I've Been Thinking

My musings lately have been about art as a medium of expressing the spirit and soul of the artist and how that comes about.  Twyla Tharp suggests that it's something in the DNA.  I'm thinking it goes deeper and more complex than our 'programming'.  So here's an invitation to that discussion here in this blog.

In her book, The Creative Habit; Twyla suggests that "We want our artists to take the mundane materials of our lives, run it through their imaginations, and surprise us."  What do you think of that?  


I think it applies, and not just to the mundane but to the delightful.  Birds that look like they're laughing found in unexpected places.  Trees that have a special quality not found in nature... the coziness of home in the bower of a leafy bush.  These are elements that come up again and again when I want to paint and many people respond to them.  (There's a story behind laughing bird, that's for later.)  They're all expressed in a uniquely, personality stamped way that is strictly Kimberlie.  Can't help it.  As my husband says, "More vines..."  Meantime:

May Your Christmas Season be Calm and Bright!

Now I'd love to hear your musings on the idea.   Please share.  No matter what art you practice or medium you use, it applies.   I'd like to hear what you think!

A big thank you to all!

kimbraymanart.com
What a blessing the Puget Sound Artists Gift show was yesterday!  I so love to share my visual aesthetic with people who respond with pleasure to it.  It's such a treat to know that someone is enjoying my creations.  I hope everyone who's eyes now rest daily on the art they bought find visual delight for a long time.  


One of the best things about this show is the camaraderie we artists have as we share time together enjoying the patrons, each other's art and conversation.  It's lovely to have such friendly, caring people to share my vision with.  Thank you especially to a few (you know who you are) who were honest and supportive in making suggestions for future direction!  Thanks, Barb and Mona for making this an affordable, attractive, community supported event that allows us artists to show our art and rub elbows with other art appreciators. 


Please check out the Gallery At Towne Centre Holiday Gift Show where you will find my painting shown on the postcard, and two others of mine for sale.  Many wonderful artists will be represented.  Just go to Third Place Books, down the escalator and straight ahead to their new location.  It's a beautiful space and you can Christmas shop at the bookstore, too!

PUGET SOUND ARTISTS GIFT SHOW

kimbaymanart.com

Get artful gifts at this sale and meet many of the artists.  Hope to see you there!

New Website

Harvest Moon

NEW WEBSITE

http://www.kimbraymanart.com

I have finally completed my website and would love for you to explore it!  It is exciting to see my work in the paged format as it represents the collection in a way that is organized and comprehensive.  It includes information about me and my process as well as sorting it into style, medium and subject.  Putting this site together  helped me see my work as a body.  As an acquaintance recently said when viewing my work in the studio for the first time: "You're really painting body and soul."  Yes! I see that!  Check in again soon to see some new pictures of my studio and me at work!

http://www.kimbraymanart.com

Banner for Art Works

Here are pictures of the banner I made for the Art Works space on Second and Dayton in Edmonds, WA.  It was made by crumpling a 4 foot by 6 foot piece of canvas into a bucket of thinned gesso to prime.  Then I applied thick gesso to the canvas over some ferns and tissue papers to give it texture and leave prints that would change the way the paint took to the surface.  After that dried, I washed thinned color over the whole canvas and then laid out my composition and painted it in.  They should add some color and excitement to the space.   I am honored to have contributed to the enhancement of a space so generously given to the Artists Connect group for meetings. I really enjoyed painting LARGE! 

New Paintings

These two series are selling well.  Something about the birds and the trees, eh?  They sure are fun to do!

'All Creation Sings'

Winter Bird

'Cozy'

'I Do'

SOLD

Thank you to the Arts of Snohomish Gallery on Cedar for the show 'Taking Flight'.  I sold this one called 'Perched' three days into the show.  Not exactly IN flight, but they look like they could take off, don't they?  I'm doing a lot of birds and they are turning out to be in cozy fall colors.  Every fall and spring, my palette changes.  That should help you figure out when I did 'Perched'. 


Looking forward to the Edmonds Studio Tour next weekend.  Maybe next year I'll have my studio open. 

Lynnwood Library Gallery

I was just notified that the painting 'Lady of the Wood' has been accepted for the 'It's Not Easy Being Green' show at the Lynnwood library.  Glad to have her out there as she is one of my favorites.  I tried something different with the presentation and it has been very well received.  The canvas has been mounted and matted in an oak frame.  It's a perfect fit for the warmth conveyed by the image.


I will be involved in many shows this fall including the Arts of Snohomish 'Taking Flight',  installing the exhibit of 54 plus works of art at the Alderwood Community Church Artist's Show and entering various shows around the Sound.  One of my favorites is Barb and Mona's Puget Sound Artist's Gift Show in November.  My fourth year! What a great communty of artists there is so close to home.  I am so grateful!

2010

So far 2010 has been a good year.  Here I am in the midst of juggling summer visits with art shows and find that in addition to having been accepted into the Edmonds Art Festival Juried Gallery with 'Cavalier', and three pieces in the Shoreline Art Festival Juried Gallery; I have sold more art in one month than in the previous 5 months!  ArtSplash was great with its spacious presentation and great weather for browsing.  I loved seeing what everyone is doing with their creative energy.  Birds seem to be a theme many people can relate to and I love painting them in an environment evocative of lush foliage or portraying them as bright spots singing their hearts out encouraging the life in the bare trees to burst into leaf.  I'll be continuing with the themes of  birds, dancers and trees in glorious color that expresses my joy of painting.  Hope you like what you see.  


My friend Mary Peterson and I will be offering our class in Art Journaling at the Francis Anderson Center through the Edmonds Recreation Center this fall.  This class is great for people who want to experiment in personal visual creativity in a nurturing environment that teaches the elements and principles of art.  You will have a good start on a journal of creative expression after the two classes.  Check out the publication CRAZE when it comes in the mail!

My Show Shocker

Well imagine my surprise when I checked out my art from the juried gallery in Shoreline's Art Festival only to find I'd won a Purchase Award for 'Leafy Home'.  The city of Shoreline has purchased the piece for their portable collection to be shown at various locations throughout the city of Shoreline.  It will be in the Lake Forest Park Towne Center Gallery for 6 weeks before making the rounds.  What a blessing and encouragement!

New painting

I think this is my favorite so far.  I love working with tints and palette knives.  This one is inspired by Degas.  I could call it: "Je Suiss Desole Degas"  "With Apologies To Degas"; at least that's a loose translation.  Or I could call it "Stretch".    Haven't decided yet.

Music Graces the Barre

I love drawing figures and I've been wanting to use this warm palette for awhile.   It's pretty large at 36 x 24 inches.  I used collage and molding paste to add textural elements to the surface.  

New painting: the beginning of a series

This is an acrylic painting/collage/print combination that I started because of my keen interest in natural materials and especially all the interesting colors, textures and patterns in stone.  I've begun thinking about the different aspects of our relationship to the earth and will be pursuing expression of that thinking in a series that this begins called EartHeart.  This one I call Abode.  

Five Images Submitted For Your Consideration

These top two paintings were started and finished in the last week.  They are 16" x 20" original acrylic paintings . The third one is an 18" x 24" acrylic painting.  The fourth and fifth paintings are 24" x 30" acrylic paintings. All paintings are on gallery wrapped canvas with painted sides except for the hardwood framed abstract which is on archival illustration board and professionally framed. These images are close to the actual colors and brightness but may differ slightly from the physical work. To see more of my art, click on the flicker account to the right of the post. To see more about me, click on my profile.

Thank you for your interest!

                                                                                    

Work in progress

I'm presently working on three paintings.  Here is one, still not finished...something about the values.  For those of you who've been wondering what my studio looks like, here are a couple of pics.  What a blessing to have a room for all my STUFF!  God is good, and so is my husband who gave up his music studio for me when we acquired some unexpected house guests.  Now if only I had an OUTside venue.  Things are piling up!

New painting

I had been looking forward to seeing Jacqui Beck demonstrate her painting techniques at Artists Connect for months.  I have been experimenting with similar things and her style is similar to mine.  I was not disappointed.  She was just what I needed to gel my style and give voice to the beauty I have wanted to portray on canvas.  Here's the first one I finished. Thank you Jacqui and I'll see you again at the May 1 class!

new painting

This is fun!

Success!

SOLD

I have to share that the November Puget Sound Artists Gift Show was terrific!  I had a very successful sale with several pieces sold and many jewelry items.  It was wonderful to see my buyers cherishing their items as they carried them to the register.  I love making something someone can love!

new piece

Had quite a break from art over the holidays and am anxious to get back to work.  Just spent 4 hours at ArtWorks in Edmonds with Mary (see fave blogs) and Meredith and company (which is great company!!).  Got a LOT done.  Here's the one I finished during the holidays, just playing around....