A Forest Ride

This is the last painting getting framed, (and just in the nick of time) for my upcoming solo show at the Fountainhead Gallery. It is for sale through them, an original oil on canvas, the size is 24" x 30", framed. For more information contact Sue at 206-285-4467 or fountainheadgallery.com.

I'll try to remember and have someone take some shots at the reception an share them with you folks who.

Cheers

Going Western

I've been very negligent in posting my recent work -- painting like mad, but just not getting it posted. So I'll try a bit of catch up here.

I am currently working on 10 - 15 western themed paintings that I plan to have done by September. Being a figurative painter it is not the western landscapes that appeal to me, but the animals and people of the west -- both modern and of times past.

My camera and I have been at western horse shows in the past couple of months (and a wonderful pow wow last weekend, but more about that later). So I'll share some of the cowboys I've been painting recently.

This fellow was at a show in his black shirt, black jeans, black chaps, everything crisp and pristine. I wanted him to look more like he stepped out of a western rather than out of a horse show. So I livened (and dirtied) him up a bit.

As you've often seen in my work, I'm drawn to where people are going, with the body language as the focal point rather than the face. So here is my first cowboy for your viewing pleasure. I realized after taking the photo, I've yet to sign him, so I'll get that done later today. This still untitled cowboy is for sale. It is an original oil painting 20" x 16" on canvas. Until at least September when the collection is complete this painting is available through me directly. Please email me if you are interested. klm (at) kmdogart.com

A Jockey a Day

Here's another of these fellows that I have painted for Parklane Gallery in May. Again he's very close to completion, but still needs a couple of more strokes, and of course the signature.

All the reference photos for the jockey series I took last summer at Emerald Downs racecourse. I look forward to racing starting in April so that I can go back and get some more photos. They've been a blast to paint.

As before this jockey is for sale, and won't screw anything up if he goes to a new home before May when he's due at the gallery, because I have several of these paintings I'm working on, and probably more than I need for the gallery show in May. The price (before he gets to the gallery) is $250.00, and includes a custom wood frame, but not shipping.

If your a new viewer to my blog, this is an original oil painting on canvas. All the jockeys are the same size 16" x 8" (this is the unframed canvas size).

Salute painting

To finish up my "Salute" painting story. These are the deep gallery wrapped canvas, because obviously I didn't want a frame on them. When Salute is hung the canvases are spaced 1 1/2 inches apart. So I made block thing (from tapping several house paint type stir sticks together) that was 1 1/2 inches.

Then I could work on a couple of the paintings at a time. I'd have them stacked on my large floor easel. Naturally I couldn't work on the entire painting at the same time, although on occasion I did try. The painting was hung in my gallery from the very start, then I would take down the sections I wanted to work on to my easel. Then put them back up on the wall. Well naturally I kept seeing something I wanted to work on when standing back looking at the over all painting. So I'd forget and go up to make the stroke. Of course that didn't work. They paintings where hung, so they would tip and move all over.

I'm the kind of a artist who works a painting all at once. I also like to work alla prima (wet into wet) and with such a large piece I couldn't do that as much as I would have liked. Areas would dry before I could get back to them. Anyway I had those canvases up and down off the wall so many times. LOL

The one downside I did find to doing such a large piece was when I went to take a photo at the Parklane Gallery (in Kirkland, WA) so that folks could see it. Obviously to fit the entire thing in the frame I had to stand quite a ways back. And therefore the viewer doesn't get to see the brushwork that went into the piece. This always happens when trying to share small jpgs, but certainly I'd never encountered it to this extent.

So for your viewing pleasure (and to show that brushwork). This blog entry starts off with a portion of one of the panels - the nose.

Hope you enjoyed my "Salute" story. I'm on to jockeys next . . . . .

English Square

16" x 16" framed original oil on canvas $650.00

Close cropping -- I love it -- the feeling of intimacy. Just capturing the moment with movement and color. This still untitled oil painting (suggestions welcome) is 16" x 16". It is not a commission piece and is therefore available for an investment of $650.00, which as usual includes a beautiful custom wood frame, so all you need to do is hang it on your wall. I took the photo reference for this painting at the 2008 Evergreen Classic hunter/jumper show.

This is the last of my "Equine Lifestyles" for a short bit. I'm back to painting snow and Alaskan Malamutes for their national in November.

Cowgirl X

Cowgirl X oil on board 20" x 16"

Another of the western equine lifestyle paintings. While not having all the bling of a western pleasure shirt, this more casual working shirt still shows the fun western gals can have with their wardrobe. If you wish to invest in this oil painting (or any other painting, if still available) the size is 20" x 16" and the price is $800.00. The price includes a beautiful custom wood frame. My studio contact number is 425-330-8879.

Buckskin Bend

I've been working on several of my "Equine lifestyles" paintings recently. This is a framed oil on canvas, 24" x 12" and it is for sale. Drop me a line if you are interested. klm@kmdogart.com. I'll try to get the other two (one western, one english) onto my blog in the next couple of days.

I had planned on painting on Wednesday, and bought a yummy little dessert to do a still life of (as I've mentioned since I do a lot of paintings from photo reference I like to do some small still lifes to keep myself loose). I ended up running around and not making it to the studio. Poor little dessert, I had to eat it to keep it from going bad. LOL. I hope to get to my studio today, but instead of a perishable dessert, I think I'll just grab one of my grandmothers cups out of the china cabinet to paint. But I'll get to on of those desserts sometime.

Cheers,

Karen

Neil's Team

Untitled 20" x 16" oil on canvas For Sale $900.00

The Lhasas are finally all finished, and I can move onto other things. Here's an Alaskan Malamute painting I'm very pleased with. Until I get a title I'm just calling them Neil's team. As I painted to a new Neil Diamond CD this time around.

As some of you know when I'm painting I play music, and it is almost always the same CD over and over during a painting. Therefore the paintings kind of get there own theme music. I stand when I paint, which if the painting is going well usually evolves into dancing while I'm painting. This time to America and Brother Love's Traveling Salvation show among the other Neil Diamond hits.

I will be doing a couple of other Malamute paintings in the next month or so,

Equine Still Life

Untitled equine still life framed size 18" x 24" original oil on board $650.00

Life got in the way last week, and not much painting got done. So here's a painting I did awhile ago.

This equine still life features a older Crosby jump saddle with a glorious pantina to the leather. I coupled it with a velvet show helmet and some horse appropriate snacks. This painting positively glows. It is not as loose and brushy as I'm currently working, but oooh it's lovely just the same.

I varnished and framed it this week, and it looks wonderful, maybe I should hang it on my walls. LOL But it is for sale. The size is of this original oil painting is 14" x 18" (18" x 24" framed) and the price is $650.00. Contact me if you love all things equestrian and would like this painting to come from my home to yours. klm at kmdogart.com

Radishes

"Radishes" oil on canvas 4" x 12" For sale $175.00 framed

A quick break from four legs.

I've had the good advice that if you work from photos a lot, it's good to still get in some live drawing every few paintings. It helps you maintain you looseness and spontaneity

So along that note, here is a small (4" x 12") still life I did with some radishes this weekend. As you can see it does help keep a fresh looseness (impressionism) with ones work. The lighting is beautiful, the colors luscious, and the edges are lost and found. I'm very, very pleased with the way it turned out, and can hardly wait for it to dry so I can put it into a nice wide gallery wood frame.

This piece is for sale, and will be framed as soon as it's dry enough. The price for the "Radishes" framed original oil on canvas is $175.00 -- first come, first served -- please send inquiries to me at klm at kmdogart.com (you all know how to make the email address work), or give me a call at 425-330-8879.

Babs

Babs 9" x 12" oil on board For Sale

Babs is so sweet. She loves to just sit on laps and be pet. I enjoyed painting her, she's another of the NOAH rescue animals, the third of four. I've got one more cat to post, whom I'm just calling "Tall Cat" while my mother is scouring NOAH, to see if she's still a resident, and get her real name. If she's already off to a new forever home, the she'll just remain Tall Cat. Which is fine.

Like Bogey, Babs' painting is for sale. Custom framing, shipping, and a donation to NOAH is included for the price of $250.00. If you're interested drop me a line at klm at kmdogart.com

My name is Bogey

Bogey 8" x 10" For Sale

There's not much I enjoy more than painting white animals. I love all the reflected color. As with Blue in the entry before, I realized I hadn't signed the paintings yet, hence the digital signature -- next time in my studio I'll get that little detail taken care of.

This is another of the dogs at NOAH, a sweet fellow who may not have been adopted because he's twelve years old, just my guess as he's a nice fellow. I really hate to part with this painting also, but sheesh the point of doing the rescue dogs was to help benefit them, so I'll bite the bullet and have him for sale. The price is $250.00, that includes a custom frame, shipping, and a large portion of those funds going to NOAH.

peppermints and pewter

Peppermints & Pewter oil on canvas 6" x 12" for sale

I've photographed this piece three times, and I'm still having a terrible time trying to get it correctly represented. The whites keep showing up to washed out without detail in the peppermints, and now, the reds are to bright especially in the peppermint reflections. I really like this little painting, but I'm sure having a tough time getting a good representation of it for this blog.

I've got to move on LOL so here it is. I found this funky little pewter horse on ebay, and paired it with some peppermints on green wooden stool. I loved the reflection on the polished wood.

Bull Terrier

For Sale -- Currently unnamed -- oil on canvas 30" x 15"

I was away for the last several days at a painting workshop. It was wonderful. I have been wanting to take with Pam Ingalls (http://www.pamingalls.com/) for the last several years, but she had quit teaching. I am delighted that she was willing to do this, and hope she had a good time also and will consider other workshops in the future. She is truly a wonderful, fabulous painter.

So I had fully planned on posting for the blog one of the paintings I did in class (we had live models, clothed -- yeah!). But when I just took a look at the photo I took at the workshop I had to much glare from the very wet paint. The work was done (as much of mine usually is) alla prima, which means all in one sitting, wet into wet.

So instead I'm posting this fellow that I started quite awhile ago (before the horses started), but have never taken a photo of yet, or shared with others.

While I really enjoy painting animals I find more and more of my work is showing the intimate relationship with have with our animals. I find this fascinating, and interesting to paint. Those quite moments together.

I'll try to remember to post another example of what I'm talking about. This Bull Terrier piece is as of yet untitled. But is for sale. The size is 30" x 15" and is oil on canvas.

Just a note, "Old Shoes" earlier in my blog has been sold, and will be winging it's way from Washington state to Florida as soon as I get it framed.

Andalusian Dressage

For Sale -- no title yet -- 18" x 36" oil on canvas

Again I see small things to tinker with. But basically done. This is 18" x 36" oil on canvas. This breed of horse is an Andalusian, and they truly have this incredible amount of neck. It's not an exaggeration for the painting. For the dressage purists, I will be adjusting the riders body,

Walking Out

Here's one of the paintings I've been working on recently. It is 15" x 30" oil on canvas. I do not have a title for it yet. It is closed to being finished, only a couple of little touches to go. This is another of the many equine pieces I'm completing for a gallery in March.

My work will vary more in a few weeks, but for right now it will be horses, horses, horses. In my work for this gallery I enjoy exploring the relationships between people and horses. Taking a more intimate view on the relationship between horse and rider. Painting that chemistry is what interests me. That's where I'm at for the next couple of weeks.

This painting is for sale, and if your interested in it (before it goes to the gallery in March) feel free to email me for the details at klm at kmdogart.com -- you know how to put the address together.

As an aside we have only one horse here now. I lost my 30 y.o. Morgan mare (I had her for twenty years) a couple of months ago. Naturally that was really tough -- she was my girl. In residence now is my daughters eventing horse, he is an almost 16 y.o. German Warmblood -- and a great guy.

Karen

Old Shoes

Old Shoes oil on board 11" x 14" for sale
I can't believe it took me a week to get back to my computer to make this post. I did finish "Old shoes" a couple of days ago. These smaller paintings don't take as long as some of the larger ones. And I'll usually have a smaller painting in the works while I'm working on other larger pieces.

These old horse shoes have been hanging around for a year or so (don't ask why LOL) and have acquired a wonderful patina of rust with just a little glimmer of the bright original color. I loved the few old nails that remained with the shoes. Lighitng, color, drama, all elements I like in my work. In this case it was pushing the color on the shadows. To me it adds a lot of life and vitality to such a simple subject. Also the play of the warm and cool colors against each other. You'll see more of this as Russian Impressionism is a great influence in my work.

This painting is for sale. If you are interested you can contact me at klm at kmdogart.com

The large dressage painting I mentioned a week ago is still not finished. My daughter loves those extreme looks, and the Andalusian I'm working on has it in spades. I can't believe the neck! I have another painting I've done this week which should be dry enough, I'll see when I get to my studio today, and take some pictures if it is.

Karen