I just finished two small paintings today that I began some time ago. Sunset on the Ridge, above, began as an in-class demonstration – the one attended by the couple that gave the Napa River Inn and me five stars! I had set it aside, and then moving, the death of my father, and preparations for Open Studios intervened. Today I gave it the last few brushstrokes it needed to be ready for unveiling. Trees by the Lake is another painting begun some months ago. I worked on it last week, and today it came to completion. I work from photographs; this photograph is taken of a lovely spot on a small ranch where I used to live, not far from Calistoga. I took the photos of these paintings quickly in late afternoon light today, so it doesn't quite do them justice, but at least you get an idea of something of what they look like. I'm hoping to get them framed this morning before I pack up for the first Calistoga Art Market. The Art Market is presented by the Calistoga Art Center, today from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eighteen artists working in various media will be there. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's work. The Art Center is located at the Napa County Fairgrounds in Calistoga, California, at 1435 North Oak Street.
2 Comments
10/21/2013 11:36:16 am
These look like wonderful paintings. I do have a question about canvas size, about your own attitude towards such small works and towards larger works. Leaving aside market issues (although I would welcome your comment on that), I wonder what appeals to you most about 8x10 paintings. Part of my curiosity is because if I ever paint again I would want to paint big, and part probably because (to descend to the mundane) I have a couple of large, empty walls that ask me nicely, every day, for large works. I sometimes think that paintings, like children, need to be presented so as to let each one have your attention for a while, not be crowded together. I am still discomforted by photographs of 19th-century galleries (e.g. the Uffitzi, English manorial estates) whose walls are fully crowded. So, what aspect of small paintings appeals to an artist who, I gather, likes bold and expansive areas of color?
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Karen Lynn
10/22/2013 04:08:10 pm
It's a good question. Some years back, enchanted by Julian Merrow-Smith's "Postcards from Provence" - small oil paintings (very realistic) painted postcard-size, I thought I'd try a little series of "Postcards from California" - painted in my style. I painted a few on watercolor paper and matted them, and then painted a series on canvas. Painting on canvas at that size is a frustrating process, though - the texture of the canvas interferes with the brushstrokes.
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Karen Lynn IngallsI am an artist in Napa and Sonoma Counties, in California. I paint colorist landscapes of rural California, teach art classes and lessons, and live in Calistoga, California. I also teach private, group, and corporate art workshops in Napa Valley, Sonoma County, and other parts of Northern California. Archives
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