New Winter paintings

These three new works will be part of my one person show at the Forest Hills Fine Arts Center. The show opens Jan.6 and the reception is Jan. 13 from 6-7:30. The work on display will include favorite plein air and studio paintings in oil and pastel.

Spring Thaw, oil, 16x20

Frozen Sanctuary, oil, 16x20

Winter Day, pastel, 24x18

Winter Painting

"Fallas Barn-1866", oil on linen panel, 9x12

Last Saturday, I attended the paintout with the PAAWM group at Fallasburg Park. I met up with Patti M. and she directed us to the historic village of Fallasburg and this old barn. The day was cold and very gray with wonderful atmosphere. We heard the coyotes howl and duck hunters in the distance. It all added to the experience of being outside painting on location. My fingers and toes complained but I sure do get a charge in painting on the spot! I really like this painting and think I will try to add it to the next show collection.

Field Study to Studio Painting

The upcoming exhibit at the Forest Hills Fine Arts Center will have quite a few examples of Field Studies to Studio Paintings. "Woodland Phlox" is a field study from this past May. In fact I did several from that area and took numerous reference photos, thinking that I would want to do a studio  painting or two from them. The field study helps capture the overall feeling of the subject as well as getting down some accurate colors of the lights and shadows. All this information is extremely helpful when working on a studio painting away from the actual location of the subject. My studio painting, "Through the Enchanted Forest",    is much larger than the study, so the photo reference helped with the extra detail and areas that I did not put in the field study. Overall, I am happy with both of the paintings, and feel they captured the magical feeling of the phlox filled woods.

"Through the Enchanted Forest", oil, 30x20, $2300.

 This painting and the field study, "Woodland Phlox", oil on lined, 12x9 , will be on exhibit at the Forest Hills Fine Art  Center Exhibit show, Jan. 6 - 26, 2011.

Dawn's First Light

I have been working back and forth from my field studies and reference photos with both oil and pastel. My trip to Michigan's Upper Peninsula inspired this painting from a series of photos taken along the shore of Lake Superior during sunrise. I was taken by this immense White Pine, just kissed by the warm light of the rising sun against the serene calm of the water and sky.

""Dawn's First Light", pastel, 18x24, $1500.

First Snow

Today was the first Snow!!!
New Miniatures, 6x6, framed in gold or warm silver, $225. including shipping. Visit my web site if you would like to see more.

"Sun Setting Over First Snow", pastel, 6x6 image

"Boughs of Snow", pastel, 6x6 image

"Birch Tree", pastel, 6x6 image

Skies

I need to include this painting that I did in late October. My interest here was the dramatic sky over the dark gold rolling hills. I loved the color contrast. I also wanted to practice painting clouds and feel that this one was a success. I may paint a larger version of this soon.

"October Sky", oil, 12x12

I felt that this next sky was dramatic in a different way. I was attracted to the blue violet sky against the old white farm house and the way the shadows on the back of the farm house seemed to melt into the sky color. This is called a "lost edge". I took some artistic license here and left out a few trees, etc to create this composition, but still stayed true to the essence of the scene before me.

"Farm House - November Sky", oil on linen panel, 9x12

November plein air work

November has gone by in a flash partly because I have been immersed in studio work as well as getting out during some really nice days in the first part of the month. The next few blogs will be playing catch-up with my favorite plein air works and then some new studio work.
Holly Sturgis and I went to paint at Klein's Farm and were treated to beautiful afternoon light and color with a great view of rolling hills and orchards. I love the colors of the orchards in fall almost as much as the blossoms in spring.

"Rolling Fields and Orchards", oil, 9x12

"Beauty Road", oil, 12x9

Sometimes I make plans to work in the studio all day, only to see that the day is shaping up fine and I know that I will regret not plein air painting. This day I painted with my friend, Kay Tiedt, in an area that I normally do not frequent, but she had been there a few days before. We met on 4 Mile off of Egypt Valley Rd., and discovered a winding Natural Beauty Road with a few spot to pull over and paint. The wind had picked up, so I was glad to be in a secluded place, with trees all around.

Late October plein air

"Cherry Orchard and Morning Shadows", oil, 8x10

I had the opportunity to paint on a farm that is near the highest spot in Ottawa County. On a clear day you can see the dunes at Hoffmaster State Park! This is beautiful land, with cherry, apple, and other fruit trees in neat rows over rolling hills. The distant views are unique to most of Michigan until you travel north around Traverse City. So anyway, I loved painting here and look forward to do paintings of the spring blossoms.

"Little Stream in October", oil, 10x8

This little stream flows into the Rogue River a few miles from my home. I have driven by it countless times and finally decided to do a painting on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Sometimes you have to see something many times before realizing its potential. Of course, it could have been the late afternoon light and the warm colors of autumn that made it special this day.

Road to Home

In this post I would like to show how two plein air studies along with several reference photos aided in the studio painting "Road to Home". I did the studies several weeks ago, not far from my home, and decided right away to do a larger painting from that experience. Study one:

"Poplars and Sumac", oil on linen panel, 10x8, $500. framed







Study number two on the same morning:

"On the Way Home", oil on linen panel, 8x10, $500. framed



In the studio I set up these studies and photographs up together, and did a small composition sketch. My canvas was 24x36 so I wanted to be sure the composition would work in that format.

This is a photo of my set up and partially finished work. You can see the sketchy underpainting on the bottom half.

The finished painting:

"Road to Home", oil, 24x36, $3000. framed

October Orchards

"Apple Orchard - Morning", oil on linen panel, 9x12

Wow, what a beautiful morning to paint. Last week I went to Robinettes Orchard with two artist friends and we felt so fortunate to be there. The light was great and there was something to paint in every direction. I did two paintings with the help of an apple fritter and coffee. It was delish!

"Peach Orchard in October", oil on linen panel, 12x16

I loved this scene. The peach trees were just starting to turn a golden color and the morning shadows created nice patterns across the grass and hilly road. I had to paint fast to keep my initial inspiration as the sun rose, everything changed very quickly.

Plein air Work

"Red Barns and Pumpkins", oil on linen panel, 9x12 SOLD

The beautiful October weather is starting to fade. We still have some sun, but with it comes the wind and chilly temps. I feel good that I was able to paint on location most of the month, accumulating many studies and finished works. I am going to feature some of my favorite ones in the next few blogs.

"Farm on the Hill", oil on linen panel, 9x12

"Pasture Creek", oil on linen panel, 14x11

A Commission

"Summer Waves", pastel, 24x36 - SOLD

This painting was recently completed as a commission. The client wanted a pastel painting of Lake Michigan with the water and shoreline as the subject, and this was the result.

Favorite Creeks

"Creek Bend", oil on linen panel, 11x14

"Sunlit Creek" oil on linen panel, 14x11

I can't help it that I love to paint water especially a small creek. Maybe it goes back to my childhood when I spent many hours playing in and around the little creek in the woods behind our home. All of those wonderful memories surface as I paint along a babbling creek. These two paintings were painted last week at two different creeks and I loved every minute of it.

Paintout at a Farm

This past weekend continued with the beautiful painting weather for the Plein Air Artists of West Michigan to meet at a local farm to paint. I chose to paint the fresh produce building with the morning shadows cast from the 80 year old cherry trees. The most difficult part was the color of the building with the shadows so I tackled that first before the sun changed everything. I also wanted the shadows cast from the trees on the road to connect the shapes and create a lead in for the viewers eye to travel throughout the composition.

"Farm Market - Morning", oil on linen panel, 9x12
After a short break I drove towards the back of the property to find another subject and came across a recently cut cornfield. Last year I painted here when the corn stood tall and could not see the farm in the distance. I also liked the tree line that cast a purple shadow across the field. Beautiful atmosphere!

"Distant Farm in Morning", oil on linen panel, 8x10.

All paintings copyrighted by Kathleen Kalinowski, 2010.

To the Beach!

"Over the Dune", oil on linen panel, 11x14

"Sun, Sand and Memories", oil on linen panel, 9x12

What beautiful October weather we have been blessed with! Since coming home from the St. James Court Art Fair, I have been painting almost everyday in my other studio...under the sky! These two new works were painted at Duck Lake State Park, obviously on the beach side of the park. Duck Lake empties into Lake Michigan north of Muskegon. It was absolutely a joy to be out painting on the beach when it was near deserted and the temperatures in the high 70's. Although I only had time to do these two paintings, I will soon want to paint the stunning views of Duck Lake in October that I photographed.

Patti, I and Barb on the dunes.

Two New Pastels

I just finished two new paintings that will be shown at the St James Court Art Fair this weekend. I really like the pastorial motif and so that was my inspiration. There are many such scenes with farms, pastures and fields here in West Michigan and in the midwest. I try to capture not only the light but the atmophere of the day.

September Sunlight, pastel, 12x18, $900.

Out to Pasture, pastel, 18x24, $1400.

St. James Court Show

More new work that will be featured at the St. James Court Show opening Oct. 1 - 3, 2010.

Lilies and Beebalm, pastel, 18x12, $500.

Grandma's Hollyhocks, pastel, 9x12, $500.

New Pastel Paintings

The St. James Court Show is next week and I have been very busy getting new work ready to exhibit. My goal is to bring at least a dozen new pieces to add to my inventory. I am also bringing a few plein air oils to show on the outside of the booth if the weather is permitting. So the next few days I will be blogging my new work as a preview of what will be at the show. Hope to see you there!

A Country Road, pastel, 6x12

Three Haybales, pastel, 9x12

Flower Fields, pastel, 9x12

All posted paintings are original paintings by artist Kathleen Kalinowski, copyright, 2010.

September Plein Air Paintings

Pumpkins and Apples, oil on linen panel, 9x12, 2010

Painted plein air last week at the Country Basket on Nine Mile. I wanted to paint the pumpkin patch and discovered this view that was unexpected and very delightful. As I was working, a young mother and her children approached the pumpkin patch and the little boy went immediately to the large pumpkin that I was about to paint in. I am glad they did not take it!

Harvest Fields, oil on linen panel, 9x12, 2010

This is another local farm that I have passed by most of my life and decided to stop to ask if I could paint there. A very nice couple by the name of Alt. I went down to the pumpkin fields and discovered this beautiful scene in morning light. I bought some of her beautiful pumpkins, quite a variety to choose from. I will be back to paint here again.

Plein Air Oils by Kathleen Kalinowski
Michigan Landscapes

August plein air paintings

"Pond at Wau-ke-Na", oil on linen, 14x11

I did get a little behind in posting new work. I am going to feature four of my favorite plein air paintings from August. At least one will be used as a study for larger studio paintings. Contact me if you are interested in purchasing any of these works.

"Waiting for Perch", oil on linen, 12x9
Painted at AuTrain Lake in the UP

"Au Train Morning", oil on linen, 8x10

"Almost September" , oil on linen, 10x8

Painted at Wau-ke-na North Tract.



Art Prize painting



My painting for the 2010 Art Prize is "Lake Michigan Dunes", oil on linen, 30x53.



Day 6 - Lake Michigan Dunes

I continued to progress. I basically made adjustment over the entire painting, starting with the sky. I worked on the clouds, adding more variation in the blues. The background trees received the most attention as I thought they looked too flat. I spent a conserable amount of time on the trees, adding more colors in the shadows and highlighting the sunlit tops. The sand on the dunes also needed a little more contrast. All during this final stage I concentrated on repeating colors for harmony, softening edges and making sure there was a good variety of edges throughout the work.

Day six went into day seven and eight as I kept evaluating the work until it came to a point when I knew I was finished because I didn't think there was any more to do!

When the painting is professionally photographed, I will post the finished work.

This painting will be on display at Plaza Tower during ArtPrize in Grand Rapids, MI.

http://www.artprize.org/

Day 5 - Lake Michigan Dunes

This is a detail photo of the work that did on the painting this day. I established more underpainting colors for the grasses on the right side. I needed it to help balance the composition and to help bring the eye back around. I also knew the closest shadow on the bottom should be darker and more complex.