Why Landscapes?

I first began to paint when I was in college studying to become an art educator. At the same time, I also had just started dating my husband. We spent a lot of our dates on tractors in spinach or hay fields and on his four wheeler exploring his family's farm. I would take my camera along to capture the sights of our adventures.

The photographs from our time together served as subject matter for my college assignments. Learning how to paint using the landscapes from special places and moments that I had experienced really helped me connect to the painting process. I had a better understanding of the structures and lighting I was trying to render rather than if I had found a picture on the internet. I created the image while I was in landscape which greatly helped me recall the conditions of my surroundings (i.e., the dry texture of the ground)

Now, 9 years later, most of the pictures that I take are either in our yard or the fields surrounding our home. Where I live provides endless inspiration! I am so lucky to have so many beautiful scenes right outside of my door. Since I am a stay at home mom it is very convenient to walk out the back door and find a landscape that can become a painting while my children are taking their naps or tucked in to bed at night.

My paintings all have special significants and stories about that particular point in my life. They serve as an autobiography and illustrate the landscapes that have shaped who I am. Having the opportunity to paint my surroundings and have people not only recognize the location but also connect with it provides me with so much fulfillment.

Below are some of my first paintings that  I completed in college as well as pictures take from around our home.

"Watson's Mill Road" - Acrylics on Canvas - 9" x 17"

Completed for a college assignment

"Wilson's #601" - Acrylics on Canvas - 22" x 28"

Completed for a college assignment

"Any Given Sunday" - Acrylics on Masonite - 15" x 21.75"

Completed for a college assignment

Painting Progression: Distant Vista on Shirley Road

When I was contemplating what to paint, I had just finished an intensely detailed commission, "One of a Kind", and wanted to paint a subject that was less structured. After looking through my reference pictures, I decided to call upon my photographer friend, Don Macavoy. He takes amazing photographs and happened to have a beautiful sunset of a local scene which he granted me permission to use.

I was attracted to the color shifts in the sky as well as the varying shades of blues in the foreground. The barn and silos' shilouttes against the vibrant sky depicts Salem County's magnificent, unobscured sunsets that regularly occur. I enjoy photographing and painting sunsets because I am always amazed at not only the range of colors but how quickly they can change! If you take the time to watch, in a matter of moments you can witness the dramatic display of the color spectrum as well as the glistening glow of the sun as it descends into the horizon. I hope this painting inspires others to pause and experience this beautiful phenomenon that happens everyday.

"Distant Vista on Shirley Road" - 11" x 14" - Acrylics on Gessobord by Kimberly English © 2017

Painting Progression Video

The Creative Process

Everyone's creative process is so different and unique to themselves that I thought I'd share the stages and various emotions I experience while creating a painting.

At the beginning of a new painting I am always super excited to get started! I begin by sketching it out on the Gessobord and laying in colors for the under painting. As I work, I am picking out the parts that I feel need the most attention and considering where to start.

My paintings take between 25-60 hours to complete due to the amount of details I like to render. After I finish the underpainting, the excitement wears off and I'm usually overwhelmed with the amount of work ahead of me and unsure of where to start. But the best way to get anything done, is to just do it. Sometimes this part of getting started can be forced. 

I like to compare the next portion of creating to reading a really interesting book. You're so into what's happening in the story that you just can't put the book down. When I'm in the groove of a painting, I want to spend every possible moment I have working on it. As I'm beginning to see the painting come together and understand the direction in which I am working, the excitement returns and I am rejuvenated with creative energy.

While I continue to work there are points where I am second guessing the work I have made so far and or my abilities to complete the painting all together. Then, the feelings of being overwhelmed return and finding the gumption to finish is challenging. I've discovered the best way to deal with this part of the process is to take a day or two to step away from the project.

After a short breather, I'm ready to finish. As I return to the work, I gain a better perspective on how to finish the painting. My momentum usually speeds up in anticipation of seeing the final creation. The excitement returns and every moment I have, I work on the painting until I feel it is finally complete.

Below are some pictures from various stages of the creative process from past paintings.