Sunday, October 14, 2012

Award and a demonstration

Hurray! I'm excited and delighted to say that my painting, SUMMER SKY, has be awarded 2nd place Pastel at the recent FAA members show. It's an honor and so encouraging. 

©2012 Kim Morin Weineck
SUMMER SKY
original pastel, 7x7"

Sometimes when painting a piece just seems to come from your fingertips - as if through inspired intervention. Summer Sky was one of those pieces. The colors I needed were all available. The contrasts and values were spot on when I tried them out. The stars were all aligned. Funny how others can feel that, too. 

Finishing touches on my pastel demonstration 
for the Foxboro Art Association

Last week I was the demonstrator for the Foxboro Art Association filling in for a last-minute withdrawal. The crowd was responsive to my instruction for making a pastel painting on top of an oil underpainting. 

I worked on a scene inspired by Stony Brook in Norfolk, MA. If you're local to Norfolk, check out this treasured spot. Paintings are EVERYWHERE! 


Thanks for reading! ~kmw

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Three for a show

The Marion Art Center in Marion, MA invited artists to submit up to three paintings inspired by the properties of the Sippican Land Trust. (Sippican is just such a fun word to say, isn't it?)

©2012 Kim Morin Weineck
MARSH SUNSET
original oil, 12x16" framed
$295 www.marionartcenter.org
Howland Marsh, SLT
 

During the summer I had the good fortune to get a personal tour of some of these properties by a local friend and was inspired. While painting a sort of 'assignment' like this is not a strong suit, I decided to take it on as a challenge. With every thing you learn and this is a great opportunity to stretch! 

©2012 Kim Morin Weineck
MARSH VIEW
original oil, 12x16" framed
$295 www.marionartcenter.org
Brainerd Marsh, SLT

These three oils are all on display at the MAC through November 11, 2012. While dropping off work yesterday I was impressed with the wide range of interpretations and breadth of artists contributing their art. (Willoughby Elliot, an artist I've admired FOR YEARS is in this show. I'm delighted to think I'm in a show with his work!!)

©2012 Kim Morin Weineck
THE WALK BACK
original oil, 12x16" framed
$295 www.marionartcenter.org
Pierson Woods, SLT
 

While I was there I was also picking up my two paintings from the prior Small Works Summer Show. 
What a treat that the director of the MAC wouldn't let me take them home. She bought them then and there. What a huge compliment which made for an easy drive home. 

COVE ENTRY and AUTUMN STROLL by Kim Morin Weineck
original pastels, 6x6" framed to 10x10"

Stop by the MAC if you're in the area. Downtown Marion, where the art center is located, offers wonderful views for painting if you're inclined to photograph or set up an easel. 

Thanks for reading!~ kmw

Friday, September 21, 2012

Pastel to oil

Yesterday I tried to paint with pastels. Oh, I wanted them to work!

Instead the first try went into the trash and the second was scrubbed off with a high-pressured hose. 

As is my usual pattern, I went to the studio, put away all my pastels and took out all my oils. The switch is on! Last week I'd used my oils for an afternoon after oiling out paintings in my 'painting graveyard' and figuring out which I wanted to finish (or attempt to finish) for my upcoming show. 

SUNFLOWERS
original oil, 20x24"
not quite finished but almost...
The scale of this is a bit skewed,
but the colors feel right. 

Pastels are wonderful things. When I use them my color sense gets honed to a great level. "I need to use a middle value, warm yellow green" and I find it. When I venture back to oil the decisions are helpful. Now I can mix whatever color I would search for in pastel stick. And the great thing about oils: There is always the color possibility you were looking for! 

SUNFLOWERS
original oil, 20x24
in progress
The colors in the original are
much cleaner than this photo. 

The pastels I attempted yesterday were unsuccessful because of the nuances of color. One image had too much subtlety in the sky blues. My collection of pastels didn't have the colors I needed. Honest. And then there's green. Never the right one in pastel.

Going back to oil yesterday was thrilling. I mean it - THRILLING! 
And I had every green I needed. 

Thanks for reading! ~kmw

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Interview with Smart Creative Women

Mid-August I was interviewed by Monica Lee of Smart Creative Women. It was a humid, gorgeous, summer day and the conversation was easy and fun.

We talk about all sorts of art-related things and Monica is a delight - so upbeat and at ease.
I had a great day and seeing the interview now brings me back to those dog days of summer only a month or so ago.

Enjoy!

The art of cooking

Continuing to 'embrace autumn', today I'm posting about cooking with a little mention of art. Here's a photo of my dining room table with the recipe for me to type out. My oil paintings in-progress are on the distant wall's chair rail. 
Recipe, Apples, Art
We have art everywhere right now as
I'm getting ready for my show October 5th. 
Beef and Carrot Ragu is kid-friendly and delicious and already in the slow cooker for tonight's dinner. 
What a relief it is on the days when dinner is a no brainer. 

For the Compost
I used roma tomatoes from the garden
but threw in a small heirloom because it looked
lonely in the bowl after the romas left. 

BEEF AND CARROT RAGU

1 to 1 1/4 lbs boneless beef short ribs
salt and ground black pepper
10 (!) cloves of garlic
8 oz peeled fresh baby carrots, chopped
1 lb chopped roma tomatoes
6 oz can tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine

pappardelle noodles or something you have on hand

Place salted and peppered ribs in slow cooker. 
Smash garlic and place on ribs. 
Add tomato paste and wine, carrots and chopped tomatoes. 
Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. 
Stir, shred, mash up the carrots and tomatoes. 
Serve over pasta or crusty bread or what-have-you. 

ENJOY! 

The house already smells good!
 Thanks for reading ~kmw

Monday, September 17, 2012

Embrace autumn?

Much of my posting extols the glory of summer. My goodness I'm such a summer girl!

Fall is pretty - of course it is - with its perfect weather, cool nights for easy sleeping, gorgeous pink light and beautiful clouds and colors. Wow. It's the oncoming decline in temperatures and the diminishing light which make me glum.

©2012 Kim Morin Weineckon easel
LONG AUTUMN SHADOWS 
original pastel, 12x18

And then there's the season next on the horizon, but let's keep that in the ether for now. We can call that time of cold and snow 'the-season-that-shall-not-be-named.'

As a painter I cannot help but be inspired by this weather and color and change in the light. Last week I finished this piece.
©2012 Kim Morin Weineck
LONG AUTUMN SHADOWS 
original pastel, 12x18"

While I worked on it while the girls were in school (a MAJOR change in my life's schedule) I thought about my autumn angst and some of it abated but only for a fleeting moment.

Thanks for reading! ~kmw

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Three things -- pretty big ones at that!

Please visit and bookmark my new website (!) where I'll be posting new work, work as it sells, updating shows, etc. etc. The site is a work in progress which I think makes it a bit more exciting to follow.

As you browse through, please feel free to suggest things that may make it better --- like getting rid of the 'read-me' at the top. I'm working on that one.

Secondly, this October 5, 2012 will be my THIRD annual First Friday show at Gallery9 in Norwood, MA. Lately I've been working on mixing things up a bit and hopefully the body of work for my show will do just that. I'm putting some major pressure on myself and that's a good thing.

Seven years ago in the hot hot heat
Would happily do it again
Finally, it's been a flurry of activity in our household. Change is everywhere!

Tim and I celebrated our 7th anniversary (love you, darlin') on Labor Day and enjoyed kayaking until our hands blistered and our shoulders, arms, and backs were screaming with happy pain.

And here we are today - enjoying a cone
Happy summertime 2012!

Lucy started kindergarten this morning leaving Tim and I and a melancholy Pippa behind to watch as the bus pulled away.

Hey Lu, smile!
And she's off....

Worry not! Pippa starts her own preschool next week. Wowie! So much change, so much momentum, and all is well.

Pippa wearing her favorite shirt while we await Lucy's return

Thanks for reading! ~kmw