The Day After - 28 in 28 Collage

 It is a lot of fun to see all of the paintings together and satisfying to know that I worked my tail off this past month!  I spent much of the month pursuing themes and series that I have been exploring for the past year or so... Cupcakes, stackers, Spirit Animals, teacups and ducks.. and I started a few new things too - namely Watercolor!  I only posted 3 of the watercolor paintings I completed this past month, but I've painted nearly 10 paintings so far.. some better than others, but all so much fun and such an exciting new medium to explore.

7 of the challenge paintings have found new homes, 1 of them is at Studio B in Boyertown and won and award, 6 of them found their way down to the Square Pear Art Gallery in Kennett Square, and even more of them will be in Art Plus Gallery’s upcoming March/April exhibit. Yay!! That being said, if there is one you are interested in but have been him hawing.. don’t wait!  It may not be available for for long..

Thanks again for following along and reading my ramblings.. Happy March and happy creating!

Day One of the October Daily Art Plus Challenge - "Bloom With Grace"

Good morning!  I am starting a new 30 in 30 challenge today along with 9 of my artist friends from Art Plus Gallery.  As always, I will be painting and posting a painting a day throughout the month :)  I'll blog and post and most of them will be for sale on my Daily Paintworks site.  

Today's painting is titled "Bloom With Grace".  This one is from a group of 3 paintings I did for Visual Expansion Gallery in West Chester.  The title comes from the sweet frog's chill demeanor and of course the Bachelor buttons, rose and ferns on her head.  She is about to be visited by a ladybug, another motif that keeps popping up in my paintings.  Ladybugs are seen as a symbol of Love and Good Fortune, so maybe that is why one often appears in my paintings. Can't have enough of those things.. and according to google, Frogs are symbols of transformation, good luck and prosperity.  So, this painting is quite the lucky painting full of good vibes and abundant intentions. ♥ If you are interested in purchasing it, please contact Mary at Visual Expansion gallery who will be happy to help!  Their number is (610) 436-8697.

"Bloom With Grace", Oil on panel, 10"x10", 

for sale at Visual Expansion Gallery in West Chester

Crab Crazy!

I painted this painting for the Plein Air West Reading event that I took part in last week. Happily, it sold to a wonderful and kind woman named Liz, who lives in Providence, RI.  I wanted to share the beautiful story she related to me about why she purchased it.

Crab Crazy, oil, 12x12, sold

Liz grew up in Exeter, Pa, and graduated from Exeter HS in 1979.  She now lives in Rhode Island, but still frequently comes down to PA to visit her mom and dad.  She told me that they are getting older, and it occurred to her that there is going to be a time when they sadly are not going to be around anymore.  Consequently, there won't really be a reason for her to come back to this area to visit....  She wanted a way to capture the memories of this area... memories of her childhood and growing up, and memories that she is creating now when she comes to visit.  She told me that photographs are ok.  But, they really don't capture the spirit of an area the way she would like.  However, she feels that paintings do... About a year ago, she actively began seeking out artwork that depicted scenes of Berks county, Exeter township and the surrounding areas.  In her words, she told me that she began "collecting memories".  My painting is a memory for her that she and her father have recently been creating.  Every time she comes down to visit, she will call her dad, and he asks her what she wants him to order from Crab Crazy so that a meal will be waiting for her when she arrives.  When she saw my painting, she knew it was a memory she wanted to keep forever.  I am so honored and happy that my artwork will take a place in her home to help her keep her memories alive.  It gives me joy to know that fine art plays such an important role in people's lives and to know that I play a little part in this. Thank you Liz! <3 :)  

The making of a solo show

Last night I hung my solo exhibit, Spirit ○ Animal, at Art Plus Gallery. I have been actively preparing for this show the past 3 months and am a little in shock now that it is finally hung, perhaps similarly to when you are preparing for finals and you don't quite know what to do with yourself the day after you take the last test. I put a lot of work (literal blood and sweat... no tears) into the theme and creation of this show in an effort to weave some new ideas and mediums together with my love of animals and my life long interest in spiritual matters.

Over the past few months, I wanted to post more posts about the process of preparing for such a show.. the planning and designing, surface preparation, painting, frame design and building, finishing and preparing the work for sale... all this between being a mom and a gallery director! But, alas, I found myself so busy with painting and frame making (and momming and directing)  that I just didn't have a lot of time left over for blogging and telling y'all about what the heck I am doing.  If you are here, reading this now, I just want to thank you for taking the time to check this all out.  Below are just a few highlights from the past few months, and a little sneak peek at my freshly hung exhibit.  I am looking forward to sharing my work with everyone who makes to it the opening on May 11th, and, fyi, if you can't be there, the show runs through June 3rd.

Its great fun to take progress shots of my artwork as I complete it.  I don't always have a chance to look back on it right away, but going back through my pics later, I'm always grateful to find these painting 'diaries' to remind me  of what works and how I got there...

Telephant, oil, 12"x12", on display on APG

Below are just 3 of the about 50 works I have on display in Spirit ○ Animal...

Chickadee with Cherry Blossoms, 6"x6", oil, for sale at APG

Lost in Thought, 20"x20", oil and mixed media, for sale at APG

Nevermore, oil and mixed media, 12"x12", for sale at APG

You may also know that I make frames in addition to painting.... It isn't the most glamorous part of the job, and I find that only a few can really appreciate what goes into making frames... The past two weeks, I made close to 40 frames, which even I can't comprehend.  It takes a lot of math, staring at the wood, hundreds of cuts with a variety of saws, sanding till your arm is numb and plenty of loud music for me to make so many in such a short amount of time. Oh yeah, and the most important thing... the support of my husband.  (Yes, he brings me coffee and dinner, washes the dishes I don't have the energy to wash and makes sure I know he has my back...) I wish it was as easy as the pictures make it look, but all I will say is, IT'S NOT. :D   And the pictures skip Plenty of steps. But...this gives you a brief idea of the frame making process and the piles of wood I have to manipulate through it all. To be truthful though, I am not in this business because I like to do things the easy way.  Just the opposite actually, as the easy way is often thoroughly boring... 

And finally, after putting all of my paintings in their brand spanking new frames, and making them look all professional and what not, I get to hang them up in the gallery!  The absolute best part of the whole thing....

So, the show is hung, and I am most pleased with how it all came together.  A wonderful thing about intensely creating work... ideas build upon ideas... I have so many new things I want to explore from all I found in the past few months...There is so much more to come! Thanks for reading and looking and I hope to see you at the opening on May 11th!

Latest Newsletter is here!

Happy Spring! I have been painting a lot, and there is much in store in the coming months.  To check out all of the latest goings on, check out my Spring Newsletter here.

Lucky Frenchie with Strawberries and Duck, oil, 8"x8", on hold

 

Day 30 of the 30 in 30!!! - "I Honor the Place"

Today is the last day of this 30 in 30, and I cannot believe it!  It has been the absolute best 30 in 30 I have challenged myself to in so many ways...

I want to put this out to all of the people who have followed me through this round of paintings.  I have had over 700 page views on my blog since it started, which for me is a big deal! :) Plus lots of great feedback on my facebook and instagram.  Also, I met some new artists who are also participating in the challenge and amazingly, I have sold about 1/4 of the paintings I created!!! I appreciate all of the support, love and encouragement people give me every time I do one of these, and this time has been especially wonderful!  So, this painting is in honor of y'all... 

Namaste 

I honor the place in you 

in which the entire universe dwells.

I honor the place in you which is of love, light, peace and joy.

When you are in that place in you 

and I am in that place in me,

We Are One.

I Honor the Place, oil on canvas, 8"x8", to purchase click here

I tried to fill this painting with as much light as I could logically fit in... with glints of gold and rosey highlights to produce as much visual joy as I could... <3 <3 <3

Day 29 of the 30 in 30 - A Shining Affirmation

White... is not a mere absence of color; it is a shining and affirmative thing, as fierce as red, as definite as black... God paints in many colors; but he never paints so gorgeously, I had almost said so gaudily, as when he paints in white. 

-Gilbert Keith Chesterton

Shining Affirmation, oil, 8"x8", on hold

I painted this while working in Art Plus Gallery today. I love my gallery!  And, a huge plus of this job is when I am in the gallery I get to sell art and make art... where is the flaw? :)  It is an affirming thing to be an artist, even on the hard days. I am truly grateful to be able to do what I do. <3

Day 24 of the 30 in 30 - "Make 'em Laugh - Cosmo Brown"

When I am feeling inspired to paint my whimsical duck paintings, I am guessing that I am being influenced by my past occupation as a Children's Librarian. I worked as one for just over 6 years and  I have to say that it was truly one of the best jobs I have ever had.  Heck,  I got to choose and read beautifully illustrated books to happy, un-jaded little children every week.  What more could you ask for in a job?  And of course you can't beat the free dissemination of information that public libraries offer and defend every day of their existence.  Public Libraries Rock and don't you forget it.  
The title comes from the classic musical "Singing in the Rain", because at first I thought about titling it "Quacking in the Rain",  but just couldn't bring myself to this level of absurdity... And then I remembered this quote from Cosmo Brown, a character in the movie. -  "No matter what, never lose your sense of humor... keep smiling and make em laugh"... If you haven't seen the musical, check it out.   Its a classic for a reason! And I just remembered, the first time I ever saw this movie, I rented it from the library I was working in!  Yay! Love it when life brings you full  circle...

Make 'em Laugh - Cosmo Brown, oil, 6"x6", to purchase click here

Day 21 of the 30 in 30 - "Time Flies"

Time really does fly... I have been doing Leslie Saeta's 30 in 30 and I can't believe that we are now past the 2/3's point! So happy and thankful (feeling blessed...)  for all of the love and support I have gotten through the past 3 weeks :) Painting birds with various things that I find interesting (not necessarily bird related) has been my primary focus with this challenge.  When thinking of what to pair my bird friends with next, I was inspired to pair some with old clocks.  Amusingly, I didn't realize the obvious metaphor of 'Time Flies' until I was midway through painting this one...and then my logical brain caught up with my creative brain.. I had a genuine "Aha!" moment as I was painting along and idly trying to think of a title... Funny, is all I can say...  

Time Flies, oil, 8"x8", to purchase click here

Day 20 of the 30 in 30 - "Unconditional"

I am entering this painting into a local show put on by the Berk's Art Alliance, that is themed "Aspects of Love."  The opening for the show is this Sunday, February 25th With all of the birds I am painting lately, I tried to imagine how birds might show their 'love' with each other.  I would think that the duty and love that parent birds show when they are feeding their babies with untiring consistency is encouragement for any parent who might need Inspiration from the natural world. 

I used acrylic paint for this painting instead of oils. As acrylics respond VERY differently when using them in a painting, I have developed very different techniques when painting with them.  I tend to use matte medium and paint layer upon layer (commonly called glazing) to create depth and the feeling I am looking for. Here is my take on Aspects of love. <3

Unconditional, acrylic, 12"x12", on hold

Day 19 of the 30 in 30 - "Sugar Snow, Bethesda Church, Chester County, PA"

I have been painting mainly birds in one way, shape or form for the past 2 weeks or so...For a complete change of pace, I went out plein air painting yesterday. What a welcome and beautiful thing it was!  The original plan was simply to try to capture what may be the last snow of the season here in Pennsylvania.  My friend and I headed out to a historic little church called Bethesda Church, located near the historic Hopewell Furnace in Chester Co. PA.  I grew up a few miles from this pretty location, so I felt right at home. To top it off, it was a beautiful, mid forties day, the birds were out and the snow was melting hard. It was genuinely a perfect day for painting outside!  The beauty and simplicity of the scene and the Chester County-ness of this location were also perfect for my first plein air outing in awhile...  If you are a history buff and want to know more about this church and it's interesting history, check out  https://www.nps.gov/hofu/learn/historyculture/bethesda-chruch.htm

For details on purchasing this painting, click here or under the image.  

Sugar Snow, Bethesda Church, Oley, PA,  oil, 9"x12", to purchase click here

Day 13 of the 30 in 30 - Pysanka Perlustration

True story: Many years ago, I sat in my Mother's kitchen carefully blowing the innards out of several chicken eggs.  After washing and drying them, I super carefully and painstakingly applied layers of melted beeswax and dye to finally achieve the intricate artwork called Pysanky.  My mom still has a bowl of these relics in her basement (I think).  Just one bowl though... It was an art form I never pursued beyond this initial discovery stage as I found it was way too detail oriented and tedious of work to keep my attention!  I remembered just how tedious it is as I painted this painting that has a Pysanka egg in it today!  Oh yeah, and that Magpie...I love the position he is standing in!  Great lines and curves that seem to swirl and compete nicely with the egg and egg cup. And his intense inspection of this egg had me looking for a new word that would nicely sum up what was going on... Perlustration seemed to fit the bill.  

Pysanka Perlustration, Oil, 8"x8", to purchase click here

  

Day 7 of the 30 in 30 - It's a Sin to Kill a Mockingbird

"Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy.  They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing bu sing their hearts out for us.  That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."
-Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

Well, the Ducks in Chucks (technically Fowl in Footwear...) are taking a hiatus... There are a few more planned, but this idea came to mind and needed attention.  I've always believed it to be quite special and even a little magical when I hear a mockingbird.  And during the summers when one nests near my back porch, for me to enjoy their songs daily, I feel extra blessed.  This mockingbird has a bit of attitude perching on a pretty spool of thread. :)

It's a Sin to Kill a Mockingbird, oil on panel, 6"x6", to purchase click here

The River Clare

This is one of my paintings in the current show at Art Plus Gallery.  It is 18" x 18", and framed with a solid wood floater frame in natural finish. In case you are new to my blog, I handcraft my own frames in addition to painting the pictures! I posted about it here if you want to read a bit more about it.   It is a second love of mine (working in the wood shop), although, I don't think I'd want to do it full time...  It can be a back breaker!  Anyway, this painting was inspired by a 6" x 6" painting I did during the 30 in 30 challenge I took part in in January. I liked the little one so much, I wanted to see how it translated large.  I really like the larger version, but I must say, sizing up a small painting isn't as simple as one might think.  The qualities I loved in the small painting, such as fresh, simple brush strokes, are achieved differently on a large scale.  All in all, I am happy I sized this one up and am already planning some more!

The River Clare, 18" x 18", oil on canvas, framed
Available through Art Plus Gallery
Please call 610-375-9122 for details

Having a snack - sold!

I love the feeling when I get a phone call from the gallery and they tell me someone has purchased one of my paintings!  I never thought it would feel so good to know that someone likes my artwork and wants it hanging in their home! I got the message yesterday that I sold my painting Having a Snack which was hanging in the West Reading Tavern.  Thank you for the blessing!

October Newsletter

My October Newsletter is out!  I am running a special deal on commissions this month (and into November)  If you ever thought about commissioning me to paint a pet portrait, now is a great time to do it.  Pet portraits make wonderful gifts!  Think ahead to surprise a loved one!

If you are not a subscriber, you can read my newsletter here... http://eepurl.com/GP1An

If you'd like to become a subscriber, click here... http://www.karenweberfineart.com/subscribe.html
I also always try to include tips about oil painting and information about upcoming art shows and events!
Thanks and enjoy this rainy day!

Unlikely pear, oil on canvas, 6"x6", $75.00

Pecking order

Yesterday was the Wine and Cheese Fundraiser... It was an elegant and fun afternoon with lots of guests, music, appetizers, wine, cheese and of course ART.  I thank everyone who came out as well as my hubby for all of his help.  I wouldn't be able to do all of the art that I do if it weren't for Kevin.
The painting of the 3 girls below was from a picture I took at Lake Tobias Wildlife park. As with most places, there was a mix of people walking around but, I guess because of the location, there were lots of Amish people who were tourists just like me.  They were as interesting to look at as the animals were! ( I know that sounds bad, but I mean it in the most respectful of ways, people. I know Amish people aren't animals...) Anyway, I thought I'd show the photo to demonstrate the artistic license that I took with the painting.  Sometimes part of a photo is just right but others parts don't work.  The girls tickled my fancy as two of them were barefoot, and they were just so pretty with their cotton dresses and matching hair.  The sunlight was pretty, glinting off their heads also.

Pecking Order, Oil on panel, approximately 8"x8" framed

$75.00 at my website

What happened to August?

Well, school has begun, the kids are off and I have literally done more work in the past 2 weeks in my studio than I did all summer long.  I haven't figured out how to add 5 hours to my day yet and when the kids are home from school, that's what I would need in order to be able to be painting on a regular basis!  So here we are and not one post in the whole month of August.  I apologize to my loyal followers (are you out there?) and promise to be better from now on.

Enough of that.  So it is September and I have been painting chickens.  They are in the new harvest show at Art Plus gallery, which incidentally is having an opening tonight.  And I painted a new one yesterday!  The chickens are residents at Lake Tobias Wildlife Park, which is out by Harrisburg.  I took lots of pics back in July when we went, and these guys stood out as the ones I wanted to paint first.  There is also this duck which I haven't painted yet, but will!  I also spent a good portion of last week finishing up the frames for these buggers.  Fun, but time consuming.  Also extremely budget friendly which is always a welcome thing! I will post a chicken a day for at least the next 10 days so, come back tomorrow for some more poultry pleasantries!
And now... Chicken (or possibly a rooster...) #1.... and this ones called, "Are you lookin' at me?"

Are you lookin' at me?, 6" x 6", oil on panel

Back from Vacation and good news!

My family and I went camping for the past few days in a fabulous state park called Little Buffalo.  It was great fun and everyone (I hope) had a happy, memorable experience.  Lots of sun, swimming, cooking outdoors and relaxing around a campfire.  Just wish we could have stayed a bit longer.... but, all in all it was very nice.  AND,  I just got some happy news!  My painting titled "Take me out for a row" which was in the front window at Art Plus sold today!  So nice....  Apparently to a "very nice lady".  Well.  I am now at the point where people I have never met have my artwork hanging in their home.  Which I suppose is a bit of a milestone for me.  Hooray!  So, all those pictures I took while on vacation that I thought to myself, "This could be a cool painting".... Will be turning up here soon!

Michael, Meilea, Andrew and Rowan at the cabin in Little Buffalo

These are the boats that sold... Yea!

Would you like to go for a row?

This is a new painting that is in Art Plus Gallery's upcoming July/August show entitled "Seaside Treasures"  I have never painted boats before, but so many artists do and boats tend to be beautiful, so I gave it a shot.  I will be painting more boats!  Want to go down to my Dad's marina and get some pics of the boats around there!  Anyway....If you live in the Reading, PA area and want to come out for a nice night out, the opening is on July 11th at 604 Penn Avenue, West Reading, PA.  Hope to see you there!

Would you like to go for a Row?, 11"x14", oil on canvas