Zee painting, she is finished.

Ensconced ©2009 Karen Mathison Schmidt
14 x 11 x 1• acrylic on cradled Gessobord
SOLD • private collection, Berwyn, Alberta, Canada

Here are some close-up details:

Spring is poppin’ out all over!

Sunlit Poppies ©2009 Karen Mathison Schmidt
6 x 6 • acrylic on Gessobord
gloss varnish for protection and easy cleaning • sold unframed
SOLD • private collection, Jackson, Mississippi

Yesterday I received an engraved invitation in the mail. It was from these sunny poppies blooming in the beautiful sidewalk gardens behind Norton Art Gallery here in Shreveport. It said: Paint us. You know you want to.

And I have been wanting to. So I did.

Just kidding about the invitation part, by the way. Although they were whispering pretty loudly as I passed by that day at the garden.

Funny Face

Portrait of a Bluetick Coonhound


Henry © 2008 Karen Mathison Schmidt
6 x 6 • acrylic on Gessobord
gloss varnish for protection and easy cleaning
SOLD

This is our Henry. Here’s his story.

What a dog! We love him. He loves us.

Well, as suddenly as my cold came, it retreated. I got a really good night’s sleep, and when I woke up this morning I was perfectly fine. I was pretty much on the ball this afternoon, so I remembered to take more work in progress photos:


1. After the initial sketch (with a burnt umber colored pencil), I blocked in the main colors.

2. I added a glaze of pthalo and cobalt blues to the background and to the black areas of Henry, and a burnt sienna glaze to the tan areas.

3. and 4. Doing my best to keep the brushstrokes loose and expressive, adding more layers of color and detail, working from dark to light, until ... well ... it’s Henry!

Here’s a close-up detail: