Helloooooooooo

I've created a newer, hopefully better blog where I'll be residing from now on. Please feel free to look at the artwork here and in the "older posts" link down at the bottom. I thought I'd be able to link them or merge them or in some way get them together but .....that's either not possible or I just can't figure it out.

So - here is where I am now - http://www.katepethoud.blogspot.com/

Come see me there for all my newer work.

Kate

Wow - I've not been here FORever!

I started another blog - probably without thinking it all the way through, so that I could show my art for sale. Thinking it through though, I could have probably just kept this one going and that would have been fine. Now if you want to see what I have for sale you'll have to go to http://www.katepethoud.blogspot.com/
Actually, it was set up as a daily painting site but then people were emailing me and asking me if this piece or that piece was for sale - so - there you go - you just can't anticipate everything.

One of the things I've been working on - well, two things actually - is starting arts and craft classes through the summer for kids, and preparing lesson plans to get me ready to start teaching for Stanislaus Arts Council in September. I am very excited for both opportunities and there seems to be doors opening up in the most unusual ways for me. We'll see what happens. Oh, and if you are in the Modesto area and are looking for fairly inexpensive art classes for your children please email me at DreamrKate@yahoo.com.

Here are the paintings I've done in the last few days:

Enjoy - and check back.

K

I almost forgot. . . .

I almost forgot to include the tiny panoramic paintings that I've been doing as ideas strike. I love that the composition seems to be coming together in these very small moments. They're small enough to hang in a grouping or in tight places where you might want a small, colorful surprise to brighten your day. Anyway - feel free to comment and tell me what you think.

Gosh, it's been weeks since I've posted anything. As you can see, I've been busy painting and I've sold a few things. I'm going to be involved in a few upcoming local events where I can show and sell my art - The Knights Ferry Peddlers Faire, Congregation Beth Shalom is having a 'first ever arts and music event,' the upcoming Third Thursday Art Walk, and another couple of art events at the local parks.

The weather has been hit and miss still... we get a few days that are gorgeous and then just when we think we're heading in the summer direction, bam, we get rain. Unpredictable but fun to watch. It's this time of year I love to drive just outside of town a bit to look at all the spring flowers, the peach and apricot trees. There's always something beautiful to be thankful for.

Scott's making breakfast and the smell of coffee and the thought that I can go right to painting and drawing is luring me away now - so BYE for the moment!

K

Spring Flowers

Here are a couple of things I've been working on. I think they're ready to go, hopefully tonight. All three are watercolor, or watercolor and oil pastels and ink, on 8 x 10 inch canvas. People have asked me for prices but that seems too forward to me, so if you are interested please email me. I think they're very affordable.

Are Sunflowers Becoming a Theme With Me?

Sunflowers seem to be "my thing" lately. I don't know if it's because they have large wide-open happy faces, or because they ever strive to reach the sun, or is it just because they show up for work? Every day during the summer, they are there, on duty, standing along the fence just smiling as if they are the overseers of our back yard kingdom.

Or is it because the petals grow so crazy-wild and it takes a real conscientious effort to be able to capture their rise and dips. Or maybe it's just because they are happy and in trying to spread that happiness, it makes me happy? I think it's that - it makes me happy. I've consciously given up doing things that don't make me happy every day. Kind of an indulgence, but I'm going to keep it going as long as I can.

Here are a few drawings that I haven't put color to yet. I like the compositions and I wanted to preserve them until I try out different colors and effects. (Basically, I don't want to mess them up.)

More later.

K

Trying Something a Little Different

Okay, this sunflower is NOT tiny - it's 5 x 7, small, but not tiny.

I've spent the last couple of days working on a few very small watercolors. Why? I don't know. I don't even know why you ask me that. I just felt like it. Anyway, I like the idea of panoramic paintings and I've got to work with what I've got.....and .... well here they are. Since they are so small, the thought of framing was starting to concern me. I haven't see any very small panoramic frames lately. . . . or ever. . . and custom framing, phffft, I'm sure that THAT would be cost prohibitive, so I'm going to mount them on recycled wood - which means I'm going out to my garage and find pieces left over from something else I've done, and put them on that.

We'll see how that goes.

Feel free to comment. I was so pleased that I couldn't even wait until a decent hour to talk about it.

K