Tag Archives: daily post

Jul7

Working With Oil

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Recently I’ve been working with oil colors, and I love them. I love the feel when I paint, and the way they blend and mix. Am I crazy for working with a different paint? Probably, but I knew when I took the copper workshop that I was opening up a can of worms. And open it, I did!

I’ve only completed three oils on copper, but meanwhile I cannot stay away from my oil paints. A girl has to practice doesn’t she?

The painting above is a little practice painting since it’s been years since I’ve drawn faces, or figures. Each time should be a little better, until I either decide I love it or I don’t want to do it anymore.

I’m just going to keep abstracting until I’m happy with the results. Until then I’m onto the next painting.

Thanks for stopping to check Stone Soup out, see you soon.

Jun26

Working With Cold Wax

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Last year I bought some cold wax to play with.  A friend of mine uses it on her oil paintings, and being a rebel, I decided to try it on watercolor and acrylic.  I had no idea what i was doing, and couldn’t find any instructions for using it.  Maybe I just didn’t try hard enough, or….maybe the timing was off, and i really wasn’t ready for cold wax.  Either way, it sit on my shelf with all the other products that I had to have proudly waving at me from time to time, making sure I don’t forget the possibilities it holds.

This morning I was looking for something else on YouTube when I ran across this video.  After watching it, I now have a better idea of the possibilities, and I do love possibilities.  You know I will be experimenting with cold wax very soon, and maybe one of you will want try it, experiment with it, or even decide it is the perfect effect for what you are creating.

Either way,  I hope you enjoy the information, maybe try it out, and let me know how it goes.

Thanks for taking time to check out Karen’s Stone Soup.  See you soon…

Jun22

How I Get My Ideas…

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Most of the time our creative juices flow easily. However every once in a while we all come to a screeching halt, and we haven’t any ideas. There isn’t anything worse than being stuck without a clue as to how to get creative again.

Sometimes I paint rocks as houses, flowers, faces, or even bugs. My favorite is a ladybug. Our garden is filled with ladybugs, flowers, faces, even one curled up milk snake. I know it sounds crazy, but it usually helps to open up the bottle neck, and let the creativity flow once again.

Since I get emails from Bob Burridge frequently, I thought I’d post one. This particular video started me thinking about my childhood, and how far back I could go. What part of my childhood would I want to bring forward onto a canvas. As I thought about it, I started remembering holding class and teaching all my stuffed animals math, and reading. Or dressing up in my mother’s shoes, and hats with gloves. Maybe even birthday parties, or my “16” birthday party.

What ever I choose, there are always options to make a series from them. Even if you have to pull out your creative license. After all, this is the same as writing a story, just with paint!

When I watched the latest video Bob Burridge posted It got me thinking about all this, and I thought maybe it would help all of you as well.  I hope I’m right.

Thank you for taking time to read Stone Soup,  see you next time….

Jun19

Winding Up The Week!

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My weeks are filled with all kinds of fun things including painting classes.  Every couple of weeks I am lucky enough to be able to take time for Richard Hawks classes.  Richard has slowly pushed me to a new level of art.  Is it perfect….NO.  I don’t do perfect, and Richard doesn’t like perfect either.  He is an abstract painter who has been of great benefit to me as an artist.  Certainly I was stuck in a stale, stagnate, rut when I decided to take his abstract workshop.  Here all these months later, I’m doing things I never thought of, and still being pushed to do more.  Where am I going to end up?  It doesn’t matter to me because I know wherever it is, it’s more than I could have accomplished by myself.

Timing is everything don’t you agree?  Since I was part of the abstract workshop, I joined another workshop, Oil on Copper!   Well I really didn’t think I was going to like it because I didn’t want to have to buy Copper or Oil paint.  But there is so much more needed for this process, I couldn’t conceive of myself wanting to create this way.

Surprise  I loved it all,  I ate it up like a little kid with a chocolate sunday.  Now I don’t want to do anything else but paint on copper with oil paint.   So little by little I’m purchasing the supplies I need for this type of art.  My studio is already stuffed with supplies in watercolor, and acrylic.  Not only am I looking for more oil, I’m looking for all the things that go with painting on copper in this manner.   It must be my lucky day,  I love to learn new things.

I’m sure there are all kinds of ways artists paint on copper, this method is different.   That must by my hook! Once again Richard Hawk does a great workshop.

There is going to be another Abstract Workshop, and because it has helped me so much I have posted the information for those of you who might be interested. While I’m here I want all of you to know that the painting I posted is a Richard Hawk painting. I’d love to tell you it was mine, maybe next time!

‘Workshop: Beyond Belief  III’ • Encinitas, California

A meditative, consciousness-exploring workshop based in painting.

Dates and time
July 20, 21 & 22 (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) 2018
10 AM to 3:30 PM

Cost
$330 for three days

Over the years I’ve had many conversations with artists/students about the metaphysical aspect of painting. The place where the physical and psychological acts of painting meet the purely energetic, the spiritual, even. There is no question that there is something about art that is ‘beyond’ – that is why we make art and why we look at it. But exactly what is going on here? There is no doubt that it has to do in part with the ‘belief’ system of the artist – and the viewer.

A workshop aimed at the center which is not in the middle. The light which casts no shadow.

Together we will explore the deliberate, intentional pursuit of the non-physical in the creative process. We’ll have some bust-out conversations spurred by readings from the likes Wayne Dyer, Thich Nhat Hanh, Kahlil Gibran, Mary Lou Cook, Rumi and Robert Pirsig. This will be the third in the series for this exciting and uplifting workshop experience.

Note that just because we are expressing freely and intuitively in paint it does not mean that we abandon principles of good design, attention to shapes, edges, values, color, line, pattern and all the other tenets of success in painting. Far from it. Inspired work happens within form. There is plenty of attention to practical technique and practices. There will be painting demonstration each day (if the group desires it).

Call 760.504.4015 or write to me using the form at the bottom of the page and receive a call or email to complete your registration and get instructions. Questions? Please use the same form or call.

Catered

The mid-day meal each day will be catered (organic vegetarian) so that our creative involvement can be as continuous as possible.

• The workshop is small by design. If you’re interested, please don’t delay • Bring objects of or images of personal meaning that you can use for your paintings • Observe painting demonstrations • Learn new ways forward on your own creative path • Enjoy the collective spirit of like-minded creatives

To Sign Up
Simply send a message using the form at the bottom of the page or call 760.504.4015 and you will receive an email or call back for registration and instructions. I look forward to painting with you.

Thank you for taking time to read Karen’s Stone Soup, see you next time…
May24

Joyious Monday

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Monday is a day I rarely leave the house. Instead, I paint, create in different ways, and yes I do make my bed! It’s a wonderful day that I have by myself, and without distractions if you don’t count the cat and dog wanting attention.

Last Monday was especially joyous for me. I was feeling so much peace, and tranquility. There was Hawaiian music playing in my living room, and Brother Iz was filling my heart with sweet sounds of the Hawaiian Islands.

We are all thinking of the volcanoes, and earthquakes the big island is going through now, but that doesn’t stop my heart from loving the islands, the culture, and the incredible joy I feel when I spend time there.

A long time friend who lives on Maui once told me to take off my watch, I was on vacation and didn’t need it. He also told me to make sure I put my toes in the water as soon as I arrived on the island. That trip I did just that, and I haven’t worn a watch since. Another trip I forgot to put my toes in the water at the beginning of our vacation, and you know I just wasn’t as relaxed as I expected. On the last day of the vacation, my husband and myself went to the water’s edge, and walked in the sand and surf. It was at that moment we realized what a disservice we had done to ourselves by not taking our walk on the first day there. That will never happen again!

I started a copper painting with all the things I could gather in my studio. A few ideas I took from the “Copper Workshop ” I had completed that Richard Hawk gave. I haven’t been able to purchase the supplies needed to work like Richard taught, but I still need practice. It also helped with that itch to create at any cost. So on a crinkled copper sheet, I started a painting that is my first alone. Sometimes you just have to work with what you have.