Ye Old Homestead

Homestead ©2009 Karen Mathison Schmidt

18 x 24 x 1 • acrylic on 1" cradled Gessobord

SOLD • private collection, Trophy Club, Texas

We pass this house every time we drive into town. We used to think it was abandoned, but someone is keeping the little lawn mowed, then we found out it’s owned by the family that lives just across the highway from it. I think they use it for an office for their farm operation. I love the way it looks – a house with a little yard surrounded by giant pecan trees, right out there in the middle of the hayfields.

My idea for this one was for the focal point, the house, to be the most detailed part of the painting, with the foreground, the tall grasses that grow out by the highway, to be very impressionistic, almost abstract. I used brushes and painting knives on this, and layer upon layer of color to develop the wildness and texture of the foreground.

Here are some details:

The march of progress ...

... meaning the progress of this painting, of course.

Just a quick post to show the painting so far:


untitled in progress
18 x 24 x 1 • acrylic on cradled Gessobord

My idea for the development of this painting is that the focal point, the house, will be the most detailed, and everything else will be most impressionistic, especially the foreground, which will be almost abstract even.

I’m adding layers and layers of color to develop the foreground texture ... it’s not done yet, so check back!

Vivid!

untitled painting in progress
18 x 24 x 1 • acrylic on cradled gessobord


So here’s the underpainting for my new one. It feels so great to get back to painting again!

Gotta run ... I’m trying a new catfish recipe tonight for dinner, and I better get cookin’.

I’ll let you know how it comes out.

Fascination

Bailey, fascinated by the process of printing out some shipping labels yesterday:






Whoa, I can’t believe it’s the middle of June already! It’s been over a week since my last post, but what a week!

My husband came home from the hospital this week after having surgery to remove a staph infection in his skin, and he’s doing very well. We’ll have a Home Health Care nurse coming out 3 times a week to change his packing, and it will take a couple or three months to heal completely, which is a much better prognosis than we had originally, which was a 4-5 month hospital stay!

And when I was goofing around with the dogs yesterday, giving them their after-breakfast ear massages and belly rubs and getting lots of canine kisses in return, I noticed that Sophie had a gash on the lower part of her chest, right between her front legs. I can’t for the life of me figure out how she did that, but it was off to the vet with her, where she got a lot of sympathy and quite a few stitches.

And today I’m catching up on emails and cleaning and sweeping out my studio/office, looking forward to some time at the easel this afternoon. Hopefully I’ll have some painting progress to post tonight.

Later taters!

Faith with shoes on

Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people ...

Galatians 6:9-10a

This photo is just a teaser to show the subject of the painting I’m working on. It’s a different angle and different cropping ... stay tuned for photos of the actual painting progress.

Paul is doing very well and should be going home in a few days, then home health care will come and take care of him for a few weeks and teach me how to take care of his surgery wound during the 3-4 month period to full recovery.

Today Dan, one of our friends from church, came and mowed our lawn while I was up at the hospital with Paul. No small task, let me tell you. So when I came home this evening to feed the dogs the lawn was all fresh and smooth and beautifully manicured. Lovely!

Dan and his wife, Diane, are always doing things like that.

You know, putting shoes on their faith and walking it around doing good stuff for people.

And now all the dogs and cats are nestled in their various beds, bedtime treats have been dispensed, and I’m heading back up to the hospital to spend the evening with my husband.

Good night, all!

Praise the LORD, O my soul

a folk art painting from the archives ...


Rosy Morning ©2005 Karen Mathison Schmidt
10 x 10 • acrylic on wood
private collection • Malvern, Pennsylvania

This one that I painted and sold a few years ago has a particularly folk kind of feel to it. I thought the title was especially appropriate for today.

My husband came through his surgery this morning with flying colors, and is recovering well. He still has a few more days in the hospital, and I’m spending most of the time during the day there with him. I’m toying with the idea of bringing my paints tomorrow and working on my current painting there. We’ll see!

Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

PSALM 103:1-5

Impressionist Expressions of Abstract Realism

Summer Stream (Yosemite) ©2005 Karen Mathison Schmidt
9 x 12 • acrylic on board
private collection • Kingman, Arizona

I was recently invited by Kimberly Conrad to join Daily Painters Abstract Gallery. Thanks, Kimberly!

Even though my work is representational, Kimberly says they are trying to show a variety of different art styles there, and I’m very honored to be included. Anyway, I think impressionist and expressionist painting involves elements of the abstract. I’ve heard it said of John Singer Sargent’s paintings that at 12 inches they’re impressionism, at 12 feet they’re realism.

Dare I take that a step further and say at 1/4 inch they’re abstract? Yes! (This is strictly my own personal thinking and has absolutely no basis in scientific research, public opinion poll or established art philosophy of any kind. It’s just me.)

Anyhoo.

The painting I’ve shown above is one from a few years back. 2005 to be exact. As you can see, that was before I changed my signature to include my newly married name. (I spent a long time on that decision, but I decided to change my signature to honor my husband, and I’m glad I did. It’s not like I was a worldwide famous artist or anything. Yet!) Also, this painting is from a period when I had banished black from my palette. But that’s a subject for a whole ’nother post.

I am working on a new larger painting which I’ll post progress on tomorrow, but right now I’m headed up to the hospital where my hubby is fighting a staph infection and facing surgery to remove it. We’re thanking God this morning that it looks like the surgery is not going to be as extensive as the surgeon had at first thought it might have to be. It’s all very complicated because of his diabetes and his weight. Right now Paul (I love this picture) is just hanging out watching tv with an IV of antibiotics pumping into his arm. I brought him his guitar last night, but I forgot the picks, so I’m taking those with me today ... then we can be hanging out watching tv with him playing the guitar while an IV pumps antibiotics into his arm, while we wait to find out when the surgery will be. Maybe I’ll take the Deluxe Scrabble Game up there, too.

Anyhoo.

All this just to let you know that posting may be sporadic for a few days.

Meanwhile, check out the daily painters at the Daily Painters Abstract Gallery. There’s some really cool stuff there.


One Hip Cat ©2006 Karen Mathison Schmidt
16x20 • oil on board • not for sale!

The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

Psalm 121:5-8