Katherine Kean Fine Art

Goodbye to Bear

2013-05-16T09:42:00.000-07:00

Bear and Tashi in the studio

I’m so sad to report that Bear passed away Tuesday night. Up until a few days ago I was still entertaining the idea that I might be able to have him with me for many more weeks, even months. Nothing about his illness has been linear, and after a few bad days his energy and spirits were up and he had been steadily regaining strength. He finished with crate rest and was once again free to go about the house, having no trouble getting around, albeit slowly, even on the slippery wood floors. Then abruptly his illness changed course and he became so very tired, sleeping most of the time, and then seeming terribly weak. His breathing became irregular and suddenly this was bothering him – so much so that I took him again to the animal ER. They confirmed that the cancer was starting to pressure his throat, and it was time to peacefully let him go.

Bear was a steady companion, following me from room to room as I went about my day, or more often, anticipating what was next and leading the way. He liked to adhere to a strict schedule and would always prompt me when it was time for a meal, or a treat, or a nap, or a walk. Vocal, intelligent, and with a sense of humor, he made every activity he could into play. He would jump up on the bed so I could chase him off it while trying to make it – repeating as necessary, play tug of war with vines in the garden while I was weeding, chase the cat just because the vacuum cleaner was coming out of the closet and the cat was probably about to run, chase squirrels because they were chewing on the house, or chase squirrels just because. Without vacuums or squirrels present, it was fun simply running over there in order to spin around and run back here – zooming back and forth. He was excellent in the studio, always supportive, never judging. He had a skill for kitten herding and supervision, and he was a great help in the kitchen. He protected everyone from all the creatures trying to get in through the television, including dogs, cats, horses, and every other animal, as well as animated cartoon characters – he held them all at bay by barking at the screen until they went away. He was remarkably sweet and his loyalty was unfailing - I feel privileged to have had all the years of love and joy.

Hill, Field, Clouds Sketch

2013-05-13T08:30:00.000-07:00

Hill, Field, Clouds - Sketch (Scotland) ©2013 Katherine Kean
graphite on paper approx 8 x 10 inches

"Discipline in art is a fundamental struggle to understand oneself, as much as to understand what one is drawing."

Henry Moore

Faster Than Speech

2013-05-06T08:47:00.000-07:00

Tree, Field, Sheep, Clouds - Sketch (Scotland) ©2013 Katherine Kean
graphite on paper approx 8 x 8 inches

“I prefer drawing to talking. Drawing is faster, and leaves less room for lies.”

Le Corbusier

While I'm not sure that drawing is faster than talking, for me it is faster than writing, or even texting, and I like that it bypasses linguistic translation.

A Fine Day: Drawing

2013-04-29T08:26:00.000-07:00

A Fine Day - Sketch (Scotland) ©2013 Katherine Kean
graphite on paper approx 8 x 8 inches

"It is only by drawing often, drawing everything, drawing incessantly, that one fine day you discover to your surprise that you have rendered something in its true character."

Camille Pisarro

What Can Be - Marsh Labyrinth 3 in progress

2013-04-22T09:08:00.000-07:00

Marsh Labyrinth 3 (work in progress) ©2013 Katherine Kean
oil on linen 10 x 10 inches

“Show not what has been done, but what can be. How beautiful the world would be if there were a procedure for moving through labyrinths.”

Umberto Eco, The Name of the Rose

Bear is feeling better, perhaps temporarily and perhaps because he's not doing any chemotherapy, at least for the time being. The procedures have put his lymphoma into remission, yet the last two rounds have been too much for him - either because of his age or maybe he's just a sensitive dog. The idea of chemotherapy for dogs is to make them feel better with any side effects expected to be minimal or non existent. I have certainly met dogs who have sailed through chemotherapy, but unfortunately Bear is not one of them.

Another aspect to his current well being is the improvement in his spine. He only has another two to four weeks of crate rest left and the activity restriction has served him well. He's off pain killers and not hurting and his energy levels are starting to rise. I've been gradually extending his restricted area from crate, to crate plus pen, to crate plus pen, plus office, to crate plus pen plus office plus hallway. Hopefully by the end of the rest period I'll have figured out how he can enjoy most of the house without having access to the hazards of furniture he can jump on, while also providing traction over these slippery hardwood floors.

In the Making: Marsh Labyrinth 2

2013-04-15T08:40:00.000-07:00

Marsh Labyrinth 2 (work in progress) ©2013 Katherine Kean
oil on linen 10 x 10 inches

“Is it a world in the making

that turns as it whistles to the depths of my being

It is burning

Suppose it were to appear

A bleeding rosary at the window

a sun setting on the marshlands"

Paul Dermée, Silver Clasp, The Cubist Poets in Paris: An Anthology

Angeles Forest Storm, Squeezing in Painting Time

2013-04-08T09:33:00.000-07:00

Angeles Forest Storm (work in progress) ©2013 Katherine Kean
oil on linen 6 x 6 inches

Dear, sweet, Bear has been sick. He has back problems and is on 6-8 weeks of strict crate rest. He also has Lymphoma and between taking care of one and the other it has been difficult to find studio time. I’m grateful to not have any too pressing commitments while we make the necessary adjustments. All we really have to do for the time being is rest and be still - not run around or jump up on the furniture, stick with the medication schedule, and show up at the vet’s for blood work, chemo, and abundant treats, once a week. Oh, and try and take videos of Bear stretching, or breathing, or whatever, so the vet can see (or not) the symptoms that I see.

Bear, as usual, is very co-operative with everything. He’s not in any pain, but is a little tired some days. Overall he’s feeling better than he was just a month ago when we didn’t even know he was sick. He loves being the center of attention and is learning to relax about visiting the vet’s office.

This week he felt comfortable enough to be left alone upstairs with his DVD for Dogs while I got a little painting done, above. You can see that it's still very wet and shiny.

Keeping Stored Oil Paint Fresh for the Palette

2013-03-25T08:52:00.000-07:00

Over the years I’ve tried many ways of preserving paint, using everything from closeable palette boxes; which only work in the short term – ultimately the paint hardens, or submerging blobs of paint in water overnight; works okay, but it’s a chore fishing the paint out of the water and getting it ready to work with, and there may also be problems with the water breaking down the binder. Overall, the best and easiest way I found was to put the whole palette in the freezer. However, as my palettes have grown larger this has become less convenient.

Recently I learned a new trick. I have smaller pieces of glass to hold the paint, like these from School Specialty. These are lightweight and have smooth beveled edges. I load them with individual colors and line them up around my regular palette. I take color from the smaller glass panes and mix it on the larger glass. The smaller glass stays clean and at the end of the day I put them in the freezer. The cold slows down oxidation so that the paint doesn’t dry out. They are small enough that they don’t take up too much room.

The panes are 4 x 6 inches; inexpensive and small enough to slide into a Tupperware container to prevent accidentally getting oil paint inside the freezer.

Why save paint? One – it’s economical to do so and two, I’m keeping in mind that some of these pigments are mined and once they’re gone - they’re gone. I prefer not to waste them. Three, I don’t want to add anything to landfills if I don't have to. Four, any leftover paint fragments need to be dry before tossing and it’s messy and space consuming to have smears of half used color scattered about drying.

I like to put out more than enough color on the palette when I start painting. Have you ever heard “paint like a millionaire?” It seems to me this makes the work looser and more confident, plus it seems a waste of time and stops the flow to stop in the middle of painting a passage to squeeze out more color.

Pencil Appreciation

2013-03-18T10:29:00.000-07:00

Clouds Moving Over the Angeles Forest Sketch ©2013 Katherine Kean
graphite on paper approx 8 x 8 inches

This past two weeks saw me trip a circuit breaker by turning on the vacuum, while one of my computers randomly and stubbornly refused to burn anything to a CD. Then a space heater died, my hair dryer died, and the oven stopped working, followed two days later by the microwave. The oven simply cooled down and then refused to warm back up. The microwave on the other hand went out in a shower of sparks and arcs of blue electricity crawling across the outside of the door, leaving little burn marks in its wake.

While all of these technical issues are being resolved I’m feeling very grateful for my pencil. It’s very reliable, always ready to go, easy to carry, and doesn’t need an outlet. It doesn’t require warming up, or cooling off and it won’t over heat and shut itself down or refuse to start. I don’t need to study a confusing owner’s manual to use it and it doesn’t require technical support, service calls, repairs, or upgrades. It works very much the same way each and every time I use it - no matter how long it has been since the last time I needed it.

More pencil facts:

Pencils write in zero gravity and although I’ve yet to try it, apparently under water. (But on what?)

A typical pencil can write as many as 45,000 words. A single pencil can make a line 35 -70 miles long.

Pencils were invented in 1565, but didn't get embedded erasers until the 1800s. I also hear that pencils without erasers are more common in Europe.

March 30th is Pencil Appreciation day.

"The average pencil is seven inches long, with just a half-inch eraser - in case you thought optimism was dead." Robert Brault

Getting Back to Work

2013-03-11T08:37:00.000-07:00

"Try to end a day's work on a picture knowing how to proceed the next day." Irwin Greenberg

Marsh House ©2013 Katherine Kean
oil on linen 6x6 inches

As much as I like the idea of having all things complete and squared away before a break, it seems there is wisdom in coming back to work on something already in progress, especially if it’s something that you know exactly how to proceed with. Then it’s as simple as picking up right where you left off without fuss or hesitation or over-thinking. It’s a way to keep the flow going between starts and stops. I find this helpful on a day to day basis as well as for longer breaks.

Sky, Rocks, Beach work in progress ©2013 Katherine Kean
oil on linen 30x40 inches

Before I leave the studio for the day I know what I’m going to start on the next day, whether it’s new drawings, a fresh under-painting, additional glazes - or sanding down and re-painting.

The paintings above are at a mid point. I can see where they're going, yet they will still have surprises along the way.

Fairing Well: What I Learned, What I Would Do Differently, What I Would Do the Same

2013-03-04T09:28:00.000-08:00

All booths are good, all wall space is good – the first piece that sold from our booth was hung in a back side aisle right next to an emergency exit.

I would bring less work, hang less work; I'm not sure that the works placed higher – above 6 feet - could be seen very well.

I'd plan a more open booth, use a smaller table, allow more room for people to come in with smaller or no returns on the sides, smaller or no middle wall. Again, the easier it is for people to see the work, the better.

Norman Zammitt, North Wall, 1976

Acrylic on canvas, 96 x 168 inches, Installation view

Kate Breakey, Las Sombras Series

Bright colors sold first. Overall most of the work I saw everywhere was big bold bright. Very few quiet, subtle pieces – they were there, but few, or maybe just difficult to notice.

Professional art handlers and installers were a godsend, although expensive - but worth it. Would I use this option again, or do it all myself? I don't know....

Bring only work that can fit in my vehicle – I had one over sized piece and was always aware that it is expensive and time consuming to hire a truck to deliver or one must depend on favors from very busy and often asked busy friends with trucks. That’s partly why I work more these days on triptychs and other modular art. I did manage to fit 23 paintings into my car including, 3 triptychs and a modular piece, one of which is over 10 feet wide installed, of course about half were small to medium sized work.

Make more use of the provided storage area and of viewing rooms to show work that isn't on the wall. The storage provided was ample and it was pretty easy to grab pieces from storage to show. I can also see possibilities for changing work out every few hours.

Labeling the cardboard with an image of the work along with pertinent information was really helpful when pulling artwork out of the car and in and out of storage.

Be comfortable. Wear comfortable shoes. Put gel soles in your shoes, bring your own water, bring protein bars. The food available is reminiscent of airports. It's okay, but rarely vegan and was expensive. Luckily there were vegan and vegan friendly restaurants nearby.

No need for an electrical outlet if your booth is near a perimeter wall.

Consider bringing your own table and chairs.

More Fun From the Palm Springs Fine Art Fair

2013-02-25T09:09:00.000-08:00

I made a couple of stops at the booth featuring "After van Eyck," 2006, by Devorah Sperber. The first thing I saw walking by are the 5,024 spools of thread, supported by stainless steel ball chain. To the naked eye the blurry pattern of an upside down face is apparent, but not clear, however when you look through the clear acrylic viewing sphere supported on a metal stand, which acts as your eye, the image is upside right and picture perfect. A very fun experience. Also featured was After Warhol - you can see that at this link to her website.

oil on linen 12 x 16 inches

Someone from the George Billis Gallery walked by our booth and when he saw I Stop For Drops he came over and asked if it was a Karen Woods. If you take a look at her website you can see why he'd think so.

One of my favorite things about this event was the chance to meet and talk with other artists. One came by a couple of times and then mentioned that he liked skies and that he was a painter also. When he introduced himself and handed me his card I was delighted that I recognized his name, George Peebles, whose work I've admired for many years.

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Fun Moments at the Palm Springs Fine Art Fair

2013-02-22T10:38:00.000-08:00

Lots of photos were taken of the art. I loved this couple posing for photos in front of Spooky Action at a Distance - Left.

This little guy was so tired he refused to take another step - that is until he saw the car in Peter Kempson's Roadside Attractions painting - not unlike his own car.

Peter's paintings were crowd pleasers for all ages.

I said good morning to this guy every day. Although I thought he was a rather quiet, and his uniform didn't match the other security, it wasn't until the last day that it dawned on me that he was a sculpture by Mark Sijan.

More to follow next week.

Palm Springs Fine Art Fair Opening Night and Beyond

2013-02-21T09:19:00.000-08:00

We had some time the afternoon morning before the opening to add last minute details, labels, guest book, and cards. The Fair opened with an evening reception.

From the left, Peter Kempson, Pam Douglas, Deanna Miller, and Camey McGilvray. All set up and ready.

This woman's tunic matches the painting! She was kind enough to let people take a photo while she was standing in front of Thomas Downing's Untitled (I).

The opening preview party in full swing.

Installation Day at Palm Springs Fine Art Fair

2013-02-20T08:45:00.000-08:00

I'm back from Palm Springs and the Palm Springs Fine Art Fair. I'm exhausted, however I had a really good experience. I'll post all about it over the next few days, starting with the arrival and set up.

Meeting up at our booth on installation day.

The first day was a long day. I loaded up my car the night before so I was ready to leave in the morning. It's helpful that everything fit with the exception of one large painting that came in a truck. The truck made stops for the other three artists, so most of us arrived well before the artwork did.

Discussing wall plans while waiting for the truck to arrive.

We weren't allowed to begin until noon and had to leave the building by 9 pm. We wanted to get everything set up on the 13th so that the installers didn't have to stay overnight. The truck also had a two hour drive and three stops to load between 50 - 100 pieces of artwork.

When the truck still hadn't arrived by 3 pm we started getting nervous. At 3:30 it arrived and by 7:30 everything was unloaded, laid out, and either hung on the wall or placed in the storage room. The storage area turned out to be a great benefit. It was easy to get to and retrieve additional pieces to show people and to replace paintings that were sold and removed.

Ladders, crates, and tool kits everywhere, plus the sound of power drills.

I was happy that the floors had carpeting and that the booths were spacious. Ours was 10 x 24 feet and the walls were 12 feet high. I'm also so grateful we were able to work with professional art handlers that made installing everything look easy. They made quick work of it and then headed back to L.A. while at last we went searching for food!

Art Fair Checklist

2013-02-11T10:00:00.000-08:00

All artwork has been cleaned and edges touched up, or picked up from framer. Everything has been wired, inventoried, labeled, padded and wrapped for transport. Support materials are sorted and ready to go: binders, brochures, cards.

An installation plan has been made, invitations sent out, posted, replied – did I miss anyone? (Email me if you think so…)

Guest book ready, pens ready.

Looks like I’m ready! See you in Palm Springs?

Palm Springs Fine Art FairIzen Miller Gallery: Booth 211
Friday, February 15, 10 AM - 8 PM
Saturday, February 16, 10 AM - 8 PM
Sunday, Feb 17, 10 AM - 6 PM

Palm Beach Convention Center
277 N Avenida Caballeros
Palm Springs, CA 92262
www.palmspringsfineartfair.com

An Afternoon at the LA Art Show

2013-01-28T10:18:00.000-08:00

Saturday I went downtown to the LA Convention Center to see as much of the LA Art Show as I could see in an afternoon. It took place in a huge space and seemed endless. I suppose one can't expect to take it all in in a few hours, yet I made sure that I looked into every booth - but so much of it was a blur.

A few booths stood out to me, such as the Winterowd Gallery and the Erik Thomsen Gallery; both very well set up and elegantly arranged.

The Winterowd Gallery has some beautiful Charlie Burk Grass paintings.

I was also captivated by Sung-Tae Park's mesh wall sculptures at the Pyo Gallery Booth. They made such beautiful shadows.

One of the best aspects of the day was running into people I know in the crowd!

You can look through a catalog of the participating galleries online.

I had hoped to get o the Art Los Angeles Contemporary Fair on Sunday, but sadly my poor dog had to go to the pet emergency room for back pain. He's on medication now and feeling a little better and will see his regular vet today about further treatment. What happened to cause the injury remains a mystery.

Palm Springs Fine Art Fair February 14 – 17

2013-01-21T10:41:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to be exhibiting with Izen Miller Gallery at this year's Palm Springs Fine Art Fair on February 14 through 17. Come see us in Booth 211.

The focus of the second annual Palm Springs Fine Art Fair is on providing an extraordinary art experience in a relaxed and beautiful resort environment. Collectors will have access to 55 top galleries who are defining the contemporary art scene, along with opportunities to interact with curators and members from the Southwest's leading art museums and cultural organizations.

I'll send free day pass information to my newsletter subscribers, so remember to sign up below if you haven't already.

PALM SPRINGS FINE ART FAIR

Palm Beach Convention Center

277 N Avenida Caballeros, Palm Springs, CA 92262

www.palmspringsfineartfair.com

Thursday, February 14, VIP Preview Part 6 PM - 9 PM (Requires VIP Pass)

Friday, February 15, IO AM - 8 PM

Saturday, February 16, lO AM - 8 PM

Sunday, Feb 17, 1O AM - 6 PM

Hope to see you there!

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Happy New Year

2013-01-01T09:17:00.000-08:00

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year and hoping that it is prosperous, successful, and fulfilling. I love hearing about everyone's New Year traditions and resolution routines, whether it's eating a plate of black eyed peas, or keeping an accomplishment jar.

I've been thinking of trying out the jar idea; which is to write down each accomplishment on a slip of paper and add it to the jar throughout the year. As the year progresses you can see the jar fill up and at the end of the year open the jar and remind yourself of all the great things you've achieved. I like that this idea uses a jar, which is something physically very apparent, and not just a notebook somewhere. Notebooks to me are too easy to misplace.

Last year on New Year's day I wrote down some things I wanted to accomplish during the year. I folded up that list and slipped it into an envelope that I tucked away so that now I can read it and see how I did. Unfortunately, I don't know where I put the envelope! It has somehow disappeared in the flurry of action. Maybe finding this lost item will be something I can add to the jar....

The Third Space

2012-12-17T11:05:00.000-08:00

In addition to Ma, Notan is another design principle to think about. Also a Japanese term, Notan refers to the interplay of dark and light. For artists it is something to bear in mind for composition and value. While considering the layout of a work, Notan is part of the decision to break up the space with interesting shapes, and to balance the darks and lights in a pleasing way - or a disturbing way, if that’s
what you’re after.

One way to check a composition is to reverse your image. The inverted values help in seeing in an abstract way if the shapes are interesting and if the darks and lights are balanced.

Metaphorically, Notan is a combination of presence and absence. The two, by nature of their dynamic opposition, create tension, and a mysterious, transcendent, ‘third space’ is evoked.

Reserving Space

2012-12-10T13:00:00.000-08:00

Sky, Rocks, Beach sketch Katherine Kean
graphite

Have you ever experienced 'the Gap', the space between thoughts when the mind is still?They say that when no thoughts distract you, you can experience present moment awareness, and from cultivating present moment awareness, inner wisdom and joy arise.

Clouds Over Water sketch Katherine Kean
graphite

There is a Japanese word, "Ma," which translated means "gap", "space", "pause" or "the space between two structural parts" and is experienced through progressive intervals of spatial designation. It is an awareness of place as the simultaneous awareness of form and non-form and happens in the mind of the viewer.

A Painting Moment: Video Interview

2012-12-03T12:22:00.000-08:00

A Moment with Katherine Kean from Aaron Landman and Joe Gasparik on Vimeo

This video interview was shot this summer when friends Aaron Landman and Joe Gasparik came to the studio in the September heat and set up their equipment; fitting camera, lights, and recording gear wherever they could between wet canvases , flat files, and easel. From sketching to painting, peeking over my shoulder and close up on the palette they went about capturing thoughts about my painting process along with a behind the scenes look inside my studio.

Bear was also on hand - mostly sleeping and otherwise on good behavior. You can catch a glimpse of him keeping watch in the background.

Have you ever wondered: who does the remembering?

2012-11-26T12:12:00.000-08:00

Cape Cod Great Marsh Sketch/Marsh Labyrinth 2 Katherine Kean
graphite on paper 6 x 6 inches

Our physical bodies are entirely replaced by every seven to ten years - some parts sooner. Surface skin is replaced every two weeks or so, the stomach lining in 5 days, the liver 300 - 500 days and the skeleton in seven

to ten years.

So, who remembers? What part of a person stores the memories of people, places, and things from youth?

Cape Cod Great Marsh Sketch/Marsh Labyrinth 3 Katherine Kean
graphite on paper 6 x 6 inches

It has been suggested that when drawing and painting from memory that it may be better to observe intensely and then do the 'transcribing' back in the studio. A famous art teacher, Lecoq de Boisbaudran, instructed his drawing students to visit the Louvre to carefully study a painting in order to reproduce it from memory later. This would develop observation and memory skills, as well as help the student to discover their own visual language.

Your body is younger than you think.

Where are old memories stored in the brain.

Any proverbs about weather....

2012-11-12T12:54:00.000-08:00

... are doubly true during a storm.

~Ed Northstrum

I Stop for Drops 2012 Katherine Kean

(work in progress) oil on linen 12 x 16 inches

Here's a progression from drawing through details.

As you can see I ended up with much more description of the background and less focus on the drops.

Above are the first three (or so) layers from a beginning coral/pink, next a minty, pale green, and then shapes suggested in transparent brown tones. I could almost have begun with the drops at this stage, however I got carried away.

It was so much fun painting the distant urban landscaping, the trees, and the car that I just kept on going.

When I got around to adding the drops I worked from left to right, only working with the largest shapes at first.

This is what it looks like close up.

I'm undecided now. I can just finish this up with a few more glazes, or I may decide to paint over the bottom, this time taking away detail, or perhaps paint an alternate version. I'm not sure - what would you do?