This past couple of weeks, I have been busy painting my studio and contiguous living spaces in our home. This piece has been on my mind all the while. It is 2' tall by 6' wide and is destined to be hung with a view of Torch Lake. I couldn’t wish a better place for it!

Seekers of the Sun, 3' x 4'

This piece was recently installed in the sun room of a home that is filled with wonderful original art. The couple found me at the Great Lakes Art Fair in Novi where I had just begun to my layout and had gotten as far as an initial wash of color.

After visiting their home, I was able to really make this painting work for them. I used a palette knife to apply the paint so that all of the little facets of the paint surface catch your eye as you walk by the sun room which is seen from a good portion of their home. You can even see it from the front entry. My photo doesn't do it justice as their home and the piece are much more stunning in person!

Five Grandchildren, finished piece is 5' x 4' oil on canvas














The sketch on the left is the one that was selected. Next, we are comparing two different sized supports. A white 5' x 4' canvas is being held to the wall and I have superimposed an orange square to represent a 4' x 3' piece. Since the piece was not going to require framing, we felt the wall called for the bigger piece. I am glad my friend Wendy had the courage to go big, because look at what she ended up with:



















This is a special piece created to represent each of five grandchildren. People have often said that my years of life drawing has influenced the way I portray flowers, especially sunflowers. This was a nice challenge in that I wanted the flowers to have symbolic representation of the children as well as a subtle physical depiction without making the piece corny. I think we were successful in that pursuit. This grandma has quite an heirloom to cherish!

Group Show - Pierre Paul Art Gallery
















After a crazy month, it was nice to watch this show open and to see my finished work framed so beautifully! There will be a reception this coming weekend for Art Walk . Pierre Paul is one of the sites with a "neighborhood party" on Friday. So stop by and see me as I will be there from 5pm - 10pm. Also, if you would like to see me actually painting, you can stop visit the gallery from 12n - 5pm on Saturday and I will be performing the "Artist at Work- Demo". The two pieces above are brand new works that debuted at Pierre Paul. The top piece is painted entirely with a knife and very lush. It is called "Daughters of the Sun" and the piece just beneath it is titled "Sunflowers Series IV".

After a challenging day of balancing the "creative/production" side of being an artist with the "business side" of being an artist all while tending to my mom duties, my six year-old daughter Jillian must have sensed that I needed a little something. She fashioned this brush holder for my tiny paint brushes. It's made from a recycled t-shirt and button. Basically, I needed to refocus from my painting to something inherently more beautiful, my two daughters. They help keep me in the moment and I love them dearly!

Good times in Levis Commons this past weekend!



















Here's a photo of Mary(left) behind her new poppy painting! This piece was a surprise for her husband. She knew he would love it because he had been eyeing another large work of mine that hangs in the home of Salvi & Andrew(shown on Mary's right). Salvi & Andrew are avid collectors that live in Levis Commons and I look forward to visiting with them each year at this show! I love getting to know the people that follow my work; it's often as rewarding as making the art!!
Thank you all for a great show this weekend!
Sincerely,
Kim

Heading to Perrysburg, OH for the Levis Commons Fine Art Fair this weekend!

If you get a chance, stop on by. My booth is #97 and will be located just in front of Arhaus furniture. The show itself is nestled in a wonderful town square with upscale shops and dining all around. There are 125 artists so it's big enough to see great stuff but not daunting to cover. Here are the last of what is going with me...

Poppies 11" x 14"












Karl's Garden III - 18" x 24"

Poppies for Renee, 4' x 3'



















This was painted with a knife and is the largest work that I have painted in this manor in some time. Look at the detail below where you can get a better idea of the richness of the surface and color. Renee owns Mod Squad Salon in Saline, MI. This piece will be installed in the salon later this week. Stop by and take a look!

Detail of Poppies for Renee

Poppies 12" x 24"










Sunflowers with Red Underpainting 16" x 20"















Both pieces were painted "thickly" with a palette knife. The sunflower was painted over a red under-painting which is one of my favorite ways to paint. Especially for things that I want to give the illusion of being bathed in sunlight. Reason being is that cool light creates warm shadows and vice-a-versa. So the red lends to the shadow areas and the small bits of red left in the would-be sky are just for fun!

Poppies in the Sun, 20" x 16"



















This is the first "finished" of a series of several small paintings(all under 2 feet square or less) that I am creating using a palette knife to apply the paint. It's not that I prefer painting with the knife or the brush, but I do enjoy being able to take a break from one to work with the other. The knife leaves an interesting surface and the thickness of the paint makes for intensely rich color. I am quite pleased with this one!