Hello to Mary d. Of Troy, ny - a very devoted blog follower!

Music to Paint By

So I recently realized that I listen to the same music over and over on my Pandora while I paint, and there is one song in particular that just makes me happy and that I replay constantly by Ingrid Michaelson.....I think it is a wonderful aspiration to "get rich and give everyone nice sweaters and teach them how to dance". If I ever get rich I will do just that. Because everyone should own at least one nice sweater, and EVERYONE should definitely know how to dance ;-) And if "love could pay the rent" I'd be rolling in dough...Cause we have no shortage of that in my lucky household!
Have a happy day and here is the link! Check it out and I dare you not to smile!

Painting Marathon!

6 x 6 Oil on canvas
APOLOGIES FOR THE BLURRY PHOTO >:-(
This cinnamon bun is another one for the small works show going up at the Wavepaint Gallery here in Ipswich this weekend. There will be an opening reception in early december and I will post details on that when I know more.

Today was a marathon painting day. I painted 5 paintings (one was a wipe) including this one. Four worked out, and two I had already so I feel like that is a good number for the show. I wish I could be this productive every day....Oh yeah, there's that thing called my job. :-P
Anyway the poor kids had a lazy day around the house while I painted, but it needed to get done because I just found out last night that they are hanging the show on Saturday. Nothing like last minute, huh?

Big Oreo

4 x 6 Oil on Canvas

If you've noticed a lot of sweets in my paintings lately it's because a friend of mine who owns a gallery here asked me to participate in a small work show soon, and requested donuts, etc. So there will definitely be more of them in the near future and then I will add other subjects back into my painting routine.
Home with the kiddies Wednesday, so I hope to paint allllll day....

Indian Summer Day

After promising myself all week that today would be devoted to painting, I completely slacked. I even had six canvases prepped and sketched ready to go, but I just couldn't resist being outside on a day like today. I always feel like these days late in the season when we don't expect them are so invigorating. Everyone seems to walk with a lighter step, people come out in droves to squeeze out that last glorious warmth before the New England winter sets in....

Well despite not painting, I still feel I had an emotionally productive day. Finally made it to church, grabbed sandwiches from our favorite little gourmet general store, and headed to the Audobon Sanctuary for some hiking. Just PERFECT.....Rustling through the dead leaves with the kids, the smells, the warmth. Really just a great day. So in lieu of paintings I will post pictures taken of my unsuspecting fam. And those are usually the best ones when they aren't looking. I love the one of the girls trying to catch the leaves as hubby shook a little sappling to help them fall. Pure Glee! At one point my little one begged my husband to hold her hand too (not an uncommon occurrence for me to get ditched in his favor :-), and then ran back to whisper to me "but I still love you a lot Mommy".

On another note I got a new commission from a lovely couple who came to visit yesterday. Should be fun!

Sunset/Moonrise

6 x 6 Oil on Canvas

I had to go over to Little Neck Rd today for a meeting and I remembered all over again how very lucky I am to live here. Of course I would be even luckier if I actually lived ON LIttle Neck Rd, but maybe that will come someday!

Sooo I had to do a little ocean piece. I still love to do clouds and I have a REALLY long narrow canvas that I would love to do a cloudscape on it.

So it seems like maybe (maybe?) November will be a little calmer than September and October was. Perhaps the rash of birthdays will subside (which by the way makes me wonder what everyone is up to in January and February ;-) and life will return to normal for a whole 2 weeks before the Holidays begin! Ahhh!

I am promising myself that I will complete at least 2 small paintings a week. Seems more than do-able considering the number of DAILY painters there are....

NEW WEBSITE!

I have a new website! It's super basic. One of the freebies where you can design a basic one. I intend to upgrade at some point, but this will be a good way to add all my available paintings, events and links, and contact info. Please visit and let me know what you think. Webites are definitely not my forte, so I can use all the input anyone can give me! Visit here www.katiemayart.viviti.com

I will still have sale paintings listed on the link at the right column of this blog. Not many left, so let me know if you are interested!

Colorful Treats

5 x 7 Oil on Gessoboard

More donuts! I think I will be doing a few more, as well as some small pallette knife paintings of the foliage over the next couple of weeks. I do like doing these small ones, since they are more manageable with my schedule.

Ah if only I had unlimited time to paint! Some day hopefully I will!

More Sweets!

5 x 7 Oil on Gessoboard

This is a little greyer than the actual one, but as usual it was fun to do!

The gessoboard was interesting. First time. Not sure if I like it or not. The smoothness of the surface was very different. I am going to try to do a bunch of small ones for Christmas.

Figure Drawing

Just a quick post with the info for figure drawing and painting at the Wavepaint Gallery in Ipswich. I am going to try to make it for the drawing session.

It was a lot of fun getting to mingle with other artists!

First Figure Drawing and Painting Class

Here are my "attempts" at figure drawing and painting. Part of me is a little embarrassed to post the painting, but I made a promise to myself that I would post everything, even the not so great ones! I attended drop-in figure sessions this Tuesday and Wednesday at the Wavepaint Gallery in Ipswich. It was my first time working from a model and my first time painting a figure period. I have seriously been limited to the little blobby figures in my market painting a few posts ago, and the guy on the beach in one of my recent little ones.

I didn't care for the pose for the painting session. I thought it was stiff, and the legs were too straight and awkwardsly posed. And on top of that I had a pole in front of her about mid-shin, so I was never quite able to get the legs right.

Do I sound like I am making excuses? Ok, ok I probably am! But this was a huge step for me, since figures are something I have actively avoided in the past...I need to be less afraid of adding conrast to the colors in the flesh. Practice, practice, practice! Wavepaint will be having figure sessions every week so if you have any interest and live near Ipswich, Ma look them up. http://www.wavepaint.com

First Palette Knife Painting!!!

6 x 6 Oil on Gallery wrapped canvas-

$35 + Shipping

So I have finally tried using a palette knife to paint, and I loved it! I have always been drawn to other painters who paint with them, and it was just so freeing, because there was any choice on leaving out the details....

I am also taking my first figure drawing class tomorrow and Wed. at the Wavepaint Gallery on Market Street in Ipswich....If you are nearby and want to drop in you should! 6:30 - 9pm....

More sale paintings! Some $35!!!!

I mentioned in my last post that I was putting some things on sale. Well this morning I got ambitious and decided to finally list a bunch of paintings that I have never put up for sale on the blog. Mostly because I never got around to it, but sometimes I was holding paintings for a show. Like the ones above that I painted about a month ago for a show, but they were too wet to submit. I took this photo of them side by side because they looked so fun together. The funny thing is I hadn't really noticed it until today. I wish I had painted them specifically as a set and made the horizon in both the same. However I think they would still look great together.

I added a wide varietyto my sale page, some larger ones that I had for a while, some others that I never put on. ALL are under $75, and MOST are $35 or less!!!!!

WOW! I would certainly combine shipping, and may end up listing these on ebay but I would rather offer them to blog visitors first!

Check my page here, or click on AVAILABLE PAINTINGS in the right hand column by the top of the blog page.

Chocolate Cake in My Dreams

10 x 10 Oil on Canvas -

I wanted to paint cake yesterday and instead of getting a slice or a photo to do it from I made up a piece of what I felt like eating at the moment. I didn't have the blue plate either and I really think if I had had an actual subject to paint from this would have come out much better. Lesson learned! But it was fun anyway.

I am pricing it low ($35 plus shipping), if you are interested let me know. E-mail me!

Also I only have a couple of paintings left on my sale page. I am putting some down to $35!!! Click on the available paintings link on the right hand side of the page!

School of the Museum of Fine Arts Student Sale

I love this quote from the postcard I received in the mail about the upcoming sale at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (which by the way I would love to go, so if you want to join me let me know). It sort of fit with my style. I hung it on my easel so that when I try to compare myself to stuffy art and feel like I fall short I can remember that maybe my sky is just a different color!

Cupcakes in Line

6 x 12 Oil on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

Well I missed painting this in time for Karin Jurick's challenge (Different Strokes From Different Folks), but I could not resist painting the photo anyway. If anyone reading this knows me or has followed this blog for a while, you know my penchant for pastries and cupcakes (I mean painting them of course!). Everyone in the challenge (and there were about 150) did amazing work!
The good thing about painting from Karin's photo is that I didn't have to buy the cupcakes and then eat them afterwards. Which inevitably happens unless the kids get to them first!

I really do need help with photographing my paintings. I have gotten a decent printable picture in months. Does anyone have tips or pointers? Time of day, natural light versus incandescent, type of camera. Anything? It's driving me crazy because every time I post, the image I have to use is so different from the actual painting.

I am going to start kicking it up a notch, and try to get back to completing at least one (small) painting a week like I used to. I suppose I will never be able to join the daily painting movement. Maybe they should start a weekly painting movement!

Annual Ipswich Art Show

ANNUAL IPSWICH ART SHOW-This weekend!
Come join me at the reception tomorrow night. 6-9.
Wine and snacks!
And of course a lot of wonderful local art!

Fri, Sept 25
Exhibit open 10 am–9 pm
Opening Reception 6–9 pm
Orville Giddings Band 6-9 pm
Ipswich Artists: A Musical Canvas 6-8:30 pm(special fundraising auction for annual ICC grants)

Sat, Sept 26
Exhibit open 3 pm–9 pm9th Annual Poetry Reading in the EBSCO Café 7-8 pm

Sun, Sept 27
Exhibit open 12–4 pm
Artist Vendors on Riverwalk
3rd Annual Acoustic Brunch on EBSCO Riverside Café patio11 am-2 pm

Art shows galore!

Well I had entered 3 pieces in the Ipswich Bay Yacht Club Art Show and Sale and sold the largest one! I am very happy! Unfortunately the little one from the previous post was still too wet to put in. If you are interested, let me know. It would be $50 plus shipping.

Next weekend is the big Annual Ipswich Art Show at EBSCO publishing. I have two pieces in it and it is always a really great grouping of artists. In addition my friend Barbara DiLorenzo has a lecture at her new gallery (Wavepaint Design & Gallery) at 6 PM Friday the 25th on John Singer Sargent and his friendship with Isabella Stewart Gardener on Market Street in Ipswich. From 5 to 8 PM on Saturday the 26th she will have a reception in celebration of the gallery's opening.

Here is the info on the Art show:
23RD ANNUAL IPSWICH ART SHOW & SALE at EBSCO Publishing's Cafeteria 10 Estes StreetIpswich, MA
CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Fri, Sept 25
Opening Reception 6–9 pm
Orville Giddings Band 6-9 pm

Sat, Sept 26
Exhibit open 3 pm–9 pm

Sun, Sept 27
Exhibit open 12–4 pm Artist Vendors on Riverwalk

3rd Annual Acoustic Brunch on EBSCO Riverside Café patio11 am-2 pm

"Personal Space"

6 x 12 Oil on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

This guy was on the beach a couple of weeks ago. I got a kick out of him for some reason. Not sure why. The sunglasses, headphone, mustache and the crossword puzzle just showed so much personality. He was actually surrounded by people, but he definitely looked like he would rather be alone. Soooo I gave him his space in this little painting that I did for the Little Neck Art Show and Sale this Sunday. Hopefully the paint will dry by then!

I tend to like the beach on the days when no one is there and I can barely see another human being because it is so quiet. Not that I am not social. I am, very....However I always find it interesting from an anthropological point of view how people lose their sense of personal space at the beach and it doesn't seem to bother them. In general humans have a certain space around them they are comfortable with not having other people in. At the beach, people strip down to little more than underwear, show off their svelt (or not so svelt) bodies and abandon all self-conciousness as they sit sometimes two feet from other half naked people and talk unabashedly about their lives. Hmmmm it is funny. And yet I do the same thing (assuming I having gotten lucky and found the beach empty).

Corner of Fairfield and Newbury Streets-Boston

24 x 30 Inches Canvas on gallery
Whew I finished a painting!!! FInally! Well sort of finished since I suspect I will poke at the people sitting a little bit. This painting was different in SO many ways. It was HUGE compared to other paintings I have done. The largest canvas by far for me. Which meant it took much longer for me. I'm used to sitting down and completing a painting in a day, tops two.
There was a LOT more detail than usual, AND I put people in! Ok, they are very sketchy abstract people but I tried! So they are definitely the one part I am imagine I will tinker with! Or maybe I should just remove them entirely. I don't know. But I do know that I am happy with it. Which I really needed!
This picture is crooked and there is a grey smudge that must have been on the lens of the camera over the watermelon basket.