This Way, and a sketch

This Way, 6 x 6 inch oil on panel

© 2013 Kathleen Coy

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"This way." "No, THIS way.""But this way looks more interesting. I smell something good over here, too..." Just another scene from the farmer's market. I love the triangle shape the girl and dog make, as well as the tension created from leaning in two different directions. 

And here we have a quick 10 minute sketch of my new greyhound napping. 

My new Greyhound

Sephiroth, 6 x 6 inch oil on panel

© 2013 Kathleen Coy

We adopted a retired greyhound last weekend. I'd like to introduce you to Sephiroth, a three and a half year old, 75 lb amber-eyed boy who looks like some sort of mythical tiger/antelope/dog creature. Despite his exotic good looks, he's just a big goofball of a dog, and we adore him already.  Most importantly, unlike the fictional Sephiroth and Cloud, my Sephiroth and Cloud are getting along fine.

This painting is I'm sure the first of many. Brindle coats are a challenge to paint, so I'll be getting lots of practice. Here's a picture of Seph in the yard. Love this yellow-eyed boy.

Bison Study

Bison Study, 5 x 7 inch oil on panel

© 2013 Kathleen Coy

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One of the many bison we saw at Custer State Park. 

Chicken Scratch

Chicken Scratch, 6 x 6 inch oil on panel

© 2013 Kathleen Coy

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No, I'm not talking about my handwriting, although chicken scratch is a pretty accurate description. I found this free range hen during a visit to a local dairy goat farm. I like the boldness of the knife work in the background against the realistic hen.

Marley and Gracie

Marley, 4 x 4 inch oil on panel

© 2013 Kathleen Coy

I took a week long workshop with Karin Jurick last year, and one of the days she had us painting mugshots on small 4 x 4 inch panels. I enjoyed painting faces that size so much that I've done a few pets, (you can find them here and here.) Marley and Gracie are the latest, both commissions.

Gracie, 4 x 4 inch oil on panel

© 2013 Kathleen Coy

Turkey Skull Study, and a trip to South Dakota

Turkey Skull Study, 6 x 6 inch oil on panel.

© 2013 Kathleen Coy

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Painted from life. I find skulls to be beautiful - a reminder that we are more than what we see as our physical bodies, and that our time in these bodies is limited. They are a great study tool as well, if you have an interest in anatomy. 

We took our first trip to South Dakota last month, visiting the Badlands and staying in Custer State Park. I fell in love with the landscape, and all the critters. Took lots of photos of bison, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, and elk. Can't wait to paint them! Here are a few photos from the trip:

Plein air festival

Widener Building, 9 x 12 inch oil on linen

© 2013 Kathleen Coy

Queen Anne's Lace and Summer Sky

8 x 8 inch oil on linen

© 2013 Kathleen Coy

I painted these two pieces on location last month during Corning, Iowa's plein air festival. It was a "bluebird day" - 75 degrees and sunny with gorgeous clouds... couldn't have asked for better weather during a July weekend. The Widener Building, with it's patina'd copper turret, is one of Corning's landmarks. The field of Queen Ann'e Lace was painted outside of town along a gravel road in the countryside.

Honey

Honey, 6 x 6 inch oil on panel

© 2013 Kathleen Coy

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This is the first Yorkie I've painted. Being used to short-haired dogs, I had a lot of fun painting her long hair and adding areas of texture to her fur with thick paint. 

Black Lab Commission

River, 12 x 16 inch, oil on linen

© 2013 Kathleen Coy

This was a really fun commissioned painting of a female black lab named River, from the client's reference photo taken in Colorado. I loved the colors of the landscape, and wanted to use them in the painting because they set off the dog so nicely. Here are some work-in-progress shots:

New Commission - Buster, an Australian Kelpie

Buster, 16 x 16 inch oil on linen.

© 2013 Kathleen Coy

Fresh off the easel is a commissioned painting of an Australian Kelpie named Buster. Would you look at that face! I fell in love with this pose, and those gorgeous eyes that stare right into your soul. It felt great to be painting large after a year of small paintings. (By the way, the year long project is over, so I'll be updating this blog much more frequently now.) I've included some photos of the process below. 

First I did a small value study, then I sketched Buster with vine charcoal on the 16 x 16" oil-primed linen panel. I like vine or willow charcoal because it erases off the canvas with the touch of your finger, so you can fiddle with the drawing until it's right. 

After I'm satisfied with the charcoal drawing, I go over it with a sanguine Faber-Castell Pitt artist pen (a little trick I learned from Terry Moore Strickland's blog), otherwise it will dissolve when I start laying in the first washes of thin paint:

Now to start on those eyes...

More progress:

And once again, the finished painting:

Next up is a portrait of Buster's black lab sister, River. Stay tuned...

Looking back at 2012

Shadow Walk 6, winner of the 2012 Edward Hopper House Small Matters of Great Importance show.

6 x 6 inch, oil on panel. © 2012 Kathleen Coy

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 Despite my best intentions, it hasn't been easy to find time to keep my studio blog up-to-date while painting every day and maintaining my daily painting blog, so I'll fill you in - it's been a very busy and exciting year - I started my painting-a-day project in April, and to date have painted 176 daily paintings, plus 21 additional paintings (mainly commissions and larger works). As my style developed, I felt confident enough to enter, and go on to win, the small works show at the Edward Hopper house in New York - a huge honor! I studied for a week with the incredible Karin Jurick at Hilton Head Island, and had a painting accepted into the Randy Higbee Gallery small works show in Costa Mesa, California this december, where my entry was purchased by one of their collectors. To top it all off, 66 of my paintings have sold this year. I feel incredibly blessed...

Steppin' Out, Randy Higbee Gallery 6 Squared show.

6 x 6 inch oil on panel, © 2012 Kathleen Coy

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Self-Portrait in Winter, 4 x 4 inch oil on panel

© 2012 Kathleen Coy

NFS. My first self-portrait. Read about it here.

To my friends, family, and supporters, your encouragement and kind words have meant the world, and help keep me going on days when the workload feels overwhelming. Your understanding of how focused I’ve had to be this year is much appreciated. It’s been a very stressful year in some ways, but it’s also been the best year of my life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support, and I wish for a year of beauty, creativity, inspiration and joy for us all in 2013.

A Pair of Collies

Memory Oak Victory is Mine. Aka, Refund.
10 x 10 inch oil on linen, © 2012 Kathleen Coy

I can't believe it's been so long since I've updated this blog. I am posting five days a week on my daily painting blog, however, so if you haven't checked that out in a while, there are lots of goodies to be seen there.

Here are a pair of Collies I was commissioned to paint. Both highly accomplished show dogs. Since these boys are local, I had the pleasure of meeting them in person. I was immediately struck by their poise and good looks - they were like a pair of supermodels.

DreamHearts Golden Opportunity at Memory Oak, AKA Brodie. 
10 x 10" oil on linen, © 2012 Kathleen Coy

Both paintings are 10 x 10 inches, oil on Belgian linen.

New painting - Greyhound in the snow.

Bully in the Snow, 7 x 5 inch oil on panel

© 2012 Kathleen Coy

My daily painting practice is helping me develop a looser style that I like very much. I painted this little gem today for an upcoming auction for GALT - Greyhound Adoption League of Texas, a wonderful organization that does so much for greyhounds in need, providing medical care and foster homes for these beautiful, sensitive dogs.

Some of you may recognize this dog. It's Bully, of Bully'n Nelson fame. A big thank you to Bully's mom, for letting me paint her beautiful boy. I hope this painting raises much needed funds to help the hounds.

A Puppy Commission!

Ruth, 14 x 11 inch oil on linen panel

© 2012 Kathleen Coy

Yes, and not only a puppy commission, but a Rat Terrier puppy commission! This is Ruth, and she is four months old. What a face! This painting was so much fun, from her little name tag to her wee nose to the ornery look in her eye. I love it all.

Here are a few work in progress photos:

I hope you enjoyed this painting as much as I did! 

For more cute Rat Terrier art, there's a new painting of Cloud on my daily painting blog today:

http://katsdailypaintings.blogspot.com/2012/05/day-26.html

Much love,