Sunset walk and a scary dog

As Roadie, Trixie and I set out for a walk after supper, I thought that we might have started too late for me to get any good pictures, because the light was too low.

 Hmmm.

 Maybe I thought wrong.

Love our southern red dirt. When I was a kid we lived for several years in Grand Forks, North Dakota, where my Dad was stationed. The earth up there was black as coal. I remember whenever we went on family vacations down south, when we started seeing the red dirt we knew we were getting close to Grandma’s house!

Roadie loves to go swimming in this little watering hole out in the pasture.

 Hey Mom, wanna see my imitation of the Loch Ness monster?

Okay, are ya watchin’? Here I go!

Ooooo, scary, kids!

Who’s on first?

Untitled WORK-IN-PROGRESS • 6 x 24 • oil on cradled GessobordTM

This one is an exercise in spontaneity. Is that an oxymoron? 

I mean, is it possible to actually practice spontaneity? or does it just happen? 

Is it possible to plan to be spontaneous in your choices? or does the very fact that you say ahead of time: “I’m going to try to be more spontaneous with my decisions in this painting” rule out spontaneity altogether right at the outset?

Hmm.

Man. Thinking about this is blowing my mind a little. I think it’s time for a little winding down time with my husband and a good old movie.

Happy spontaneity practicing!

Because it was there

Studio Chair  © Karen Mathison Schmidt

6 x 6 inches • oil on 1/8" archival, museum quality GessobordTM

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Here’s my obligatory Still Life with Art Supplies. Including tubes of paint, a paint-smudged wiping rag, and my Chicago Art Institute souvenir mug filled with paint brushes. All seemingly casually arranged on one of my favorite antique green painted wooden chairs.

Okay, now that I got THAT out of my system, I can get back to the landscapes I’ve been working on!

Oh, hey, here’s another painting from days gone by in which this very same chair makes an appearance, although not quite so prominently:

Neighborhood Watch IV: Bailey Sees All  ©2011 Karen Mathison Schmidt

6 x 6 inches • oil on GessobordTM

Limited Edition prints of this one are available here on my website.

Happy Painting!

More painting progress ...

For the joy of ear and eye,

For the heart and mind’s delight;

For the mystic harmony

Linking sense to sound and sight;

Lord of all, to Thee we raise

This, our hymn of grateful praise.

FOLLIOTT S. PIERPOINT (1935-1917)

Untitled WORK-IN-PROGRESS • 20 x 16 inches • oil on 3/4" cradled GessobordTM

The coral-orange paint daubs in the center near the bottom started out as sunspots on the grass, but now they’re looking sort of like flowers. So I just might go with that. You’ll have to come back tomorrow to find out for sure.

To be continued ...

Hasta mañana, kiddos!

Short and sweet

Untitled WORK-IN-PROGRESS • 20 x 16 inches • oil on 3/4" cradled GessobordTM

My posts are going to be short and sweet (well, short anyway) for the next month or so as I gear up for the Revel. Here’s what I worked on today. I love watching the trees take shape as I paint in the negative space of the bright sky peeking out between the branches.

Ciao for now!

Hey!

First Light © 2014 by Karen Mathison Schmidt

12 x 9 inches • oil on archival, museum-quality 3/4" cradled GessobordTM

gloss varnish for UV protection

sides painted dark umber, so can be displayed with or without a frame

One thing then another has filled my days and kept me from my blog for too long! Just wanted to share this painting I just finished, and then gotta run.

Later, taters!

Oh, and happy painting, too!