Mango on a French Plate, by Kim Blair

Mango on a French Plate

8x10 oil on canvas

We went to a House Concert in our neighbourhood last night and I had the pleasant surprise of bumping into the art patron who purchased this painting.  After only a few questions we discovered the link to the hostess... me via a friend and her via her daughter, which explained how each of us heard about the house party/concert.  I thoroughly enjoyed the concert and the chance meeting to catch up with Deb.

It seems to be true that we are all connected by 'six degrees of separation'.

The fun is asking the right questions to discover the connections... which makes attending a house party an interesting experience!

Antique Clothing... Almost Abstracts, by Kim Blair

 Mauve Ruffles

10x10 oil on canvas

 Reference Photo for Mauve Ruffles Painting

 Antique Leg-of-Mutton Sleeve

8x10 oil on canvas

Reference Photo for Antique Leg-of-Mutton Sleeve Painting 

Antique clothing came up in a conversation with some friends the other day and I remembered these two paintings I created last year:  a mauve ruffle (Perkins' Mauve) on a brown toned dress and a leg-of-mutton sleeve from a linen blouse.  You can see how I used some artistic license to enhance the colours, but essentially they are pretty close to the photos I took at the University of Alberta's Human Ecology Building in their textile/clothing collection.

It was fun hunting for the reference photos amongst the thousands of photos on my computer... but once I found them I discovered some other photos that would make for interesting studies... such as a 17th century French corset!  A corset section might make a unique pen and ink drawing with a blush of watercolour for a romantic touch... just a little something to hang in the boudoir?

If you want to see the original postings for these two paintings click here... and here.

Poppy Painting, Orange Flames, by Kim Blair

Orange Flames

10x10 oil on canvas

Yes, I have been playing with a more muted palette lately... but my heart still sings when I look at vibrant hot colours!  This orange poppy painting hangs in our kitchen and its happy little face reminds me that gardening season is fast approaching, which means more opportunities to paint lots of crinkled, silky petaled poppies.

NFS

10x10 oil on canvas

Gothic Glow, by Kim Blair

Sun-dried Series

Gothic Glow

16x20 oil on canvas

Close-up section
 from Gothic Glow

Graphite Sketch used to create Gothic Glow

Thanks Vincent for inspiring me to paint this sunflower painting with energetic strokes.

Yesterday Van Gogh was my luncheon companion via a gorgeous art reference book of his many glorious paintings.  I could feel my heart beat a bit faster as I perused his brush work and color choices.  This second painting in my 'sun-dried series' was created with a more muted moody palette than is typical of my work, and I am enjoying the exploration into new color territory.

The flower stalk is bending under the weight of its seed head, with a few crisp faded yellow petals glowing in the hazy light before a fall storm.  Crisp leaves dangling along the fibrous stalk, rustle in the breeze... acting like a dinner bell... attracting the attention of hungry birds.

*Click on photos to see brush work and paint texture.

$360.00 (+ $25.00 S/H anywhere in North America)

16x20 oil on gallery profile canvas

Sun-dried Series, Late Harvest, by Kim Blair

Sun-dried Series, Late Harvest, 10x30 oil on canvas

I was inspired by these dried sunflowers to explore a more muted palette.

They first made me aware of their beauty one cold afternoon last fall.   Walking briskly past the fence that divided them from the back alley I noted their silver and bronze bodies swaying in the cool autumn breeze, so I stopped to admire the subtle hues that blended so perfectly with the blueish gray fence next to them.

Since I was not far from home I sprinted back to my studio to grab my camera... and snapped a number of photos before the rain started.

A few days later I walked the same alley watching for the tall crisp giants and was sadden to discover them lying next to the garbage can... roughly bundled up, waiting to be taken away.

I carefully picked up as many as I could carry and carted them off to our backyard for more photos.

Sun-dried sunflowers with twisted brittle sage green leaves and gnarled gothic looking seed heads... waiting to be painted.  Waiting to be taken home...

$400.00 (+ 25.00 S/H anywhere in North America)

10x30 inches on gallery profile canvas (edges painted black, ready to hang)

Birch IV, Pen and Ink, by Kim Blair

Birch IV

11x24 pen & ink

sold

This pen and ink painting is sold and will be shipped off to beautiful Vancouver, BC today.  Lucky painting... she is off to see green grass and spring flowers on the west coast of Canada!

Another 11x24 pen and ink painting called Birch III, is available for purchase... click here to see her.

If you are interested in purchasing 'Birch III' email me and I will send you a paypal invoice.

(*there is a 1/2" white border around the painting to allow room for framing) 

Sectional, Snow Abstraction Photograph, by Kim Blair

Snowy Morning

 April 5, 2012

All of our snow was gone... until this morning!  I love the abstract look of the snow nestled in the branches of our backyard apple tree.  

A magical, snowy day here in Edmonton... a perfect painting day. 

*I am working on a new series of paintings... changing my color choices.  Stay tuned for a sneak preview of some larger paintings.