Day #4 :: BRIGHT BOUQUET :: January Daily Painting Challenge

BRIGHT BOUQUET
by Kim Morin Weineck
original pastel, 6x6"

$125 + $8 shipping

Many artist-friends are participating in this daily painting challenge and I'm enjoying looking at their entries. Like so many people, I am constantly thinking and wishing I could paint differently --- someone else's palette of color notes, someone else's marks, someone else's subject matter. 

When it comes to challenges like this daily painting one, there are funny struggles for themes and content, etc. I love the pieces I've done so far (all three of them before today's piece) but they aren't taking enough risks. 

This piece is inspired by what I'd like to be snipping from my imaginary cutting garden (imaginary because we live in the woods and don't really have enough sun [or land] for a cutting garden) for a wonderfully whimsical bouquet. 

What do you think? 

And for those who watched, Downton Abbey was pretty fun, eh? I heard a great comment on NPR today that a critic supposed the show has done well because we all seem to like hanging out with these Edwardian people. As an aside, he mentioned that the scenes and camera-work were so lush. I completely agree. The details are sumptuous!

Thanks for reading! ~kmw

Day 30 :: SELFIE :: #30in30 Painting a Day Challenge

SELFIE
by Kim Morin Weineck
original pastel, 6x6"

NFS

Last night there was a comment on my Facebook post mentioning a grand finale to this Septmeber daily painting challenge. I had a hard time sleeping after reading that. While I had always thought the last day of #30in30 would be simply another painting, I realized it was a chance to really try something different.

When I'd wonder aloud what I should paint for subjects, I would often hear self portrait as an option. It's not my first, but I hadn't done one in quite a long time.

At times I look at this painting and see me. Other times I look at it and see someone with a big chin. Whether or not it looks the way I wanted, I'm quite happy with it. The marks, the texture, the lighting, and the temperature all feel good to me. It's only with practice that I'll feel more confident about my figure painting.

"Selfie" speaks to the purpose of this whole challenge, and that was to be vulnerable. It's in that strong place of vulnerability that growth happens. Now that September is through, and I've painted every single day of it, I know that I've grown as an artist.

What comes next? Do I keep going? I keep going but with a new focus? Ack!

Thanks for reading and for staying with me during these past 30 days. It's been great! -kmw

Day 15 :: CAFE :: #30in30 Painting a Day Challenge

CAFE
by Kim Morin Weineck
original pastel, 6x6"

$125 + $8 shipping

In a quest to stretch myself from the usual subjects I may be inclined to paint, I took inspiration for today's painting from this past weekend where Tim and I went into Boston to celebrate our 10th Anniversary. We stayed somewhere luxurious, dined somewhere delicious, walked down memory lane, and enjoyed breakfast on Beacon Hill before hitting the Brimfield flea market. You can imagine there's a lot of inspiration to be gleaned from such a great time.

CAFE is from Tatte Bakery and Cafe on Charles Street. While waiting for the most delicious egg, bacon, and cheese sandwich on amazing sourdough bread, I took notice of a few impeccable moments that felt to me like they should be paintings. Perhaps there will be more artwork inspired by our breakfast. We still have half of the month of September to continue to stretch my creative self.

Thanks for reading! -kmw

Day 14 :: BOWL OF PEARS :: #30in30 Painting a Day Challenge

BOWL OF PEARS
by Kim Morin Weineck
original pastel, 6x6"

at The Drawing Room, Marion, MA

On my studio shelving sit all of the pastels I've done for this September challenge. When I see them in a group I can assess subjects I should revisit and consider my work as a whole. Some artists approach this #30in30 painting a day challenge as a time to fledge out a theme or concept. Seems to me it's been more a chance to establish a discipline of making time in my life to make art. 

This still life is the only one of its kind in the collection of work thus far. I have a lot of landscapes. One animal. One garden. Two architectural. Today is the first still life. I think I'll be revisiting this classic subject.

Thanks for reading! -kmw

Day 5 :: TWO TREES :: #30in30 Painting a Day Challenge

TWO TREES
by Kim Morin Weineck
original pastel, 6x6"

Sold! 

Day five is a whirlwind --- it's Labor Day weekend and there's fun to be had! I'm off with family for barbecues, walks, conversations, and making great memories.

This painting was fun and a challenge. The entire scene was green! I'm trying to make the color more interesting. My students will also recall that foregrounds are often tricky. The resolution of this one made me quite happy.

Those who live in our happy neighborhood may recognize these two trees. I've painted them before in nearly all seasons. My suspicion is that I'll revisit this scene before the month of September is over.

Thanks for reading! -kmw

MARSH REDS :: 6x6" pastel

©2014 Kim Morin Weineck
MARSH REDS
original pastel, 6x6"
$125 unframed +$10 shipping

Recently I bought some new pastels -- the 120 Unison Half Stick set. It's heaven in a box. Beautiful colors. To experiment I tried to push myself with some color. Quite happy with the results.

Thanks for reading! -kmw

RED BARN :: 8x10" pastel

©2014 Kim Morin Weineck
RED BARN
original pastel, 8x10"
$175 unframed +$10 shipping

I've visited this particular subject before and so I enjoyed pushing the color and revisiting it in numerous tries each time making new color experiments. So proud of the blues in the shadows, particularly on the left side. This piece is on archival pastel board and looks more vibrant in person -- if possible!!

Thanks for reading! -kmw

BRANT POINT MORNING :: Pastel, 6x6

©2014 Kim Morin Weineck
BRANT POINT MORNING
original pastel, 6x6"
$125 unframed +$10 shipping

                                                                

Ah, Nantucket! This pastel of Brant Point Light captures the light at dawn. I woke early and braved the insane scourge of mosquitoes to get here but was it ever worth it! Great references that day.

Thanks for reading! -kmw

Fenway :: Pastel, 6x6"

©2014 Kim Morin Weineck
FENWAY
original pastel, 6x6"
SOLD! 

It's OPENING DAY at Fenway so spring must be here! It was such fun to paint detail without adding too much detail. In the end love how this piece came out. Hope you do, too.

Thanks for reading! -kmw

VT plein air

My August workshop in VT was a productive time. With so many things I could post, I figured I'd start with a painting. A friend and photographer, Rebecca Skinner, took these photos of me starting my piece. 

©2013 Kim Morin Weineck 
photo by Rebecca Skinner

©2013 Kim Morin Weineck 
photo by Rebecca Skinner

©2013 Kim Morin Weineck
photo by Rebecca Skinner

This day was oddly overcast and posed a challenge (in a good way) to capture the light effects on the landscape. Most of my VT work was small on-location studies which I can work into larger studio paintings in the future.

©2013 Kim Morin Weineck
SUMMER MORNING, VT
original pastel, 7x5"

When I returned to my room at the Amee Farm Lodge I snapped this photo of the painting. Loved the greens. There's something about the Vermont air that makes me want to make art! 

Warm Welcome

While walking with the girls during the Independence Day holiday, we passed this Patriotic vignette which called to me immediately. It's call could not be silenced: "Paint me!"

©2013 Kim Morin Weineck
WARM WELCOME
original pastel, 7x5"

And so I did. This study worked up quickly, thank goodness. It had to be 95 degrees from my easel.

Hope you're enjoying your July :)
Thanks for reading! -kmw

Vermont Slideshow!

Going grander

Some wonderful things happen in my paintings when I work small. The scale of my mark is grand in small works, so the little marks I make mean something. Everything is large and effective for me when I work small. Scaling things up is tricky. I don't do it easily. The simple large stroke with the side of a brush or pastel in a little painting doesn't have the same 'umph' when you are working larger.

©2013 Kim Morin Weineck
DIANNE'S FLOWERS
original pastel, 18x12"

To improve my larger works, I've been working up studies in smaller sizes and then creating the larger works once the smaller piece is successful. With the small piece I can work out the glitches, take a chance without so much risk, experiment, and try something freely. When the pieces are successful, then on to the larger surface. It's an academic approach.

©2013 Kim Morin Weineck
STUDY of DIANNE'S FLOWERS
original pastel, 7x5"

In the past I've done thumbnails and value studies, but the studies I'm working on now are more complete small works.

At one time I told my husband that I thought today's larger painting "Dianne's Flowers" was probably going in the trash -- it was coming along that poorly.  Listening to the advice I often tell my students, I forced myself to work through the 'yuck' period and finally saw the possibilities of the piece. When Tim saw the painting again he said, "Ah! You brought it back from the dead!" It was totally affirming.

Thanks for reading! -kmw

People!

I know! Shock!! I mean, I'm a LANDSCAPE painter...

©2013 Kim Morin Weineck
BEACH DAY
original pastel, 5x7"

...This is a painting with PEOPLE! People I know and love, to be exact. In the back is Lucy, running out of the sea while Pippa is combing the beach for shells and such on the sand.

Versions of this painting have been floating in my mind's eye for a while now, and it's been percolating in my head that figures need to enter my paintings. For some reason, this was the one that started it. We'll see what happens next. 

Thanks for reading! -kmw

Temperature

It's nearly summer - a lovely mid-June with still so much goodness and light yet to come. We've had days that you dream about and lately a lot lot lot of rain. (Did I say there's been a lot?) Whenever the weather has cooperated I've been out painting on our patio. This small piece was completed last week, right before the onslaught of rainy days.

©2013 Kim Morin Weineck
DIANNE'S FLOWERS
original pastel, 7x5"

Lately I've been interested in amping up my color and pushing the boundaries of warm and cool temperatures in my work. A sunlit window box of gorgeous flowers with some warm, raking light was the perfect place to explore some color theory. With new pastels at my disposal, it was wonderful to consider warm greens vs. cool greens, warm whites and cool whites, the temperature of the blue, etc etc. 

Can't wait to do it again!! 

Thanks for reading!-kmw

Blue Boat

Lately I've overheard conversations about marsh paintings and how everyone does them. Ah, yes, they're a popular landscape subject. This past weekend I was in an art show -- of course, showing some marshes. Perhaps I was thinking of this when I started recently taking on new subjects! The past month, after taking a workshop with Deb Quinn-Munson which focused on painting water, I found myself drawn to references I had been keeping at bay for someday in the future.

©2013 Kim Morin Weineck
BLUE BOAT
original pastel, 16x8"

Seems that that some day is now. This boat pastel and three others in this vein are now resting on my dining room chair rail for my critique. It's nice to sit with a piece for a spell and examine it at odd times. I'm learning so much with each study.

This piece sold right after I put it on my Kim Morin Weineck's Art Facebook Page. If you're interested in a piece, please always feel free to message or email. I'll be in touch ASAP!

Thanks for reading -kmw

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

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