Snow Shadows

This winter took my spunk and buried it under the non-stop snow that wouldn't go away. Now it's spring and the grass is getting greener and everything is in bloom. Perhaps now I can appreciate this pastel for its color and winter-ness.

©2013 Kim Morin Weineck
SNOW SHADOWS
original pastel, 24x12"

This piece was FUN! In person the blues in the shadow make me feel the undulation of the land. Love them.

Thanks for reading! -kmw

Summer Drive

Greens! They really can be a nuisance to make interesting and the painted space believable. 

©2013 Kim Morin Weineck
SUMMER DRIVE
original pastel, 20x16"

In this painting I was working on my greens. The tree in the foreground, the grass on the right, the grasses on the left, the foliage in the middle ground, and then the distant everything --- how to play with them to make them interesting and spatially appropriate.

Here is where I ended up. Can't wait to try to do it again!

Thanks for reading! -kmw

Marsh Morning

Yes. Please, just call me Marsha. I loved making this painting. Each color made me happy happy happy. This particular marsh is the bees knees of marshes. It's up in Newbury, MA and I love it in every season.

©2013 Kim Morin Weineck
MARSH MORNING
original pastel, 20x16"

 Usually one to rush and make hasty decisions, I took this painting slow and deliberately, and I think it shows. At the end, I tried to stretch the local color and make more exciting, exuberant choices. In person, the cobalt, violet, and earthy browns are noticeable in the foreground.

Can't wait to do another marsh!

Thanks for reading!-kmw

A Walk on the Beach

This panoramic pastel was painted on a Saturday afternoon in my backyard. Before you think we live on the beach, I painted it from a series of drawings and photo references I had from this great day in Eastham, MA a couple of summers ago.

©2013 Kim Morin Weineck
A WALK ON THE BEACH
original pastel, 31x14"

I've had such a hankering to do some oil painting, but my pastel supplies were out and I figured I'd give it a go. Today's gorgeous and my kids are on vacation. Perhaps I'll work this up in oil today, again painting in my backyard. Could be a fun study in differences of the two mediums and more practice on my figures -- albeit teeny tiny ones.

Thanks for reading! -kmw

Green Door

©2013 Kim Morin WeineckGREEN DOOR
original pastel, 15x12"

Talk about tricky! This pastel was painted directly - meaning there wasn't any underpainting - and was a challenge to say the least.

In my classes I've been stressing light and color temperature, groupings and clusters of things like hydrangea blooms, and reflection. This construct has it all and then some. I learned a lot with this and can't wait to tackle another linear piece like this. Usually I do more organic shapes in the landscape, and this was anything but that!

Thanks for reading! -kmw

Continuing Education :: My 2nd Workshop with Deb Quinn-Munson

The Foxboro Art Association hosted a workshop with Deb Quinn-Munson Saturday, April 6, 2013 at Studio East, Walpole. 

Deb Quinn-Munson begins with an oil underpainting on
Wallis (or UART -- can't remember which) paper

Having attended last year's workshop, I was excited that Deb was invited back to lead a class focusing specifically on techniques for painting water.

Deb had great information to share about water like this quote by Don Demers: " Study the water until you understand what it looks like, then paint how it feels." It's fun to think about things like that.

Deb develops her watercolor underpainting
This was a new thing for me. I had no idea you could use watercolor
paper for a pastel painting. The heavy paper  grabs the pastel well,
even without a sanded ground. Learn something new every day!

Deb also discussed her "80/20 Guide" with us, asking us to consider this 80/20 ratio when making decisions regarding composition, shape, value, color, line, texture, and rhythm.

We have so much to think of when making good paintings. Often this is done intuitively, but Deb's insight encourages artists to slow down and consider the options for deliberate choices -- a smart thing to do, and one I certainly don't do enough.

The painting with the introduction of pastel shows lovely sparkle.

A few things Deb said have that continue to sit in my head:

*What will make someone walk across a room to see the painting? Of course you should choose the options that would do that!

*Think about elements in your painting playing specific roles. What is the lead? What is supporting the lead? Have these firmly decided and make marks/decisions that assist the roles.

Pastel painting by Deb Quinn-Munson -- what shimmer! 

As important as composition is, Deb mentioned that composition doesn't get credit for its role in good paintings. No one really says, "Wow! What composition in that painting!" The glory usually goes to color.

Workshop in full swing with everyone painting!

She encouraged us to be deliberate with our marks and to make bold, decisive paintings:
"You only get to hit it once -- maybe twice. That's it."

Here's the start to my painting. I was trying to be
deliberate and ended up a bit tortured at this stage. 

Right now my painting is leaning on my dining room chair rail so I can take it in at odd times of the day. I want to sit with it a bit more. When I'm content with it, I'll post it here on this blog.

Deb Quinn-Munson and I at the end of a great day

The day ended all too soon with creative juices flowing! Perhaps Deb will be invited yet again to instruct another aspect of pastel painting. I know I'd be signing up for it.

Thanks for reading! ~kmw

"Late Summer Color"

Here's another pastel marsh pastel for the South Street Gallery show.

©2013 Kim Morin Weineck
LATE SUMMER COLOR 
original pastel, 12x9"

Speaking of colors in the marsh -- late summer offers the best time to capture abundant color notes in the grasses.

Thanks for reading! -kmw

"Purple in the Marsh"

At all times of the year the marsh offers abundant color -- well, maybe not wintertime!

©2012 Kim Morin Weineck
PURPLE IN THE MARSH
original pastel, 6x6" 

Can you guess when this was painted? What month is it from?

Thanks for reading! -kmw

"Pink Marsh Sky" and "Pink Marsh Morning"

This marsh makes me so delightedly happy. Each time I paint it I learn something new. The colors in the sky are serene and I love a good pink! 

©2013 Kim Morin Weineck
PINK MARSH SKY
original pastel, 12x9"
available at South Street Gallery

Sometimes I play around with the space by playing with the greens, too. Such fun! 

©2013 Kim Morin Weineck
PINK MARSH MORNING 
original pastel, 6x6"
available at South Street Gallery

Not sure which one of this view I like better. Fun to consider.

Thanks for reading! -kmw

"Morning Light"

In my collection of work at South Street Gallery, this piece is the only one with buildings.

©2013 Kim Morin Weineck
MORNING LIGHT
original pastel, 6x6"

I love how it came out. The early light of dawn is so warm. The day I visited 'Sconset was warm and lovely. Again, I cannot wait for Summertime!

Thanks for reading! -kmw

"Cloud Strata"

©2012 Kim Morin Weineck
CLOUD STRATA
original pastel, 6x6" 
available at South Street Gallery

Conifer trees are fun to paint. Sunsets are, too. This pastel was a BLAST to paint!

"Speckled Beach Sand"

©2013 Kim Morin Weineck
SPECKLED BEACH SAND 
original pastel, 12x9"
available at South Street Gallery

Water and the beach! It's April and I'm a summer girl. Seeing this piece brings me back to the beach.
Can't wait for June.

This piece was the first time I experimented with an oil underpainting. When viewed up close, there are some rivulets of color that make the water particularly pretty cool.

Thanks for reading! -kmw

"Marsh Greens"

©2013 Kim Morin Weineck
MARSH GREENS
original pastel, 12x9"
available at South Street Gallery

Marsh Greens is a pastel of one of my favorite subjects: Marshes! My husband jokes that my name should be Marsha.

There is something wonderful about painting greens and making the painting have space that recedes into the distance. I love that!

Thank you for reading! -kmw

"Sunlit Path"

©2013 Kim Morin Weineck
SUNLIT PATH
original pastel, 11x14"

Sunlit Path is one of the pieces on display at the South Street Gallery in Hingham. For the next few posts I'll be showcasing the pastels that are included in the show.

This pastel is from a trip we took to New Hampshire last summer -- it was a sunny, beautiful August day. Tim and I were driving back from Story Land with our little girls and decided to take in the scenery. When driving by this bucolic happiness, I yelled to stop the car, and my husband was already prepping to pull the car to the side.

Love looking at the light in this piece.

Thanks for reading!-kmw

South Street Gallery, Hingham, MA

If you're in the Hingham, MA area, please stop by the South Street Gallery and see the Pastels show.

I'm quite honored to be included with these wonderful artists.

Thanks for reading! -kmw