Holiday Week

I am a little nervous, this Thanksgiving is the first that I will actually be making Thanksgiving dinner for twenty of my family members. Don't get me wrong this is just a drop in the bucket to the amount of people that my mom cooks for every year but, I do what I can.  We have to wait to have dinner with my entire family because of extended family commitments until Sunday. So I am hosting a dinner for all the family members that have no where to go on the actual holiday.   I was thinking of simplifying the whole day by just serving "walking tacos."  Walking tacos are a delightful concoction of Fritos, taco meat, lettuce and sour cream served in a snack sized chip bag. Effortless and delicious, my two favorite ingredients.

I am pretty caught up with new paintings to post on Ebay, so I decided to take this time to work on my websites and blogs. Please make sure to check them all out next week!

New Studio!

This is the home of my studio! It is wonderful. I have more than enough room for all of my mess. Well, my controlled mess, which may be a contradiction in itself. It works for me. We are very happy here. The kids are still homeschooling. My daughter is working on a line of crafts that she is planning to sell on Etsy. I hope she has more luck there than I did. I will post the link when she is all ready.

Something different...

This week took me in a new direction, as my muse often does. I started a great Halloween painting and suddenly lost passion for it. So now it sits on my Lazy Chair.  Suddenly, I couldn't stop thinking about angels.   I envisioned the angel that I wanted to create, thought about background, dress and hair color. 

Last night I started the background and was so happy with the feel of the light that I couldn't stand to paint the angel in it.  So here is a quick picture of it but, it is not a very true picture. Although, it gives you the general idea. Follow my auctions this week to  see them better.

I also want to state that my heart and prayers go out to the state employees of Pennsylvania that are not getting paid for the seventh year in a row because, the morons in Harrisburg can't balance a budget.  Stay strong.

New week... New painting!

     I am very happily working on my winter paintings.   All of my new tricks are working quite well.  This is my happiest time just painting, creating, sculpting life.  Everyday, I sit and look at a blank canvas. I having an idea just a thought. Once I put the brush in the paint and place my first stroke something takes over from there. It is being in the creative flow.  

     It is not like I don't take breaks. I do. I take plenty of breaks, those help me to. I can look at the painting from a fresh prospective that way. It is fun to see how a piece is going to end up.  The painting that I have posted here started out as a spring piece but, morphed into a winter. Maybe it is more about what I am feeling. I love the look of a winter scene. You can see only the happy, fun action and not the cold freezing temperature numbing your nether regions. 

On that note, stay in the flow! See you next time.

July 15

It has been a real challenge trying to get painting done with the kids at home all the time. There are so many distractions, it is hard to stay on task. Out of shear desperation, I have discovered some helpful techniques that allow me to be flexible with my business, my kids and enables me to keep my sanity as well as my income.

I decided to make my studio as portable as possible. This way I can keep up with the kids where ever they end up. Whether that is the pool or the playground, I can set up shop on the fly. I have a big black bag stuffed with paints, brushes, canvas and water. I even have a portable aluminum easel. Perfect, I just have to find a way to keep people at the park to stop asking me every five minutes, “what are you painting?” Oh, and the ever popular “can you paint me something?” Please send any ideas!

Second, I have designed a very flexible schedule. I start painting at seven in the morning, a good two hours before my kids get up in the summertime. Then I stop for a couple hours, get them awake and started on their day. Paint for a couple more hours then clean and figure out what I am going to make for dinner. Then paint for a couple more hours after dinner. I find that breaking up the painting schedule really helps keep me interested in the painting and helps think of fresh new ideas.

Lastly, I am getting a jump on the busy autumn season. In the past, I would create paintings in the same season that I was in, the summer paint summer, in the fall paint fall paintings. I have scrapped that idea for this year. Mainly because, my winter and fall paintings sell best for me and the season really isn’t long enough to capitalize on all the ideas that come my way. This year I am painting all fall and winter so that I will be ready for the demand.
Until next week, take care and stay in the creative flow! Kori

Website overhaul ...

I am very excited that I finally have my new website done! Complete with pictures of my studio and lots and lots of paintings. I really proud of how it all turned out. Although, I am having a hard time actually getting it published because I changed everything from Homestead to Moblie me and I have now idea how I get it published to the internet. I thought I knew but, something is not working. I may have to make an actual phone call today, which I hate to do by the way.

Also, I am more than a little upset with the lack of snow here in Wellsville. Everyone back home has about a foot and here a dusting. This kids have a two hour today for some reason though. Go figure. Here are some picture that didn't make the website.

All is well in Wellsville...

I am busy, busy, busy working on new stuff, completing commissions, and trying to work on my website. Soon I will have a brand new website with plenty of original artwork to choose from. I have finished two watercolors paintings that am happy with but, the acrylics are just more solid, more stand out. Now I am back to working on acrylic townscapes. This one in particular, is of my town "Wellsville." I am painting this for to sell on Ebay to take the proceeds to benefit my church, Grace United.

I am back!!!!

And happy to be. I had a long Christmas break but, I did get some work done while I was away. As always, I went to stay with Mom and Dad for the holiday and had a wonderful time. And as with any time off that I do afford myself, I always come up with some new ideas.
After spending some time at my brother's farm. I took this picture because, it reminds me so much of the landscapes I try to capture with my paintings. Maury's farm sits way a top a hill overlooking the small town of Worthington, PA. Now wonder I am drawn to these townscapes.
I just listed my Sunday painting today and am going to start a new watercolor with this land layout. With a million houses and things going on, of course.
A little about the watercolors... I have been painting in acrylics and oils for 20 years. I always thought that watercolors wouldn't let me have the control that I like but, I found them to be wonderful. It takes some getting used to because I have to plan my layers before hand but, I love the ease of use. Plus, it is nothing to ship. With canvases, it takes me 20 minutes to get a painting ready to send.