Emily II
Size: 12″ x 4″
Medium: Pastel on paper
Status: Available for sale
Please contact Karen if you are interested in purchasing or viewing this original.

View “Emily I” blog page

Location: Ross Bay Cemetery
Tree tag #289
GPS:

Began working on “Emily II”. This is the second painting in my new Emily’s Trees collection. I just sent an email to the City of Victoria asking if they have any information on tree tag #289, such as what kind of tree it is, how old it is, when it was planted and what is its expected life span. I look forward to hearing back from the City and will post when I hear word. I am also in need of the tree’s GPS coordinates. She’s located in behind the Caretaker’s house and can view it from walking Fairfield Road; however, now that the weather has changed, I will head into the cemetery and find its exact coordinates and post above.

Like Emily I, Emily II is a small canvas and makes it challenging to paint. As you can see in the photos, the foliage is phthalo blue deep and greenish gray. An unlikely combination, yet fit perfectly together. I think the tree may be a blue spruce and it looks very old, perhaps older than Emily I.

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Prepping the canvas with gesso

then I start to paint. Feels good to have a paint-brush in hand once again! China Beach will be an oil on deep exhibition canvas, 40″ x 60″. I will head down to Opus after Xmas to choose my colour palette and make of oils. I will post more preview shots as I move through the process of painting China Beach.
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Set up and ready to begin painting. Video camera in place to start recording the progress. Will post timelapse video when done.Studio space looks neat and tidy to start. That won’t last long. As soon as I pull out the oils, brushes, and start painting, it will look like every other artists’ space…creativity in play.

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China Beach – preview

Started painting China Beach. First time ever working with oils and love it! Intense colour, creaminess of texture and ease of blending. Wow! Yep and I have begun video taping progress too. Will publish when done.

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Yesterday afternoon I painted the base-coat on one of the many tree trunks — burnt umber, beautiful colour! Will add highlights and shading soon. This morning, the white and yellow oils of the sun are still wet, yet the burnt umber is dry to touch. So odd it feels to work with paint so different from acrylics. Inspiring!

China Beach – preview #2

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Almost finished painting in all of the burnt umber trees. I look forward to painting the greens of the foliage next.

China Beach – preview #3

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Love painting in the trees. Trying to find the zone though. Having never worked with oil, I am learning new techniques. Challenging at times, yet fun! By the end of the day, I my style is coming together.

China Beach – preview #4

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Now it’s time to create depth and interest by adding texture, highlights and shading.

China Beach – preview #5

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China Beach complete

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commission detail | top left corner of the painting

There are three beautiful large old-growth trees in the background, two of which can be viewed in this detail. This posed a challenge because I wanted to differentiate between all three trees, yet have them flow together harmoniously — creating a sence of belonging. I also needed to balance out the weight of the composition. There is a large orange feature (not in view on this detail) to the bottom right of the painting. I have carried the orange colour into the top left tree for balance. Each tree’s foliage will have its own unique style and colour pallette.I expect to complete the commission over the next two days.

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Completed Garden | Pastel on paper | Sold – Private collection

The post Preview – Snyman appeared first on Karen Hamilton I Abstract Landscape Pastel Artist.

Please drop in with your family and friends to view my latest release, Raven.
Enjoy a glass of wine and visit. I look forward to seeing you then! …more details on my Events page here…

The post Raven Open House (Sept 14, 7-9pm) appeared first on Karen Hamilton I Abstract Landscape Pastel Artist.

I began sculpting this morning. It has been about ten years since I last picked up my sculpting tools and it feels great! The medium I’m using is terracotta clay. The piece is a yoga pose called ‘child pose extended’. Inspiration comes from experiencing yoga at Helga Beer Yoga.

Child Pose Extended – Clay Sulpture

Size: 10″ L x 3″ H (approx.)
Medium: Terracotta clay
Status: Available for sale
Contact Karen if you are interested in viewing or purchasing Child Pose Extended.

preview #1

Related links:

Helga Beer Yoga: helgabeeryoga.com/

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Title: Raven (Lost  Collection)
Size: 13.5″ x 20″
Medium: Pastel on paper
Status: Available for sale

Raven | Available for sale

The post New Release: Painting “Raven” (Lost Collection) appeared first on Karen Hamilton I Abstract Landscape Pastel Artist.

I have completed sketching a new piece today called Raven. It is the first painting in a new series called Lost. Inspiration for this new collection comes from a poem that moves me deeply: Lost by David Wagoner.

I’m ready to begin painting. Raven will be as dark as night, reflecting deep purples and blues. Raven and the tree will be inter-connected somehow. I will continue to post preview pics as I work through the painting of Raven.

Raven (work in progress)
Size: 13.5″ x 20″
Medium: Pastel on paper
Status: Available for sale
Contact Karen if you are interested in viewing or purchasing Raven.

Lost

Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you
Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
Must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you.
If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here.
No two trees are the same to Raven.
No two branches are the same to Wren.
If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows
Where you are. You must let it find you.

From Traveling Light: Collected and New Poems. Copyright Protected 1999 by David Wagoner — used with permission of the University of Illinois Press
David Wagoner biography: www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/david-wagoner

Related links:

Echart Tolle: www.eckharttolle.com
What the Bleep Do We Know?: www.whatthebleep.com/whatthebleep

Progress

sketch

preview #1

The colour palette for the raven is dark purple and black; however, it’s difficult to see the contrast as my camera is having trouble differentiating colours. Perhaps if I try shooting it in a different light another day might help. I haven’t painted much with black and as I use it now I am aware of a resistance. The darkness of the raven is in contrast to the usual bright greens and blues that I tend to use. I look forward to bringing light into the main branches, background foliage and sky.

detail

preview #2

preview #3

preview #4

Ready to begin painting the sky.

Completed Raven today.

Raven | Available for sale

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Title: Emily (Emily’s Trees Collection)
Size: 8″ x 10″
Medium: Pastel on paper
Status: Available for sale

The post New Release: Emily appeared first on Karen Hamilton I Abstract Landscape Pastel Artist.

Real Women Clay Sculpture

Purchased 25lb’s of terracotta clay yesterday and dug out my sculpting tools ready to begin sculpting a new piece in my ‘Real Women’ collection. Have no idea what she’ll look like, as the vision has not quite presented itself.

I began the Real Women collection in the late 90′s. This new piece will be number five in the collection.

As soon as I find images of the collection, I’ll post.

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Emily (work in progress)
Size: 8″ x 10″
Medium: Pastel on paper
Status: Available for sale
Please contact Karen if you are interested in purchasing or viewing this original.

Emily is a reproduction of an Austrian Pine [tag #1231] that can be found on the grounds of Ross Bay Cemetery. Parks Victoria suggests that she was planted sometime between 1942 and 1952 and that she has another 60 to 70 years of life. I will have come and gone during this pine’s lifetime. Thank you for providing me with these details Parks Victoria.

Tag #1231

preview #1

preview #2

preview #3

complete

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