Late Night Painting

On the night of my last blog post I did in fact stay up until the wee hours of the morning painting. In that quiet meditative state, time is irrelevant. This 16 x 20 painting is the outcome. Just in the mood to do a mixed media piece and with no particular idea in mind, this is the outcome.

Quote of the Day: "Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are  
                       doing the impossible." ~ St. Francis of Assisi

Welcome 2012

I'm sitting in my studio pondering life, not so much a part of my New Year's resolutions as just a couple weeks off and some time on my hands. The goal it to pick up my a paint brush and at least start something. To procrastinate just a little more, I'm going to share some art with you. The first piece is an old 8x10 oil of roses. I never pass up old paintings at flea markets, garage sales, ... and given the time and resources I would line my home with artwork of both old and new artists. I always have the hope that I will stumble upon a masters work and this is the closest I have come. This still life of roses is by the artist Marguerite Freytag Ciprico (1891-1973). She signed MC Ciprico. Found this one at a church rummage sale and I arrived just as they were cleaning and packing up. Still surprised that no one bought it as I love it and would have loved it even if it had been unsigned.
The other two paintings I have today are by my grandmother and were completed around 1960 and are fairly large oils. They are my favorites and hold great sentimental value.
Now that I have finished this very strong cup of coffee, it's time to see if I can pull my own artistic identity out of hibernation.

Quote of the Day: "Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin.Beginning makes the conditions perfect." ~Alan Cohen

Holiday Season

Hoping all of you are having a wonderful, peaceful, holiday season.  I'm posting a picture of an unfinished piece of stained glass I have been working on. It's new for me but I love the medium. This particular piece will be done soon, just need to touch up a few areas and then I will post the finished product. Already I have my next project in mind but as all of my artistic endeavors go right now, they will have to wait until the Christmas holiday. Just a quick thank you to my customers who have purchased paintings from me this Christmas season, it makes me feel special to know that one of my paintings will grace the wall of someone you care about.

Quote of the day:  "Even if your hands are shaking, And your faith is broken, Even as the eyes are closing, Do it with a heart wide open, Say what you need to say." ~John Mayer

Whew...time for an update !

As most of my artsy friends know, when school is in session for the year I get very little art done. Most of my artistic energy is poured into my classroom but I do have two wonderful tidbits to share. The first is the stained glass class finally got off the ground after some delays. What a treat it is! Just as I expected, I love it. The teacher is marvelous and very patient (always a plus!).  Dealing with glass shards and lead is a challenge that I'm sure must get easier as time goes on.  Our first project is simple but I will share the outcome in a couple weeks. With only 5 students it's a great opportunity to immerse in creativity for a couple hours every week.

The second bit of fun to share is Via Arte. This is the annual street painting event that I take part in yearly. It was just as much fun as I knew it would be. I chose a bright and colorful piece this year and honestly, it is so much better to go with bright colors on the pavement than some of my more muted vintage looking pieces. I've added a few photos of the process and the finished product to this post. It is 7x7. I work alone and it took me 12 hours, 7am to 7pm

.

Finished product  :)

Quote of the Day: "To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved" ~ George MacDonald

School Begins...

And school begins on Monday so my summer has truly come to an end as well as the extra time in my studio. My Summer of Color series will continue as I just did not get enough time to paint all of the very colorful images that are still waiting to make their way to the canvas. I suppose they will wait as I grab time here and there in between teaching. On the upside, I always enjoy the school year as well as the opportunity to have fun creating art projects with my students despite the voluminous California State Education Standards that need to be learned and loved.
And during my "free time", I'm taking a stained glass class this September from an artist whose work I adore so if I could just figure out how to get more than 24 hours out of one day. I will post work from that class as well as my ups and downs in learning how to do stained glass :)

Quote of the Day:  I must govern the clock, not be governed by it.  ~  Golda Meir

Travel, paint, travel, paint....

This has been a month of traveling, concerts, and painting in between other events. So I just thought I would post a few pictures of my work studio and a three pieces I'm working on right now. The two cupcakes are a couple of commissioned pieces , very fun and lighthearted. They still need a lot more work but that's where I'm at right now. The larger piece on my easel is a more colorful but Rufus Porter-esque painting.









Quote of the Day : “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” –  Mark Twain

VW Van and Blue Dog

I just finished this painting a couple nights ago. A VW Van on a warm summer day, the potential for adventure is just an afternoon drive away...

Quote of the Day:  "Adventure is worthwhile in itself."  ~ Amelia Earhart

Thoughts on Plein Air Paintings...

What is it about plein air paintings that are so enchanting? Why are they so intriguing? I spend a fair amount of the early mornings going to other art blogs. It's my routine to keep up on some of my favorite artists and more often than not, I find myself completely absorbed with the whatever plein air piece has just been posted. Maybe it's just a miracle to me that a moment in time was captured by the hand of the artist. That moment was never before and will never be again. Even more intriguing is to feel the essence of the artist in that piece. I guess that is why two artists sitting on the same bluff, overlooking the same landscape will paint a very different interpretation of the valley below.

Quote of the Day:  I hope with all my heart there will be painting in heaven.   ~ Jean-Baptiste Corot

New Painting and Notes on a Book...

As the Summer of Color marches on, I'm adding this little number to the collection. It's an 8x8 on canvas and will be in my ETSY shop soon:  www.KathrynRamos.etsy.com
Using these brighter colors, veering away from my normally toned down palettes has been, hmm, how can I describe it...a little like practicing penmanship with my left hand.  I'm loving it because it feels like I'm exercising a different part of my brain. 
I just bought the new Rufus Porter book by Linda Carter Lefko and Jane E. Radcliffe. If you like the art of Rufus Porter, I recommend it in a big way. It's full of history, art technique, and great images. Through the years I've studied Rufus Porter, often copied his work trying to extract that "something" that I love about his work. I've always felt a kinship for his limited palettes and historical landscapes.
As a matter of fact, for the last two years, I have been a participating artist at a street art festival called Via Arte. Every participating artist created magnificent pieces of art with chalk pastels on the pavement. Each year I have chosen a Rufus Porter piece to re-create on the pavement and the response I get is predictable and touching. Here in the Western half of the U.S., we have less exposure to the art that typically is found on the East Coast. Most working artists here in the west are doing lovely modern work. I find myself explaining the origins of artist like Rufus Porter, where to find true American Folk Art, and why I passionately love it.

Quote of the Day: "All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on." ~ Henry Ellis 

The Beach Umbrella

Finished this sweet 8x8 piece this morning. It makes me smile :)    This afternoon when temperatures hit 100 plus I'll be back in the studio but for now, my garden is calling me, the roses needed to be thinned,  the bougainvillea is taking over and my fruit trees are heavy and begging for relief.  My newest paintings are now for sale on my website at www.KathrynRamos.etsy.com

Quote of the Day: "The really nice breezes blow through my body and into my soul."  ~ Astrid Alauda