Wednesday, March 10, 2010

"Booster Seat I & II"

Booster Seat I and Booster Seat II
each is 8 x 10"
both are sold


Whew ! All of the new paintings are officially in the Morris & Whiteside Gallery, currently being hung for the three-artists-show opening Friday, the 26th and I feel I can relax a little bit. And I'm very happy to start showing you each and every painting - and if you don't mind - I want to add to that some of my favorite details or 'sweet spots' that make them special.

Let me start with the paintings you see above - two women taking a rest on a bench in the Art Institute of Chicago. It's where thousands of visitors take a load off and hopefully get a boost of energy to get back to exploring. Now, you may recognize the woman on the right, I had painted her a few years back - but with this new piece, actually both paintings - I applied the oils with a palette knife, nice and thick, then carved into it with a brush, adding more detail and control. I can attest to this being more difficult and frustrating - but the challenge lies in moving the paint around, almost sculpting it in parts. Some areas have slabs of color on top of color, like in the pants and the back wall and the swirling of thick paint to move with the folds of the clothes.






You may also notice, even though I'm one of three artists in this show, I titled my work "The Tute and a Tan". Let me explain how my brain works, with respect to getting the job done. I can move forward, fairly quick, if I have a specific direction. In this case, I chose to paint scenes from two of my favorite people-watching spots - the Art Institute of Chicago aka the 'Tute' - and the beach. Once I can visualize a grouping that marries well with each other, I start working. There isn't an artist that doesn't get stuck not knowing what to paint next - and this way of thinking and preparing helps me motivate.

All of my paintings in the show can be viewed here - and thank you for looking. A short video can be viewed here as well. Hope you enjoy.




14 comments:

Anne C M Campbell said...

Karin - these paintings are just wonderful. I can't stop staring at the lady on the right. She is so perfectly rendered with very little contrasting values to depict her form from her hair down to her shoes! She is so complete in every way. I also love the shiny bench holding up the figures. Just superb.

Linda Popple said...

Congratulations, Karin!! Every painting is a winner. I do love your work! Thanks for sharing your process. I have learned quite a bit from you and believe me I do appreciate it. Thank you!

Tammy Hext said...

Absolutely inspiring Karin - way to go. I wish I could see it in person.
Tammy

myra anderson said...

all of the paintings are 100 percent beautiful. I REALLY love modern love!

Dana Cooper said...

Worth the wait Karin! These are all so very beautiful...my favorite is the girl with the kite, that you can't see...brilliant!

Rhonda Hartis Smith said...

These are amazing!

Autumn Leaves said...

These are beautiful, Karin. I love them hung as they show here, as a diptych. The continuity of the bench is wonderful. I also love the impasto look you've achieved with the palette knife. I so love palette knife paintings. They are just amazing to me. Living here where I do and I still haven't managed to visit Chicago's AI in years! I need to rectify that.

Unknown said...

Outstanding works Karin.

Rae Andrews, Contemporary Texas Artist in all media said...

Karin, your work is truly an inspiration to me, what a wonderful understanding of the human form you have. I always look forward to seeing your next piece.
Good luck with your show, I am sure without doubt, it will be a sellout.
Rae

Leslie Saeta said...

Wow. These are really wonderful. I can only imagine how focused you have been finishing all of these. We missed you but we can all see your time was well spent! Congrats and here's to a wonderful show!

Stevie B said...

Wow, how long do paintings done that way take to dry? Nice work!

liz wiltzen said...

WOW! karin, you have outdone yourself with some of these pieces! I especially love the compositions of folks in front of abstract works, they are SO strong.

"Abstract Thought" -stunning!

And "Truckin'", you NAILED the body language, and don't we all know someone exactly like this woman. I see it's sold already, not surprised.

Outstandiing!

Kaylyn Munro said...

What a terrific body of work. Although every single one is strong, I think that "blank stare" may be the finest of all. I absolutely love the geometry and minimalist response to a minimalist painting. The simplicity of the girl makes it seem to me that you have resolved the painting on the wall, not done a picture of it.

I hope the show is a smashing success!!

Art By Erika said...

Bravo! I hope you're patting yourself on the back big time. Jaw-dropping excellent!