A Walk in the Woods

I have a painting on my easel that I'm waiting to speak to me about where to go next. I looked and wasn't getting 'leadings', so did some art business work (warm by the woodstove!), then went out on a walk. This was just what I needed! It's been a month or so since I walked very far, given the serious cold, and troublesome footing (icy in places, break-through crusted deep snow in others), and now filled back up with natural wonders, I know how much I've missed it. Today I suddenly felt warm sun (despite cold air), and heard cheery songbirds- a turn towards spring! There were lots of animal tracks- deer, squirrel, rabbit, mice, opposum or skunk, and even a bear who had been searching along a hedgerow. I noted dirt-marked snow which gave away several burrows in a wooded hillside, and a place on a steep slope where a small animal had slid on its belly down the hill. Looks to me like animals are waking up, and all of this life was renewing for me!

Blank Canvas

I'm excited to get started on this canvas. It took a few weeks to make it (raw canvas and big stretcher bars and cross brace treked here by UPS, my artist daughter Emma helped me stretch it, and then I prepared it with three coats of gesso.) These preparatory phases are time-consuming, yet I've come to value the process as a step in creating the work- touching the canvas, I admire it's texture, and applying gesso, I'm connecting with the movement and mood of the image-to-be, and start to see it on the surface. I'll let the gesso 'cure' for a few days, and THEN, I get to let loose with springy brushes and lovely color- can't wait!

Paintings within Paintings

Close-up

Entire canvas

Something's stirring my creative spirit with bright warm colors and large scale! I'm surprised and enthused with the 'zing' of color and gesture in my recent oil paintings, and they are taking off to a  larger size than ever before! It's so rewarding when the canvases develop and start to 'talk to me' rather than the other way around.... I see marks and moods that arose as something beyond myself, and seem to have a 'powerful tenderness', something that resonates and lasts. On these larger scale works, there seem to be 'paintings within paintings', as sections of the painting hold me eye with room to explore, and then weave in to the painting as a whole. Very fulfilling!

'Pastel Sampler' Workshop

Alice Kelsey painting with pastel

I'm one of three artists teaching a pastel workshop this Saturday, and am really looking forward to sharing the wonders of this medium, and creating in general! I'm also eager to talk with other artists, and learn of some of their discoveries and approaches. I'll be covering basic pastel techniques, and sharing the stages of development of several of my works with photos at various stages- I learn a lot from this process, and hope that others will too! I'll also be doing a hands-on demonstration of starting a new painting. Anne Kenyon will focus on materials available to pastel artists, and Marianne Fyda is doing a still life of artful dessert items (and we get to eat the still life when she's done!). The workshop is co-sponsored by the Art Alliance of Central PA and the Central PA Pastel Society, and I just heard that it is filled- sounds like a fun day to be among a tribe of artists!

Our Land

'Pasture in Morning Mist', Alice Kelsey, Pastel

I'm so grateful to live in a place where the land around me inspires my artwork, and touches my soul. As I walked on our fifteen acre farm this morning, as I often do, the frost on the hay field refracted slanty sunrise light, creating zillions of gems. The grass crunched underfoot, a distinctive sound, that recalls Fall and adventure.These 'jewels' are the most valuable of all to me. The pastel in the photo was created after a summer morning walk, looking across our pasture and hay field.

Art Alliance 'Fall Colors' Studio Tour

Flowers and pastel at Studio Tour

I enjoyed meeting new people who love art, and sharing my own recent works at last weekend's Art Alliance of Central PA 'Fall Colors ' Studio Tour. I was delighted that many people made the trek to our 1870 farmhouse, where I have my studio and studio gallery. Visitors shared enthusiasm about my framed oil and pastel paintings, as well as the set-up in my studio. Many were interested in how to organize equipment to paint outdoors, and I showed them the backpack and pastel box which I use- maybe I'll post a photo and description of that in an upcoming blog entry. I also enjoyed hearing about others' approaches to art-making, and art appreciation- it was fun to share with so many lively, spirited people! And many, many thanks to my friend Betsy for creating the artful floral arrangements which so nicely complimented my paintings, and to my husband, Tim, for building so many helpful items for my art-making!

Fall Colors

Palette for oil painting

As I stepped in to my studio this morning, and saw the palette of mixed oil paints, I was struck by the shift to fall colors... neutrals, and some bright warms are moving in, and greens quieting. I love the grey blue of the sky on many of these recent days too! I've been out plein air painting on a few crisp mornings just after dawn, and am also working eagerly on a large (3 ft. x 4 ft.!) oil painting of Mt. Nittany in the studio- am enjoying working on this big scale, with lots of room for gesture and texture!