Katie May -Taking it Day by Day!

Thankful Chickadee

noreply@blogger.com (Katie May) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 00:44:00 +0000

8x8 mixed media on paper-matted and framed $100

Painted this the other day and actually forgot to post it...Love these little guys :)
I'm elbow deep in cheescake, cranberries, turkey, and other sundry thanksgiving type foods right now. Figured I would post this before the weekend because I fully intend to be comatose from turkey tomorrow!

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!

Sale on all paintings in my studio!

noreply@blogger.com (Katie May) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 16:47:00 +0000

SALE SALE SALE!!!

Serene Beach Umbrella 12 x 30 Oil on Gallery Wrapped canvas Only $100!

Detail of beach scene below. This was painted with a pallette knife.

Set of 2 canvases-above (each 12 x 30) Gallery Wrapped $200 for both

Rockport, MA (above) 9x9 oil on Gallery Wrapped Canvas $50

(Extra Deep sides. Image continues around edge. See post several back)

Crane Sunset (above) 12 x 30 Oil on Gallery Wrapped Only $100!!

Crane Sunrise (above) 12 x 30 Oil on Gallery Wrapped Canvas- Only $100!

SALE SALE SALE!

Clearing out my studio so here are a few paintings I've decided to put on here. Significantly lower than I normally would, but I really need to move things. Great timing for Christmas gifts! I have many more available so if you have seen things you like please ask, or make an offer. Some smaller paintings on canvas are as little as $40 and I have some on canvas board for $30 (will list those soon)! If you are in the Boston area (or within 45 minutes or so from me, Maine, NH, etc.) I would be willing to meet or deliver to save on shipping. If I have to ship to you I will charge you only the cost of packaging and the actual shipping costs.

Donut Run

noreply@blogger.com (Katie May) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 01:15:00 +0000

5x7 Oil on canvas board

6 x 6 oil on canvas board

Did a few of these because my hubby's birthday is coming next week and a couple of years ago he snagged one of my Dunkin Donuts paintings and brought it to work. He loves it. And apparently so do his coworkers. So I thought I would do a few and see what worked.

I think the first one is the one I will give him (hope this isn't the first time he checks my blog in months ;) or the cat's out of the bag!).

The bottom one...I love black backgrounds. Hate the picture glare! Can't seem to avoid it.

Aerial Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Katie May) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 15:59:00 +0000

6x6 Oil on Gallery wrapped canvas

Quite a glare in the left top. Sorry! I believe I am a bit ADD when it comes to art. Notice a difference between this and the last post?...Maybe I was being too serious for a while and had to do something that reminds how light and fun life should be, or maybe the last one was to gray, or maybe my attention span on a new style or technique lasts through 5 paintings or so before I move on...I have said this before but I envy artists that can fill a room with paintings that are "them" . I have such a hard time settling on a style, and move around to different subject matters all the time. I wonder if this is detrimental to me as an artist. Do I not learn enough?

My hubby hates the aerial shots (ok strongly dislikes). For some reason I really enjoy them.

Notre Dame et La Lune

noreply@blogger.com (Katie May) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:41:00 +0000

Notre Dame et La Lune 5x7 mixed media on board

Pardon my thumb. Sneaky thing found it's way into the photo! Still dreaming and painting! I often feel like I don't paint something as well when I haven't seen it or experienced it first hand. I definitely have a passion for certain places I haven't seen yet, but I don't know if I could do them justice without smelling, feeling, and seeing it for myself...If I ever get to see these places I will let you know!
I may have to paint something sunny though soon. I am feeling very BLUUUUE that the summer ended suddenly, and while I am NEVER ready for summer to end, I super not ready this year. Every year I tell myself I need to move somewhere warm year round. It would do wonders to boost my spirits. But I love New England too, so moving south isn't something I plan on until I can have two houses. At that will be a while. Someday! :)

Pears are like people....

noreply@blogger.com (Katie May) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 22:04:00 +0000

5x7 mixed media on canvas board

I attended my friend Su's art reception last night. She and 5 other women paint together (and apart) and then exhibit each September. They call themselves the "Confetti Girls" and they are all phenomenal. Inspiring colors, techniques and compositions. Some paintings are similar and you can see their influence on each other. Some totally different and you can see the strong individuality of each artist, but all the work always flows beautifully in one space.

I was talking about pears with one of the women and mentioned I had just painted one and how funny they were as fruits. Seems to me like they are the most human of fruits. They can lean, they have diverse shapes and colors. Some have lumps where they shouldn't, some are short and fat, some are thin and gangly. But they are all beautiful. Just like people!

Off to the Ipswich Bay Yacht Club tomorrow for their Annual Show and Sale. Nothing like last minute, but I am still agonizing over what to bring!

Dream/Paint your way to Paris...

noreply@blogger.com (Katie May) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 18:00:00 +0000

Paris En Nuit - 5x7 Mixed Media on Board
I recently bought my daughter a tank top that says "dream your way to Paris". It seemed perfect because I have dreamt year after year after year of going somewhere like Paris. I hatched a little plan recently of traveling alone to france and saving little by little. Hubby was all for it. But real life gets in the way. Money gets in the way. And it's not happening. Another trip planned to the t in my head. So when it comes to the girls I am always telling them to dream. BIG. No HUUUUGE! and then don't just dream it, but do it!

I love working with the mixed media background, but I HATED painting over the bottom half of this piece. The text was so beautiful and I really hated to lose it, but without putting in the sketchy buildings, the tower was just kind of floating around. SO I felt I had to sacrifice the text to make it work :(

What do you expect to find?

noreply@blogger.com (Katie May) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 03:12:00 +0000

Truthfully.....

Little Chickadee

noreply@blogger.com (Katie May) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 23:50:00 +0000

6x6 mixed media on board

Cecelia's necklace left, mine right

Had a crazy couple of weeks that sort of took the wind out of my sails, so painting took a back burner for a little. In the meantime Cecelia and I did some beading with beads we picked up at the flea market a couple of weeks ago. Cecelia made me the butterfly pendant to cheer me up. She did such a good job on it that I told her she should sell them. Then she decided that she wanted to donate some of it to Child Fund International like I did for the art show. So she plans to start making them soon. I promised I would post them here when she is ready.

The painting is from a photo I took of a little bird last spring. I LOVE these little birds. They are so sweet! I just ordered a bunch of boards to make various backgrounds. This one is from an 1853 Godey's Lady's Book with some texture added to it. The white on the background is actually sheer shimmer that doesn't show that white in real life. I am excited to see how these work out!

Art show time!

noreply@blogger.com (Katie May) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 19:53:00 +0000

I won't be posting any new paintings for a week or so, because I'll be at the Hall Haskell House all week for my art show...
Funny thing...I was sooooo excited for this show and that I have finally carved more time out of my insane life to create. I had all my paintings ready to go and felt relatively proud of my body of work. Recently I was talking with a friend's husband about my upcoming art show and about pricing and other tidbits regarding the art world and he informed me that I wasn't "a real artist". I sheepishly, stupidly, dumbfoundedly agreed with him when he said this. He told me his definition of a real artist was someone who didn't create paintings to sell and didn't worry about what others thought. I didn't realize how much this got under my skin until I was hanging my show today and I just felt like everything I was hanging was simplified into a commercial peice of crap because 1. I was selling it and 2. I was showing it, making it evident that I cared what people thought.

Then I realized...Wait a minute! What about Sargeant who had a flourishing career painting commisioned portraits and murals, or even Michaelangelo who painted the Sistine Chapel at the request of the Vatican or the Impressionists who began the Salon de Refuses because they were tired of being rejected by the Paris Salon (hence they CARED what people thought). Anyway, I have a nasty habit of not thinking of good comebacks til after the fact. Meaning I am bothered and hurt, and the person who did the hurting isn't thinking a bit about it....I had really hoped to go into this week and my reception on Friday with a different vibe and I am STUPIDLY letting one negative comment bother me when I get so many compliments on a regular basis! Man I gotta learn to stick up for myself!

Helen's "No Joke" Blueberry Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Katie May) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 12:34:00 +0000

6x6 Oil on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

In all seriousness this pie is no joke. There is a little diner in Machias, Maine called Helen's Restaurant and they have an entire case of row after row of mile high pies. They are enormous, and filled with more fruit than I can even illustrate in a painting. I didn't even come close to doing it justice! I noticed when I posted that there is a bit of a halo at the top of the picture from the glare. Maybe it's angelic pie too!
My art reception is next Friday, August 19 from 6-9 pm at the Hall Haskell House in Ipswich. I will be there during the week as well; August 16-19 from 2-5pm and Saturday from 10-4 pm. I decided to donate 20% of my art sales to Famine Relief. And 40% of food related paintings to Famine Relief. I think I will be donating through ChildFund Internation, an organization that my family is involved with. However, depending on what organization needs it most, I may change who I donate through.

Dunkin Run....

noreply@blogger.com (Katie May) — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 23:22:00 +0000

Dunkin Run...6X6 on gallery wrapped canvas

The other day we met my parents at the cabin they are staying at in Maine and came armed with 2 DOZEN Dunkin Donuts. The girls were in their glory as I don't think they have ever seen that many donuts in their possesion at once. The count on donuts eaten that they gave me was 3 each, but given that they were hanging out with Grandma I suspect the count is more like 6 each! Poor Cecelia took a bite out of this donut and I made her wait while I found my camera and took a pic. Poor kid was salivating!

No matter how proud I am of a painting I do, I don't think I ever get as much guilty satisfaction as I do when I paint a donut. Kinda like eating one ;)

Paintings from Cutler, Me

noreply@blogger.com (Katie May) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 01:25:00 +0000

14x28 Oil on Canvas-Little House in Cutler Harbor

Detail of Cutler Harbor

6x6 Oil on Canvas Board - View From the Porch/Cutler, Maine

Will post new pics tomorrow with my husband's camera.

Well, for better or worse, I am home from vacation. After a wonderful week and a tricky trip back, I really wish I could teleport myself back and get another few days to soak in all the beauty of the Maine coast and the comfort of a perfectly clean little house near the ocean. Ah real life must resume I suppose.

One thing I AM excited to be back for is my art show at the Hall Haskell House August 15-20. I am thrilled to be painting so much again and finally have a show of all my work for the first time in 2 YEARS! This is a huge feat for me, and one I didn't actually anticipate being able to complete.

The top painting is a shot of Cutler Harbor from a spot on this FABULOUS hike on Western Head Trail. It was phenomenally breathtaking. I have been on MANY many hikes way up in Downeast Maine and this one was just wildly exciting. This little house on this adorable cove was at the trail head where we started out from. It seemed abandoned and I suspect was just a leftover that the current owners of the larger house behind it didn't particularly have an interest in. It was deeelightful, and I wanted it! I painted it mostly with a pallet knife to force me to loosen up. It was fun to change it up. I still feel like I'm searching for my style.

The last image was the view on an overcast morning from our porch. Mmm did I mention I wish I was back :)

I'll be having an artist's reception either the 19 or 20 and will announce the date when I finalize it.

Off to the Bold Coast!

noreply@blogger.com (Katie May) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 01:56:00 +0000

6x6 Oil on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

One more post before we leave tomorrow at the crack of dawn for Cutler, Maine and a week completely away from civilization! I kind of can't wait to be totally disconnected from my internet and phone for a little while. And I am definitely looking forward to some painting time at the house we are renting on the ocean. Keep your fingers crossed for me that we will have decent weather!

Here is a small one I did from a picture a friend took from her boat. The photo was gorgeous and this definitely doesn't do it justice....

Escape. The Return of the Donut....

noreply@blogger.com (Katie May) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 14:45:00 +0000

6x6 Oil on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

Donuts, cupcakes, cakes, oreos, bismarks....You name it. When I first started this blog I LOVED to paint anything sweet. Largely inspired by Wayne Thibeau and Ed Carson (a western Mass artist who did AWESOME abstract paintings of pie, donuts,etc) when I first started painting there weren't many paintings for a while that DIDN'T include something scrumptious. Although now that I think of it, I wonder how much was creative inspiration and how much was a desire to have edible props!

Then I started blogging and realized there were other artists who like to paint sweet things as much as I do! How fun. (check out Kelly McDonald on the right. The girl can rock a jelly donut). While prepping for this upcoming show I've been painting lots of larger pieces and lots of landscape (which I love), but I really wanted to have some fun with a few little canvases I have to finish. Up next I believe is hostess cupcakes. Or maybe oreos again. Or lemon meringue pie, or....hmmmm yummy!

Cliche

noreply@blogger.com (Katie May) — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 02:15:00 +0000

12 x 3o Oil on gallery wrapped canvas

So, I know, I know the rainbow umbrella on the empty beach is SO cliche. I am positive that every artist on the north and south shore of Boston (heck every artist near a beach anywhere) has done this. Including myself. However, I took the girls around 5:30pm the other day (have I mentioned this is my favorite time) and I saw this. Literally perfect picture. How very considerate for this person to set this scene up for me just right! There were a couple of other people in the distance but I like this lady in her white suit and the feeling that she was alone on this vast beach. I did not paint the swarms of greenheads that we braved on the way back to the car... Although none of them actually suceeded in biting us, but they (literally) gave us a run for our money.

All American-Ice Cream and the Ocean

noreply@blogger.com (Katie May) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 19:13:00 +0000

9x9 Oil On Gallery Wrapped Canvas

What is better than a day by the ocean? Unless it's a day by the ocean eating ice cream. I love seaside ice cream shacks. Not sure what it is about them that seems so quintessentially summer and American, but the combination is perfect. This little shop is in Rockport, Ma. My husband took the girls last weekend for the afternoon so I could get some painting time, and I told him to snap some pics and I would paint whatever he suggested. He knows of my love for the ice cream parlor in Boothbay Harbor Maine (which I MUST paint one of these days) so he snapped this.

My favorite favorite subject matter is store fronts, streets, and groups of people. Exactly the subject matter I don't feel very good at. I always envision a painter much freer and much more liberal in it's color choices and I never finish with exactly what I intended. I photographed the sides on this one since it's one of those super deep canvases and adds another 4 inches to the painting!

The dog. Wasn't sure whether to put this guy in because I am NOT a good pet painter, but he was in the photo and he just seemed to want to stay! Animals are definitely not my forte, and are actually the subject of the ONLY painting my husband has laughed out loud at. Actually he, and both girls did as well. I attempted to paint a cat we used to have and I was almost proud of it as a first attempt. I believe my husband words were "wellllll, he looks a little, um, deranged". Yeah...I painted over that one!

Lucky Shot

noreply@blogger.com (Katie May) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 01:31:00 +0000

I have a new painting to upload tomorrow, but in the meantime here is a lucky photo shot I got of a mom and her daughter this afternoon on the beach. So sweet!

More sunsets, can't get enough...

noreply@blogger.com (Katie May) — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 01:11:00 +0000

Crane Sunset 12x30 Oil on gallery wrapped canvas $300

I'm working hard painting, painting, painting for my solo show at the Hall Haskell House in August. Here is a new sunset one of, what else, our view from the end of Crane Beach. I am thoroughly convinced that my art wouldn't be where it is if I didn't have all this around me. Although now when I go back to Vermont I have a greater appreciation for that as well, so maybe art was just something that came when it did no matter where I was at the time....But I am so glad it did!

Finally a painting....And my new blog

noreply@blogger.com (Katie May) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 20:16:00 +0000

6X6 Oil on Deep Gallery Wrapped Canvas $75

I finally got to a little painting. I always love doing cherries. Not sure what it is about them that makes me so happy....Maybe it's the red. You can almost taste red can't you? Unlike other colors.

I also wanted to announce that I will be starting another blog on my flea market adventures with my daughter. It will be seperate from this one and I will make sure to keep posting here with my art work. Really looking forward to posting our finds from our antiquing trips though. We only bring $30 with us and it's always a blast going through the goodies we come home with!

Summer is here!

noreply@blogger.com (Katie May) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 17:23:00 +0000

It's been ages since I have been on here, or has the flurry of end of school and spring activities that overtook our home blurred my sense of time! Finally school is over, and with my girl to help with the baby I should be able to devote more time to painting. Can't wait to get going.

On a non painting note, I took my middle daugther to the flea market again a couple of weeks ago. We were there by 7 am and it was PACKED. We were in our glory! Anyway, I picked up a couple of copies of Lifetime Living magazine from the 1950's. Too cute! This cover, along with the ad on the inside, instantly made me wish for quiet days of retirement, with grown kids nowhere in sight, and my doggedly devoted salt and pepper gray husband (mine's blonde so that part wouldn't work) and I traveling the country in our phenomenally stylish and comfortable vintage rv. Of course it wasn't vintage then, it was new, but you get the point! Look at how pleasant this image is (and no I don't mind in the least cooking) with the palm trees outside and the sparkling kitchen. Love it! Made me yearn for the 50's. Or really any time past, which I often do. I am firmly convinced that somehow the stars crossed and I was planted squarely in the middle of the WRONG time. I wish you could be reincarnated backwards, but I suppose if there is such a thing it probably moves forward.....

I'm a textile fiend......

noreply@blogger.com (Katie May) — Wed, 25 May 2011 12:57:00 +0000

I'm a total textile addict. I mean it's bad. Not to the point where I steal from family and friends to snag the mint condition, 12 stitch per inch, 1930's Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt I just saw on ebay for $600. But bad enough that I have stacks and stacks of anything antique/vintage in the textile department. Anyone who has followed me since I started this blog 3 years ago might remember that I almost never did a painting that didn't incorporate some cool vintage fabric. I've sort of sold out a bit I guess because I don't paint them anymore. People never bought them or got as excited about them at art shows. But everyone always loved the later stuff I did. I like what I paint now, so maybe I haven't sold out ;) but I loved the quirkiness of the other work I did. Sooo, textiles are on my mind because I snagged an awesome quilt top on ebay. It was a "cutter" but I couldn't bring myself to cut it up, so now I am on a restoration mission. The fabrics are hands down the most gorgeous 30's prints I have yet. Many in mint condition with bright colors. I was all "aflutter" when I opened the box and saw what I had. My husband is perplexed by my excitement! I love all fabrics and have some fab turkey red and indigo blues from the late 1800's backed by a wonderful light blue homespun. But it's the whimsy combined with the deco of the '30's that gets me weak in the knees....

Crane Beach at Sunrise

noreply@blogger.com (Katie May) — Sat, 21 May 2011 18:54:00 +0000

12 x 30 Oil on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

I feel this needs some tweeking in the bottom half yet, but I'm not sure where so I think I will step back for a couple of days and see. Sometimes just uploading the photo of a painting makes me suddenly see what needs work.

While I was painting this I realized the funny names I have for my art supplies. Like my "awesome fluffly cloud painting" paint brush. I literally refer to this one particular brush that way and my husband knows exactly which one it is. I have various labels for paint colors (the funky peachy pink color) and other brushes too (the spikey hair brush)....Funny I never noticed it

Prepping for Art in the Barn and trying to finalize what I am putting in. It's agonizing! I wish someone would just come pick 3 and not tell me which ones!

Roses are hard to paint....And Mother's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Katie May) — Wed, 11 May 2011 18:39:00 +0000

3 x 3 oil on canvas board framed to 10 x 10- $40 plus shipping. Contact me if interested.
I spent the better part of the morning last week trying to paint roses and was rewarded with a headache and a lot of frustration. I decided to return to them when I have more patience and time. Considering this is the umpteenth time I have tried, I may give it up for a while!
Instead I painted this little painting. It's the one I did a few weeks ago, only small!

Mother's Day was interesting...and fun! I was woken up with fresh coffee and specially made corn muffins with maple syrup and bacon. Not so good for the bathing suit I am trying to fit into but oh-so-good for the tastebuds! Then I took the two big girls to the local flea market where we got the treasures pictured below. The wonderful little blue vintage cocktail glasses have these little glass button all over them and I would LOVE to paint them. VERY intimidating! All in all a good day.
Hope everyone enjoyed their day!

Marsh Sunset

noreply@blogger.com (Katie May) — Tue, 03 May 2011 15:36:00 +0000

12x30 Oil on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

I feel like I should start having blog followers name my paintings! I am the most unoriginal human being when it comes to naming artwork. I brought in 4 paintings to the gallery the other day of fruit and the gallery owner asked me for titles and I looked at her with a dumb expression and seeing I was stumped by such a simple question she said how about "pears. cherries. grapes. and lime". Yup, worked for me...Now four days later I thought of a couple of snappy names, but oh well!

So, stating the obvious, this is a marsh sunset! Loved painting it, and couldn't help thinking throughout the process that some paintings paint themselves and this was one of them.

Need I complain about the photo again, or have we established by now my deficiencies in that department. Hopefully if any of you ever see my work in person, it will look better than it does in digital pics!