Kim Morin Weineck's Art

Walpole Public Library display

2012-02-27T19:31:00.001-05:00

My painting group, the Neponset Valley Artists, will be the first to exhibit at the new Walpole Public Library.

This is quite an honor and I'm thrilled for my group.

An assortment of NVA artwork at the Walpole Public Library.
My pastels are the small square ones flanking the skyscape.

This photo is only a snippet of what is shown at the library. If you're local to Walpole, MA, please stop by. The unofficial opening is on Wednesday, February 29, 2012.

Here's a close up of the two pieces I included in the show:

Thanks for reading!
~kmw

Demonstration photos

2012-02-21T10:34:00.000-05:00

My recent demo for the Taunton Art Association was such a great experience.

I nearly completed two paintings of the same scene employing two different strategies. One was painted directly on a toned sanded surface. The other had an underpainting of pastel washed with alcohol on a white sanded board. Both were such fun to paint, but the second with the underpainting felt more resolved to me at the end of the 2-hour demo.

Taunton Art Association photo of my demonstration in pastel

Try as I might, I don't often get photos of me in progress because I'm busy painting and trying to give a good demo. Today I luckily found these two photos on Taunton Art Association's website.

Taunton Art Association photo of me doing something I don't remember.
My pastel looks pretty good, though. ;)

Frankly, they crack me up - that's me in action!

Thanks for reading,
~kmw

Art Demonstration Feb 13, 2012

2012-02-14T10:21:00.000-05:00

The Taunton Art Association has asked me to again come to their monthly meeting and perform a demonstration for them. It's always such fun for me to share some insight about how I create my artwork, and I have been excited for this demo since they asked me months ago!

Kim Morin Weineck, BRANT POINT ROSES, original pastel (c) 2011
created by direct painting on Sennelier Pastel Card

In October I demonstrated for the Foxboro Art Association and really stretched myself doing four quick studies in 2 hours on four different pastel surfaces. Each behaves so differently, and I wanted to showcase the pros and cons of each. After the four sketches I was exhausted but in the best possible way!

For the Taunton demo I'm going to paint the same picture two times using direct painting on Sennelier Pastel Card and with and underpainting using mounted UArt sanded paper. I think the techniques showcase the most dramatic differences and the end results will excite the artists in attendance.

If you're local to Taunton, do try to come. 7-9pm. It'll be fun, I promise.

Fruit studies

2012-02-13T06:37:00.000-05:00

Recently I posted about some time spent painting with my girls. We did have such fun.

I had been jonesing to do some watercolor and experimenting, so I took this as the perfect opportunity to try.

In person, these pieces really look different because of the translucent, iridescent, and opaque materials used in combination. In this pear piece the red-violet striations seem to hover over the cobalt blue wash.

This strawberry was my first painting of our session and I like it best. I also painted from a sweet little real strawberry that Pippa kept asking me to eat. Too funny. Making little strokes with my paintbrush gave Lucy some ideas of her own.

Cool, right? Here are two watercolors by Lucy. The top right is a 'quick study, Momma," and then the other is her interpretation of the marks I was making. This little gem of my 4-year-old's work is now hanging in our kitchen. You know that Lucy couldn't be prouder.

Thanks for reading.

~kmw

The Neponset Valley Artists

2012-02-12T18:16:00.002-05:00

Nearly 10 years ago I started teaching a talented group of artists-in-training and many of them have continued in their studies and become flourishing artists outright.

This group developed into the Neponset Valley Artists, and I'm so proud of all of them and their diligence in pursuing their art.

You can read more about them on their blog, Neponset Valley Artists.
Thanks for reading!
~kmw

Two accepted paintings

2012-02-11T10:31:00.000-05:00

Recently I decided to enter a juried show and submitted two recently completed pieces for consideration.

Many of my painting group, the Neponset Valley Artists, were entering as well. With such support, it was easy to take a shot at it and enter.

LAST LIGHT, original pastel by
Kim Morin Weineck, 9x12" (c) January 2012

The good news came on Thursday with an email coming informing me that my two entries were accepted.

Hurray!

The show is sponsored by the Norfolk Cultural Council and will be in the community room of the Norfolk Public Library from March 3-31st with an opening reception on Saturday, March 10th from 5-7pm. This is such a fantastic venue, and I can't wait to see the all the paintings that were selected.

RISING MOON, original pastel by
Kim Morin Weineck, 9x12" (c) January 2012

If you're local to the area, stop in during the month of March to see some stellar paintings!

Thanks for reading!
~kmw

Painting with my girls

2012-02-10T10:23:00.001-05:00

My girls wanted to paint yesterday and I was happy to oblige.

Pippa painting and having a stellar time of it.

I had set us up on the dining room table - the biggest table in the house in the brightest room at the time of day - to make a mess of creative fun.

My pear painting in progress

My silver flatware caddy full of colored pencils.
I do love how this looks: a veritable bouquet!

In my classes, I'd been discussing recently how it's fun to look at a painting where the artist 'let themselves go" and have fun creating the painting. This is oddly such an easy concept to think of by takes practice to actually do (and doesn't that seem counter-intuitive!)

My strawberry painting study in watercolor and mixed media.
The little cup is by a local potter, Lisa W B Walker. Love it!

Part of this process is to be free enough to experiment, accept that each piece isn't a winner, and to use various materials. In such rare cases more is better. In this case for my fruit studies, I feel that more is better! It's a blend of design, composition, and rendering your object.

The dining room table toward the end of our painting extravaganza

The Weineck girls had a fun afternoon and I pushed myself a bit. I also got to use up all the IKEA clip frames I had had in my basement studio for I think at least 8 years.

Trio of new works

2012-02-05T15:59:00.000-05:00

This week I squeezed in some time to complete these three small pastels.

I used Nupastels and Sennelier pastels on Sennelier Pastel Card with some of the new Richeson Semi-hard pastels which had arrived by FedEx this week as well. Having new supplies really can be an impetus to make art. I couldn't wait to try them out!

The Richesons are lovely, but there's a learning curve while I familiarize myself with their specific properties. Some of the colors thrill me and others I have to learn how to incorporate into use.

It's fun to explore new materials and experiment with techniques. Can't wait to find some more time to keep up the exploration!

Four pastels

2012-01-11T21:58:00.004-05:00

Today I stopped in to Gallery9 and Julie, the owner, was excited about the four new pastels I brought in to show her. Hurray!

Rising Moon, left
Last Light, center
Red Tree Reflection, right
all original pastels, 9x12" before frame
©2012 Kim Morin Weineck

Later today I got these photos in text messages from her.

On the framing table
Red Tree Panorama
original pastel, 3.5x18" before frame
©2012 Kim Morin Weineck

She liked them well enough that they are already framed! Stop in to Gallery9 to see them or contact me for more information.

Red Tree Panorama
in all its framed glory
I love how this one looks!

Part of me doesn't want anyone to buy the panorama. Perhaps there is a wall in my house which could be a perfect home for it.

Thanks for reading!
kmw

Pastel panorama

2012-01-10T17:24:00.000-05:00

Always one of extremes, after a while not painting, I have been at my easel a lot for the past week. Today and yesterday I've been working on this pastel panorama from a vista I've been enjoying working from lately.

While I'm at my easel I listen to my girls at play. What fun it is to listen to Lucy and Pippa pretend to make cakes for an imaginary party. According to Lucy, Play-dough makes good frosting.

Painting always brings up issues, and this little spate of painting exemplifies my chronic struggle. I want less marks with more impact. Instead, when painting, I just keep going and going and going. More strokes does not mean a better painting.

Without practice I'll never figure it out. It's fun to practice!

Thanks for reading!
~kmw

Some time to paint

2012-01-09T17:14:00.000-05:00

Near Christmas I had an intense desire to make a painting.

on prepared gatorboard

Little would have made me happier than to have uninterrupted time in the studio. Alas, the holidays are not conducive to this selfish request. A two-year-old and a four-year-old make the holidays amazingly wonderful so my desire was put aside for time decorating, watching movies, making gifts, baking, and other delights.

on mounted UArt board

Now the holidays are past, and I have finally been able to paint! It's like a time to decompress and oxymoronically be intense. Whew!

perhaps not finished yet
on mounted UArt board

Funny how I always seem to work in a series. These three are shown in the order I made them. The bottom one isn't quite done yet, but I'm excited about my experimentation and where it may take me.

Thanks for reading,
kmw

Happy Christmas!

2011-12-15T09:37:00.003-05:00

It's a busy time of year for everyone and, since I've gotten a new part-time job, things are busier than ever!

My blog is a bit neglected now, but worry not! I'll be back with photos and fun when I can. The first few weeks' adjustment to a new job is intense. Coupled with Christmas, I've had no time to paint.

I've such a hankering to make some art! I may not until 2012, but it's on my agenda.

Until then, classes continue and I'm delighted with my new position as Downtown Manager for the nonprofit organization, Friends of Norwood Center. What an opportunity!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Inspiring artwork

2011-11-15T08:57:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I get in a bit of a lull in terms of making new art, especially after a spell of some intensive creation as I did this June through September. It's an odd feeling for me to be in the 'off' time.

To restart the idling engine, I figured I'd look through some inspiring work and share a few pieces here.

Painting by David Lussier.
I love the 'sparkle' in his loose plein air paintings.

Autumn Pastel by Liz Haywood-Sullivan.
Glorious marks in this piece!

photo by Katy Elliot.
What an inspiring blog she has!

Oil painting by Laurel Daniel.
I enjoy checking in often on her blog to see her latest work.

Lisa Daria's daily paintings are wonderful, loose studies. I love them.

Hope you enjoyed peeking through these artists/designers as much as I do.
Thanks for reading.
kmw

Pastel surfaces demonstration

2011-11-10T14:12:00.000-05:00

Pastel painting surfaces are myriad, and it's quite important to select the right one for how you work and what you'd like the final outcome to look like. This precise topic was the subject of my demonstration two night's back for the Foxboro Art Association.

The nearly two-hour demo concentrated on four different surfaces and somehow I quickly was able to sketch four (!) paintings to show just how varied these surfaces can be.

Sennelier's Pastel Card is my favorite and so it was my opener. I created this landscape with two hay bales on dry-mounted charcoal colored Pastel Card. I find the paper, with its cork tooth, grabs color vibrantly. This is a work-in-progress, but I stopped at this point because it demonstrates the point.

The next surface was Canson Mi-Teintes paper, which has two distinct sides. The 'right' side (with the Canson watermark) offers a zillion small circular 'nubbies' on it which I am constantly feeling the need to overcome. I have a hard time with this paper on the 'right' side.

I created this sketch on this paper, again selecting paper in a charcoal tone for continuity to the above sketch. A member made the observation that this piece looked like it had a netting over the entire surface - the exact 'nubbies' I'm describing! Yes, it does look just like that!

If you turn this Canson Mi-Teintes paper over to the 'wrong side, an entirely different effect is achieved. No 'nubbies' are there. It's smoother and, for my way of working, I am not fighting the paper the entire time I'm painting. The pastel pigment sits nicely on the paper, I find.

To finish up, I painted this incredibly dull start of a pastel which needs so much work I nearly didn't post it here. For the purposes of the demonstration, though, I'm including it.

PastelMat by Clairefontaine is a relatively new surface which is so mind-boggling in its ability to accept more and more pastel and yet confounds because it has no tooth or grit to grab the pigment. The paper I had was white, and a lot is still showing through. More work to be done, but those in attendance got to see how one works on the surface.

My goal is to finish up what I can on these and post when they're completed. I hope I can keep on this positive flow of energy since the demonstration this week and get to them soon! Please cut me some slack on these studies. They were done in great haste and aren't refined yet.

People asked me some wonderful, pertinent questions about materials. Keep in mind that this is my opinion. Please experiment and enjoy your own process of discovery! I'm reluctant to use the word 'best' here, but in my opinion, that's what they are!

The plein air set

The best go-to set of pastels for plein-air:
Sennelier's 80 half-stick set for Plein Air

The best paper for plein-air:
Sennelier's Pastel Card pad in either size available

The best fixative to protect your pastel and not have too much dulling of color:
Lascaux fixatif

The pastels I used for the demonstration:
Sennelier (so beautiful with Sennelier Pastel Card), Unison (loved these with the PastelMat surface), Terry Ludwig, Nupastel, and Girault.

The best sources for on-line ordering of pastel supplies:
Dakota Art Pastels
Dick Blick
Jerry's Art A Rama
Terry Ludwig

Please find me online at kimmorinweineck.blogspot.com and follow my blog, should you like.
I'm also at Gallery9 at Custom Art Framing as the Gallery Director. I'd be delighted to see you there.

What a wonderful experience it was to test myself for this demo. The crowd was wonderful with amazingly on-point questions and such encouraging comments.

Thank you to Foxboro Art Association for having me!

Surfaces for pastel

2011-11-08T08:23:00.001-05:00

Tonight I'm doing a demonstration for the Foxboro Art Association.

I have to say that I love doing demonstrations. Standing up in front of a group and discussing your talent is a sure-fire way to solidify how you work.

I'm taking the girls with me to Jerry's Art-A-Rama this morning for a fun materials buying spree. A little art supply fix also is a sure-fire way to get inspired about your medium!

The focus of tonight's demonstration is about pastels and contrasting the various surfaces available.
There are so many but my time will concentrate on Sennelier's Pastel Card, Clairefontaine's Pastel Mat, UArt paper, Wallis paper, and perhaps Canson Mi-Teintes paper (I never know how to pronounce that last one.)

More information on supplies I use in making pastel paintings as well as sources for everything can be found here on my blog.

I enjoy making pastel paintings thoroughly. It's my hope that tonight's demo will impart this joy to other artists. What a wonderful opportunity!

Morning painting

2011-10-06T10:04:00.001-04:00

Today is the last day for me to do some finishing touches on my work for the show which opens tomorrow.

I loved reading Kathy Weller's blog post about how she 'closed up shop' on her work recently. She'll be displaying her amazing work along with me at Gallery9.

While I was organizing and fixing and cleaning and all that, my girls were curious and interested in what was going on.

Lucy grabbed their paints and I set them up in the dining room. Lucy finished early before I could snap some pictures with her in them, too.

For fun, though, here's Pippa, early this morning with bed head, painting away and enjoying every moment!

Thanks for reading!
kmw

Color vocabulary: green and white

2011-10-03T14:25:00.002-04:00

"All or nothing" seems to be my motto. I'd been working in pastel exclusively for a long spell and then I had a show requiring oil paintings and I took a three-month hiatus from them. Feels a bit funny that I haven't touched a pastel stick since the beginning of the summer.

These three pastels were done in quick succession, and I was pleased with them. During the summer I worked to enrich my color vocabulary in greens and whites. Seems that I was delving into this study with these three!

All are 16x12" and are all done on PastelMat archival pastel boards. If you're a pastelist and haven't tried PastelMat, you really should. It's smooth and yet somehow holds pastel as if it were gritty sandpaper - utterly contrary!

Each of these pieces is available at Gallery9 in Norwood for my show opening October 5, 2011.
Comment on which you like best. Your feedback is appreciated.

Thanks for reading!
kmw

A sweet ending to a good day

2011-10-02T19:42:00.000-04:00

Lately I've been concentrating on painting for my upcoming show at Gallery9 (this Friday coming!) but today was sort of a day off. Instead of working outside or in my studio, Tim and I worked on the yard: edging the driveway, mowing the lawn, removing much of the garden, etc. It was a productive day outside and that's always fun.

Caramel crackers with walnuts and sea salt. Yum.

We've recently altered our diets in my household, focusing on fresh food concentrating on increasing our vegetable intake. It's paying off. Our Lucy, 4, and Pippa, 2, aren't complaining and that feels like we're being good parents. I know I feel better, too.

All that said, we do have indiscretions, of course. Take tonight, for instance. Tim took Pippa to the grocery store and I cleaned up. I had a hankering for a sweet end to mealtime so Lucy and I got to work on my little made up dessert creation.

Making this treat got me thinking about how I used to usher in October with a small fete where my brother, sister-in-law (although she was just a girlfriend then), my parents, and anyone else invited to attend that year would make peanut brittle, caramel popcorn, carve a pumpkin, and watch "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Fun times. Can't wait until the girls are older and we can start up October with some such tradition. This dessert is an adaptation of the caramel popcorn because we didn't have any popcorn on hand.

Caramel Crackers

Saltines - 12-18 or so
Granulated Sugar
Sea Salt
Light Cream/Butter or both
Walnuts

Arrange saltines on a sheet of aluminum foil. In a frying pan, add around 1/2 cup of sugar to around 1/4 cup of water and cook on medium until the sugar melts and the water evaporates. There'll be a great amount of bubbling sugar goodness. Watch the pan until the sugar starts to turn brown. (Once it starts it goes fast fast!)
When brown, remove from heat, add a splash of light cream or a pat of butter (or be decadent and add both!). The mixture is SUPER HOT and will bubble, so take care with this step. Stir and spoon onto the saltines, being as generous as your amount of crackers allows. Before set, sprinkle with scant amount of finely grated sea salt and some walnuts if desired. Enjoy!

Thanks for reading!
kmw

Marshland sunset

2011-09-16T08:41:00.002-04:00

The last painting in my marshland series of four, this is the same scene as two posts back, but this time the marsh is at sunset and so slightly lighter than the other. The nuances between twilight, sunset, and dusk are fun to try to capture.

Yesterday I felt like trying to paint was like voluntarily going to the lion's den - I've been so beaten up by my efforts. Late in the afternoon my diligence was rewarded with a painting I can't wait to have framed and shown at the reception, October 7th at Gallery9. The BIG news for me -- drum roll, please -- it's 20x20"! Large!!

Have a great day!
Thanks for reading,
kmw

Marshland path

2011-09-15T08:25:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was spent on the patio working on a bunch of paintings that were unfinished and unresolved. I'm not sure if anything has gotten better or instead is just getting more muddled. Argh! Painting can really take you on a roller coaster!

Today's painting is a scene I have worked on a few different ways and sizes, both in oil and pastel. This manifestation is my favorite. Seems to me there's a great distance toward the water. I hope it appears that way to you, too!

For inspiration I've been looking at a lot of artists' work lately. Check out David Lussier's page at the Harrison Gallery. In class I showed a few of his paintings on my phone's web browser. We were discussing the sparkle that he gets with well-placed 'random' marks. Gorgeous, really!

I'm hoping to get more time painting in today. And the fever to jump to pastels is imminent. Looking forward to making that change shortly.

Thanks for reading!
kmw

Marshland twilight with bonus girlies

2011-09-14T07:24:00.000-04:00

Twilight is a bit later than sunset, right? I love the subtle nuances between sunset, twilight, and dusk. The light for each is a challenge to capture because it's changing at the speed of...well...light!

Here is another in my Marshland series. In person the foreground reads a little more resolved than my photo. My skills in taking photos of my work are improving, but I still have lots to learn.

In keeping with yesterday's post, here's a bonus picture of my girls playing in their room. Love them and their awesomeness! While typing this post, Pippa just came in and kissed me. What fun!

Thanks for reading!
kmw

Marsh series and bonus Lucy!

2011-09-13T10:50:00.000-04:00

In painting, I often embark on a series. I find doing this to be utterly valuable. A wonderful exercise, creating a series of work based on a singular subject.

Taking the thought out of "what will I paint" opens doors to learning new things as I delve into all aspects of a single subject. Rather fun!

The latest series focuses on the marsh landscape, my ultimate favorite place to be. So far I have four 8x8" oil paintings completed, so for the next four days, these will be the subject of my blog.

And for good measure, here is a photo of Lucy at her first day of preschool.

She melts my heart. Four years old and the time is flying by!

Thanks for reading,

kmw

Sixth of six

2011-09-12T08:05:00.001-04:00

Here is the last of my series of Cape Cod cottages.

It's been fun posting them daily like this.

Yesterday I was able to paint on the patio and finished up a few lingering unfinished works as well as another that I may just have to keep for myself!

More artwork in future posts, and no cottages are included in the next series.
I'll give you a hint -- marshes!

Thanks for reading!
kmw

The fifth of six

2011-09-11T10:52:00.000-04:00

Here is another painting from the Nantucket series:

Hydrangea blooms are so big and yet delicate. Fun to tackle!

Today I hope to spend some time painting in my backyard while my girls play. Yesterday I got in a great painting late in the afternoon. Having a show to paint toward makes such a difference in my diligence!

On this somber anniversary, make the day you have count.

Yesterday I read a wonderful interview of the sister of a 9-11 victim. Her perspective offered that the slogan, "Never Forget" is a tricky one for those personally touched by the tragedy, because to move on, you must forget on some level. She ventured the slogan "Always Remember" as its replacement.

Always Remember.

Thanks for reading.

kmw

The fourth of six

2011-09-10T10:17:00.000-04:00

We're now on number four of the six Nantucket-inspired paintings. It's a Saturday - gorgeous outside after what felt like a seriously rain-soaked week.

Today I'm off to judge a show of the Taunton Art Association and am looking forward to it. It's always inspiring to judge, and this art association offers a great, high-caliber show!

I am always working on greens. Greens can make paintings look fake if they're not believable. I'm always tweaking my greens.

Have a great day. Until tomorrow!
Thanks for reading!
kmw

The third of six

2011-09-09T08:41:00.003-04:00

My posting of the six additional paintings continues this morning with this piece, Hollyhocks. I was delighted with the light in this one and the way the day lilies and the hollyhocks were painted.

Garden scenes aren't new things for me to paint, but this combo of buildings, road, shadows, and flowers was. I had fun dotting in the darks on the left, and making it feel balanced.

Again, too, there was a lot to be learned about white and its temperature. After doing a lot of paintings in this series, by the time I got to this one, I was feeling more confident. What fun painting is when you've been diligent.

If you're not already a fan, click over to Gallery9 and Custom Art Framing's Facebook Page. At work today we'll be doing another in a series of giveaways featuring trivia about the shop. Fun stuff!

Thanks for reading!

The second of six

2011-09-08T08:49:00.004-04:00

As promised here is the second painting in the remaining six I recently completed. I'd been working toward some looser shapes, and somewhat succeeded. I love the right side of this painting particularly.

Again, it's inspired by our trip to Nantucket and it's from Siasconset, the town on the other side of the island filled with rose-covered cottages.

The colors in the original are different with the shadows not being as dark and being more blue. The little triangle of blue on the first cottage on the left is more transparent-looking in my painting. The rain isn't making picture taking that easy.

Thanks for reading!

kmw

The first of six

2011-09-07T11:31:00.001-04:00

Being an extremist, when I had a deadline for six paintings I ended up painting twelve. Today through Monday I'm going to post a photo of one of these additional paintings.

I was certainly inspired by the imagery from the Neponset Vallery Artists' trip to Nantucket, but in making these paintings I tacked a lot of issues surrounding greens, crossing shadows, and buildings.

I'm really working on my photographs and it's evident I need to figure out a better set up. This photo is blurry and doesn't convey well-enough the actual painting. Maybe I'll have solved this for tomorrow's posting.

Thanks for reading!
kmw

September 1st

2011-09-01T08:54:00.000-04:00

The calendar in the kitchen shows September. My husband is elated for the dwindling of summer, but I'm not as happy. Summer is my favorite. I have been outside with the girls painting while they've been playing, enjoying the sunshine. It's been a stellar summer season.

While painting outside I focused on making six strong paintings for SIX PACK, a show at Gallery9 I'm in which opens tomorrow, September 2nd (September's First Friday show). Six artists each painted six paintings and each painting is 6x6" - I love the idea for this show!

In July, the Neponset Valley Artists went on a painting extravaganza to Nantucket courtesy of NVA charter member, Haydi Hurley. When I think back on the summer of 2011 this trip will be a highlight. For sure. This series of paintings came evolved from that trip.

All these works are from Siasconset, Nantucket where I was inspired by the light streaming across the narrow lanes of gray shingled rose-covered cottages. Wonderful. Those familiar with my work know that I don't paint buildings often - so I decided to take this on.

I had visions of what the collection would look like in the end, and of course, this doesn't quite match up to what I had in mind. BUT I learned so much. As many of my students will attest, the vision is a loose, colorful painting but it seems impossible to let paintings stay loose and painterly. Instead they get tighter and tighter and more fussy.

Of these six paintings, I have some I'm partial to more than others. One frustrates me horribly! And I learned about white. I think I'll be able to do a workshop on using white! More on this at another time, maybe.

Everything is available for sale, so email me should you be interested. It'd be wonderful to get red dots on my work at the show. Always happy to ship it to you!

Finally, I didn't only finish these six paintings. I made twelve. I'll be showing those soon.

And come to Gallery9 if you're in the area for a wonderful show featuring Polo Barrera, Ann Gorbett, Mark Logue, me, and Steve and Sue Zafarana. What fun!

Thanks for reading!

kmw

Small oils of 'Sconset, Nantucket

2011-08-25T16:41:00.005-04:00

Here is a group shot of the recent paintings I've been working on:

12 paintings of 'Sconset, Nantucket

oil, 6x6" each

I've often spoken with my students about the benefits of working in a series in order to address issues you'd like to tackle, and, from experience, I can vouch that this is true. This is not the first series I've done, nor I'm sure it's not my last.

Check here for more to come, including close ups of each painting and discussion of what I learned/figured out with this particular series.

It feels amazing to see these 12 pieces lined up like this. Ahhhhh.

Thanks for reading!
kmw

More progress

2011-08-19T08:20:00.001-04:00

Completed two additional paintings yesterday and taught a wonderful class last night. Today I'm off to work at the gallery, rounding off an art-intensive week!

Photos to come of the paintings. I am taking my time with them and making sure they are the best I can make them be.

Have a great day and thank you for reading!
kmw

Threshold paintings

2011-08-17T17:46:00.003-04:00

Well, I've been painting a lot lately -and with oils. A strange feeling, those mushy, buttery blobs oil paints give me, especially when I've been working with clean, albeit dusty, sticks of pastel.

I'm excited about what I'm learning.

We've discussed this before when I'm critiquing the work of my students:
It seems that you plateau for a while and then there are advances. It's as though you crossed a threshold.

And so, I call these "threshold paintings" - not too original, yet terribly appropriate.

Lately, in working on my " 'Sconset Series" from Nantucket references and research, I'm feeling like I'm leaving a plateau. Will it be to another threshold? It will take some time to tell.

Let me take photos of them when I think they're officially done. Even this is a change for me. In the past I was all about production. Now I'm consciously trying to slow down and paint what I see the painting could become.

Quite the process, to say the least.

Thanks for reading!

kmw

Dusting off my oil paints

2011-08-12T08:43:00.007-04:00

Painting for a show is a true motivator. Lately I'm working in oils for a show which opens September 2nd with a First Friday reception.

Here are the details:

SIX PACK

Six artists,

Six paintings each artist,

Each painting is 6x6"

I'd been interested in painting something in a series, but felt stymied by this idea. Then, in a flash, it hit me - the perfect 'non-theme theme' - "What I did on my Summer Vacation."

I have five paintings begun. Two are mostly completed and I'm pleased with them. More than pleased. The other three have some work yet to be done.

Going to oil painting after all this time working in pastel was quite interesting. Pastel painting for me is quicker and the colors and application can be much cleaner. Four months of pastel painting alone made it feel for me like I was starting oils at square one. Argh!

Here is a bad, dark photo of the two that I like. The others are coming and there are figures in them. What? Me and the figure? Perhaps that is why I struggle. I'm desperately out of practice!!

And yes! There are six artists in this SIX PACK show:

Ann Gorbett, Polo Barrera, Steve Zafarana, Sue Zafarana, Mark Logue and Me!

Thanks for reading!
kmw

More from Nantucket

2011-08-09T09:10:00.010-04:00

Yesterday's I posted a bunch of photos of small works from the Neponset Valley Artists trip to Nantucket last month. Because it's such fun to reminisce, here are four photos of us enjoying the trip.

Ann Gorbett took this photo of me pasteling on the porch. What a view this was. Looking at this photo brings me right back here. Ahhhh.

Before we went to the Artists Association of Nantucket's small works opening to see Haydi's three pieces in the show, we all sat on the steps for this group shot. Love the light and how happy we all are.

Top to bottom and left to right

Nancy Bacevich, Cindy Kerr,

Polo Barrera, Haydi Hurley, Ann Gorbett,

Tony Donovan and me!

A photo of Haydi and Ann with Haydi's watercolors on display. Well done, Haydi!

After the show we enjoyed a spicy dinner, good company, and conversation.

The NVA at the Starlight on Nantucket

Left to right: Ann Gorbett, Polo Barrera, Nancy Bacevich, Cindy Kerr,

NVA Spouse Jeff Kerr, Haydi Hurley, yours truly, and Tony Donovan

I did promise to post more artwork on my blog, so here is a piece I recently completed. At least right now I think it's completed. And I do have to get better at making appropriate representations of my work on line. So tricky. The sky doesn't quite look like this and the greens are richer in person.

CLOUDS OVER CEDARS

original pastel, 16x12"

Thanks for reading!
kmw

Pastels of Nantucket

2011-08-08T16:13:00.005-04:00

Last month my art class, the Neponset Valley Artists, went on a painting trip to Nantucket. Even the memory of this trip makes me giddy. Imagine having three days away from the normal routine, three days without kids, and three days of art with art friends!

'SCONSET PATH

original pastel, 5x5"

What fun it was!

'SCONSET COTTAGE

original pastel, 5x5"

To gear up for painting on location, I did a series of pastel studies at home from references I had from previous time spent on the island.

'SCONSET ARBOR

original pastel, 2.5 x5"

assorted original pastels on our fence gate, sizes vary

Working on location can be daunting. I find it less intimidating to do small works and studies which can later hopefully work into larger, more developed pieces in oil or pastel.

NANTUCKET MARSH LANDSCAPE

original pastel, 5x3"

Our host, NVA member, Haydi Hurley, is a Nantucket native. Apart from acting as our first-class tour guide, she secured access for us to paint at some wonderful private locations.

BRANT POINT ROSES

original pastel, 5x5"

While there I stopped in at Peach Trees of Nantucket, a gallery gift shop at 19 Main Street, with my artwork. The owner there bought a selection of my paintings for the gallery. Hurrah!

BRANT POINT VIEW

original pastel, 6x2"

It was a delight to have so many of the NVA together for a painting experience on the island.

BRANT POINT

original pastel, 2x5"

Haydi mentioned having us to the island again next year(!) for part two of this painting extravaganza.

BLUE ADIRONDACKS

original pastel, 4x5"

Looking forward to September 2012 already!

In process on the patio

2011-07-17T08:59:00.003-04:00

Before I get to the nitty-gritty of this post - the winner of my giveaway was Noreen Taranto. Congratulations, Noreen! And for those who did not win: worry not! New ideas are stewing on giveaways and more. Stay tuned!

Yesterday was a gorgeous day and Tim took the girls food shopping so I could get some painting in. I set up on the patio. Ahhhh. There's no feeling like starting a new piece!

I have a bunch of pastel sets and no really great way to transport/hold/store them right now. Yesterday I was leafing through Pastel Journal and found an article on just this topic. Some research is in my future!

When I work with pastel I start at the top and work down, generally. I end up working a lot of the piece later in the process. You can sort of see in these two photos the dotted marks I make on my surface to get started. It's like a composition map in dots.

Here's the piece nearly completed. I like the light I've got going on here. I see some problems with the treeline and some of the color choices so I'll be correcting that today - hopefully on the patio again! Tim came home with a slip 'n slide for the girls and I'm setting that up right after I finish this entry.

Thanks for reading!

kmw

Processing the day trips

2011-07-15T10:11:00.006-04:00

The past few day trips have given me lots of visual input for future paintings. I've been looking at recent photos and sketches and processing how I'll use what I've seen and learned.

These photos from First Encounter Beach in Eastham, MA are inspiring to me. How would I paint these grasses? Green is an intimidating color, to say the very least about green.

This photo of the beach is great on it's own - those umbrellas are such an array of color on the sand. Of course I like it because of how it captures Pippa matching Tim's striding posture. Pretty amusing how heredity manifests.

I've a file of paintings I look at periodically. Here are some that pertain to what I'm writing about in this post.

This painting, Rain on the Other Side by Kate Huntington is great. What a beach crowd! Oh, that I had the money to buy something of hers!

And here's Light Beyond the Marsh by Donald Demers. That's how to paint light, isn't it?

How about this little gem by Frank Gardner called Little House in Wellfleet? I think we drove by this house on our trip! A wonderful example of quick, perfect decisions. The darks are rich. The lights are luminous. The brushstrokes are active. Like I said, a little gem.

So now I just need the time to paint. In the meantime, I'm processing all the visual input awaiting the resultant output. We'll see how that goes!

Thanks for reading!
kmw

Day tripping in July

2011-07-14T16:54:00.006-04:00

We've been a busy traveling family and here is an assortment of photos from our various destinations.

First Encounter Beach in Eastham, MA is a great beach for children. At low tide, it's an amazing playground of water, hermit crabs, and sand. Tim looks a little overwhelmed at the scope of the beach.

Here is a photo of Tim and Pippa in the dune path on their way to the water at First Encounter.

This week we also had a day trip to Boston! The girls loved the Swan Boats.

We took the girls to Fenway Park and Lucy got a hat.

I learned that I teach some martial arts classes and am a Grand Master!

Just today we went to Buttonwood Zoo in New Bedford, MA. They have a great animal-centered carousel. Pippa and Lucy love this zoo.

While we were at my in-laws' home, the girls loved playing at their dinner table. So cute. So busy.

Tonight I'm on my way to teach. Can't take a vacation from my wonderful students!!

When I get back I'm going to post the winner of my giveaway. Stay tuned....

Thanks for reading,

kmw

Art festival review

2011-07-11T09:38:00.007-04:00

Saturday was hot and humid. My booth looked good for all my anxiety about what to expect. I did learn I need a canopy should I do this next year. What a way to start my first outdoor art festival - I was melting!!

A melting me posing with my visiting girls who also are melting

My mom came early (thank you, Mom) and helped set up the booth. Interestingly enough, my mom's cousin was helping his girlfriend set up her booth right next to mine. It's such a small world, isn't it?

Pippa and my Mom. Like Pippa's wave?

Here is the display, complete with two rigged umbrellas to somewhat protect the artwork. The golf umbrella is being held in our cooler of water and ice. I dehydrated a bit for not wanting to disturb the delicate MacGuyver-like rigging of the 'umbrella stand.'

My booth. Whew! All set up.

My mother-in-law had the girls for the day and brought them by for a visit. Lucy partook of the face painting and delighted in showing off her kitty.

It really was hot. I'm not quite exaggerating about the dehydration. My mother-in-law thoughtfully had brought another cooler with water and Fresca when she visited with the girls. Everything was drank in around five minutes!

I think Pippa was melting here.

Lucy still showing me her kitty with her origami project and Pippa.

Here is the booth right before take-down. A lot of empty spaces because I had a lot of sales!

Time to pack up for the day!

What wonderful people came to this show. I enjoyed talking to everyone, met the best art collectors, and the day was a wonderful success. What relief for having the first festival behind me. Whew!

Many sales - Hurray!

And additional thanks to my mom. What a day she put in with me. We melted together and made some more happy memories. Love you!

Thanks for reading!
kmw

Nothing ventured nothing gained

2011-07-08T11:13:00.009-04:00

Recently I had some prints made of this pastel of Bird Island Lighthouse in Marion, MA I did a while back which belongs to my mother-in-law.

Click here for information on available prints!

Soon I'll be picking up the few I had framed, matted, and packaged for sale at the Marion Art Center's annual Arts in the Park festival tomorrow. The fact that the festival is tomorrow is keeping me up at night with thoughts of everything yet to do.

Having never participated in a show like this I'm not sure what to expect, so I'm taking lots of gambles. How many times can I chant, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained"? Not enough, evidently. It's become my show preparation motto!

If you're in the Marion, MA area, come to the festival! It'll be a great time!!

And if you haven't entered the giveaway yet, make sure you get on that!

Thanks for reading!
kmw

A giveaway!

2011-07-07T07:00:00.002-04:00

**UPDATED POSTING***

In an effort to publicize my artwork, I thought a giveaway was in order! A week from today I'll be selecting someone to receive this painting.

A small favorite of mine which looks even better live and in person.

Here it waits on my desk for its new owner!

What do you have to do?

Easy peasy!

Comment on my blog and mention your favorite subject for a painting:
landscape, portrait, still life, abstract, or something else you just love.
(Only one comment per entrant, please. )
***For those who aren't registered to comment, I've changed settings now as to allow anonymous posters. Just tell me your name and email address in case you win!***

Follow my blog publicly for another chance.

For another entry, 'like' my Facebook page, Kim Morin Weineck's Art. All new 'likers' will be entered to win again! (If you already are a fan, please use any of the below options to enter.)

Post on Kim Morin Weineck's Art's Facebook wall for an additional entry.

Finally, if you are on Twitter, follow me @kimweineck and you'll get another chance at the painting.

Five possible chances! Pretty neat. Please help me get the word out. Share the love!

THE FINE PRINT:
This giveaway includes shipping within the 48 contiguous US states only. Should someone win internationally or in AK or HI, they can certainly opt to pay for shipping. All rights reserved. The painting is the property of the new owner, but the artist maintains rights to publishing its image, etc. etc. Winner assumes responsibility for any damage occurring during shipment. Let's keep this easy! Thanks!!

Hectic but lovely

2011-07-06T09:05:00.008-04:00

Hectic but lovely - that is how I'd describe these past few weeks.

Summer is in its glory and has taken me along for its ride through scents of honeysuckle and roses in bloom during early morning photo safaris capturing the soft, pink light of the start of day.

This sold recently, too. Hurray!

I recently sold three of my newest series of 16x12" pastels to a collector.

What a positive jolt that was! Painting in the past was about speed, and now I'm deliberately trying to slow down and be more deliberate and pensive about choices I make during the process, and while at it, I'm learning a lot.

I love the space in this pastel painting.

I've been painting when possible and hunting out new references and painting spots. What fun!

Another of the sold paintings. Hurray again!

This Saturday, weather-permitting, is the Arts in the Park art festival in Marion, MA. My delightful in-laws live in Marion and I'm really taken with their hometown. Talk about inspiration in the landscape! Of course, this is my first-ever festival, so I'm petrified - just a little bit petrified.

Yes, this photo is taken in my kitchen next to the stove. It was where I could find the best light. Ha!

Sometimes that scary feeling of doing something new gets you to push yourself to a new place. Working toward something often gets me to experiment, too. I feel that with this new series of work.

Still in process, this pastel is what I worked on yesterday while my mom watched the girls.

And my photo safaris have been fruitful. Here are two shots from some early morning walks.

We also celebrated Lucy's 4th birthday, with Pippa's second just around the corner, too. It's certainly as I described - hectic but lovely.

Ahhh. Summer.

Thanks for reading!

kmw

My girls like to paint

2011-06-25T19:56:00.000-04:00

Lucy and Pippa enjoy painting, and that warms my heart.

Recently the two had some watercolor time at the dining room table. We were working on a project for something-or-other.

Pippa hadn't painted before. She loved it. Very intense is our little Pippa.

Lucy has shown an aptitude for art since she was a wee bird. She drew this family illustration on the magnetic doodle board a while back. Isn't it cute that Tim took a picture of it? I thought so.

Until later,
kmw

Up my alley

2011-06-24T08:34:00.000-04:00

Yesterday the Garnet Hill catalog arrived with the day's mail. The cover is a delight.

A tray of pastels! How excellent is that? I can see this idea in use for a future mailing or some marketing such-and-such. Of course, they sell clothing and housewares and not the pastels which, after seeing this I had a hankering to buy.

I did buy a bathing suit on sale, by the way. Here's hoping somehow the way it looks on the size 2 model somehow interpolates to my body. UPS says it could be here tomorrow. Salads for today!

Thanks for reading!
kmw

Framing some pastels

2011-06-23T10:50:00.000-04:00

For a show at the Art Gallery at Patriot Place, I had two of my recent pastels framed.

My almost-four-year-old Lucy took this photo. I rather like it! Nice work, hon.

I brought them to Julie at Gallery9/Custom Art Framing where I work. Her selection of ready made frames is really great. I knew she'd have just what I needed and in stock.

Here's Lucy at the shop

The frame must have made it look great because the pastel has sold. Hurray!

Here is the piece in the gallery, along with two of my students, and Neponset Valley Artists, Nancy Bacevich and Haydi Hurley.

Thanks for reading!
kmw

Officially summer

2011-06-22T13:55:00.001-04:00

It's officially summer -- my favorite! Being outside painting while my girls play in the yard is a pure delight.

Lately I've been productive, too. Today I was outside working for around an hour when the rain started. Drat. As my neighbor pointed out, now we don't have to water our gardens! Time to take care of other things...like my blog!

Here are two recent works, both 12x9" and both in pastel. I am experimenting with new techniques. The verdict is still out on whether I like the results. Seems fussy. Finding the balance between fussy and loose is my goal. We'll see how I do this summer with that!

On a personal note, last week I lost my dear grandmother, who quietly passed in her sleep in her own bed at the wonderful age of 93. I discovered some delightful photos while looking for some for a photo board to be displayed at the wake.

Finally I'm getting the courage up to do some figurative work. Between some of the gems I found and my own two young girlies in day-to-day silliness, I have no dearth of material!

Professionally I'm thinking about ways to increase traffic to my facebook page, Kim Morin Weineck's Art. I think a giveaway is in order. More on this soon.

Thanks for reading!
kmw

In today's mail

2011-05-26T10:13:00.000-04:00

With today's mail came my order from moo.com. Have you checked them out yet? Their site is great, easy to use, and the quality is amazing!

my minicard assortment displayed on my kitchen island

Their minicards are the perfect size to highlight my panoramic paintings, so I generally order those. Business cards show more of the painting, and so this time I ordered those as well.

the larger business cards

I'm so pleased with them!

And the good news is that a new camera is coming my way. No more bad iPhone photos. Hurray!

Remember, too, we have until May 31, 2011 to cast your vote for me!

Thanks for reading!
kmw

Asking for your vote

2011-05-25T15:09:00.000-04:00

Click on Jerry to vote!

Today I received an email from Jerry's Artarama, a wonderful source for art supplies, informing me that I have been selected one of seven finalists to be their artist-of-the-month for June. I don't know how many artists submit their works to be juried into final selection, but I'm certainly honored to be considered.

The news is also pretty exciting because the winner receives $65 in art supplies from their website or their stores. Yippeeee! All you artists out there know that art supply stores are like candy stores filled with inspiration and the materials to create all kinds of great work. $65 would be a fun little spree!!

I always go to the Jerry's location in Providence when I need something right away. (For those local to my neck-of-the-woods, Olga's Cup and Saucer nearby is a wonderful location for lunch or coffee and a snack after your art supply buying trip.)

Hats off to Jerry's marketing department because now the onus is on me to get the word out to friends, family and my art fans about this little contest and in the process advertise all about them. Seems like a win/win in that regard, but still scares me because it's also a popularity contest.

If you like, click over and vote for me. I would obviously appreciate it. You probably have to 'like' them first on Facebook, too. So many things to 'like', I know.

Here's a link to the work I submitted for consideration by Jerry's. The paintings in this post are from the selection I emailed them a few months back.

If you're an artist, email them some of your work and see what happens. It's a great shot-in-the-arm to be among those considered, get your name out there, and who knows what else!

Thanks for reading (and maybe voting for me, too!)
kmw

An indulgence for Tim's birthday

2011-05-20T10:19:00.000-04:00

Last year I made dolls for Lucy, Pippa, and for me that look like us. Our very own 'mini-me's! The girls have loved them. They dance with them. Just too cute.

The dolls proudly hang out on our mantel, kind of overseeing the goings on in our home. They make me happy.

Lucy, me, the newly-made Tim, and Pippa

Tim didn't have one. The dolls I had been inspired by from 'inside a black apple' were only girl dolls, so I never quite knew what I'd do for a boy doll. For his birthday I thought I'd give it a shot. He's worth the effort!

Here he is, all cut out. The shirt is made of an old shirt of his.
His hair is from his wool sweater vest which he inadvertently felted in the washer/dryer.

I was pretty pleased with the process and the outcome.

But he asked for an addition. And I complied with his request.
It's all about the eyebrows!Happy Birthday, Timmmay!
Thanks for reading!
kmw

Sneaking in some painting

2011-05-16T15:46:00.001-04:00

I've been trying to sneak time in to paint, and it's been tricky to say the least. The weather in Massachusetts isn't cooperative. Drizzle, cold, rain, blah (and, yes, 'blah' is now an official description of the weather) make it difficult to have my girls outside playing while I sneak in some painting on the patio.

Today with its heavy rain we are inside varying our activities with laundry, every Toy Story movie out there, meals, and for one lucky spell during which Pippa napped, a short painting stint. Ahhhh.

My art group, the Neponset Valley Artists, is installing a painting show tonight. We're pretty excited about it. These new pieces of mine may be included with my submissions.

©2011 Kim Morin Weineck
MARSH GRASSES AND GREENS
original pastel, 6x6"
$150 framed 11x11"
Message me for purchase, thanks.

I need a new camera in the worst way....

Hope you're enjoying the start to the week.
Thanks for reading!
kmw

Just for fun

2011-05-10T16:29:00.001-04:00

For fun, here is a photo of Lucy's drawing on the magnetic doodle board.
Can you tell what it is? It's our family.

I love this silly doodle board and the girls enjoy drawing on it quite often.
Recently Lucy told me that when she grows up she wants to be an 'art-er.'
Too cute.

Until later
kmw

There's nothing like lilacs

2011-05-09T08:15:00.000-04:00

It was a busy weekend here.

We hosted a Mother's Day breakfast which has been our tradition for the last five years. On Saturday Tim and my uncle also installed replacement windows upstairs. After six years in our house we can actually open the windows in our bedroom easily. Isn't airflow nice?

The colors of spring get me so happy and nothing is as wonderful as lilacs - my favorite flower on earth. There's a bush down the street in a parking lot which is my go-to spot for my lilac fix. Right now the house smells wonderfully of these happy flowers because we have four large bouquets scattered about.When I started bringing in the bouquets Tim said he said he could see I was in my glory, surrounded by all this fragrant purple.

We have a lilac bush out front but, try as I might to follow all directions for pruning to encourage a gazillion blooms, it's pretty lackluster. My solution this year is going to be neglect. Let's see next year how that works!

Feel free to leave a comment listing your favorite flower.
Thanks for reading,
kmw

What's new? Lots!

2011-05-06T12:12:00.000-04:00

With better weather comes a need for me to create new work.

I've been busy painting.

Here are some of the products of my studio time.

BLUE BOAT
pastel, 6x2"
available at the Art Gallery at Patriot Place

And here is some of what goes on in the studio while I'm painting.

Thanks to IKEA for the swing.
And thank to you for reading!
kmw

Be back soon!

2011-05-03T12:42:00.001-04:00

I'm completely wiped out by a stomach bug. Be back shortly.

(Can you hear the old-school intermission music?)

Take care,
kmw

New gallery opens tonight!

2011-04-29T09:40:00.001-04:00

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

2011-04-26T10:06:00.000-04:00

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

2011-04-21T13:05:00.000-04:00

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.

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

2011-04-20T08:45:00.000-04:00

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

2011-04-19T11:37:00.000-04:00

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

2011-04-14T10:25:00.000-04:00

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

2011-04-13T13:41:00.001-04:00

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

2011-04-12T19:20:00.000-04:00

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

2011-04-11T09:36:00.001-04:00

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!

Welcome!

2011-04-11T09:20:00.000-04:00

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

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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

2011-04-11T09:13:00.001-04:00

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.