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red tulips – plein air painting – 22 April 2021
it’s a grey day…might even get some rain. For today’s painting, i decided to try to capture these red tulips. They are bright and cheerful, and aren’t going to last much longer. From an artist perspective, I like the way the stems are starting to droop. 
here’s my sketch…to work out the composition–now time to set up and paint!!! 
I’m blocking in the shapes with a muddy mix of ultramarine blue and burnt sienna. also working out the dark and light relationships in the composition.. 
See the white specks in front of the black car and red truck? I’m painting flowers in SNOW FLURRIES. I’m not cutting my ear off, but I do want some acknowledgment for my dedication to my craft 
#kentuckyWeather
I never know what will pop up in my flower garden!!! Chuck and Mary Lou Keller 
slowly but surely building up colors to capture the moment… 
It’s still cold out there…had to come inside to warm my hands up. A good opportunity for an update! We are close to the finish line. 
tulips take a bow – oil on panel 8×10″
Art and beauty are everywhere you look. Even on cold, cloudy snow flurry days. Get out there and enjoy!Plein Air Painting – Lewis County 16 April 2021
Today, i had the intention to go to Lewis county to paint the Cabin Creek Covered bridge.
I’ve painted the bridge before, it’s a picture perfect scene, but I was in the mood for something a little bit different.
Around the corner from the bridge, was an interesting curve in the road. I decided to paint it instead 
My thumbnail sketch 
blocking out basic shapes with a muddy mess of colors leftover from yesterday’s painting 
working out the dark and light values- still using the muddy paint 
starting to add color. I’m trying something different…usually I am a color lover, but I wonder what would happen if i keep my colors toned down? 
blocking in the colors – trying to keep it toned down, but the red bush wants to shine bright pink–im going to let it! 
building up colors and details 
i think its finished!!! the original is available for sale. I will update with a better studio photo once it is dry (in about a week)
Grow Through What You Go Through Woodcut
I read this quote and it resonated with me at this moment in history. I decided to use it to make a woodcut. Scroll down to see the different parts of the process.
sketch for woodcut idea 
design with more detail drawn on tracing paper 
tracing paper used to flip and transfer design onto wood block 
wood block tinted orange (to make it easier to see cuts) then coated with a sealer 
one quarter finished with the carving process 
The finished block-I decided to print on green paper 
mixing a dark green ink 
rolling ink onto the block 
the test proof 
fixing some of parts of the block for the final proof 
the finished print and proofs, hanging to dry The finished Woodcut! You can add one to your print collection (and support my work!) by clicking below
Exploring the 25 mile radius from my house
I’ve lived in this area longer than anywhere else in my life, and I’m still surprised at how much I DON’T know about the world directly around me. I love maps and travel, and recently calculated the 25 mile (driving) radius from my house.
I know a lot of the people and places in this circle, but there is still a LOT I don’t know. I have decided to start fixing that!
I started at the bottom east corner, just a little east from wallingford at the top of park lake mountain. There I discovered a treasure you won’t see on google maps.
The Poston School House Museum!
It’s a historic schoolhouse from the 1800s, lovingly restored into a little museum.
I am a lifetime learner, and am forever grateful to the public schools and teachers who shaped my mind.
Some of my quick pen and ink sketches of the schoolhouse Moving forward, I’m going to try to stay in my little 25 mile radius; to travel, explore and get to better know the place where I live–through ART!
Please share if you know any places (on or off the beaten path) that would make a good subject for an artist!
Stay tuned for more!
Plein air painting near the elliott/carter county lines
I’m close to the elliott/carter county lines, and am going to try to get a painting from this view
Here is my sketch
The cell phone reception is not super, but I’ll try to post updates as I work, check back later ..
Setup and ready to start painting!!!
I more or less have the values and composition worked out…I’m painting on a board slightly wider than a traditional landscape proportion, so my center of attention keeps falling into the center…supposedly a no no in art, but I think I can make it work…time for color!!!
This scene is backlit (I’m facing the sun) so I’m having a lot of fun, experimenting with some new color combinations in the shadows
It’s backlit ( we are facing the sun), so I didn’t get the best photo of the painting with the landscape. When I get back to the studio, i’ll take a better photo to share with you all.
What an enjoyable experience: painting from life out in the country! I don’t consider myself a representational painter, but I REALLY enjoy the exercise of working from life, learning about light and color. I did some things with color that I never would have tried on my own.
Road trip Update
Some of my friends and family make fun of me. They think I’m becoming agoraphobic during the pandemic. It might be true. I was camping and doing my best to avoid people and indoors while on my recent road trip, but there is a problem of using public bathrooms. I don’t want to use them while Kentucky and Indiana are having record breaking highs in COVID infections.
I skipped over some of my original plan, to arrive at my destination (The French Paper Company), where I stocked up with more paper than I could ever use in a lifetime! Now I’m going home, where I plan to make a lot of woodcuts and never leave the house again!
UPDATE: 10/8/2020
I might have a paper problem…not sure where to put all of this. I came up with this idea of a shelf to stack the paper over a set of drawers. I used the 3d Modelling software, Blender (normally for animation and 3d graphics), to plan the design
it WORKED!!! The lumber was a little bit longer than I thought it would be, so I’ve extended the height…there’s room for one more shelf
Plein Air Road Trip
I’ve pretty much stayed put since march during the pandemic, so today is a big deal. I’m going to leave my house and the 5 miles radius in which I live..maybe for a few days. I’m off to madison, indiana to do some painting…then. Brown county indiana (see the awesome guidebook my friend Diane sent me?). After that: michigan!
I take the pandemic serious, so I’m bringing lots of sanitizer and masks…doing to sleep in a tent. No indoor spaces, or close proximity to other people for me. Wish me well, and check this website from time to time. I’m going to share trip updates here.
4:30 pm UPDATE
I have been nervous thinking about painting in a public place. Normally I welcome people to look over my shoulder, but not during a pandemic.
Farmhouse near Carrollton, ky I decided to stop and paint a country scene before getting to madison. There was a classic looking farmhouse on a hill by the highway.
Sketch of the farmhouse scene A nice thing about the country, there aren’t a lot of people around, which gives me the opportunity to focus on the painting
Easel setup ready to paint There was no cellphone signal at this spot, which disconnected me from any distractions. It’s been a long time since I’ve painted plein air with no company…in person or virtual.
Just getting started with the painting I tried some experimental things with color that I never would have tried if people were watching. Halfway through the painting, I was really frustrated, and thought I was going to lose the painting
Plein air painting. Farmhouse near Carrollton, ky As luck would have it, I didn’t give up, and the painting came together. I’m happy with how it came out. It’s possibly one of my favorite plein air paintings.
Plein air painting in the light The first photo was with the painting in the shade…here’s another in the light!
Now I’m in madison, indiana. Instead of put myself in a situation where someone can stop and breathe all over me, (setting an easel and paint up) I’m going to walk around with my sketchbook, and do some pen sketches of the river and old houses. Stay tuned!
Herding the Horses – new Linocut
While on a painting trip out in the country, i watched a sheep dog, herding a group of horses into the barn. The farmer, cussed at the dog, and told it to quit, but I think the little pup, couldn’t resist it’s instinct. When the horses ventured outside of the barn, it would herd them back inside.
I knew that I wanted to make a print about the spectacle. When I returned to my studio, i started carving the image into a block of wood. I quickly realized that the wood wasn’t the right material for the image I had in mind…i have learned with art, that it’s ok to fail and start over…that’s how we learn and get better.
I started over, this time cutting into linoleum
I was a lot happier with my second carving of the scene. Linoleum was a better material to carve the thin blades of grass and fur of the dog and horses
At the Log Cabin Print Shop, revealing the first print 
Herding the Horses – 6×8″ linocut on 8×10″ paper Thinking about current events
I AM watching the news, and I don’t want you all to think that I have my head buried in the sand, and am just happily in my own little world, making art. I see what’s happening to us, and it hurts me deeply. I don’t know what I can do to make it better, so I share things that help me and others feel good, and encourage them to work on their own creative projects. Art is a great way to deal with feelings. For me, art is a therapy, and there are a lot of studies that show it really does cause positive things to happen in the brain. There are also studies that show that social media is causing psychological and social problems…
i don’t use social media for politics. In my perspective, it’s a terrible way to try and have dialogue about divisive issues. I’ve watched friendships end and families grow further apart because of the way social media brings out, and magnifies the worst in some people. (i guess it’s profitable, or the tech companies just like to destroy people’s lives) I have friends from a wide range of perspectives, who I know in real life, and I can tell you, we have more in common than social media would have us believe.
I believe that religion is personal, and I don’t talk about it on social media (for the same reasons). Since it’s Sunday, and I think it is important, I will share with you that I believe that we are ALL children of God, we are ALL brothers and sisters. EVERYONE deserves to be treated with respect, fairness and dignity. I believe (and I’m trying to be better at) following Christ’s teaching to love thy neighbor as thyself. I know this is a crazy time, and everyone is scared and angry a suffering loss and going through a million other feelings right now. I hope that all of these challenges we are going through has some kind of meaning, and, in the end, we use this experience to lift each other up, and become better neighbors.
I’m scared, and feel helpless and angry, but I also feel more connected, and a feeling of togetherness with you all (even if we have to stay 6 feet apart). You have gotten me through, what is possibly the biggest trial of my lifetime. Since social media isn’t going away, let’s use it to keep the good vibes going, and try to have a little more understanding and empathy toward each other…this is HARD, but we will get through this together.
Home Sick Art Fair – Tomorrow May 16, 2020
Tomorrow is the #homeSickArtFair!!! My original idea was to have a display on the front porch, but since the weather has its own ideas, I’m improvising a gallery inside the house. It feels really good hanging an exhibit. It’s been awhile, but this makes me feel closer to normal…even it it is still a virtual show. Hope you’ll come visit via Facebook and instagram. There are 16 participating artists. Tomorrow, use the #homesickArtFair to see everything happening at the fair!
