karine's blog

Thursday's coyote

noreply@blogger.com (Karine) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:08:00 +0000

This will just be a quick post, as I am quite tired. Tomorrow, Tina Bluefield and I will climb into the vw van, which is packed floor to ceiling with art. We will carefully drive to our hotel room in Camarillo, making a concerted effort not to stop or swerve suddenly. The art will be carefully kept until bright and early on Saturday morning, when we will bring it out for display and sale in Ventura!!! It is pretty incredible, to see so much wonderful art in our little "Gordita." (For those of you who are new to the blog, Gordita is the name of our vw vanagon.) I am excited, and nervous. If you are living near Ventura, please do stop at the Ventura Art Festival and visit us! Tina and I will be right next to each other.

I promised a photo of a new monotype. I have others, still drying, which I am really excited about, but since they are still drying, I have not been able to scan them. That means I cannot share them with you yet. Sorry! I will tell you that I had lots of fun printing them, and I wished they were dry. I was hoping to take at least one of them with me, but I do think I have plenty of art. This one is a brand new bird, and I called him "Once Over." He is coming with me to Ventura!

We've heard and seen many coyotes lately. In fact, Pono and I were just at the window, looking into the black night, trying to see the one that was making such a racket, seemingly right outside the window. It was too dark, even when I turned off the lights inside. Oh well, I do have this photo of one we saw about a week ago. I would have had more photos of this one, but Pono stuck his fuzzy head right in the middle of the lens of the camera just as I clicked the button. So the other photo (which would have been fantastic, I'm sure) just looked like a black screen. Darn dog!

Oh, and don't worry about Mr. Pono this weekend. The hubby has the weekend off, so he can take care of Pono while I am away.

I wish you all a happy happy weekend! I love you, dear blog readers!

Arizona

noreply@blogger.com (Karine) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:31:00 +0000

This past weekend, M and I went to visit his parents in Mesa, AZ. They stay there in the winter months, at a place called Venture Out. It is a retirement community, and the residents live in trailers. It is a great place to live, if you are retired and like to stay busy. They have all kinds of activities and social gatherings. There is a stained glass workshop, woodworking, lapidary, art classes, hiking groups, swimming pools, etc. Just about any activity you might be interested in can be found. We had a really good visit, and enjoyed some pretty warm (hot) temperatures while there. (93 degrees, in November!)

I love the drive to the Phoenix area, since we take the back roads. There are plenty of sagauro and ocotillo cactus along the way! I was having fun, as the passenger, clicking photos through the window of the zooming vw van. Here are a few shots for your enjoyment.

I am busy preparing for an art festival in Ventura, California this coming Saturday, November 14th. I will be downtown, in a tent, near Mission Park on Main Street. The festival is from 11 to 6 pm, so if you are interested in stopping by, click on this link for more information. I will have brand new paintings and monotypes with me - some of which I created yesterday and today!!! Hot off the press! I will be right next to my friend and fellow artist, Tina Bluefield. You can also send me an email, to get more information about this event. karine@karineswenson.com

I will have photos of some of the new monotypes for you soon. Happy Monday, and stay tuned!

Happy 300 and the winner

noreply@blogger.com (Karine) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:41:00 +0000

Well, I know you have all been anxiously waiting to hear who the lucky winner of my latest giveaway is. I had so many wonderful entries that I finally had to employ the help of my husband. (Pono gave his input, too, with a tail wag.) The lucky winner is Charmaine, a fellow blogger and author of High Desert Diva. Her winning title for the diptych I posted was "Lake Reflections, Autumn." Congratulations, Charmaine!!! You are the winner of "Three Quail", the linocut. I am also going to award Melissa, of Pugnotes an honorable mention, since her entry included part of the title. (Reflections) Thank you so much, to EVERYONE who entered. I needed help with the title of that diptych, and I appreciate all of your input. It was a difficult decision, choosing a winner. I am thankful to have such loyal readers to celebrate post number 300 with! Thank you, my dears!

I am still a little tired from the Studio Tours. I think I just overdid it. I did show again this weekend, with the life drawing group. I delivered two framed portraits and some unframed drawings to the show, but I did not stay to talk about my art and meet people. I kept thinking I should be down at the exhibit all weekend, but to be perfectly honest, I just didn't have it in me. I want to thank my friend, Janis Comments, who organized the whole event, and for those artists that did stay to talk to people who came. You did what I could not do, and I am grateful for you!

I don't have much else to write about, other than to say that our little cold snap is over, and we are back up to 75 to 80 degrees during the day, with an abundance of sunshine. This desert living is hard to beat! I look out at the big moon, and think about how wonderful and full my life is, and I feel gratitude. I will now leave you to go and be with my handsome husband and freshly bathed dog. Fond thoughts go out to all of you, dear blog readers!

Studio Tours

noreply@blogger.com (Karine) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:24:00 +0000

I know you are all probably dying to know about last weekend and the Open Studio. I am sorry to make you wait so long. It was SUCH a busy, wonderful weekend! I am ashamed to tell you that I was so mentally overwhelmed that I didn't manage to take ONE SINGLE PHOTOGRAPH!!! Oh no!!! Then, it was over. The other artists took their art home with them and I suddenly found myself remembering that I had forgotten to take photos. Can you believe it?? Sorry!!! I am a sorry excuse for a blogger, that's for sure. I did take some "after the fact" photos yesterday of my art, once I was beginning to think clearly, but I know it isn't the same.

I will admit that I am still exhausted. I am feeling better every day, but I am amazed at how much the preparation and the event itself took out of me. I think what happens is that I got so used to operating at 100 miles per hour, and then I had a whole bunch of people visit me and talk to me all day for two days. The next day, when it was all over, I found that I was incredibly tired, but there was still this little part of me that was trying to stay busy, since I had gotten so used to being busy but tired. It took that first day to stop feeling busy, and then yesterday I finally was able to sit down and rest a little. I have gotten work done today, but I plan on a short day and then more rest. Perhaps by tomorrow, I will be regular Karine once more. Let's hope so.

As you can see, I packed every inch of wall space with a piece of art!

All and all, it was such a fantastic weekend! All of you who came - THANK YOU!!! What a wonderful crowd we had! I got so much great feedback on my art, that I am itching to get back in the studio and paint again very soon! I am happy that four of us decided to show together, because having the other artists there made the whole weekend so much more fun, and easier, too. Thank you, to Nora Lousignont, Esther Shaw, and Marjorie Franklin for agreeing to show your work here at my house. You are all talented artists and amazing friends.

I will be announcing the winner of my most recent giveaway in the next post, so if you haven't entered yet, do it now!

Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Karine) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:05:00 +0000

This is my 200th post!!! Wow. It is amazing.

I am nearly ready for the Studio Tours tomorrow. Just some cleaning and minor tweaking and I'm there!!! It's very exciting, but I need to get a big sleep tonight, because I am already exhausted.

Here is a photo of the biggest painting in the show tomorrow. Because size matters. 60 x 48 inches. Oil on canvas. Untitled in Blue.

I promise to take photos for those of you who are too far away for the visit! I love you, dear readers!

Quickly, on Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Karine) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:03:00 +0000

This will be a short post, while I eat some breakfast. I finally feel like things are coming together for the upcoming Studio Tours this weekend. Yes, I still have a lot to do, but at least I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I posted one of these new paintings last week, but here they are, side by side now. I am not sure if I will be showing them this weekend, since they still feel just a little wet. Now that the weather has cooled off a bit, the oil paintings are taking a bit longer to dry. I am still pondering a title. I am open to suggestions! These are oil on canvas, 24 x 8 inches (I think.)

My next post will be my 300th post on this blog! Can you believe it? I have decided on another giveaway, since that is so much fun. This time, the prize will be a SUR-prise. I will give the prize to whoever manages to come up with the best title for these two paintings. Leave your title as a comment! I will choose the winner AFTER the studio tours.

Long Days

noreply@blogger.com (Karine) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 05:44:00 +0000

I have been busy getting all of my new art ready for the Studio Tours. It is exciting, yes, but also exhausting. I am a little stressed that I won't be ready for people to descend upon my studio. Nevertheless, I am going to go ahead and invite you all to come and visit me!!! I WILL be ready, it just doesn't feel that way right now. The Studio Tours are this coming weekend, the 24th and 25th of October, from 9 to 5 pm. If you are nearby, and interested in coming for a visit, please email me at karine@karineswenson.com. I will send you directions to our house. I will have three other artists and their work here, in addition to my own. For more information about the tours, visit the Morongo Basin Cultural Arts Council website here, or the Hwy62 Art Tours website here.

Last week, Patricia asked me if I could share with you what I think about when I paint. I have been pondering this question ever since it was posed to me. It is not an easy question for me to answer, because the process of painting for me is so intuitive. I suppose when I begin to paint, there are all kinds of thoughts that sift through my mind. I never have a clear picture in my mind of what I want the painting to look like when I begin. I know some artists do. I usually do not. Sometimes, I have a feeling or an idea in my mind. However, there is no clear vision of what I am going to paint. I find this approach to be exciting and compelling. I have a process, or maybe a ritual, before I begin to paint. It is a series of steps that I take to help me reach almost a meditative state. I have found that my best work happens when I am NOT thinking. At least, when I am not allowing my rational, chattering mind to be the instigator of my marks. It is better when I am almost unaware of what is happening, on a conscious level. I remember once reading about East Asian calligraphers, and their process for preparing the ink before practicing calligraphy. This has been years ago, and I am sorry if this is inaccurate, but what I remember was that the process of grinding the inkstick into liquid ink was a slow, methodical process that helped the calligrapher prepare his or her mind for doing calligraphy. It was after reading about this process that I decided to develop a process of my own.

When I paint, I always listen to music. The music is like the string that holds a strand of pearls together. It is the unifying force in a painting - leading me from one stroke to the next. I don't really think of myself as being in charge of what happens on the canvas. I am more like a spectator. This probably sounds rather far-fetched, but this is exactly how it feels to me when I have reached the state of consciousness that produces my most inspired work. Other creative people have referred to this kind of inspiration as "the muse" or the divine force. I suppose it could be whatever you want to call it. If you have ever experienced it for yourself, than you will know what I am talking about. It is a wonderful state to be in, because everything else in the world seems to slip away. I lose track of time, I stop thinking about worries, what I have to do tomorrow, what I have to do today; anything that might wander through my mind normally is just pushed aside. I like to think that a part of this feeling can be conveyed in the finished painting. If you asked me what I wanted to convey in my art, I would say that I want it to be the kind of thing you could look at to help you forget about your cares. I am interested in creating art that lifts the spirit, much in the way I feel my spirit lifted when I listen to my favorite music. (I once thought if I could paint a painting as powerful and beautiful as Handel's Messiah, I would really have done something. I think about that as being my ultimate goal as an artist.)

So, my friend Patty, when you said my paintings seem ethereal, I feel encouraged, because I think that perhaps I am beginning to convey my intention clearly. I hope this answers your question. If any of you readers have other questions, please feel free to comment and ask me! I will do my best to anwer. Thanks, and good night!

Wednesday's vulture

noreply@blogger.com (Karine) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 02:11:00 +0000

I forgot to tell you about the turkey vultures last week. They migrate over Joshua Tree at this time of year, and one day last week on the morning walk with the dog, we startled a bunch of them that had been roosting in a neighbors tree. Pono loves to bark at birds, especially big ones. So, when the first few vacated the tree, Pono became very excited and began to bounce up and down, barking. There was some difficulty getting a good photograph while hanging onto a bouncing dog's leash. Luckily for me, there was this one brave vulture on top of the power lines that was not perturbed by Pono's antics, so this is the bird I photographed for you. Unfortunately, I only had my little point and shoot camera, so the close up isn't that great. I found out that turkey vultures don't build nests for their young. That one fact seems to stand out for me, for whatever odd reason. Also, when they fly, they rely on thermals to stay aloft, and only beat their winds infrequently. It is really breathtaking to watch a large group of them in flight for this reason.

One more new painting, and I must then wash my dishes. This one measures 24 x 8 inches, it is oil over acrylic on canvas, and I think the title is "Memories."

Monday's Jackrabbit

noreply@blogger.com (Karine) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:34:00 +0000

Another week begins with a cool, cloudy day. I may not be a fan of the cold, but if it rains, (which it might) I will not complain. We haven't seen rain in far too long. Even the desert needs rain, every now and then. When we don't see rain, the native creatures get creative in their quest to survive. This morning, when I went outside with Mr. Pono the dog, I discovered that one of the drip hoses for my plants had been pulled out of the ground and the end of it had been chewed off. Part of the hose was in the middle of our dusty dirt road. I have learned to bury the irrigation system, but clearly even that won't protect it from the thirstiest of varmits. If I had to bet on who the culprit was, my money would be on the beloved jack rabbit. They are cool-looking and have wonderful ears, but they are also known to eat any landscaping plant known and basically cause gardening mischief.

I have still been hard at work in the studio, but this is my last week of oil painting before the Art Tours. For those of you who aren't aware of it, an oil painting can takes weeks or even MONTHS to dry completely, depending on how thick the paint has been applied to the surface. I don't want to end up with a bunch of wet oil paintings when I have people wandering through my studio. That's just asking for messy, oil paint disaster. Knowing that my days of oil painting will be interrupted is enough to make me feel desperate and slightly panicked. I am so much in the groove of the painting process right now that I dread the idea of this interruption, no matter how needed it is. I guess that is what you might call a painting addiction.

I leave you with a photo of one of the newest oil paintings. It may not be finished yet. I am still thinking about it. It measures 24 x 30 x 2.5 inches and I have titled it "The Elements." So far, it has met with mixed reviews.

A Thursday Evening

noreply@blogger.com (Karine) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:12:00 +0000

Some days are such a challenge. I wish I knew why! All day, my plan was to get into the studio. First, my Dad called. (Hi Dad!) Then, I had to catch up with my friend Nora, who has been away. My hairdresser called, and said he had a cancellation, so if I wanted my haircut before November, I needed to come in at noon. (This was good news, because I did need a haircut.) As I was getting ready to make a little something to eat, my dentist called to say, "uh, Karine, you were supposed to be here about 10 minutes ago for a cleaning!" OOOPS!!! So I discovered how quickly I can brush my teeth and get to the dentist's office. I had just enough time to grab a quick taco and let the dog out before my haircut. When I got home, hair freshly cut and styled, I realized I had forgotten something at the hairdresser's. Back to the hairdressers. Blah blah blah... The whole day just continued in this fashion, until next thing you know, it's dark. I am getting spoiled now, and don't really like painting in the dark anymore. Besides, I had blogging to do!

So, no studio time today!!! I am disappointed, but I also know that missing one day in the studio means I will be REALLY committed to being in there all day tomorrow, so I am not going to lose sleep over it. (well, maybe a little...)

After visiting some of my favorite blogs, and leaving comments, I have decided I am going to write a book using the "words" that you have to enter to get your comment to post (in blogger). You know, wonderful words like "phoatr" or "ratonize". I mean, these "words" MUST mean SOMETHING!!! They just have to! What about "keysly". I am pretty sure that is an adjective. The keysly young girl just HAD to have ice cream on hot days. Something like that. Sometimes these "words" appear in Facebook, when you are about to post a link. Is this a sign that I spend too much time on the computer??? I think I know the answer to that, already.

I leave you with another one of the new monotypes, this one is a gold jackrabbit, measuring 5 x 7 inches.

Letters

noreply@blogger.com (Karine) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 01:56:00 +0000

I feel like the luckiest girl. In the mail, just last week, I actually got a letter. A real, bona fide letter! I have been reading posts from fellow bloggers recently, referring to letter writing. This recent attention in letter writing has lead me to make an effort of my own to write letters to people more often. Letter writing is something I used to love to do, and I used to both send and receive letters frequently. With the advent of email and facebook, plus all of the other quick and easy online ways to stay in touch, it seemed that my letter writing had fallen by the wayside. Picking up a pen and hand writing to a friend felt like a homecoming, of sorts. I wouldn't necessarily say that I was writing so that I would receive a letter in return for my efforts, even though getting a letter is such a delight. No, I simply wanted to write letters, and show my love for people in this way. I do receive letters in return from one of these dear people, and I am always delighted. But the letter I received last week was unexpected in the most wonderful way!

This letter came from a friend and fellow artist who I knew in Salida, CO. Her name is Cindy Heller (hi Cindy!) and I hadn't really heard from her since moving away. As it turns out, she has been following my blog, but hasn't posted comments so that I knew she was out there, reading. How cool is that? Cindy makes the most wonderful art dolls. I actually have given a home to one of these wonderful dolls. I had the privilege of selling these wonderful creations in my gallery, Cool Mountain Art. I am so happy to find out that I have another fan of my blog, especially one who is so dear to my heart. Thank you, Cindy, both for following the blog and for your divine letter! Here is a photo of the "Wise Woman" doll that I own. I consider these dolls to be dolls for grown girls, because they have wonderful, inspirational sayings on them. This doll says "I color outside the lines." (in case you can't read it.) I never colored outside the lines as a kid, but I am learning to be brave and do so as an adult!

I leave you with another photo of a new monotype. This one is of the ubiquitous desert quail, the Gambel's Quail. I love these funny birds! Their fancy topknot brings to mind a lady with a plumed hat, dressed to go out on the town. They make lots of noise, but are, at the same time, very skittish. I enjoy their antics, and have done little sketches of them as they forage around our desert home. This monotype is a result of one of those tiny sketches, and it measures 7 x 5 inches.

Once again, I want to thank you all for reading my blog. This is for those of you who come by, read and comment regularly and for those of you who pop over once or twice, leaving no trace of your visit. I appreciate each and every one of you, and it is for you that I find the desire to write. THANKS!

Cool weather approaching

noreply@blogger.com (Karine) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 01:51:00 +0000

At least that's the rumor. I have to admit that I am NOT looking forward to cooler weather. Mainly because I hate being cold, and in the winter I am always cold. Cooler weather means eventually cold (for me) weather, and has me in a state. Such a state, that I drank an extra cup of hot tea this morning in preparation, bought two pairs of extremely fuzzy socks, more boxes of hot tea at the store, and has me looking at a possible new blanket purchase. And it still got up to 88 degrees (F) today. I am one of those freaks who likes the house to be right about 78 or 80 degrees. When it dips down too close to 70 degrees in the house, I am reaching for a sweater and a pair of slippers. You may think I am exaggerating, so if you need confirmation on this, just ask my husband. I drive him crazy once the cold winter sets in, because I complain a lot and spend most of my time sitting next to the space heater. Please don't let it get cold too soon. Thanks.

Despite my tendency to keep my nose pointed down much of the time while walking outside, I have not seen any more tarantulas or snakes lately. I have noticed fresh new snake tracks, etching their way across our sandy dirt road. I look near the bushes where the tracks disappear, but no snake. What I have found about fun desert encounters of the creepy critter kind is that they only occur when you are least expecting it. Perhaps that is why so many times we are startled by the random slithering snake or fuzzy tarantula. I can't explain it. All I know is that I am often hoping for an encounter. I am not what you would call a girly girl. You know, the kind of girl who screams at snakes and lizards. Having said that, I wouldn't call myself brave, either. Certainly, I have been startled by the occasional coiled rattlesnake on the trail I am running down. I guess maybe it stems from all those years I spent as a youngster, dressed in black, strange hair, listening to music about vampires, snakes, lizards and other things that most normal people are repelled by. I think I have always felt somewhat repelling, myself, and so I recognize a bit of myself in these desert denizens. Whatever it is, I am fascinated by this desert, and eternally impressed with ANY creature that can call this place home.

I leave you with one more of the new birds. This one, called "Speak Softly" is an 8 x 10 inch, hand pulled monotype. Even more are lined up, drying, waiting to be scanned and shared with you, my dear blog readers.

Birds!

noreply@blogger.com (Karine) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 02:49:00 +0000

Long hours have been spent in the studio, making new monotypes. I have found a lighter weight printmaking paper that is enabling me to get better prints without a printing press, and I am having lots of fun. In my sketchbook, I have many tiny sketches of animals. The sketchbook itself is small - about 6 x 5 inches. So these sketches of animals are often dime-sized or smaller. They are just little quick sketches I do of the animals I see outside the window. As it turns out, many of them happen to be birds. Some of them were so much fun, that I decided to use them for making monotypes. I drew larger versions of these little sketches onto cardboard. (I save cardboard from boxes of crackers, cereal, or other food items.) I then cut the drawings out. Then, they get ink rolled on them, are placed on top of an inked plate, and are printed onto my printmaking paper. I have been using a baren, a pin press and a wooden spoon to apply pressure. For a step by step tutorial on how I print monotypes without a press, click here.

Here are a few of the results. The first one (at the top of this post) is called "Inquiry II", and measures 10 x 8 inches. The next one is untitled, and measures 5 x 7 inches.

This one is "Calling II" and measures 8 x 10 inches.

I hope to have a few of the new ones listed for sale in my etsy shop by the end of the week. I will be sure to let you know when that happens!

Desert Winds at Spezzano Gallery

noreply@blogger.com (Karine) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:42:00 +0000

Happy Monday, everyone! This week will be the last opportunity to view the "Desert Winds" exhibit at The Spezzano Gallery in Long Beach, California. The exhibition features some of my recent paintings along with the art of Esther Spezzano Shaw, Steve Rieman, and Nora Lousignont. It opened on Saturday the 12th of September, and the last day to see it will be this Saturday, the 26th of September. Gallery hours are Thursday and Sunday from noon to 6 pm, and Friday and Saturday from noon to 8 pm. As many of you may recall, I attended the opening reception on the 12th. Here are a few photos from the opening night.
Here is the owner of the gallery, Esther Spezzano Shaw, in front of one of her acrylic paintings.

Nora Lousignont:

Yours Truly:

I failed to get a photograph of Steve Rieman next to one of his sculptures, but you can see a few of his pieces in the first photograph. If you won't be able to make it to the exhibition at Spezzano, don't dismay! There will be another opportunity to see the works of all four of these artists in October, for the Art Tours. Esther Shaw and Nora Lousignont will be showing with me, while Steve Rieman will be showing at his own studio, which is well worth visiting. For more information, you are welcome to email me (karine@karineswenson.com).

You can now sign up to receive an email when I post a new entry on this blog! See my sidebar just to the left. Have a great day, all you dear blog readers.

Steven Pressfield

noreply@blogger.com (Karine) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:24:00 +0000

Greetings! I am excited to share with you a miniature interview I got to have with Steven Pressfield, the author of War of Art. Mr. Pressfield also has a blog, and somehow his P.R. representative found me through the wondrous world of the internet. Since I recently finished reading the War of Art, the timing could not have been better.

Karine: Steven, I just finished reading The War of Art, and really loved it.
Even though I consider myself a "professional artist", I have to agree
that resistance is something I fight each and every day before I go into my studio to paint. I am about to begin a whole new body of work, one that is different from the paintings I have been doing for a long time. It is a body of work that I have had resistance to for YEARS! (Which is why I know I need to get started on it, right away.) You offer so much good advice in your book, but I am willing to ask for one more tidbit. How did you convince yourself to finally write The War of Art, when you knew it was outside the scope of your usual writing? (non fiction rather than fiction)

Steven: "The War of Art" was actually pretty easy for me to write because I'd had it in my head for years, from many nights sitting up with friends telling them verbally exactly what's in the book--friend meaning aspiring writers etc. who were stuck and asked me to kick them in the ass a little. So when I got a couple of months between submitting the manuscript of another book and getting feedback so that I could go to the next draft, I just banged it out. So I'd never have to do one of those verbal midnights again!

Karine: My most recent struggle with resistance has come with the fact that I now have so many paintings! I need to market and sell this art! (Not a bad problem to have, but this resistance thing doesn't ever give up, does it?) I am sure writers experience this problem once they have completed a manuscript and now must publish it or have it published. What words of
wisdom can you give for those of us who are facing possible rejection and (ulp!) failure? How does one get back into the saddle?

Steven: That's a great question, Karine. I'm not even sure I'm the best person to answer it. The smartest thing I can say is: "Get help." Find other professionals--agent, publicity person, etc.--whose talents lie in the arena of marketing. Most artists, I've found, are woefully incapable of pimping themselves. I know I am. We need help. That's why God invented the ten percent commission and the monthly retainer.

Meanwhile I've got a really got mini-book .pdf on this exact subject, written by Jack White, the painter. I'll scour my hard drive and see if I can find it and include it in this e-mail. It's called "Mystery of Making It." If I can't find it, see if you can track it down by googling him. You might have to pay twenty bucks but it's worth it. Jack White is a former state artist of the state of Texas. If you can't find this under his name, google Mikki Senkarik (that's his wife, also a painter.) Just e-mail Jack and ask.

Karine: Thank you! I have been now reading Mystery of Making It, and there is a lot of valuable information in it! Some of the information I have heard before, but it never hurts me to hear it again. For any of you out there who are needing more marketing tips, I highly recommend this book!

Last question, Steven: I found that in order to get myself into the studio, each and every day, I have the best success when I follow an established routine or pattern. It becomes almost a ritual, and it really seems to help. Do you have similar habits or routines?

Steven: I do too. See the first chapter of "War of Art." My friend Randall Wallace, who wrote "Braveheart," has a whole series of early morning rituals. His girlfriend calls them "little successes." That's very good. Even a simple "little success" like making coffee or going to the gym really helps, I find. You are not alone, Karine. Rituals get the momentum going.
Have you ever read "Journal of a Novel" by John Steinbeck? You can find it for a buck, I'm sure, on alibris.com. While he was writing one novel (I forget which), he kept a journal ... writing little notes to himself each morning as a warm-up before he started his day's work. Well worth reading.

Hope that helps!

All my best,
Steve P.

Karine: Steven, thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions! It was fun to have you here, as a guest on Karine's blog. For those of you reading this, I did ask some of those questions with the intent that others could learn a little more about how to get going as a creative professional. The person I have to help me with my marketing efforts is a wonderful person by the name of Alyson Stanfield, over at Art Biz Coach. I highly recommend her book, I'd Rather Be in the Studio, for those artists who are reading to take their art to the next level.

You may also want to check out Pressfield's "Writing Wednesdays" on his blog. Here is a link to the one from this Wednesday.

This post is getting rather long, but I did want to share with you a photo from last night. This is my first real-live in person tarantula sighting!!! Mr. Pono the dog and I were outside after dark, waiting for M. to come home, when I happened to notice this fuzzy giant of a spider just outside the gate. You KNOW I had to get a photo of it!

We have a winner!

noreply@blogger.com (Karine) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 03:40:00 +0000

You see what happens when I go away for one night? I fall behind on absolutely everything. I had meant to announce the winners of my giveaway on Monday, and now it is Wednesday night! Sheesh. Could I please have a drum roll?

The winner is....AMY from Red Fish Circle!!!! Congratulations, Amy! You are the lucky winner of "Woman with Veil!" I don't think I have your snail mail address, so if you could please email it to me (weenafish@gmail.com), I will put your lovely lady in the mail.

In other news, the high desert has finally decided to cool off a bit. It now gets down in the low 70's or even sometimes the mid-60's at night, and the daytime temperatures are usually in the 90's. (This is Fahrenheit, mind you.) I am enjoying the cool morning temperatures for the daily dog walk/run. Pono likes it, too.

The opening at Spezzano Gallery was a great one. I will post photos this week.

What I really want to post for you today are some of the fun birds by the sea that I watched the morning after the opening. It was a cool, cloudy day, and I was up early enough to have a fairly empty beach to walk along, which is something I love. I can walk on a sandy beach for what seems like an eternity. It feels GREAT to have my toes in wet sand!!! If it had been just a teeny bit warmer, I would have gone for a swim.

A Friday night

noreply@blogger.com (Karine) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 02:20:00 +0000

I wonder how many people are posting to their blog on a Friday night. It's not that there aren't social events I could be attending. There are. A couple of events, in fact, are happening tonight that I could be attending. But here I sit, in front of the computer, posting on the blog instead. You are my newest love, blog readers. How could I go anywhere when I am only thinking of you???

Here is another new monotype from the last session of printmaking. Orange Bird, measuring 7 x 5 inches for the art, came from a dime sized sketch of a cactus wren in my sketchbook. I then drew the sketch onto cardboard, cut it out, and used it for this monotype. I love how the cardboard embosses onto the paper, so the edges around the bird are in relief. There is really no way to describe how fun this process is!

I hope you all have a divine weekend. I am headed for Long Beach tomorrow for the opening of Desert Winds at Spezzano Art Gallery. It's ever so exciting!!!! I am delighted about the prospect of being near the ocean once again. I will definitely have to dip a toe in, if not submerse myself completely in the magic salt water. I will return to again, my dear readers, with salty hair and a grin on my face, once the weekend is over. Until then, aloha!

A Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Karine) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 23:12:00 +0000

Greetings, my lovely blog readers! I am happy to announce a new giveaway. This time, I am going to let the winner choose between two different pieces of art. These are both giclee reproductions of a charcoal drawing. Each one comes with its own mat and backing board, all acid free. The paper they are printed on is high quality giclee paper, and the inks are archival. So yes, they are reproductions, but they are good quality reproductions. The original drawings have both been sold. They both measure 14 x 11 inches for the outside mat dimensions. That means they will fit perfectly into a standard sized photo frame, making the framing easy and cost effective. The first one is called "Island Girl" and it is a portrait of one of my friends. I drew it while we were still living on Maui. The second one is called "Woman with Veil", and it was also done when we lived in Hawaii. This woman is another friend, and one of my favorite models.

All you have to do to be entered in this giveaway is post a comment here in the next week. Tell me which one you would like in your comment. I will pick a winner next week.

Here is another new monotype. This one I called "Departure" and it measures 7 x 5 inches.

This is the desert denizen who helped me create the new monotype. Mr. Roadrunner! Usually, they are cruising much to fast for me to get any decent photos, so I was happy this one stayed long enough for me to grab my camera and click away. I did take this photo through a window, which will account for the strangeness. Doesn't it look like he has something to tell us??? Too bad we don't speak roadrunner.

Cactus Painting

noreply@blogger.com (Karine) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 23:30:00 +0000

I am so grateful to you all, my dear blog readers. You provide me with such strong support and feedback. I would be lost without all of you!!! Thank you for reading my blog, for your comments, and for just being there. I would have given this blog up long ago, were it not for all of you. I had so much fun with my last giveaway, that I have decided to have another one this week. Stay tuned...

I finished my third acrylic painting this afternoon. I am planning to enter it in a juried show this weekend, along with another painting I did of the beavertail cactus in bloom. (The show is for "cactus - themed art".) This new painting measures 9 x 12 inches and it is acrylic on board. I am rather attached to it, at the moment, which probably means I just need to paint another one, right? Right.

From The War of Art: "Henry Fonda was still throwing up before each stage performance, even when he was seventy-five. In other words, fear doesn't go away. The warrior and the artist live by the same code of necessity, which dictates that the battle must be fought anew every day." -Steven Pressfield

Upcoming exhibition

noreply@blogger.com (Karine) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 21:13:00 +0000

I sent ten paintings to Long Beach today for the opening on September 12th. I spent the morning carefully wrapping them in paper for the journey, and making sure each one had a wire on the back, a signature, and a title. I wanted to take more photographs of a few of them, just to insure I had at least one good photograph for my records. Once I had them all wrapped and ready to go, lined up in the hallway, I stood for a moment to look at them. I felt like a mother, sending her babies off to college! It isn't the first time I have taken paintings away for a show, not by any means. Maybe it has just been a while since I have sent paintings away. Maybe it is because these paintings have so many layers of learning on them. Each layer represents a new approach to painting, a new approach to life; new discoveries were made with every new layer of paint. These latest paintings are almost like journal entries, except that each new entry covers the one before it. Whatever the reason, I do feel a bit of emptiness, now that the hallway is empty of my paintings. I should have take a photograph with camera, instead of just my mind.

I had a long day of printing monotypes yesterday. It is the first chance I have had to print all summer, and I was happy to spend a day with the press. I will be posting more of them soon, but here is one, just for now. It measures 7 x 5 inches, and I think I am going to call it "Rig."

I have been suffering from a headache for the past couple of days. I think the smoke from the fires west of us is the culprit. I am thankful they are not closer, but I wish wish wish it would rain. We do have a few thunderclouds building, and I just heard some thunder. Maybe I need to go outside and do a little rain dance. I am sure the firefighters would love a little help from mother nature!

Here is a photo of one of the paintings traveling to Spezzano Gallery tomorrow. This one is called "Blue Lights" and it measures 12 x 12 x 2.5 inches.

Happy

noreply@blogger.com (Karine) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 20:41:00 +0000

Today, I had to take a package to the post office to be mailed. I checked my PO box while I was there, and to my complete delight, a package arrived from my friend Patricia Scarborough!!!! Patricia recently had a birthday giveaway on her blog, and I was the lucky winner!!! So my package today was the beautiful painting she was generous enough to give away. I am so happy!!! I am SO EXCITED!!! Here is a photo of it, so that you may enjoy it too. Thank you, Patty, for this gorgeous painting!!!! I love it!

The other happy news is that I have, at long last, finished my first major crochet project. I crocheted this shopping bag out of wool yarn, and when I was finished, I stuck it in the washing machine with hot water and felted it! It was enormous before I washed it, but now, it is just right for a Karine of 5'3". I am happy with the way it turned out, and even more happy that I have finished it. It took a long time, because I am just a beginner with crochet, but also because I have been painting more than I have been working on it.

Here it is before the felting:

Here it is after the felting!

I am focusing on all of these happy feelings, because my husband left today after being home for what seemed like only MOMENTS, and I am missing him already. One must balance out the good and the bad for survival, I think.

Two more giclees have been listed for auction on ebay, if you care to take a peek. Just click here.

I hope you all have a happy Wednesday!

Books

noreply@blogger.com (Karine) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 18:12:00 +0000

What I have been reading:

1. Georgia O'Keeffe - A Life. Roxana Robinson. This book was generously lent to me by my friend and fellow artist, Lily Stockman. (Thanks, Lily!) It is a thick book, but I am enjoying it. I can tell that Ms. Robinson did a TON of research for this book. I once hated O'Keeffe's art! As I spent more time developing my own art and studying O'Keeffe and other great artists, I also began to respect and even love her art. One of the largest paintings I ever painted was a tribute to O'Keeffe. Here is a photo of it. It measured about 5 by 7 feet. Oil on canvas.

2. Jasper Johns - Gray. James Rondeau & Douglas Druick. This book was published along with an exhibition of the same title that was organized by the Art Institute of Chicago in November of 2007. A favorite quote: "I have attempted to develop my thinking in such a way that the work I have done is not me - not to confuse my feelings with what I produced. I didn't want my work to be an exposure of my feelings. Abstract Expressionism was so lively - personal identity and painting were more or less the same, and I tried to operate the same way. But I found I couldn't do anything that would be identical to my feelings. So I worked in such a way that I could say that it's not me. That accounts for the separation." J.Johns
This book was lent to me by another friend and artist, Tina Bluefield. (thanks, Tina!)

3. The War of Art. Steven Pressfield. Another borrowed book from the divine Tina Bluefield. I just started it this morning, since I just got it this morning.

Interestingly enough, I normally read fiction. I love the way a work of quality fiction transports me to another time and place. This reading of non-fiction is something new. Or maybe not NEW, but something I haven't done consistently since college.

I am an avid reader. Growing up, my family really didn't watch much television. To this day, I find reading to be a much more interesting past time for me than watching TV. In some ways, I realize this makes me a bit of an oddball. It's almost as though I am actually intended for a different era, when people didn't watch tv, but read books, wrote letters and made clothing by hand. Okay, so i don't make my own clothes, but in many ways I think there is something extremely rewarding to many of these kinds of tasks that we are missing out on in our present day lives. I love writing letters by hand. Even more so, receiving letters written by hand is the most delicious of gifts. See, I told you I was an oddball!!!

Fine by me.

What good books have you read lately?

Nightshade

noreply@blogger.com (Karine) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 22:56:00 +0000

The end of summer is near, but we still have fairly hot daytime temperatures, here in the high desert. (103 degrees F right now.) At least the night temperatures have cooled down to the low 70's. That makes a huge difference, if I know I can get up early and have a pleasant walk with Mr. Pono. Most native flora are struggling to survive until cooler temperatures return once more. I have managed to discover a few native plants blooming, one of which is the Sacred Datura. I remember this plant from last year. It is also sometimes called Jimson weed or The Desert Thorn Apple. It has large white blossoms, and the growth of leaves beneath the flowers is an unexpected, deep green. To read more about this plant, you may consult wikipedia here.

An artist friend of mine, Lily Stockman, has entered the land of the great blog-o-sphere. I think her blog is delightful, and you may enjoy it too! She is a talented artist and writer. Lily lives here in Joshua Tree with her husband and two dogs. Please stop by her blog for a hello, and tell her I sent you! Thanks.

Here are two hot-off-the-easel paintings. I have called them Nocturnal 1 and 2, and they are oil on canvas, 14 x 14 x 1.5 inches. Forgive the poor photographs, as I quickly clicked them with the beloved point and shoot while they lay drying.

Recently, someone I respect and admire told me that although she liked my new work, she felt I was playing it a little safe. This is not the kind of comment I would necessarily listen to from just anyone. At first, I felt a little miffed. I am proud of my new work (well, most of it, anyway). After getting over my initial irritation, I realized the reason this comment had even left a dent in my mind was because she was right. Yes, I have curbed certain impulses in my painting. I have experienced so many painting "failures", that I have become more careful about my approach to painting, especially on the large canvases. I have become a self-censoring artist, allowing less and less of my original expressiveness to come through in my art. I am usually my own worst critic.

Therefore, my dear readers, I have decided to pull down some large, "failed" canvases, paint over them, and attack them with renewed zeal and courage. Even if I continue to produce more "safe" art during the process, I need to remind myself to let it all hang out, every now and again. I must take risks to push my art further. This is what it means to be a true, genuine artist. Risks will help me express myself more honestly and with less reservations. After all, there is nothing to fear but fear itself. Right?

Laguna Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Karine) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:23:00 +0000

The poor, neglected blog! I better stop going out of town, so that I can give my blog some much needed love and attention! In case you wondered, I have returned from Laguna Beach. We enjoyed two beautiful days. The first day, we got to visit some really nice galleries. We also saw the Pageant of the Masters. I had never heard of it before. Here is the story, slightly abbreviated. Laguna Beach has always been an artist's colony. During the Great Depression, the residents of Laguna Beach needed to find another way to draw people from L.A. So they came up with this Pageant. It is all volunteers, which I think is pretty darn impressive. They re-create famous paintings and sculptures using real human beings!!! This is called a tableaux vivant (another thing I just learned. Amazing how you can live forty years and still discover all this stuff you never knew before!) It became so popular that they finally built a permanent outdoor amphitheater for the Pageant. There is also a local art festival right outside the Pageant. It is a really high quality festival, with a lot of wonderful art. Unfortunately, you cannot bring cameras into the amphitheater, so I can't show you one single photograph of the Pageant itself. In fact, I took a photo right before we were going into the amphitheater, and they made me check my camera!!!

The second day of the Laguna visit, we drove down to San Onofre to do some surfing. My friend's daughter is just learning how to surf, so at least I didn't feel like I was going to be embarrassed at my surfing abilities. The thing that is really exciting is that I managed to catch the very first wave I paddled for, and had a great ride!!! What a wonderful feeling! It had been at least four years since I last surfed, so I was happy to be able to enjoy myself. We stayed at the beach all day, and I caught enough waves to reassure myself that I can still surf. We even managed to get my friend's daughter standing up on a couple of waves, so all in all, it was a good day of surfing. My husband and I ride longboards, so the waves are not usually big curling waves. The best part about long boards, in my opinion, is that the crowds are typically nice and mellow. Most of the surfers are there to have fun, and you aren't going to have to fight for a ride on a wave. The short board spots can often have a lot of aggressive surfers with no manners, who seem to think they are the only ones who should be able to ride waves. This behavior is called "localism." It's something that seems to be accepted in the surfing world, and I find it intolerable. Selfishness of any kind makes me want to puke. I am happy to paddle out on my long board and enjoy the day without all that stupid surfer attitude. Who needs it?

I finally managed to get myself back in the studio yesterday, and I am anxious to paint again today. Hopefully, some new paintings will be posted soon!!

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

noreply@blogger.com (Karine) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 04:03:00 +0000

Just a quick post before I crawl into bed. I am traveling to Laguna Beach tomorrow with an artist friend. We are going to see the Pageant of the Masters. I am also hoping to get a chance to visit some of the beautiful contemporary galleries located in Laguna Beach. If there is any surf, I may even paddle out and see if I remember anything at all about how to ride a wave. It has been about 5 years since I last surfed.

All in all, it should be a fun two days, and I will be home late Thursday night. Then, I need to get back into the studio!

I leave you with another new painting. This one may not be finished yet. I may paint over it, or I may just rework it somewhat. I am not sure how I feel about it. It is too new. I think in this stage it is called "The Oracle". It is oil on canvas, 36 x 36 x 2.5 inches. There was a lot of scraping with the palette knife, as well as dragging of paint, and so the textures have begun to be interesting. The colors are so much better in person. I wish I could show it to you in person!

I will try to catch up on my fellow bloggers soon! I miss you!