"Sammy"

7 x 5"

oil on panel
sold

A glistening, iridescent sardine I named Sammy.

"Big Brother"

14 x 6"

oil on panel

I saw this guy and his two dogs on the beach every day while we were in Hilton Head.   It was something to aspire to - teaching Zac and Joey how to walk each other.  How great is that?

Please click here for a larger view and purchase information.

"Tanning Tubes"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

I took a week off of painting for some spring cleaning - meanwhile the sun and the warmth finally arrived.  Yay.   This new painting is an ode to late spring and the anticipation of floating in a swimming pool as soon as possible.  Plus I just got a new tube of Quinacridone Violet for that hot pink I wanted.  

"Legally Blonde"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

I feel like painting dogs these days.  It's such a happy subject.   This little guy was painted on a bright, red ground, you can spot glimpses of it on some edges and underneath the sand color.  

From the beach on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

"Pack Man"

12 x 7"

oil on panel
sold
 

Boy did I work hard on this ocean.  Some artists can make it look so easy.

From the beach on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina - a man and his pack taking a brisk walk on the morning after Hurricane Sandy had passed.

Please click here for a larger view.

"200 Faces, No. 121"

4 x 4"

oil on panel
sold

A new painting included in my ongoing series BUST-ED.   I thought it was time for a smile.

"200 Faces, No. 120"

4 x 4"

oil on panel
sold

A new addition to my ongoing series BUST-ED  -  a lesson on blond hair and glasses.

"200 Faces, No. 119"

4 x 4"

oil on panel
sold

A new addition to my ongoing series BUST-ED.

"Shore Patrol"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

I've got a few larger paintings in mind for Morris & Whiteside Gallery, for their upcoming summer season - this is a small study.  I was feeling out the darker-grey ocean in the distance.  It's an unusual color than I'm not prone to paint - the darker waters were a result of a storm that passed the night before.  

From the shores on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina - a man and his buddies.

"200 Faces, No. 118"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

A new addition to my ongoing series BUST-ED, and slightly larger than the usual 4" square - this particular face persuaded me to try something different.  I painted a brown/black (oil) over the white ground and proceeded to bring out the highlights by removing the dark with my brush dipped in Gamsol.  It took a while to get used to how to use the brush, wet, dry, scrubbed, washed, etc.  Tricky.

Near the completion, I added a slight warm-grey into areas as well.  I love it.

"200 Faces, No. 117"

4 x 4"

oil on panel
sold

Oh happy day when painting comes easy.  The one before this, I spent about 4 hours on, didn't quite finish, went to bed, came back to it the next morning, spent another 2ish hours on it then wiped it off in total frustration.  I was so sure it was a winner and poof, it was gone.  Every day is a learning process.

Part of my ongoing series BUST-ED.

"At The Brandywine"

8 x 8"

oil on panel
sold

I thought I'd keep working on the bright red ground today and chose an image that had lots of warm reds/golds.   It's experimental really.  I want it loose and I want to use the red ground in spots and edges.  You see it peeking through in many places - the trick is when to let it peek through and just compliment the colors.

A visitor standing before two of N. C. Wyeth's paintings - 'Painting of Native American' on the left and 'On The October Trail, A Navajo Family' on the right.  N. C. Wyeth is in the top 5 artists for me personally, along with Andrew and Jamie Wyeth, so visiting the Brandywine Museum of Art is always a thrill for me.

Studio Sale!

I've got three paintings that I removed from the frames - painted in August 2012 - and I would be pleased to sell them.   If you'd like to take a quick look, I'd appreciate it.

'Fleeting Moment'

8 x 8"

oil on panel
sold

We were in Aiken, South Carolina for a Steeplechase event and visited their little city for dinner, where I spotted this gentleman watching a butterfly on the sidewalk.  

'The Shy One'

7 x 10"

oil on panel

I spotted this young man weaving roses out of palmetto leaves outside the city market in Charleston, South Carolina.  I love the shadows in this piece.

To purchase this painting, please click here.

 

'Early in Sterling'

10 x 6"

oil on panel

sold

From our cross-country travels last spring, a Edward Hopper-like painting of a row of little houses facing the early morning sunshine in Sterling, Colorado.

"Diggin' It"

8 x 10"

oil on panel
sold

I've had a cold.  In the grand scheme of things, it's just an ordinary cold but it turns the brain to mush.  But after a very nice evening with a couple who bought a painting of mine recently,  I got a much-needed shot in the arm and jumped back into the paints, despite my mushy brain.

Lucky for me, a Game of Thrones marathon has been on all day and I've stayed focused for a change, painting and reminding myself how the story has progressed - ready for the return of Season 3 tonight.  Yay.  It's the best thing on television, if you haven't tuned in yet.   Baseball returns tomorrow, the trees are budding and life is good.

I painted this piece on a bright, red ground - which takes some patience because colors do appear different on the red, with less predictable results, but that's what makes it fun.  Just like when you paint on black - at first you battle with it, then get familiar with how to go along with it.  

"200 Faces, No. 116"

4 x 4"

oil on panel
sold

I really do enjoy painting these portraits, I learn something every single time.  Part of my ongoing series BUST-ED.

Happy Spring ~

"200 Faces, No. 115"

4 x 4"

oil on panel
sold

Part of my ongoing series BUST-ED, a portrait inspired from a police mugshot.

"Winter Color"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

I haven't painted many flowers in the past - but I've been stuck and the best remedy I know is to paint something unfamiliar.  And it's a deep appreciation for some bursts of color during gray, winter days.

"100+ Faces, No. 114"

4 x 4"

oil on panel
sold

Part of my ongoing series of portraits painted from mugshots, the chiseled profile of a Native American Indian man.

"Brewskies"

I have crawled out from under a rock and I'm back in the swing of things.  Yay.

Before I show you my new painting, I want to thank all each and every one of you who emailed and left comments full of good wishes.  It really did matter.  And I am lucky to have many good friends out there.  Thank you all.

And for anyone contemplating gall bladder surgery,  it's not so bad.  It probably was awful 15 years ago, but modern techniques make it less a big thing.  The roughest part of my experience was tackling an infection with antibiotics that made me so sick, I couldn't bear to watch Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives without gagging.   That finally passed and I think I'm pretty close to my old self again.  Yay.

Back to art.  Enough of that.

12 x 5"

oil on panel
sold

left side detail

right side detail

Ladies taking a bench break with some cold beer during an outdoor arts festival.

Hello March

I don't like to reveal too much of my personal life on my blog,  it's meant for art after all.  But the month of February has been brutal.  I couldn't be more happy to see March.   It has to be an improvement.

I am currently recovering from surgery.  Yep.  My gall bladder, or what I called 'Alien 3', was taken out.  Recovering is a bit tougher than I expected - but I have high hopes of getting back to my old self in a few days.  High hopes.  She's got High Hopes.

~ Happy March to All

"Fruit Stand"

5 x 7"

oil on panel
sold

A museum visitor standing before Claude Monet's 'Apples & Grapes', inside the Art Institute of Chicago.

"Reflections"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

One of the pleasures of painting is that it's an escape.  And that's what I needed, to concentrate on something else.   This is the sculpture "Cloud Gate" in Millennium Park in Chicago, locals call it 'The Bean'.  It was where I would meet up with my brother, Mike, whenever I was back in the city.  We marveled at it together many times in the past years.  It will always bring back good memories for me.

I also wanted to say to all who emailed and commented on my posting last week, about my brother's passing - every word meant something profound.  It lifted me up.  And I thank you all.  Mike's cat, Gizzmo, will be going home with a generous man who jumped at the chance.  A very meaningful ending to a difficult situation and I thank those who extended their help.

Life is Precious

To all my friends out there ~

My dear brother, Michael, passed away on February 13th.  He lived in Chicago all of his adult life,  he was an architect and loved by many friends.  Mike was my #1 fan, always encouraging me to be the artist I've always dreamed of being.

It will take some time to get through the details and arrangements, please know I'll resume with my painting and blogging as soon as it's time.   This is a reminder that we never know what tomorrow brings and to relish every day we are here.

Michael's obituary in the Chicago Tribune.

~ Karin

Q & A Weekend

Ask away.....

- Time to wrap up this weekend's Q & A, my friends.  Chime in next Saturday for more.
Happy painting ~

"100+ Faces, No. 113"

4 x 4"

oil on panel
sold

A new addition to my ongoing series BUST-ED, 100+ Faces painted from mugshots.  I picked this face because of the glasses.  I need practice on glasses.

If you'd like to see this painting 'in progress', I just posted it on my blog Karin Jurick Paints.