Small Brain Curd

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

14" x 14"

(framed dimensions)
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John is a long time friend, and one in a group of four talented musicians known as The Small Brain Curds.

This painting is from one of their recent performances.

Aglow

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

14" x 14"

(framed dimensions)

$110.00 plus $20.00 shipping
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Another view inside our town hall.  The light  from the stage cast a lovely, warm glow throughout the room.



The Gathering

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

14" x 14"

(framed dimensions)

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My previous post showed the outside of our historic town hall.  This post gives a feel for what was going on inside those walls last Saturday evening as the musicians who make up the Salmon Falls River Friends of Music performed.  In years past, I've always pointed my camera toward the stage.  This year I chose a seat along the side which gave me an interesting view of the performers as well as the audience.  I love this man's relaxed demeanor.

Meeting Place

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

15" x 19"

(framed dimensions)

$185.00 plus $30.00 shipping
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One of the best things about old New England towns is their meeting houses.  Lebanon's town hall is no exception. It was built in 1833 and is still used on occasion for various events including the annual Salmon Falls River Friends of Music concert which was held this past weekend. The building creates the perfect ambiance for this musical event with its tall windows, old fashioned lighting, long benches, creaky floors and enthusiastic music goers.

I must credit my daughter, Meg, for this particular reference photo.  She wandered with my camera for a bit and took some great shots.  I love the angle of this photo.  It makes our little ole town hall seem rather grand, don't you think?

 Crisscross

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

14" x 14"

(framed dimensions)

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I didn't want to walk away from my easel on a sour note after spending days on a larger painting only to have it end up in the dud pile.  sigh  So, I pulled up a reference photo from my archives and let loose with my paints taking a few artistic liberties along the way. It turned out to be a fun and relaxing way to end last week's
not-so-successful session.

Don't Look Now

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

14" x 14"

(framed dimensions)

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These two mules seemed to have such a great connection that I felt a bit like an intruder as I painted.



 Gentle Man

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

14" x 14"

(framed dimensions)

$110.00 plus $20.00 shipping
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I love it when I scour the backgrounds of my reference photos and discover a moment in time I hadn't intended to capture...but did.  This is one such moment.

Calm

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

10" x 16"

(framed dimensions)

$115.00 plus $20.00 shipping
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I'm happy for these summer days to be just around the corner...at long last!

This scene is from a series of reference photos I took last summer while visiting our daughter in Vermont. 

Swing Singer

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

14" x 14"

(framed dimensions)

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While this singer performed beautifully with the
Swingin' Vermont Big Band,
it was her swing era persona that most intrigued me.  She gave me loads to work with!

 Sweet

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

14" x 14"

(framed dimensions)
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These Jelly Beans were the perfect excuse to mix up some bright, bold colors. What fun!

Back to Back

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

12" x 14"

(framed dimensions)

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I passed by this back road scene on my way to an appointment.  Although I was running a bit late, I just couldnt resist pulling off to the side for two quick reference photos.  It's amazing that I had enough to work from since I didn't even take the time to roll down my car window!

 Gearing Up

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

14" x 14"

(framed dimensions)

$110.00 plus $20.00 shipping
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I always get inspired to paint when I revisit my reference photos from our trip to the Grand Canyon. While the views of the canyon were spectacular, it's the images of the mules and the riders that ultimately get me to my easel.

 All in Favor

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

14" x 14"

(framed dimensions)

$100.00 plus $20.00 shipping
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This is my attempt at the Daily Paintwork's "chicken challenge".  I ran into a technical glitch so I was unable to post it on that site. I thought I'd at least give it its due here.

Sure Sign

Acrylic on Arches Cover Paper

4" x 4"

NFS

Florals are definitely not my strong suit. However, when this tiny pitcher filled with miniature daffodils arrived on our desk at work, I couldn't resist giving them a try. Thanks, Peggy!

 Introspective

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

14" x 14"

(framed dimensions)

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This is another face in the crowd from a photo I took at the Common Ground Fair in Unity Maine last fall.  So fun to paint!

Just Ripe

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

14" x 14"

(framed dimensions)

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My paintings are each done in acrylic on a handmade paste paper base.  This was my first attempt using the Golden Open acrylics which, I quickly discovered, have a completely different consistency than the heavy body acrylics I typically use. Since my intention is to use these open acrylics (which have a longer drying time) for some plein air painting this summer, I'm hoping I can adapt with a little practice.  We shall see!

Bottoms Up

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

21" x 21"

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These are two of our fine feathered neighbors that began frequenting our yard last summer. They are usually joined by a flock of guinea hens.  Wow...are they ever noisy!

 Under Lock and Key

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

14" x 14"

(framed dimensions)

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I'm not sure why, while at the top of a mountain with 360 degrees of beautiful views, this padlock on the door of the warden's cabin seemed to capture my attention.  Odd, to say the least. I'm glad I snapped a few photos, though.  It was fun to paint.

Off Season

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

22" x 18"

(framed dimensions)

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A few weekends ago, my husband and I took advantage of one of the first real spring like days to hike Blue Job Mountain in Strafford, NH.  There's a fire tower at the top with some wonderful views including that of snowcapped Mt Washington.  At the base of the fire tower sits the warden's cabin which, in spite of its padlocked door and boarded windows, still seemed inviting to me.

Spotlight

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

14" x 14"

(framed dimensions)

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The surprising thing about working with a paste paper background is never knowing exactly where, or even if, the texture will present itself when the painting is complete.  This is a case of the latter. 

 Keeper of the Beat

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

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This is a painting of Rich Magnuson, yet another fine member of the Swingin' Vermont Big Band, and one with whom I've had the pleasure of a bit of correspondence since the debut of my SVTBB paintings.  So nice when life runs full circle like that.  Or, as Rich so aptly wrote...when art inspires art.  Thanks for providing a bit more inspiration, Rich!

 Larger than Life

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

14" x 14"

(framed dimensions)

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We had a large window installed in our kitchen a year or so ago.  I just love the light that streams through it.

 Sparkling Wine

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

14" x 14"

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Allow me to explain the little specks all over this painting. It's all good...really! Toward the end of my recent, and very loooong paste paper making session, I happened upon a container of glitter and figured...eh...why not?!  So, on the last sheet of paper, while the paste was still wet, I experimented by generously sprinkling the glitter over it and allowing the paste to dry.  To my amazement, most of it actually stuck.  Even more astounding was the discovery that most of it stayed in place, and still 'glittered' even after being painted over (though it doesn't show here, it does sparkle on the actual painting...hence the title!). Only when I stepped back from the completed painting did I realize that the glitter which had not remained in place was now stuck to everything in my studio...the floor, my easel, scanner, brushes, apron, desk top, kneaded erasers, etc., etc., etc..  You name it...it glitters. Oh, my!

Maine Maple

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

14" x 14"

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Come this time of year, our neighbors, Jim and Jane, tap their maple trees and boil down the sap in their sugar shack. Over the years, we've spent many an afternoon there sipping maple sugar tea over good conversation and, on occassion, a bit of live music. This painting is from a photo I took there a few years back.

Great neighbors...great times...great memories!

Great Bay

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

4" x 10"

(framed dimensions 10" x 16")

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My husband and I spent an afternoon at the Great Bay Discovery Center in Greenland, NH a few weeks back.  A lovely spot...even in the cold of winter.

Sights and Sounds

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

11" x 35"

(matted and framed to 24" x 48")

$950.00 plus shipping

To purchase, please email

kathy@kathymallat.com

These five are members of The Swingin' Vermont Big Band.  We happened upon their outdoor performance on Church Steet in Burlington while visiting our daughter there last fall.  Since I took many photos that day, they have been the subject of several paintings.

Some people have been curious about my painting process, so I snapped a few photos along the way while painting this piece.  The photos were taken with just the light clipped to the top of my easel, so there's a bit of a glare, and the colors appear much warmer than the actual painting above.  Hopefully, you can see past those issues to my thought and painting process...

I keep a stash of paste paper I've made (a process for another post!) on hand so that I have a variety suitable in both color and design for whatever idea comes to mind.  I liked the long strokes of this piece and thought they'd work well in representing the flow of music from the instruments I was about to paint.  Above is generally my set up...my laptop with my reference photo on the left, my limited palette of acrylics front and center, and my water and brushes to the right. After lightly penciling in my subjects, I blocked them in with a light wash.

I continued to build up layers of color, keeping them fairly thin to allow the texture of the paste paper to subtly work its way through.

I tend to work in applications of similar colors...first all the skin tones, then all the hair, then all the instruments etc..  That's partially a habit from my days illustrating, and also a necessity since the acrylics on my palette dry rather quickly.

With the faces pretty much complete, it was time to attack the technical aspects of those instruments. 

Yikes!

Next, it was on to the black neck straps and white shirts...which, of course, were not simply black and white!

I saved the sunglasses for the last detail to complete...kind of the icing on the cake for me! I really worked to let the paste paper act as reflective lenses in their glasses.  Fun!  Lastly, I added a touch of green in the background to give the painting some depth, and to 'pop' the musicians just a bit. 

And, there you have it!

Piano Man

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

8" x 8"

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Last month I had the privilege of sitting in on a Salmon Falls River Friends of Music monthly jam session.  While I'm not musically inclined, I do love painting those who are, so I brought my camera along.  This painting is from a photo of Al Porsche, a most talented piano man.

 Trumpeter

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

8" x 8"

(matted to 12" x 12")

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There was no striking light to work from in this photo, but I still couldn't resist giving it a try.

Wistful

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

14" x 14"

(framed dimensions)
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I began painting this man's skin using some leftover paint I had mixed for my previous post. It wasn't long before I realized the paint's cool tone was all wrong for this piece.  I should know better than to let my frugal ways get the better of me at the easel.  Lesson learned.

 Winter Blues

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

14" x 14"

(framed dimensions)
$110.00 plus $20.00 shipping
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I created this sheet of paste paper (in the background) quite some time ago, but I just never seemed to find an image for the over painting that felt suitable...until now!  

 Wrapped

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

14" x 14"

(framed dimensions)
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This girl was standing among a crowd of people in the background of one of my reference photos.  I looked at that photo many times before realizing she was even there.  Fun to find such hidden treasures to paint!

Emerging

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

12" x 12"

(framed dimensions)

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There were a lot of firsts for me with this painting - one of them being those water droplets. It took me a bit to figure out how to make them appear as though they were rolling off the skin rather than growing from it, but I think I finally got there.



 Stargazer

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

14" x 14"

(framed dimensions)
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Oh, I had FUN with this one!  The only bit of frustration was in scanning the image for this post. No matter how much I tweaked things, I just couldn't match the deep, rich turquoise blue in the background of the original.  Try to imagine it, will you?

Bright Eyed

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

14" x 14"

(framed dimensions)
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The real challenge in working from this reference photo was the intense bright light that washed away some of the edges and facial features.  I really had to work at painting what I was seeing rather than what I know to be true, especially where the mouth and teeth were concerned.  I so wanted to finish that top lip!

A Feather in His Cap

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

14" x 14"

(framed dimensions)
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This cowboy's hat has the feel of many a hard day's work. I guess the cowboy does, too, for that matter! But the hat was the reason I chose to work from this reference photo of mine. The feather was an added bonus for painting.  I must say I enjoyed every second of my time at the easel with this one.

Windblown

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

14" x 14"

(framed dimensions)
$110.00 plus $20.00 shipping

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I'm having such fun with this series of portraits! This gal is another from the group of musicians at the Common Ground Fair in Unity, Maine.  She was actually playing a harp, but it was the challenge of her accessories and those fly away strands of hair that I chose to focus on.  I knew the painting was complete when I caught myself attempting to push the hair from my own eyes as I worked!

 Shine On

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

14" x 14"

(framed dimensions)
$110.00 plus $20.00 shipping

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I'm not going to lie.  I felt very much in the weeds with this painting.  I was excited by the strong light in the reference photo I had taken, but quickly realized the difficulty in tackling it and trying to capture a likeness as well.  As soon as I let go of the latter, things began to take an upward turn, however.  And, when all was said and done, it did end up looking a bit (kinda, sorta, maybe just a little) like Derek - nephew and twin brother to Jesse (see 1/2/11 post).  Just kinda, sorta, though...

 At One

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

14" x 14"

(framed dimensions)
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This musician was one in a group of several at the Common Ground Fair a few years back.  It was his intensity that I was looking to capture in this painting.

The Sky's the Limit

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

14" x 14"

(framed dimensions)
$110.00 plus $20.00 shipping

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This is a painting of Jesse, one of my twin nephews.  As I painted in his beard, I chuckled to think how we all still refer to both he and his brother, Derek, as "the boys".  How time flies...

 Man in Black

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

"14 x 14"

(framed dimensions)

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I was reliving our Grand Canyon trip via photos recently and happened upon a shot that included this fellow.  There's something about a cowboy's true grittiness that I find appealing to paint.



Minnie

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

22" x 18"

(framed dimensions)

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This was commissioned as a Christmas gift by a friend who jokes that her parents treat their adorable little dog, Minnie, better than they ever did her.  I've heard competition between 'sisters' can be fierce!  ;) 



Oh, Christmas Tree

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

10" x 8"

(matted to fit a standard 14"x11" frame)

$110.00 plus $10.00 shipping
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We had plenty of snow for last year's tree excursion. With the exception of a flurry or two this year, we've had no snow to speak of here in southern Maine...yet!

Nature's Own

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

5" x 3"

nfs

We've had snow flurries here on and off the past few days which put me in the mood for painting some winter landscapes.  A quick look back through my reference photos revealed this little gem - a favorite that I have painted several times before.

 Bowl Full

Mixed Media on Arches Cover Paper

15" x 18"

(framed dimensions)

$125.00 plus $20.00 shipping
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My intension for the studio today was to start in on a piece I've been commissioned to paint.  I got distracted by the light streaming in through our kitchen window and onto the fruit bowl, however, and had a sudden urge to paint that instead.  The commissioned painting will be next, though.  Really.