When opportunity knocks ...

SOLD

800 Miles to Long Beach  © 2007 Karen Mathison Schmidt, artist

18 x 36 inches • acrylic on archival, museum quality cradled GessobordTM

private collection • Long Beach, California

A lone easy rider, a biker in blue, makes his way through the beautiful New Mexico landscape, not another soul in sight along this tranquil stretch of desert highway. Only 800 more miles to the Pacific!

In actuality, this motorcycle rider was zooming along just ahead of us on I-40 as Paul and I made our way west to my sister and family’s house in Long Beach for a much-looked-forward-to visit. 

In our white Camry. 

Not quite as cool as a hog, but the view was just as breathtaking.

Plus we had the Eagles on the radio and an ice chest full of diet cokes in the back seat. Groovy.

A girl and her dog

Whoever said that diamonds

are a girl’s best friend

never owned a dog.

– ANONYMOUS

COMMISSION

Aubrie and Buddy  © 2013 by Karen Mathison Schmidt, portrait artist

6 x 12 inches • oil on 2" deep cradled GessobordTM

private collection • Houston, Texas

This is one of the top secret, highly classified, need-to-know-basis-only commissions that I did earlier in the summer, now ready to be revealed!

This portrait of Aubrie and her best canine friend, Buddy, was commissioned by Aubrie’s Mom as a surprise birthday gift, so I couldn’t show it here until after the big day, which was last Saturday. 

The reference photo was a flash photo taken in a dark room, so it was really hard to see any detail in Aubrie’s eyes, and hard to see the true color of Buddy’s coat, but Babs (Aubrie’s Mom) sent me several other pics of Buddy and a beautiful bridal portrait of Aubrie from several years ago so in the end I had wonderful reference material for both subjects.

“I just wanted to let you know that I absolutely adore the painting you made of me and my precious dog. I know that I will outlive Buddy and will have your painting as a beautiful reminder! ... Thank you from the bottom of my heart!” – Aubrie (Houston, Texas)

“My daughter was thrilled with the portrait of her and Buddy! She was so excited she texted the picture you had sent to all her family and friends and immediately made it the wallpaper on her phone. Thanks again for an absolutely awesome legacy and you will probably hear from us again.” – Babs (Bossier City, Louisiana)

Thanks, Babs, for choosing me to paint this portrait ... it was an absolute joy!

I’m still working on another top secret, highly classified, need-to-know-basis-only commission that I’m really excited about, and which will be revealed in the not-too-distant future.

Meanwhile, I’ll be taking only a limited number of commissions before Christmas, so if you’re thinking of giving a painting as a special gift, it’s not too early to get your request into the schedule!

A blessing for the whole day ...

An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.

HENRY DAVID THOREAU

An early morning cup o’ joe, followed by a walk, followed by another cup o’ joe, is a blessing for the whole day.

KAREN MATHISON SCHMIDT

SOLD

Expectation  © 2013 Karen Mathison Schmidt, artist

36 x 36 x 2 inches • oil on 2" deep cradled GessobordTM

private collection • Elk Grove, California

The inspiration for this was a road winding through one of the old neighborhoods in town. I changed the curve of the road in the foreground to suit the composition better, and somewhere during the painting progress the foliage beyond the far curve became a glimpse of a morning mist-covered lake.
Artistic license, you know.

 I’ve been studying the California impressionist paintings of William Wendt -- how he simplified the shapes and color of the landscape, and used large, bold brushstrokes -- and trying to incorporate some of what I’ve been learning into my art.
I absolutely LOVED painting this large size! 

Here are some close-up details:

 This part kind of reminds me of stained glass.

Loved doing these big brushstrokes ...

Happy Painting!

and more progress ...

Untitled WORK-IN-PROGRESS • 36 x 36 inches • oil on 2" deep cradled GessobordTM

Here’s where I am on this big one. Gotta say, I LOVE painting large!

 And here’s Ray in his latest favorite napping place while I’m working.

Hey, just consider me your muse.

Hold on a second, shouldn’t that be “mews”?

Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

Shady Street work in progress

Untitled WORK-IN-PROGRESS • 36 x 36 inches • oil on 2" deep cradled GessobordTM

I’ve been working on this large landscape today ... a sunlight-dappled street winding through one of our old neighborhoods in town. Love those shadows!

Sometimes these big ones sell right off the easel, so if you’re interested in getting in line for first refusal, let me know by emailing me at karen_schmidt@mac.com

Now I have to run downstairs for a popcorn-and-movie date with my hubby.

Happy weekend!

A cat is a poem

A dog, I have always said, is prose; a cat is a poem.

– JEAN BURDEN

SOLD

Garden Gem  © 2013 Karen Mathison Schmidt, artist

6 x 6 inches • oil & mixed media on museum quality, archival GessobordTM

private collection • Leonding, Austria 

I toyed with the idea of making the title Nap, Interrupted (which I still like, and may end up using for another painting down the line).

But after I finished I thought with the leaf design on the box, the swirly arm of the metal chair and the flowers in the background, Jo looks like she’s lounging in the garden.

I took lots of work-in-progress photos which I will try to post tomorrow; I had so much fun with the heavy, rustic texture on the box Jo has claimed as her latest favorite napping place.

Happy painting!

A thousand words

 My new work in progress, plus ...

... a real piece of work.