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playing catch up

Saturday, October 11, 2008

storm over the gulf from Caladesi Island

After a long and strenuous trip to Florida and back, I find myself happy to be back in the studio just as busy as I was before I left. A couple of hours on Caladesi Island soothed my rough edges and I am back to feeling I can balance work, renovations, play, and rest. I have lots to catch up with as far as blogging goes. The more cool things I see and and do, the more I want to share here but the less time I have to do that! I haven’t even told the story of the crazy canoe trip back in May yet and that is funny stuff with fun friends and great photos. So much is also happening with regard to the main topic of this blog, my art, that I don’t know where to dive back into that at this point, so I’m going to stick with this lovely beach scene to represent where I’d like my head to be and move back toward art by sharing some of the cool things my art students have been doing.

painted stumps make good seats around the fire

The day before I left for Florida, the kids in my art class were given one last project with permission to talk and play while working. They are my new fire pit chairs, stumps from the tree that flipped my car. When life hands you lemons, spend some time with kids and you will soon have lemonade! The students have moved onto big paintings on canvas now and I am finding how focused they can be when given a private space to work. I am also blessed to find that I am a really good teacher when it comes to hands-on painting. I know this is true because I when I am with each student I feel a connection to what matters to them and as I ask them questions about their work, they each find their best solutions in their own way. That brings me joy. Maybe I should be teaching painting at the Euerka Springs School of the Arts after all! Hmmm…

For today, I am off to a couple of big art events in town. Today The Art Colony celebrates its anniversary with cake and music and of course, art. I love visiting there and it’s a gorgeous day to be outdoors so I am pleased to have this art event to pull me out of the studio early. After that, I will walk across N. Main to EureKan Art. They are hosting a reception for LJ Smole, a terrific jeweler who will be introducing her new line, created with argentium silver. Besides, I am friends with LJ and the gallery owners, Ken and Nancy, who also sell my paintings. So you see, I have a really good excuse to get out and enjoy this beautiful day, I call it networking!

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Studio Tour begins today

Friday, September 26, 2008

in case of flooding

Today is the first day of the Eureka Springs Artists Studio Tour and I am celebrating. It has been a year since I finished the studio and had my first event. Back then the place was spotless. When Ike blew through town almost 2 weeks ago, I was up painting the Savor commission. The studio was threatened by rain and falling trees. I had to move everything to the back of the building in case I lost the battle against the deluge.

water in patio creeping towards studio entrance

It was a nutty night. The peepeyed critters had gathered around Petripeep Shrine when the storm hit and they were my studio mates for a long and windy night.

Peepeyed critters

After hours of bailing water I returned to my painting, this time by candlelight.

painting in the dark

Now that painting has been completed, the trees hanging over the house have been removed, the electrical circuit in the studio repaired and life in the studio is back to normal, whatever that means. Robin who left her job in special ed for a career in real estate says “normal is a setting for the dryer”. I like that. Anyway, normal here means there are many projects going on. The studio will be open all weekend, so you can come check things out, hang out on the patio, share some coffee or sparkling fruit juice, and view the most popular car in town.

flipped car

Tour hours are Friday and Saturday 10am-6pm and Sunday 10 am-4pm. Come on by.

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Savor Little Moments

Saturday, September 20, 2008

commissioned painting for ne restaurant

This morning this painting took off for it’s new home at Savor Italian restaurant in Fayetteville, AR. It is 24″ x 30″ and it seems to fit in quite well with my current direction in still lifes even with its predominantly earthy hues. It was quite a feat to pull off this last minute commission with that nasty storm Ike blowing through our town and I’ll have some crazy photos of what that brought my way another time. I’ll also be sure to let you know when Savor has its grand opening. For now, I am working on cleaning up after the storm, preparing for next weekend’s studio tour, and getting a painting ready to ship for an exhibit at Senator Pryor’s office. Busy time, this September.

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Artists at the Governor’s Mansion

Friday, September 12, 2008

reception and book signing at the Governor's Mansion

The Arkansas Artists Engagement Calendar has been released and it is beautiful! I had the privilege of attending a reception at the Governor’s Mansion in Little Rock Wednesday night which was hosted by Governor and First Lady Beebe and the Governor’s Mansion Association. I loved taking the time to travel through our lush, beautiful state. I called my mom on the way to the event to share a laugh with her about it. When I was a little girl, my grandmother was a sexy divorcee with a hot career and an apartment in a complex called the Governor’s House. One dark night as we first went to her new place in a new city my mother and I were trying to spot the sign for the Governor’s House Apartments. My great grandmother, who lived with us and was like a mother to me, asked why we had been invited to the Governor’s House and we howled with laughter at the confusion. It became a running joke for our little family and I treasure memories of the times when we all shared a good laugh. Anyway, I had an easy drive to the Mansion and was still grinning to myself as I strolled past the fountain in front.

Governor Beebe was the first person to greet me as I entered, followed, of course, by the lovely First Lady Ginger Beebe. Just to the side of the staircase, I met Janice Laman who headed the committee to produce this year’s calendar and I had my first peek at the calendar. It is just like most art calendars, spiral bound with a nice heavy plastic cover and art interspersed between the weekly page layouts. After a quick peek, I ran into a fellow artist from Eureka Springs who also had a piece juried in. Zeek Taylor is really nice guy with a dashing flair for fashion and he had, apparently subconsciously, chosen a fabulously textured teal jacket which really set off the image of his painting on his name tag. I also said hello to Iris Feutz who owns two of the most beautiful galleries in Eureka Springs, Lisa Bauer who lives just down the road in Huntsville and makes richly colored paintings in acrylic and oil. After that, WOW! Calenders began switching hands and some people even wore out their Sharpie pens that night! There were a couple of great highlights right at the end of the event. I met a really fun couple with amazingly expressive faces and a big appetite for art. They have decided to have me paint their portrait in the style of my big eyed girls and I could not be more thrilled to work with them. Besides, it turned out that she is a colleague of one of my favorite Little Rock people and the friend I had dinner with later that night. Small world.

As the lights were flashed, I turned toward the exit and ran into Kevin Kresse, an artist whose work I admire and someone whom several of my artist friends have studied under. Kevin has magical lights in his intensely blue eyes and he was the only one who wrote more than his name in my book.”Yippy Dandy Yo Yo” I asked him to call me whenever he gets the urge to holler that out. Kevin spoke to me about his gifted siblings in Eureka Springs, one of whom is my godson’s physician. Small world.

Karin Boudet-Ford is another Eureka Springs artist who was at the event. Karin is a potter whom I met when she took a paper making class from me at my studio. I had admired her work at EurekanArt for some time and I was thrilled to see a piece of hers was chosen for the calendar. It is a very cool teapot that seems to dance and bend about. Karin and I were on our way out when I realized I had not taken any photographs the whole evening and so she took this quick photo of me while we joked about posing in silly ways in the Mansion. We chatted all the way to her car where I discovered a Tulane sticker and something else she and I have in common. We both went to Tulane back in the day. Small world again.

I’ll talk more about the other things I did in Little Rock another time. I have some interesting pictures to share, too. But for now, I leave you with the idea that this engagement calendar is gorgeous, well-produced, and would make an excellent holiday gift. I’m going to get on the book signing tour with First Lady Beebe and I’ll share those dates with you later. If your local book seller or art gallery does not have the book, you can get in touch with me and I will let you know when I have some available.

Oh yeah, the painting which was chosen to appear in the calendar is titled kiss and while I am offering prints of it, I have had to remove it from sale for a while because it has also been chosen for an exhibit in Senator Pryor’s office. I’ll fill you in on the details of that exhibit and it’s opening as I learn more. In the meantime, here is the image for you to ponder. Email me at kathryn@kathrynsemolic.com if you would like a signed and numbered print. They are $88.00, exclusive of Arkansas taxes and shipping, and measure 8″ x 16″ on archival 13″ x 19″ paper. Thanks!

kiss, acrylic on canvas, 12

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toying with momentum

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

painting of hand holding a marble in a small lid

I finished my contribution for the 6th Annual 5 x 5 Exhibition at the Arts Center of the Ozarks. The title, “toying with momentum” begins on the left side and boldly continues on the right side. The hand extends around the canvas. I’ll have alternate views of this chunky little painting as the show approaches. I will also share with you the 5 x5 painting Jerri Stevens did of a frog. It’s cool. She made a great texture on her canvas and the little frog is peering through the leaves mischievously. Originally I was going to paint five objects, including a nickel, which could have come out of my pocket. and as I gathered them, I somehow  ended up swirling the marble in the lid of the jar. It’s good exercise for my violin practice and I like the sound it makes. Now I have a little jar with a marble in it in my purse and that makes an interesting sound, too.

Later on today I am going to the Arkansas Artists 2009 Calendar Sponsors Preview Reception and Book Signing hosted by First Lady Ginger Beebe and the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion Association at the Governor’s Mansion in Little Rock. I’ll bet I’m not the only artist attending who is hoping get some good shots of that event.

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making portfolios in LaLa Land

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

inner monster

Today was an unusual day in art class. One student walked into the glass door. (Gently, no one was hurt.) A couple sat at the table staring at ribbons, while others seemed to be made of rubber as they bounced off the trees and each other. It seemed everyone was in LaLa Land. That made me queen of LaLa Land! I repeated some of the things teachers had told me when I talked in class and I ran around fetching things for students who seemed unable to move about freely. Finally, they settled into their individual work spaces as I read them a book I love, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by A.Wolf. It’s art class and reminders to consider point of view are never out of place.

Each of the students made a portfolio for the artwork they have created in class. After sorting through and claiming their pieces from the now giant group stack, they devised ways to attach ribbons to tie the sides off and keep artwork from falling out. There were no fines for excessive use of duct tape. Then they began to paint some representation of how they see themselves in the world. We have an owl-loving ballerina and a nature girl who loves the sun, sky, mountains, and lake. One student depicted what he called his well of power. It is gold in there. Two others chose to depict alien creatures they had first created in a video game which are their avatars in that world. Then everyone worked together to tidy up the work areas and we enjoyed a little extra La La time as their moms visited in the driveway.

nice place, that LaLa Land

Alena, who was just visiting, was coming up with ideas for paintings as she walked away “Paint a car with a doggie in it.” And as she climbed into her car seat, she reached into her tiny bag and pulled out a fluffy stuffed doggie. LaLa Land is nice place to visit.

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in the classroom

Friday, September 5, 2008

caterpillars at Clear Spring School

Clear Spring School is full of wiggly life forms! I had the pleasure of working with some of them this week when the first through sixth graders at Clear Spring School came together in Miss Jenny’s room for a hands-on lesson on color mixing. My friend, Helen, who made the awesome slide show on color theory had to cancel her part of the lesson for this week so I had a quick brainstorming session and came up the idea to have the kids make finger print color wheels as we mixed secondary and tertiary colors and then to use those colors to create a gigantic version of Twister that teams of students could play.

finger print color wheels

I did a super quick intro to show them that there are many ways of organizing colors. They viewed a mixing chart from a paint manufacturer, a photo of the Munsell color tree and finally a wheel. I asked them about the primary colors and gave each student a card with one of the primary colors to divide them into three work teams. Everyone received a piece of illustration board and headed to their color work table. I wished I had made a sample card for each table or better yet a drawn a template on each student’s board to guide them in the creation of their color wheel because it was kind of difficult to know where to make the fingerprints. It turned out fine as it was because they all got prints of all the colors and the questions about the color organization provided the opportunity to review the basic idea that color can be organized in many ways. Besides that, the individuality was striking and is always encouraged at Clear Spring School.

color wheel game mat in the stle of twister

I was glad to see that all three teachers chose to stay in the room with us, knowing I was cracked when I said it would be a piece of cake for me to take them all! Miss Jenny kept the room clean and calm, Michelle led the way through the moments of transition and Mark guided his older group of students through a discussion of complementary and analogous colors, color temperature and associations. It was fun to hear him asking the questions which led his students to a realization that there are shared cultural beliefs about colors. Meanwhile, amidst the chaos and excitement,  the students finished adding all the colors to a giant color wheel which I had outfitted with a spinning pointer. (It’s super pretty and I’ll try to get a photo of it next time I visit the school.) Then we drew circles in a grid on an old sheet. While I painted their hands with a color, I asked the students questions about that color’s name and how it was mixed. They did quite well with the secondary colors and had a lot of fun making handprints on the sheet. It turned out beautiful. It should be a fun game for them to play. Next week, we will do some more color theory with Helen and her slideshow, and that will review the color mixing, talk about color schemes and the expression of emotion through color.

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visual arts fair at the Fayetteville Arts Festival

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

my art booth at the Fayetteville Arts Festival 2008

The 2008 Fayetteville Arts Festival was a lot of fun for me. I sold prints, talked about art, and colors and my favorite author, and got to meet a bunch of super people. I found that the display I had planned for the booth worked perfectly and it was the easiest art show set-up I have ever done. The organizers of the event are all artists themselves and they volunteered their time to make this event happen. I have never been at a show that treated its artists better. I was met at the loading dock by a beautiful young man with a giant cart and he helped me load everything into the service elevator and then pointed me to the coffee. Great start! Friday evening there was a preview party and some of my artist friends from Eureka came over for that. Saturday, many of the festival attendees had been to the farmers’ market and were strolling about with gorgeous bouquets of flowers and Sunday the serious collectors came to play. I met a woman with beautiful purple hair and a sweet baby who turned out to be the daughter of some friends. I loved the show and hope everyone who came out had as much fun as I did. The Fayetteville Arts Festival continues this weekend with performance art taking center stage.  The 24-hour play should be a blast. I may be heading back to town soon.

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What’s Up!

Thursday, August 28, 2008

What's Up! has my art on the cover

Yep, that’s my painting on the cover of What’s Up, the weekend magazine inset in last Friday’s Arkansas Democrat Gazette. That image was taken from my painting titled A Heady Bouf, which will be sold at the Fayetteville Arts Festival this weekend. If you are one of those collecting prints of my big eyed girl paintings, you may like to know that I will be offering limited edition prints of that painting for the first time this weekend.

A Heady Bouf is the first painting I have done which was inspired by a book. If you stop by my booth and guess the title of the book correctly, I’ll give you 20% off your purchase of the print and 10% off any of the other prints from my big eyed girl series. If you’re stumped and want a little treasure hunt, you could always dig through the newest paintings here on my blog, where I have certainly blabbed about it.

I hope many of you will join in the fun and stop by the festival this weekend. Thirty-one visual artists from five states will be offering their work in the air conditioned comfort of the Fayetteville Town Center. From 7-9pm Friday night the event opens with a preview party for collectors. A $25. ticket, benefiting the festival, will get you into the Open Space Art Party from 7-9pm where you will enjoy music, refreshments and the opportunity to mingle with the artists in a relaxed atmosphere and have first pick among the works available. Saturday the festival opens to the public at 9am and continues until 5pm, with the presentation of artist awards happening about noon. Sunday we will be in full swing again from 11am until 4pm. There will be plenty of fun stuff happening all around Fayetteville this weekend, including digital grafitti, art activities for kids, readings by local authors, and the Farmer’s Market right by the Town Center, so why not pop into town and make a day of it? Fayetteville Town Center is located at 15 W. Mountain St.

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abstract painting class

Monday, August 25, 2008

perpetually clean hands

this girl cannot resist the paint

Today’s painting class in the studio was small and fun. We kept things very casual and did a little review of color theory while painting for pleasure since the majority of the class was unable to attend. It is amazing to see the differences between the working styles of these two students. One cannot keep her hands out of the paint and loves to smear it all over the table. The other makes frequent trips to the sink to wash little bits of paint of his hands. One prefers earth tones and metallics and the other has a strong affinity for a vibrant palette, usually dominated by a couple of brilliant greens.

an abstracted landscape painting by a student

abstracted landscape by student

At the beginning of the class we talked about the difference between abstract and representational paintings. The students were asked to make an abstract painting and as they painted I sat with them and we reviewed some of the color theory they have learned in prior classes. I also threw in little bits of information about balance and composition and how high contrast areas in a painting draw the viewer’s eye there first. At our next class we will work on different types of balance within a composition. Another exciting event in today’s class is that one of the students is going to begin violin lessons next month. She is excited about doing it and I am excited for her. I pulled out my old new violin for her to play with and gave a little mini lesson on holding the bow. She played a while while I played on my new old violin. Sweet. We also discussed musical keys and finger positions and she and her mom stayed a good half hour after class to do it all again. they both have quite an ease with the instrument. It was a pleasure to watch them play.

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Ryan’s birthday

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

water slide at Roaring River State Park in MO

Yesterday was my godson’s twelfth birthday and he invited a few friends to go to the really cool water slide outside Roaring River State Park. We all met at his house where his mom had prepared rice and beans, and yes, I got her famous salsa I was hoping for. After everyone had enjoyed a delicious meal, we piled into Robin and Gayla’s cars and headed up through the Ozarks to the water slide. The drive was beautiful and I spied a place that I think will be great for my sculling practice. The water slide is a small family run business that charges by the hour. It is nestled into the hillside and swoops and turns until it takes you up up up and then spits you into a pool. It is amazing to notice that the depth of the pool is just right and noone ever seems to land on the person in front of them. The kids just throw themselves down the slide and ride it in any configuration of jumbled bodies that they happen to create as they fall, knowing that they will let the slide twist them around and rearrange them over and over until they spill out into the pool. The walk up the hill is steep and hard, but once you get the momentum built up by fully participating in the play, it is a piece of cake. Speaking of cake…

Ryan's water slide cake

We drove back to our house and the kids played with punch balloons and water balloons and we all dove into the water slide cake. Here is our little party, well, minus one, I took the picture.

the birthday party

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birthdays and salsa

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Eureka SPrings Farmers' Market Salsa Contest

The salsa contents at the Farmer’s Market was fun and salsa is my idea of what breakfast should be! My godson’s mom, Dolores, makes what I consider to be the most delicious salsa in town. This year she experimented with roasting the veggies and took third place in the the competition. Last year she came in first. The contest was the day before her birthday this year and after we went to the market, Ryan made her a cake, all by himself.

Ryan's cake for his mom

Today is Ryan’s birthday. He is twelve. We are taking some friends to a water slide. I made a water slide cake. Dolores is making rice and beans. I’m hoping for some of her famous salsa.

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