank you!

FUN, FUN, FUN!!! If you asked me what I love the most about palette knife painting it would be hard to pinpoint one simple answer. I seem to just go to another place in time. I am not so serious and don't usually over think the process because I know that I'm not trying to get little details right or exactly this or that line right. I do think a lot about the values and whether to use thick or thin paint, if I don't get those right you wouldn't be able to tell what is what from a distance. Ohhh, and don't even get me started on how much fun it is to layer on the THICK paint! 

This painting turned out even better than I'd hoped for. 

If your interested in this painting please contact me
Kathryn@anaturalframe.com

Here are a couple of photo's showing the process.

Gorgeous Thick Details

 

original small study

 

 Sketches for the larger painting

Mixing and applying paint

Thanks so much for visiting!

" Lamoille Glacier View"

12x16 Oil on linen

This turned out to be a fantastic and very fun painting. Wish everyone could see it in person. The distant peak with patches of snow and a touch of sun peaking through the dramatic clouds. I enjoyed painting this one very much. Thanks for visiting!

Yes, I changed the name of this painting,after some thought the original just didn't seem fitting.