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Art in the Morning 2011
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Winter's Mountain Chickadee
December 28, 2011 Nature's winter mascot in our neck of the woods is the Mountain Chickadee. Their chirps and tree trunk acrobatics animate our forests all year long. But their little round warm-gray bodies and dashing eye slash bring a particular warmth and charm to a peaceful winter scene. They're content in their quiet industry and good ambassadors of the season. 5" x 7" oil on panel sold
Solstice Sparkle
December 21, 2011 Enjoy the colors and spirit of the Season. Happy Winter Solstice! The days start getting longer! Ahhh. Peace to you and yours. 6" x 6" oil on panel sold
Checking It Twice
December 14, 2011 Sparkles and ribbons and lists that plot the joy of giving... 'Tis the Season! Trees decked with lights in the town square add to the festive air. I've had such fun being one of Santa's elves this year, painting special commissions for collectors' loved ones. It's a treat and an honor. This painting was also a bit of fun, my first painted ribbon and first painted glass ball. What a blast. Adding to the cheer was a new CD in my tray. (Pretty retro, I know.) If you need help finding energy to fit everything in, or you just want to share the cheer, I'm not sure you could do better than Duke Ellington's, "Blues in Orbit." I know it's called "blues" but it's the swingin'est, cheeriest blues one could hope to find! And Ray Nance may be my new favorite trumpeter. That's saying something after Miles, Freddie and Clifford! And, yes, I know, Wynton. Check it out. But watch out! You may find yourself cuttin' the rug instead of tying bows! 6" x 6" oil on panel sold
Blue
December 7, 2011 I like the way facets give me an opportunity to play around with planar shifts, bouncing light, bits of color and refraction that keep things fresh and alive. The blues and greens and light sienna make me think of water. Maybe it’s sitting on my marble-topped nightstand on the French Riviera? Yeah, sure! 6" x 6" oil on panel sold
Mountain Mirror 2
November 30, 2011 Nature fix. The sun is warm, the air cool, and the woods silent except for the snort of a deer before you hear her hooves make staccato contact down the slope. The sky is a window into bird life, the humorous cartoon squawk of crows perturbed about airspace, the soft chandelier-tinkling sound of small birds in a flock, a Pileated woodpecker hammering home a point, and the crazy-woman-of-the-woods call of the loon. Just before I set up my gear to paint, we walked down to the lake's edge. Savoring the placid blue, the endless inlets along the shore provide places for the mind to roam. Whoosh. An Osprey makes a torpedo dive and comes out with a salmon or trout bigger than him! Amazing. Off it goes, into the cerulean, looking for a treetop. Bird and fish, both heads facing southwest, the stacked combo looks like a surreal weather vane off on a road trip. 6" x 6" oil on panel sold
Let Them Eat Pie
November 23, 2011 I have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. You, my Art in the Morning reader, are chief among them. In appreciation, have a Happy Thanksgiving! 5" x 7" oil on panel sold
Rough 'n Ready
November 16, 2011 I went back to my toolbox. This little Shorty is great for getting out of tight spots. I like the way it practically vibrates with energy, eager to tackle the next job. One of the challenges I like about painting a single object is how to lead the eye through the painting. How to keep the negative space alive and full of energy, something I learned from listening to Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Plus, I just like tools. 6" x 6" oil on panel sold
An Apple a Day...
November 9, 2011 Purely for medicinal reasons, of course. 5" x 7" oil on panel $165 Art in the Morning special
Trick or Treat!
November 2, 2011 Don't you just love fall color?! 5" x 7" oil on panel sold
A Room with a View
October 26, 2011 One of my mottos, "When in doubt, go out." We made the great escape to the middle of nowhere for four days of camping. Not really long enough to qualify for the "annual vacation," but there it is. No cell reception. And, as Joni Mitchell says, "No deadlines. No commitments." They were replaced by: Stars. Shooting stars. Six satellites in one night. Stars. And, what must have been the space station going by! (It jives with their flight path via Google.) Very cool. A Bald Eagle. Deer. Flocks of twittering, migrating songbirds each morning just as the envelope of fog began to lift. Training my binocs on them revealed gems of color on their heads. While painting, there would come an occasional racket. It would turn out to be an oak leaf falling. Serious! What a gift, to have the silence of your thoughts in the surround of nature’s music. The time to notice the squall across the water’s surface, the coming of pink at sunset, the whir of cricket "chirp." Dusk brought the opportunity for a different peace, which comes with watching a fire. Fire must have been an essential ingredient in the evolution of consciousness. Did I mention? There were a gazillion stars. 5" x 7" oil on panel sold
Asian Pears
October 19, 2011 This past weekend I was invited to the Placerville Arts Association to critique new work for their upcoming juried members’ show. What a good time! It wasn’t lost on me that these folks – people who still make things with their hands – chose to spend a beautiful fall day indoors pushing their work to the next level. What a smart, engaged and lively group, most welcoming to someone they’d never met. One of the guys brought baskets of homegrown Asian Pears to share. Asian art is one of my first loves. So, here are some of David’s Pears, in honor of folks who make things. 6" x 6" oil on panel sold
Gladiola Muse
October 12, 2011 This weekend I left seven inches of fresh snow on our front step to show in San Carlos' juried art festival. We're talking mid-70s and sunny. Happy dogs, happy kids, happy me. My booth neighbor filled his sculpted glass vases with happy flowers. Splendid! No wonder I can never remember what season it is in California! I didn't want the feeling of summer to end. So I brought home its colors: sunflower yellows, tangy Gerbera daisy peach and cool Gladiola magenta-rose. 5" x 7" oil on panel sold
Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil
October 5, 2011 Need I say more? The cookie monster in my life never complains when I buy sweet stuff for still life painting. Funny how that works. 6" x 6" oil on panel $145
Tootsie
September 28, 2011 I thought it would be fun to paint the glossy, glassy multitude of shapes and candy colors of nail polish. Lucky for me, my no-longer-so-little nieces like to paint their toes with happy colors, and they donated their partially full bottles of nail polish. A wacky and nice package to get in the mail. Emma and Sarah, thank you for supporting the arts! And your mom, too. As usual, she did most of the work. 6" x 6" oil on panel $175
Back to School
September 21, 2011 I had this fresh, crispy, Gala apple, full of a ton of wonderful colors and the surprise of a leaf still attached to its stem. I thought of what time of year it is and decided to do a painting in honor of all of the teachers out there. All of us have had an inspired, stand-out teacher, or three. They can change the course of a life. Here's to teachers, who do one of the toughest and most important jobs there is. 6" x 6" oil on panel sold
Swing Shift
September 14, 2011 This was very fun to paint... the play of dark and light, cool and warm, weight and atmosphere. I like the lack of presumption and the functional mass of these classic forms. They continue to call to me to record their everyday beauty. I enjoy how the dark ellipses are pools of mystery. It makes me think of so many times in all of our lives where we are rising before dawn, or working in the middle of the night, just getting the task at hand done. And savoring the silence. 8" x 16" oil on canvas sold
Day Dreams 2
September 7, 2011 Sometimes it's good to have your head in the clouds. 6" x 6" oil on panel sold
Morning Light at River's Edge
August 31, 2011 I brought my easel to the bank of this river to catch the morning sun as it came over the mountain in this corner of the valley. In stocking cap and sweater, I savor this peaceful time. Birds dart from cool shadow into splashes of sunlight. I always thrill at the sound of hummingbird wings. I try to work fast in the quick-moving light. The colors shift from cool blues, grays and lavenders to greens, reds, yellows and orange. Brooding reflections on the river become silver bits of glimmering light. The only thing that could be better would be to have slept on the bank under the moon and awake to this view over the edge of my sleeping bag. 6" x 8" oil on panel sold
Exuberant Bloom 1
August 24, 2011 This was fun. I spied a lovely hedge of blooms at a friend's house and was lucky enough to take a bud on a stem back to the studio. Paint during the day, into the fridge at night. (The studio fridge is like an archeological dig of still life specimens.) Days go by. As this bloom opened up, wow! What fragrance! I did three paintings of the flower as it opened. The studio smelled like a garden paradise ~ my own little re-enactment of spring. 6" x 6" oil on panel sold
Taking Measure
August 17, 2011 My trusty Stanley tape measure has been going up walls and across boards, over artwork and along frame mouldings, and banging around in my car for more decades than I might want to 'fess up to. It helps me divide maple-veneer plywood into aesthetic sizes before I cut and prime them for paintings. Always a steady measure. Always that satisfying slide of efficiency back into its housing, despite the occasional drop-and-skid across a parking lot. Its reliability makes it iconic in my world. 6" x 6" oil on panel sold
Solitaire
August 10, 2011 The heavy lifter of every day, the overlooked, unadorned glass. Nighttime water, morning juice, a quick gulp between to and fro, something to crush the crackers when your lasagna has too much liquid, and of course, the holder of a good belt of scotch in some seedy motel room before Philip Marlowe saves a damsel in distress. 5" x 7" oil on panel sold
Frog Pond Meadow
August 3, 2011 It was a beautiful summer day to be out painting. Blue sky, wild flowers blooming, sandy beach on alpine lake at my back, mountains and a pond straight ahead. Red-winged blackbirds played melody with their reedy burble that says, "summer." While the frogs played the left-hand base notes. Along comes a scene right out of a Norman Rockwell. Fish nets and heads bobbing above the tall reeds and bushes. Sounds of exclamation followed by a solemn, "Sh-h-h-h!!" The frogs pull an audio blackout. A band of young boys dart and dive along the edge of the pond. They have a plan to bag some frogs. Stealth is their weapon. They're focus is heartwarming, even if I am rooting for the frogs. There's not a video screen, or parent, in sight. Just some old-fashioned kids-being-kids fun and adventure playing outside. The occasional splash, even the view of some long dark frog legs launching through the air, assures me the frogs made their escape. Late afternoon finds the boys rejoining their families to pack up from the beach. I am wrapping up my painting as well. Twenty minutes later I hear the bass end of the orchestra strike up a new tune of croaks and rrrribbits. Another end to a summer day. 6" x 6" oil on panel sold
Owen's Favorite Brew
July 27, 2011 My in-laws are celebrating their 65th anniversary. So here is a toast with Owen McKenna's favorite brew ~ to beer tastings in the back yard, which no doubt inspired a certain author you know, roasting a goat under the stars with Kent's ingenious bicycle-driven rotisserie, and your lifetime of backpacking the world together. Cheers! 5" x 7" oil on panel sold
Tea Time
July 20, 2011 I like the solidity of "old time" coffee cups, their matter-of-factness, their hefty unfussiness. They know what they're about and they get the job done. No apologies. No hedging. We would all do well to emulate the simple diner coffee cup. Keeping it hot. Working to ability. I appreciate that it knows how to cross the aisle, providing equal opportunity for tea. And I like the visual tension of the string around the spoon. 6" x 6" oil on panel sold
Considering the Cosmos
July 13, 2011 When I was planting my humble garden for the upcoming studio tour, a friend mentioned that I wouldn't get much painting done that day. I thought, "Well, I am kind of painting." With the flowers. I like them to look like a box of spilled crayons beside the drive. Not having been a painter of flowers, I've now done a few. It's a nice way to focus on the blooms. While I was obviously playing when I named this painting, appreciating flowers offers some of the same benefits as looking at the stars, skiing by moonlight, listening to a robin sing... it calms and slows and changes our perspective. That can only be good. 5" x 7" oil on panel sold
My Cup Runneth Over
July 6, 2011 Another round! The farmer's market is a carnival of color. It's visually exciting to walk along the tables of nature's colors. Cadmium Red, Permanent Green Light, Juane' Brilliant. Exciting too, to see the various faces that looked down the road, bent their back, put a shovel to soil, and out comes this bounty. The taut, reflective skin of these garnet red cherries called out to be painted again. Their warm rich darkness against the reflected cool of the porcelain... I like juxtapositions. There is an edible rainbow at your local farmer's market. It's fun! It's community. It's a gift. 6" x 6" oil on panel sold
A Great Day
June 29, 2011 I just finished a 5-day plein-air paint-out sponsored by Markleeville Art Gallery in Markleeville, CA. It was a terrific experience, continuing my recent lifestyle change of living beyond my comfort zone. Painting out in the glare of daylight is a real challenge. Yes, we had wind, but it was nothing compared to when I had to make a neck gator out of a plastic grocery bag on the beach in Carmel's wind-tunnel. And yeah, I heard talk of mosquitoes, which really don't exist in Lake Tahoe. I'm from Minnesota, where their size has people referring to them as the state bird. The Sierra doesn't have the simple clarity of shapes of, say, the golden hills of Petaluma. We have a snarl of branches, hairy trees and an abundance of... practically everything! So learning to edit is where it's at. I try to think of those jazz musicians I love. Miles, Coltrane... When they're young, it's all about how many notes can you play. When they're older, it's about saying more with less. Okay, so Coltrane always said more with more. But it was beautiful. I'm out there in Hope Valley challenging myself to do more while painting less, and design like Miles, with the negative space between the notes / shapes, and I'm basically just grateful that I have this opportunity to be in such incredible beauty. 6" x 6" oil on panel sold
Lily Shade
June 22, 2011 Showing in the Danville Art Festival this past weekend, I found a spot of cool shade under a tree and pulled out my paints to capture this lily in a cup. Turns out, painting is a magnet for small faces of every color. Kids are fascinated by the possibilities in creating something, and it's fun for them to see adults doing it too. 6" x 6" oil on panel sold
Hello, My Little Cupcake
June 15, 2011 Studies show that you get endorphins from chocolate. I do get endorphins from chocolate! I just access mine through paint. I paint sweet stuff because they make me smile. Low in calories, high in brain-chemistry buzz. This happy little number is over the top: chocolate-dipped vanilla frosting. Say, what?! With a cherry on top. For spring, of course. 6" x 6" oil on panel sold
Spouting Off
June 8, 2011 I like the way that art gives us a chance to take the everyday, overlooked object and see it fresh. This snappy little can is all about function. It's well-crafted and timeless. Kind of nostalgic. But its clean geometric hot red shape and gnarled brass fitting is aesthetic, too. And, it's not made of plastic! 6" x 6" oil on panel sold
Cherry Season
June 1, 2011 Memorial Day weekend found me with seven inches of fresh snow on our deck and a pot of lentil soup on the stove. But cherry season means it's spring, right?! Down in the Central Valley, it was fun to see the orchards next to the cherry stand bubbling with red baubles. 6" x 6" oil on panel sold
If I Had a Hammer
May 25, 2011 I've always used tools in my work. I have an affinity for them. I love their provision of leverage, weight and force in a spare and clean design. I also love that they remind me of some great times with my husband, my grandpa and my dad. This solid hammer, with the aid of a couple of nails, has put in some serious time. 6" x 6" oil on panel sold
Spoon in Cup
May 18, 2011 Seems appropriate to kick off my "Art in the Morning" gig with a cup 'a joe. We were in Carmel for Todd to do a book show nearby. I was excited to haul my gear to the beach and do some plein air painting. We enjoyed our morning coffee by the window. I love the reflections on the glass table top. The terrace out the other side was full of flowers. On the chimney of the clay rooftop across the street, a seagull couple faced into the sun, eyes closed, doing their Zen thing. After three hours of painting in a wind tunnel at the beach, I came back and painted this still life in our room to recapture the morning scene. (What hotel owners don't know... mum's the word.) 8" x 8" oil on panel sold |
New!! The Book!
"Art in the Morning" is my way to greet the day. What began as an attempt to make the world a kinder place through art, has turned into four years of weekly paintings accompanied by my musings on nature, painting, life, and jazz. Once a week I send out an email with a painting, hot off my easel, for you to enjoy with your morning cup of coffee/ tea/ chocolate before you dive in to your work day. It's just a moment to relax. It's my attempt to make art a part of our every day lives. All of the arts should get out of the cloisters and into the moment. Any moment. Share it with a friend. If they want to receive it regularly, they can just send me an email with "Please Add" in the subject line. I never share your address. Email me: Kit@KitNight.com (this is not a link) Night has no "K". Thanks and enjoy! - Kit For book details, please visit my Home Page.
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