New gallery opens tonight!

Things are busy with the new Art Gallery at Patriot Place opening tonight (!) and I've been painting and then framing and hanging all kinds of work. The walls at the gallery seem to eat paintings - so any time I have should be spent making more artwork.

My new sunflower series is hanging, but it looks lost on this big wall. More artwork needed, STAT!

More to come on the artwork front. I need to catch my breath.

Thanks for reading!
kmw

A new gallery

I've been busy getting new paintings completed for the Art Gallery at Patriot Place which opens this Friday. Time doesn't permit a big posting about it on my blog, but you'll find all kinds of information about the gallery here.

You'll see photos of the new paintings I've done here as soon as I can. I finished two small works last night before midnight. Right now the pressure is on making new art. I have to have something exciting to hang up for the opening!

Thanks for reading!
kmw

Getting ready for Easter

Until I can get to my art supplies and studio space I won't be posting new artwork. Instead, here are some photos from yesterday. It was drizzly rain all day, and we entertained ourselves in sundry ways.

Happy Pippa

Our trip to JoAnn's for some new fabric reminded me to find our Easter tree decorations in the basementand have a little decorating party with the girls. This was no easy feat with all the new boiler stuff going on down there - but I succeeded!

Our forced forsythia came in handy as Pippa and Lucy and I enjoyed hanging the eggs, bunnies, and chicks on them. Pippa couldn't quite get the ornaments on the branches, but her enthusiasm was evident.
Here's a small stack of fabrics designed by my favorite, Denyse Schmidt, for my stash from JoAnn's. I'm so glad I saw their Easter decorations for sale and then found ours!

There's the little purse I made in another Denyse Schmidt fabric - I love her aesthetic!

After our Easter decorating, it was a pretty low-key day with naps, movies, and some reading.

Pippa loves her big sister's bed. She snuggled up in it even after her nap in her crib!

happy Lucy eating chocolate chips

And later in the afternoon I learned that this painting at sold at Gallery9. This one looks better in person than what you see here. I really loved this one.

©2010 Kim Morin Weineck
LATE SUMMER MARSH COLOR
pastel, 36x12"

I have started wondering if when it'll look like this at my favorite marsh again - our spring has been so cold. Brrrr.
Until later!
kmw

A day in the life

When it comes to creativity, I've described myself like a fountain - I'm either on and creating new paintings left and right, just sprinkling out of me, or I'm off and the well has run dry.

Lucy at my studio desk, a happy little pose.

The good news is that the fountain is off because I can't get to my studio to even get materials if I wanted to. Our boiler died recently and so, early this week, we had a new one installed.

Lucy at my desk, a more 'Lucy' type pose.

Our 70-year-old former boiler was our basement behemoth, huge and inefficient and gave the basement a warm coziness not in most basements. The remnants of our boiler are still down there, awaiting dismantling later today and a trip to the scrap yard.

You don't get a good sense of scale from this photo.
Trust me. It's massive!

We know the dismantling will be a sooty mess so clean up hasn't started in earnest. Things are behind plastic and it's just not pretty. I like things to look pretty; I'm an artist.

My desk is right behind there and so are all my supplies. Sigh. Shop vac is at the ready.

Look how tidy the new system is! Nice work, Bill and Jeff!
What work it was to install. I commented that plumbers must have
beefy arms and they said they just had big wrenches.

Since I was in the basement taking photos, I figured I'd snap some from the main floor of our house, too. It's like a little tour. There really isn't that much to say about these pictures, except that they make me happy.

The dolls I made are Pippa, me, and Lucy. We dance with them.
Forcing forsythia makes me happy, too.
Dianne Panarelli Miller did the painting of Beacon Hill . I love that painting.

Since our girls are so little we don't have a lot of stuff or things displayed too low. Where I can put stuff, I do.

I obviously love kitchen utensils. My mom I'm sure influenced me.
She graduated culinary school summa cum laude when I was in third grade.

I'll post photos of some art I create soon - I hope!
Thanks for reading.
kmw

Arts Foundation of Cape Cod

I've told all the members of the Neponset Valley Artists that they need to take advantage of this stellar program from the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod - so take heed, local artists in Massachusetts and nearby environs!

Quoting from the AFCC website: "The Arts Foundation of Cape Cod is the region's designated arts agency, ensures the vibrancy of our cultural community by supporting, promoting, celebrating and strengthening the arts throughout the year."

Sounds good, right? I thought it did.

Of course they offer various levels of membership. I recently became an "Artist Member." The benefits to Artist Membership are great! For only $30 I have another web presence, single-time admission to a zillion (I counted) art-related venues on Cape Cod with their "Passport to the Arts", and a free, round trip flight to Nantucket on Cape Air.


This last one may bear repeating: A free, round-trip flight to Nantucket on Cape Air, a great AFCC sponsor. Wow! And artists, I don't at all need to mention the treasure trove of inspiration Nantucket is for artists. The flight is a crazy experience, too. Usually the trip to Nantucket is HOURS on a boat. Fifteen minutes by air beats that any day!


Looking forward to hearing from some of you that you joined!
Thanks for reading! kmw

A smattering of photos

Late last night Tim and I reviewed the photos on his phone and found some nice ones.

No hermit crabs were harmed in the taking of this photo.

It was a brief, fun trip down memory lane.


It's something else to see how much the girls have already grown.


Especially of interest to me were all the summer photos. I do love summer!

My specialty

Generally, my medium of choice is either soft pastels or oils. Today's post will be all about pastels. Can you stand how beautiful?

This set, Sennelier's Paris demi-stick set, was a wonderful gift for my 40th birthday.
Hurray for the colorific gorgeousness!

The two mediums lend themselves to similar painting styles and yet the end feeling is much different. I tend to switch from one medium to the other but not interchangeably.

Three paintings I had just finished displayed in the
wayback of our small SUV along with my petite purse.

I work wholly in pastel until I feel frustrated by the process and result and then I switch to oils exclusively. This is very 'me' as I'm pretty all-or-nothing in just about everything.

©Kim Morin Weineck, Nightfall, original pastel, 20x9" 2010
I completed this pastel combining memory and a photograph
I took whilst Tim was driving en route to a short Maine trip.
The moon was more than memorable that night.

Lately I'm in a nearly-exclusive pastel painting mode of thinking because of time. Pastel paintings can work up quickly and with Lucy and Pippa underfoot, time is a major factor. If I have a moment to paint, I'd rather harness the early excitement of creating to make a completed or nearly-completed pastel instead of starting on an oil.

When this set of Terry Ludwig's Ultramarine Blues arrived ,
I couldn't wait to try them out. They didn't disappoint.

When I'm feeling blocked creatively, there are two cures that tend to work for me: New supplies (!) and organizing/cleaning/just sitting in my studio space. Getting new supplies is obviously more fun.

After an FAA demonstration with Liz Haywood-Sullivan and a successful show
last OctoberI bought these Giraults. You'll see the small 5x7" piece
I created on site right after opening them up!

When it comes to creative confidence, I think my pastels are my strongest artistic suit but my husband prefers my oils. Recently I was juried into the Pastel Society of America and the Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod. It was stressful to apply but confidence-building to be accepted.

©Kim Morin Weineck, Yellow Marsh Grass, original pastel, 5x5" 2011
A recent pastel, photographed in my basement studio, of the yellow grasses of a salt marsh.
This painting made me pretty happy because of the depth in the yellows.

When it comes to subject matter, my specialty right now is the landscape and more precisely - marshes. I love them and I love to be in them. With the coming of spring and summer, I am excited to branch out and see what I'll be adding to my portfolio.

Thanks for reading!
kmw

Coming soon: five blog posts of note

I read recently that there are five blog posts that every artist should write.

Feel free to link over to the website and read what was said or continue reading here for my synopsis.

1. How you became an artist.
2. Your specialty and why you chose it.
3. The story behind a piece of art.
4. Your inspiration.
5. Your creative process.

Wow. These are some pretty heady topics and ones that will be fun to answer.

One thing I've learned is that nothing really should be taken as a 'given' because everyone is approaching life from different perspectives. We're all bringing different things to the table.

When teaching, I would often use the word "just" as in, "Well, you just paint it like that" or "You just paint in the grass there." There really isn't any place for 'just' in this context. Students aren't in my head and sometimes it may be more than 'just' doing something. It warrants explanation.

And these concepts for blog posting deserve explanation, too. I can't say I'm going to post them in order as listed here, but I'm going to discuss all five of them.

Stay tuned!
kmw

Reception :: April 16, Norfolk MA library

If you're available on Saturday, April 16, 2011, please come to a reception at the Norfolk Library meeting room in Norfolk, MA from 1-4pm.

My recent artwork along with the abstract watercolors and pastels of the lovely Jennifer O'Neil are on display and available for purchase. Our artwork and prices are great!

©2011 Kim Morin Weineck
JOINT ART SHOW with Jennifer O'Neil
six pastels, 5x7"
$85 each
Reception April 16th 1-4pm

Welcome!

Here is my new blog and here's to new beginnings!

After years at my former blog, I've started anew. For a while I'd been toying with the idea of a new start since so many things had changed since I had begun blogging. When I had learned that my email associated with my blog had been hacked, it seemed like as good a time as any to make the jump.

It's been a good stretch of time with many changes in my life:

I closed my store, breton bleu studio, named for my time studying in Brittany.
I got married--Yay, Tim!
We bought a cute little yellow house on the corner.
I had two daughters, Lucy and Pippa.
I began selling my artwork in new locations.
I founded the Neponset Valley Artists.
I became Gallery Director at Gallery9 in Norwood, MA.
I was juried into the Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod as a signature member.
I was accepted into the Pastel Society of America.

And so it was time for a fresh start! I hope you'll come along!
Thanks!
kmw

Monday classes

Where? Gallery9 at Custom Art Framing
When? Monday evenings, 7-9pm

You can sign up for one class, a 'onesie' for $30
or sign up for a series of four classes, a 'foursie' for $100.
With a 'foursie' you must take the four classes over five consecutive weeks. This way you get one free absence during your paid four-class session.

All supplies are provided by the student.

The format is 'open studio' with all students working on their own projects within a group setting.
Be as structured or as loose as you'd like. I'd be more than happy to develop a curriculum with you for your sessions in class.

Open Enrollment: Start any time you are ready! How much fun is that?

Class is always running. Check the gallery blog for cancellations.

If you're still on the fence, stop in during a class. Check out what's going on. I want you to be comfortable about taking a class with me.

Any questions? Email me at kimweineck@gmail.com
Thanks!

Thursday classes

I offer classes!

I most certainly love to teach adults how to paint and look forward to classes as they enable my mind to discuss, describe, and encourage artwork with focused painters. Hurray!

The specifics:
THURSDAYS from 7-9pm at the United Church in Walpole center (next to the US Post Office)
Arrive any time after 6:30pm to set up and get focused for class.
Open Enrollment--you can begin anytime you're ready in any medium of your choice.
Take a single class for $25 (a 'onesie').
Sign up for a series of four classes over five consecutive weeks for $90 (a 'foursie').

On the fence? Stop in some Thursday night and check out what's going on. I'd love to show off my students' stellar work.

Hope you can join us.