Deck the Walls at Segil Fine Art

Bird in Brush Katherine Kean
oil on linen 8 x 8 inches

I will be taking part in Laura Segil Fine Art's Annual Holiday Small Works, Deck the Walls! Please join us for the opening reception on Saturday, December 6 from 5 -8pm.

Deck the Walls

Holiday Small Works

Saturday, December 6 - Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Opening Reception

Saturday, December 6, 5-8pm

Segil Fine Art Gallery

110 West Lime Avenue

Monrovia, CA 91016

626-358-5563

Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 1-6pm

Bird On Branch

Bird On Branch Sketch Katherine Kean
graphite 8 x 8 inches

I had so much fun with the Bird in Brush painting that I wanted to do another. Although I like the mosaic-like busyness of the other painting, I decided this time to let the little guy have some space instead of being overwhelmed with foliage. And besides, this one looked like he was posing.

Small Bird in an Olive Tree

Small Bird in Olive Tree wip Katherine Kean

oil on linen 8 x 8 inches

"A forest bird never wants a cage." Henrik Ibsen

Here is the first day of work on a small bird resting in an olive tree painting. Every part wants refining and loosening up at the same time. As a busy piece I am glad to have all the main elements: leaves, twigs, bird, laid out. Now comes the hard part, and the fun.

A Bird in the Brush

Sparrow Sketch Katherine Kean
graphite 8 x 8 inches

I like to use drawings as a way of exploring ideas for paintings. In the sketch above I'm interested in the way the bird just about disappears into the busyness of all the leaves and branches.

"The Sparrow shown near a window, perched on a ledge, flying in a window, flying outside a window or perched on a branch outside a window, represents the soul of a recently deceased loved one." The Hidden Symbolism of Birds in Western Painting

I'm interested too in symbolism in art, and birds are loaded with cultural and personal meanings. To some, birds represents souls, to some, freedom. To others, birds might bring good or bad luck.

The sparrows I'm drawing like to perch outside my window where a tall cactus grows. When the cactus fruit is ripe the birds appear at dusk in droves, day after day, until nothing remains of the fruits but hollowed out shells. It's plenty of fun to see.

What Happens When You Don't Pick the Artichoke

 The part of the artichoke that we eat is a flower bud, so if you don't pick the artichoke it goes on to blossom.

 I sometimes find it difficult to decide whether to have a feast for the eyes or plate. This year I left one bud to flower. I can't get over the color.

 While I was taking these photographs one bee after another visited this flower. They each climbed all the way in through the purple to the middle and then climbed back out and went on their way.

Mid-Summer

Connect the Drops -SOLD ©2011 Katherine Kean 
oil on linen 12 x 16"

I'm balancing enjoying summer "leisure" - and nearly perfect weather - with painting and getting ready for fall. I'm preparing for a trip to Scotland for a painting workshop. So far, I've equipped myself with a lightweight tripod and pochade box. The pochade box holds paint, palette, and brushes, has slots to hold small panels and fits in my suitcase. The tripod works well with the box and my camera. Because airlines charge so much now for baggage or extra weight this works out economically. My old French Easel, though beautiful, is heavy, and setting it up sometimes feels like teaching a new born giraffe to stand for the first time.

In the garden the grapes have come early and I've managed to save some from the wildlife to eat myself. I found some reusable nylon shopping bags that I slip over the bunches and tie. The mesh is fine enough to keep out the animals, but still allows light and air in. I also have squash, lettuce, chard, asparagus, arugula, and artichokes this year. I cannot grow beans - literally, not metaphorically - which is puzzling because they used to be the easiest for me to grow. I'm surprised to still have lettuce so late in the season, but I'm not complaining at all!

I delivered El Matador: Silhouette, Shadow, Reflection to TAG Gallery. The painting above, Connect the Drops, sold there last weekend. This week I"ll be in the studio making new work.

Strange Growth and Zabrina's Close Call

I’ve been noticing these growing in my garden this past season. When I first saw them, it was at the peak of summer when the Foxgloves were blooming and occasionally dropping their petals. These are about the same size and of a similar color. However, when I went to pick one up I realized that it was attached to the ground – and that it was actually something growing. It turns out to be something fairly common, called a stinkhorn. It's a fungus that grows out of an egg that is buried just underground. As if that isn't strange enough, it seems that certain varieties cause a tremendous stench when they let loose their spores, hence the name. Luckily these seem to be an odorless variety.

Bear and both cats were out with me while I was taking the above photo. I was focused on getting a clear image when Bear commenced alarm barking and rushed towards the fence. I looked up to see what the danger was and saw a coyote loping up the hill, and then another. It’s unusual to see them out during the day; especially so late- it was about 3pm. I looked around quickly to locate the cats. Tasha was right by my feet calmly chewing on grass, but Zabrina, who had been nearby a moment before was nowhere to be seen. I started up the steps toward the gate. I wanted to check for sure that she hadn’t gone over the fence toward the ravine when up she popped onto the top and stood on the edge of the fence with big, big eyes and a very bushy tail. She didn’t want to jump down and just remained nervously balanced on the edge. I realized that the coyotes might be just on the other side. I opened the gate and ran out, scaring them away and managed to get this shot in just as they disappeared over the edge of the ravine. Thanks goodness for Bear’s alertness. I hope Zabrina’s learned some wisdom from the close call.

Fall in Action

Even though around here it seems the hottest weather has waited for September and October and that could make it seem like this is still summer, it is indeed the Fall season. How do I know? When I look at the ground it is covered with bits that have fallen off of trees; little pods, nuts, leaves, green olives, small twigs, larger branches. While I was out trimming the dried Sunflowers, all around me things were dropping. A plop here, a plunk there, as walnuts fell off the trees, one every few seconds. Loud crinkly flutters as plate sized Sycamore leaves drifted down to the ground. The squirrels were in a nut gathering daze, not caring that I, the two kittens, and the dog were a mere yard or two away.

I haven't been painting a lot this past week, since I've been attending to the details of prepping for the exhibit. I've just updated my website, adding new images and reorganizing a bit. I think I've simplified it and hopefully it will be easier to navigate - let me know what you think. Also, I just sent out an email blast this week about the Atmospheric Exhibition with all the key dates. If you did not receive one and would like to be notified of upcoming news and events, click here to join my mail list.

A Look Ahead

Winding Trail 16 x 12" oil on linen
© 2008 Katherine Kean

This past month or so, I've been striking items off my To Do List right and left. Completed are all of the exterior repairs to my house; mostly siding - in addition to wear from the constant southwest exposure, a big wind picked up one of the closed patio umbrellas and thrust it into the side of the house, leaving a hole. I also had gate and deck repairs done. The garden is planted and producing; I've got peas and greens. Taxes are done, the brush is cut and ready for inspection - I hope that brush clearance inspection occurs before it rains again and everything re-grows. I even rehung a curtain rod that fell out of the wall during the residing project. It's up, but I'm having the dickens of a time getting the super glue off my fingers - just kidding! Sort of....

So here's a new list; a sneak preview of some upcoming posts:

1. Art Influenced by Motion Pictures - a switch on the recent series of Motion Picture Design Influenced by Art.

2. New sketches, recently completed paintings, and new work going to the gallery.

3. Holding work back for upcoming exhibits: pros and cons.

4. Where did all of my Cadmium Orange go? The mystery solved...

5. A further look at the effects of growing older on artists and their work.

Outdoors: Santa Monica Beach, National Parks - and in the garden

First Day (of 2010) 16 x 20" oil on linen
© 2010 Katherine Kean

I didn't mean to, but I spent the whole of Sunday gardening; which means pulling up the dreaded grass, trimming branches, and mulching. I had the kittens out for probably the longest they've been outdoors so far. Bear too, and he's a great kitten sitter, rounding them up whenever they looked like they might be getting to close to jumping over the fence. The rain has been so abundant this year that there are flowers all over. The scent of daffodils, hyacinths, and orange blossoms is overpowering. Just wait until the gardenia, jasmine, and roses kick in.

I happened to see this post from the Judson's Art Outfitters blog that mentions artist in residence programs in National Parks. I'm not usually interested in artist residencies. I know a lot of artists who love to go to artist residencies, but I just never got the point. It seems like an extraordinary bother to pack up art supplies, lock up the house, and board the animals just to go to a different studio somewhere else. However, a residency in a national park is another story and until now I had no idea that these existed. Some of these places are extraordinarily beautiful and it makes perfect sense to me that it is beneficial, even necesary to immerse oneself into that environment for a period of time to get the feel for the place and discover the features that make it unique.

Here is the list of National Park Residencies. I will be looking into some of them.

Shallow Water, Deep Sky

Shallow Water, Deep Sky 6 x 6" oil on linen
© 2010 Katherine Kean

Here's another small piece from the Great Marsh recently completed that I just brought into the gallery to replace one that sold.

I'm still at that point where I'm completing final touches (and sometimes revisions) on work and painting edges, wiring, and titling, while making forays and explorations into new work. I enjoy both, and even enjoy the slight tension of going back and forth between the two, although at times I feel a little divided.

I'm sure to feel this even more so as we head into spring. I've got two apple trees to plant and lots of new seeds ready to go into the ground. The daffodills are already up and blooming.

What I'm Working on Now

Evening's Light Not Yet Gone   © 2009 Katherine Kean
oil on linen  18 x 24"

At last a moment to update this blog. It is finally feeling like winter in Los Angeles. It rained all night and this morning I built a fire to warm up the house. I connected the last two rain barrels on my rain water collection "system" this weekend and they are now all full to capacity! I'm waiting for the first jar of olives to finish curing. I try an olive every week. To my taste they still have a little bit of bitterness to dissipate.

TAG Gallery is starting 2009 with a group exhibit in January so I'll be painting the edges and wiring for hanging the painting above. The exhibit starts January 7th and runs through the 31st.

Effects of the Wind

It's been a strange couple of days with fires everywhere and all the wind and heat complicating the scenario. This fire seems to be a bit closer than the last one, just one month ago, but has been traveling in the other direction. My heart goes out to the people that had to evacuate and those who lost their homes. The winds have died down now, so it looks like the fire will be contained in the next couple of days. I hope it's all out before the wind changes direction - I don't mind not having to breathe all that smoke.

One thing that's been helpful about these winds is that it knocked the olives out of the tree that were too high to reach to pick. I just happened to be out in the garden (mulching again - or is that still) and looked down to see a couple of ripe olives on the ground, so I picked them up. Then I saw another and another and before long my pockets were full. (It helps to wear cargo pants in the garden.) I've had to move the whole curing process to a much larger jar.

Olives again

I was going to just ignore the olives this year, but with the winds the olives from my neighbors tree rain down onto the roof and deck, sounding like very fat raindrops. I decided to check my olive trees to see if they had olives and ended up picking about a pound. I think I'm going to try a simple salt cure this time - it seems easier, just layering the olives with the salt and shaking them every day for three weeks or so.

It's August Already?

I've been catching up on all the things that I'd been putting off, including; small home repairs and gardening. I've been researching rain water collection systems - I'd love to get one installed before the next rainy season starts - in October or November.



I'm signed up to attend a lucid dream workshop this fall. My dreams have been wild since I signed up - but except for one - not lucid.



And, I've been painting of course. TAG will have a group show in October, in addition to the two person exhibit in the West Gallery, the East Gallery will be all work 12 x 12". Currently the piece below is available, and can be found in the North Gallery.

Above and Below Katherine Kean
oil on linen 18 x 24 inches

New Tree

A friend brought me a new tree the other day. It's a Norfolk Pine, the kind that many people have for a living Christmas Tree. They make excellent houseplants or live happily on a deck. However they can eventually outgrow a pot and given the chance will eventually grow to massive proportions.

I haven't picked out a permanent place in the garden yet and given the current heat wave I'll wait until conditions are better for planting.

A few days of sun and the climbing roses are all opening. These are on the deck right outside the studio, so when I open the door there is a wall of clovey-rose scent. Yuuummmmmmmmmm.................