Blue Skies Ahead....Happy New Year!

If I had to choose the painting that meant the most to me in 2011 it would have to be this one 'Blue Skies Ahead'. It was actually painted at the end of last year but it makes me happy because it was chosen as the winner of the poster competition at this year's IAPS Convention. You can see the poster in a frame in the second photo. I was so surprised to be one of the five finalists and even more excited to have won. I purchased about 20 of the posters and still have some left if anyone is interested! I think that the title of the painting is appropriate for me on this New Year's Eve. I am looking forward to an exciting year full of art and friends and family! I wish you a very Happy New Year filled with blue skies!

My Six Favorite Paintings of 2011... #5 Meadow Dance

'Meadow Dance' 11x14 pastel ©Karen Margulis

I am counting down to my top favorite paintings of 2011. Each one represents some goal I accomplished this year. This painting is special to me because it was accepted into the IAPS's 18th Juried Exhibition in Albuquerque this past June. I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the IAPS convention and see the show in person. I now have earned 3 points towards the IAPS Master Circle! The other reason I chose this painting is because one of my goals was to work with my underpaintings and try not to cover them completely with pastel. I want them to guide me. This painting has an oil stain underpaintings and you can see how I managed to leave a lot of the interesting drips and spiderwebs. I'd like to do more of this in the coming year!

My Six Favorite Paintings of 2011... #4 Desert Dreams

'Desert Dreams II' 11x14 pastel ©Karen Margulis

The paintings I have chosen to be my favorites all represented a personal accomplishment. For this painting I was happy that I was able to interpret the bushes and desert plants without putting in too much detail. I was happy to leave a lot of the oil stain underpainting. I enjoyed using Terry Ludwig's Arid Landscape set exclusively for this painting. If you have some Christmas money and you are looking to buy a nice set of pastels, check out the Arid Landscape set by Terry Ludwig. I have discovered that it isn't just for arid landscapes. It is a wonderful and versatile set!

Purchase this painting on Paypal $165

Top Paintings of 2011 ....#3 Daisies

'Carolina Daisies' 11x14 pastel ©Karen Margulis

Today I am sharing another painting which represents a personal accomplishment for me. This painting was done as a demo for my workshop for the Appalachian Pastel Society. The workshops were an accomplishment for me because it was my first multi day workshop and I was asked to teach. I would like to be able to do more out of town workshops so this was a great start for me. But the reason I like the painting is because after a year of practicing watercolor underpaintings I am finally feeling more confident and happy with my results. Prior to the Richard McKinley workshop last fall, my watercolor underpaintings were wishy-washy and washed out. Richard suggested practicing just the underpainting and to do lots of them. So I have been working on this and I definitely see an improvement. Thanks Richard!

My winter & spring workshop schedule is posted. I have three classes in January...Starting an Art Blog, Pastels for Beginners and Painting Winter on Home made surfaces. Let me know if you would like to register for a workshop! kemstudios@yahoo.com

Purchase painting on Paypal $165

Top Paintings of 2011 ....#2 Colorado Wildflowers

'On the Way to Yankee Boy Basin' 8x10 pastel ©Karen Margulis

This week I am sharing my top 6 favorite paintings of 2011. I was asked if it was difficult to choose my top 6 paintings and my answer was that it was actually fairly easy. My top 6 all represented an accomplishment to me and for that reason they stood out. In fact I have most of them out somewhere in my studio instead of filed away.
So why is this Colorado painting a favorite of mine? It represents a breakthrough I had this year with papers. This painting is on Canson Mi-Tientes paper and for the last few years I wouldn't touch it. Like many artists, Canson was the paper I started using as a beginner. It was inexpensive and easily available. But It was hard to work with especially with my cheap, hard beginner pastels. It is kind of like driving an old car without power steering. It will get you there but you may not enjoy the ride. Once I discovered sanded papers I decided I didn't really like Canson and didn't use it.
This summer though I attended the IAPS convention and saw several artists who did beautiful work on Canson paper. I love the work of Desmond O'Hagan and Lorenzo Chavez and when I watched them paint a wonderful painting on a piece of Canson I knew I had to give it another try. Guess what? I love it! I love the softness and the feel of the paper and I am happy with my paintings done on Canson. I ordered more and will definitely be using it more often!

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My Six Favorite Paintings of 2011

'Blue Sailors' 5x7 pastel ©Karen Margulis

It is time for reflecting on the past year and setting new goals for the coming year. I like the ritual Alyson Stanfield recommends in her Art Marketing Action newsletter ...writing down all of your accomplishments from 2011. It will give you a good feeling to realize you've probably accomplished more that you thought. So I thought it would be fun to look back at my paintings from 2011 and choose my top 5. (I added and extra one) This week I will be sharing one each day along with why I chose it and why I felt it represented an accomplishment.

In no particular order, today I am sharing a little 5x7 painting called 'Blue Sailors'. I like the colors of the blue flowers which I saw on my 2010 road trip to Wyoming. I would love a field of these wildflowers! I like this painting because it came to me effortlessly and with total abandon. I was truly 'in the zone' when I painted this one. It reminds me of my 5x7 Early Morning Poppies which won an award in the PSA show in 2010. I had the same feelings when I painted that one. Everything just flowed. Sometimes you think you'll never get that feeling again and then a painting just comes to you like this one did. I suppose it doesn't even matter if no one else likes it. It felt good when I painted it and that is what I like about it. It reminds me that it can happen again!

Do you list and celebrate your accomplishments? How about looking back and choosing your top paintings of 2010. I'd love to hear about yours!

Purchase this painting on Paypal $150

Landscape Variation Challenge another winter version

'Winter Sunset' 5x7 pastel ©Karen Margulis

Today I am sharing one more winter landscape. This painting is from the 100 Landscape Variation challenge I did in 2010. I enjoyed this challenge and learned so much from it that I think it is time to repeat it in 2012 but with some twists. I am working on my goals for the new year so I will be giving this idea a lot of thought. In this painting I got the texture by painting over my first layers with acrylic matte medium and adding pastel on top when it was dry. A fun technique!

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Using Iridescent Pastels ...Winter Landscape 5x7

'Gently Falling Snow' 5x7 pastel ©2011 Karen Margulis

I always forget to use my iridescent pastels. I have some from a few pastel brands and I keep them in a separate little box. I need to remember to use them more often. They can add a special touch in the right place. In this painting, I used a opalescent white pastel from Sennelier. The painting was done on a toned piece of Uart paper. I toned it turquoise with a Nupastel rubbed into the paper with a piece of foam. I finished the painting but felt it need some winter magic....some sparkly snow! So I used a palette knife to shave some of the white pastel over the painting creating a sparkly dust. I pressed some of the shaved pastel into the paper with the knife where I wanted my 'snow' to stick and there was my snow! (One of my readers posted about doing a pastel with a palette knife and I am intrigued to learn more about her technique) If you want to add some more sparkle to your paintings consider adding some iridescent pastes to your box. Is it too late to ask Santa for a Set of Iridescent Pastels by Sennelier? Blicks is having a 10% off sale until the 26th!

Purchase this painting on paypal $75

Winter in the City ...Painting Snowflakes in Pastel

'Winter in the City' 8x10 pastel ©Karen Margulis

One of the things I like about pastel is how easy it is to experiment with them. In this painting I wanted the effect of falling snow so I decided to shave some white pastel into a cup, wet it with water to make a paste. Then I used an old toothbrush to flick the wet pastel onto the finished painting. The pastel dried and the pieces stuck to the painting....instant snow! I will do a demo of this fun little technique next week. I want to thank all of the people who have sent me some winter reference photos. I can't wait to paint from them next week.

Did you notice my photos are larger? I did some research and found a way to make my paintings display larger on blogger. How do you like it?

Painting Winter Landscapes...I need your Photos!

'Winter Hush' 8x10 Pastel ©Karen Margulis

It is the time of year when I am inspired to paint Winter landscapes but living in the South I am at a disadvantage. It doesn't snow very often. I missed last year's snow because I was on a cruise (can't complain!) But I didn't get any new reference photos. If you have a winter photo that you would like to share with me, I'd love for you to email it to me at kemstudios@yahoo.com. I will be painting winter scenes over the next few weeks and I'd love a fresh perspective. This painting is a scene I have painted a few times in different sizes and surfaces. This is on white Wallis with no underpainting.

I have updated my 'About Me' page. I'd love to hear what you think. To view the page, click on the ABOUT tab at the top of the page.

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Price: $145 USD

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Winter Solstice Painting on Handmade Surface

'Winter Solstice' 5x7 pastel on board ©Karen Margulis SOLD

Mini workshop on Painting the Winter Landscape on Handmade Surfaces is January 22,2012. For more information or to register email me at kemstudios@yahoo.com

As the year draws to a close and I actually have some downtime I am thinking about my goals for the new year. One of the things on my list is to make my blog the best it can be so I enrolled in a self study online Blog Triage course with Cynthia Morris www.originalimpulses.com/blog and Alyson Stanfield www.artbizblog.com My first assignment is to post about what I want from my blog and what is our audience. I have been blogging since 2005 and my original intent for starting the blog is still the same....to share my work with those who are drawn to the subjects and places that inspire me. I call my blog 'Painting my World'. Through my paintings I want to share the things in my world that move me....the simple beauty that surrounds us. My readers are people who share the same passion for art, nature, travel and who, like me, seek out beauty in the ordinary.

To my readers a big Thank you for spending time each day to view my work and read my musings. I appreciate your visits and hope to make them even better in the coming year.

Sunrise over the Marsh... Kiawah Island painting

'Morning Marsh' 12x24 pastel  sold

I am so grateful for the opportunity to take a workshop with Stan Sperlak on Kiawah Island. It was a couple of years ago but I am stilled inspired by my photos. We stayed in the beautiful home of one of the students and the house had the most perfect marsh view. It changed with the time of day and the tides and for the few days we were there it was a constant painting and photo opportunity. This painting is 12 x 24 which doesn't show up well on the blog. The long narrow formats always look smaller for some reason. If you would like to see photos of the progression of this painting click on the Demo tab at the top of the page or click HERE

Vintage Glass Ornaments ll 8x10 pastel

'Christmas Tree Memories' 8x10 pastel

I enjoyed painting my vintage Christmas ornaments so much that I rearranged them and painted another version. This is also on Canson moonstone color paper.
I am excited to announce my pastel class & workshop schedule for 2012. I have workshops planned for every level from introductory classes to art business classes. I hope you will consider joining me for a class or more in the new year. Please email me if you have any questions at all! You can see the schedule if you CLICK HERE.

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Price: $95 USD

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Santa in the Caribbean 5x7 pastel

'Magens Bay Santa' 5x7 pastel ©Karen Margulis

Today's painting is Santa Claus visiting Magens Bay on St Thomas USVI. Wouldn't it be nice to be there this Christmas!

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Price: $50 USD

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Field of Red Poppies 11x14 pastel

'Dreaming of Poppies' 11x14 pastel sold

I never tire of painting poppies and they make a perfect subject to show my technique to students. Today I had a private class and we worked on watercolor underpaintings. I chose poppies for the subject and had the chance to use my new Daniel Smith watercolors. I want to play with them some more but so far I liked them. This painting is on Uart 600 grit paper.

Sanibel Island Beach Path 8x10 pastel

'To the Beach' 8x10 pastel SOLD

Today's painting is inspired by one of my favorite places...Sanibel Island, Florida. Sanibel is known for it's shells and it has never disappointed me. I love walking the beach and search for treasures. It has been a few years since I have been able to get back to Sanibel but I always enjoy painting from my photos. This painting is 8x10 on Canson.

I am working on my class and workshop schedule for 2012 and I will be posting it sometime next week. I have some fun mini workshops planned and I hope you will plan to join me!

Christmas by the Sea ...Vintage Glass Ornaments

'Christmas by the Sea' 8x10 pastel

Here is another painting in my series of vintage glass ornaments. I was drawn by the beautiful blues of these ornaments. They had a wonderful aged look to them that you just don't find on the shiny new ones. These ornaments reminded me of the ocean so I painted them with the beach in mind. I am having fun with these ornaments. My sister and I (the Recycle Sisters) have been collecting them all year to sell in our ebay store so I have to paint them before they are sold. I have a few more that are calling to me that I hope to paint this week. This painting is 8x10 on Canson.

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Price: $95 USD

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A Sunny Day ...Sunflower Painting 6x6 pastel SOLD

'A Sunny Day' 6x6 pastel

It is 70 out today here in Georgia and I have my dooe open to my screen porch. It is so nice for December! So today I will share a Sunflower painting. This is a 6x6 painting that is a part of my ongoing sunflower a day project. I got so busy this Fall that I didn't get to work on this project but I will be putting it on my list of things to accomplish in 2012. I think it will be more fun to paint sunflowers in the winter anyway.

Nantucket Wildflowers with an oil stain underpainting

'Nantucket Wildflowers' 11x14 pastel

I had my oil paints out for a commission so rather than waste the leftover paint I decided to do an underpainting for a pastel. I love oil underpaintings because of the interesting drips than can happen. You have to get the consistency of the paint just right. Too thick and you fill the tooth of the paper, too wet and it is washed out and you don't get the cool drips. I am sharing a close-up photo of my underpainting and one of the 'drips' I like to call them root systems because they remind me of plant roots. I tried not to cover all of these roots with pastel in my painting so I used a light touch. If you enlarge the photo of the finished painting you can still see the underpainting. If you are going to use an oil paint underpainting, be sure you are using a surface that can get wet. I used Uart for today's painting.

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Price: $195 USD
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Carolina Coast Marsh 5x7 pastel SOLD

'Magic on the Marsh' 5x7 pastel

This is the second version of this scene that I tried. The first one had more detail and for this one I tried to minimize all of the grasses and just put in a few. I would like to continue this series with a couple more paintings with each one getting increasingly more abstracted. I used a peach color Pastelmat paper for this painting. I really enjoy working on Pastelmat and ordered some white to see what I can do woth some underpaintings. I will keep you posted on my results. If you use Pastelmat do you like it? What is your favorite color?

Vintage Glass Ornaments 8x10 pastel SOLD

'Yesterday's Treasures' 8x10 pastel

This week in my pastel class we will be working on holiday themed still life set ups. I have a collection of vintage glass ornaments that make the perfect subject. I set them up by my north light window to paint. I love the colors in these ornaments....purples and pinks and silver and gold make a great combination. I have some other vintage ornaments that I will be using for my set ups so I will be adding to this series. This painting is done on moonstone Canson paper.

A New Mini pastel after Van Gogh SOLD

'Countryside Sun' 2.5 x 3.5 inches pastel

I have added a few new miniature pastel paintings to my Picasa album. This one was done for my Virtual Paint out class to Arles France. We had a fun class and surprisingly enjoyed trying to paint in the style of Van Gogh. It was hard to change the way we usually make our marks especially for the 'blenders' in the group. But in the end I think we all learned something and had fun doing it.
It isn't too late to purchase a mini pastel original for Holiday gifts. They make great stocking stuffers of thank you gifts and they are priced at $15 each or 2 for $20 with $3 shipping. Click on my web album below to see what is available and email me at kemstudios@yahoo.com if you see something you like.

Mini Sale Paintings

Just for Fun...A Plein Air Snowman 5x7 pastel

'Plein Air Snowman' 5x7 pastel

Do you ever dream a painting? I woke up this morning with this image in my head. I actually dreamed a whole series of painting snowmen and Santas. I couldn't wait to get down into the studio to paint him! I had been listing some ornaments in my ebay store and listed several Santa Claus and snowmen ornaments....so they were dancing and painting in my head while I slept! Now I want to paint my plein air Santa Claus! I think I will make this one into a Christmas card!

I have made the snowman available as a print or as a greeting card through Fine Art America.For more information Click Here

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Price: $75 USD
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Sleigh Bells 8x8 pastel SOLD

'Sleigh Bells Ring' 8x8 pastel

I am switching gears today and doing some holiday themed paintings. I put on some Christmas music and painted some sleigh bells and some vintage ornaments. I am on a roll and will probably work on another one tonight. I love when I start a new series! Today's painting is on LaCarte paper.

Meadow Bouquet 12 x16 pastel

'Meadow Bouquet' 12x16 pastel

Today's painting is another one of the demos I did this past weekend at High Country Gallery. I have painted this meadow many times and I never tire of interpreting it. For this version I added a blue sky and emphasized the delicate laciness of the flowers. I worked today on my 24 x 24 daisy commissions. I do love painting big and my new Diane Townsends were perfect. I'll post photos tomorrow.

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Price: $145 USD
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Virtual Paintout Paintings... Arles, France

I rediscovered the Virtual Paint Out site last month and I've been having fun painting the countryside around Arles France. In case you aren't familiar with it The Virtual Paint Out is a site hosted by artist Bill Guffy. " Virtual paintouts using Google Street View as a resource for traveling the world to find interesting locations and subjects to paint." Artists can post up to three paintings done from the location. The location changes monthly. I thought it would be a fun pastel class to do the Virtual Paint out together using screen shots or our Ipads. Since we are visiting Arles we will also talk about Van Gogh and his landscapes. It is always fun to explore another artist's style so hopefully we will be inspired by the painting style of Van Gogh. These three paintings (all 8x10) are my interpretations of the countryside around Arles. I can't wait for class tomorrow!

Paintings available for $95 each
Specify which one you are interested in.
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Colorado Meadows 8x10 pastel

'Colorado Meadows in the Summer' 8x10 pastel

I had the chance to paint another Colorado scene for my new wildflower series. I am having so much fun going back through my photos. What a fantastic trip we had. I hope we get to do another road trip this summer. So I better get painting so I can get caught up. Will I ever really be caught up and for an artist is there such a thing anyway. There is always something to inspire me and that makes it all the more wonderful!

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Price: $100 USD
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A New Red Poppy Painting SOLD

'Poppy Impressions' 8x10 pastel

Today's painting is a new addition to my Colorado Wildflower paintings. I came across these poppies in a garden in Crested Butte. It was a wonderful spot with poppies of all colors and sizes. I was in heaven and took many photos. I did a watercolor underpainting for this one.

Miniature Bird Nest Painting

'Tiny Treasures' 2.5 x 3.5 inches pastel SOLD

Today I painted all day at High Country Gallery in Blue Ridge Georgia. I had fun talking about pastels and meeting new people as well as painting. I managed to do five paintings so it was a productive day as well. Tomorrow is a day for cleaning though. I have to get the housekeeping chores out of the way so I can play with my new watercolors and pastels that just arrived. I will post pictures tomorrow!
Today's painting is another mini original pastel. I still have more available for sale. $15 each or 2 for $20. They make great gifts for friends, family or yourself! Visit my picasa gallery for available paintings and if you are interested in any, send me an email at kemstudios@yahoo.com

Mini Sale Paintings

Hunting Island South Carolina Marsh View SOLD

'Hunting Island Marsh' 8x10 pastel

Taking a break from my big daisy paintings to post this South Carolina marsh done as this week's class demo. We talked about foregrounds this week and tried to remember that less is more. Sometimes we want to put in all the grasses we see in the foreground especially when working from photos. I try to remember I am interpreting the photo and that I should leave a bit of mystery in the foreground. I don't want to create a barrier with a row of marsh grasses.

Daisies Squared

Daisies Squared I & II 4x4 pastel studies

Today I worked on two small 4x4 inch studies for a commission. I will be doing them much larger 24 x 24 which is about as large as I have painted. I will be doing watercolor underpaintings on each one and I hope my new watercolors arrive in time to use for these paintings. It will be interesting to paint these daisies larger than life! I can't wait to get started.

The top painting has been sold. The bottom painting is available for $45 via Paypal or check. Email me for details.