Tess, portrait of a Rhodesian Ridgeback

SOLD

Tess © 2016 Karen Mathison Schmidt

6 x 6 inches • acrylic on ⅛" Gessobord
private collection • Poway, California

Glimpses of spring

Spring is when you feel like whistling 

even with a shoe full of slush.

DOUG LARSON

Today I’m working on a painting of our road, and I plan to post progress later on tonight.

Meanwhile, even though we still have a little over two more weeks until the official first day of spring, there are already plenty of glimpses of that glorious season all around us ... 

Hmmmm. I wonder how this one got in here?

Heart Art

 Though My Heart Is Torn © 2011 Karen Mathison Schmidt

Since I added this heart as part of the design of the February update on my website, I’ve had several requests for prints (thank you all for your lovely emails!) 

So I just wanted to let you all know that this week I added Limited Edition fine art prints of this art to my eBay store in three sizes (starting at $45), and also in Collectible Art Cards ($7.75)

CLICK HERE TO SHOP in my eBAY store!

Shifting Shadows

 Shifting Shadows  © 2016 Karen Mathison Schmidt

16 x 12 inches • acrylic on 3/4" cradled GessobordTM

SOLD • private collection, Elk Grove, California

Yesterday afternoon was beautiful and spring-like, perfect for a little plein-air painting. My portable French easel is still in storage, but I didn’t let that stop me! I dragged my big easel and a chair out to a pretty spot out a ways from the house, loaded up my little red wagon with all my supplies, and spent a glorious couple of hours painting away. 

The challenging part was that it was late in the day so the shadows were changing pretty fast. After I had the gist of the painting on the board, I brought it back to the house to finish in my studio.

A change in scenery

Yesterday morning was really dark and stormy, with a heavy rain for just a few hours, and by noon the sky was almost completely clear again. I took a little break about five o’clock to go for a short walk. Walking in the woods is one of my great delights. Even in the middle of winter, so many colors, and an almost overwhelming abundance of textures.

As I was walking back toward the house (you can just make out the peak of the roof in the center at the top of the photo), the sun was just dipping below the tree line behind me, so that the last rays were lighting up only the very tops of the trees in the distance ahead, making them look as if they were all aflame, and making me catch my breath and feel really glad I had grabbed the camera on my way out the door.

Throughout the year I’ll be working on a series of large landscapes for a two-artist show in Shreveport in December and January. This view is definitely a top contender for reference material!

A head scratcher

Why, oh why must the annual reappearance of Cadbury Creme Eggs coincide almost perfectly with freshly made New Year’s resolutions?

Back at the easel … finally!

After a LONG time away from painting and blogging, during which my husband and I moved out of our big old house, traveled halfway across the country and back visiting family, and started renovations on our new-to-us little ol’ farmhouse, I’m glad to be finally getting to work here in the room which is my cozy little studio.

We’ve moved in even though the house is quite rustic and still in a far-from-finished state (these things always take way longer than expected, especially when we are doing most of the work ourselves). But even though for the time being we are living a sort of “Little House in the Big Woods” life here, there are one or two pockets of cottage-y comfort, such as a newly working bathroom and a very comfortable warm bed, along with lots of comfy blankets and throws for the furry family members.

AND we finally have our satellite installed and so full internet access … woo-hoo!

I’m still having a bit of trouble updating my website, but hopefully that will be resolved before too long, and things will be steaming along quite nicely.

A lot of my studio is still in boxes, and will remain so until warmer weather and I can put a new coat of paint on the walls, but I’m unpacked enough to get back to painting at the easel and writing and answering emails.

Thanks bunches for all your kind messages while I’ve been away from the blogosphere. I’m really excited about the new paintings I have brewing, and I’m busting with news about this year’s workshops! Keep checking in for updates and announcements along those lines in the next couple of weeks.

Happy Painting!