Landscapes: How Two Artists See Nature

During the month of October my work will be on display at Mala Galleria in Kennett Square, PA. Here is a video clip of gallery

New Painting: "Hope After Darkness"

In early March of this year, my husband caught a very aggressive stomach virus. In all the years we have been together, I have never seen him sick. Two days later my 2.5 year old daughter, Courtney, came down with croup (this was her first time being sick, she never even had a cold before). A couple days after that she came down with the stomach virus. After staying up all night with her, I also caught the bug. I was 36 weeks pregnant and ended up needing to go to the hospital for dehydration. Needless to say, it was a difficult time for our family.

It took a couple of weeks for everyone to begin feeling better. As life started to get back to normal, Courtney and Chester went for a walk and picked me this flower. It was the first sign of spring and better days ahead. A couple of weeks later our son, Kent, was born. This painting commemorates that moment in our family life.

"Hope After Darkness" - Acrylics on Gessobord - 5" x 5" by Kimberly English © 2016

Progression video of "Hope After Darkness"

Eagles

It's a normal occurrence to see bald eagles around our home because we are surrounded by south jersey farmlands with multiple lakes in the area. Usually around 7:30 A.M. I can spot an eagle on it's daily route from the nest (near the lake) toward the power lines. After making breakfast for my family yesterday, my husband spotted two eagles across the street from our home. I quickly grabbed my camera and went out the door to see how close I could get for some pictures. I started sneaking up the hedgerow next to our house; the eagles were not phased. I walked across the street to get a better view and noticed what the birds were interested in: a dead possum. I was about 25 yards from the eagles and they couldn't have cared less that I was there!

Later in the morning, one of the eagles remained in the tree keeping a close watch on the possum. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to photograph when it swooped down to pick it up the road kill. However, I did get some action shots of two hawks trying to take the possum from the eagle.

Have you spotted any bald eagles? I'd love to see pictures! Please leave them in the comments below!

Painting Progression: Daretown Lake

On a beautiful afternoon in the early fall, I took a short drive to Daretown Lake for reference pictures for an upcoming exhibition with my good friend, Janice Chassier. The joint show will be in Kennett Square, PA at Mala Galleria and I decided I needed to create more paintings that reflected the habitat of Janice's favorite subject: Canadian Geese. Below is the video progression of the painting.

Video progression of "Daretown Lake"

"Daretown Lake" - Acrylics on Gessobord - 5" x 7" by Kimberly English © 2016

Thinking of Spring

I can't wait for warmer weather and more sunshine after all of the rain we received earlier this week. On this cold, windy day I'm thinking of spring! What better way than to view some flower artwork?! Here are some recent works of art completed by my private art lesson students.

The first is a watercolor painting by my 9 year old student. It was her first attempt using this medium and I think she handled it very well!

The next is a colored pencil drawing completed by my 17 year old student. She was interested in the overlapping of the flowers and experimenting with the colors.

Custom Leather Jacket Painting

My most recent commission was a custom leather jacket painting. It was the first time I painted on a piece of apparel which, I must admit, made me a bit nervous. Especially being a special leather bomber jacket!

I researched the best type of paint to use and came across Angelus Direct. It is a specialized acrylic paint for leather that is guaranteed not to crack or peel.

Here is my delivery - so excited to get started!

I am lucky enough to have a neighbor who creates custom equestrian apparel and was able to pick her brain about what type of pencil would be best to draw the designs on the leather before painting. She advised me that she's had the best luck with quilter's pencils and even sent me home with one and some scrap leather to practice on.

Below are some progress pictures of the entire project.

Airplanes drawn on

Airplanes on the front right chest

Progress picture of the "patch" on the left arm

Finished "patch" on the left arm

Close up of the grim reaper's cloak

Close up of the American Flag

Almost finished!

Below is the finished piece of artwork being modeled on the client

Painting Progression: "Too Far Gone"

My new painting, "Too Far Gone", was created from an iPhone photo I took while searching for reference pictures with my dad. He drove me to Shoemaker Dairy Farm in Hopewell, NJ for the beautiful architectural barns. After talking with the older gentleman who lived at the farm, we walked around the property for different vantage points and stumbled across this awesome Mack truck. I couldn't resist taking some photos of it!

I loved working with the colors in this painting; especially the rust of the truck. This was my first painting that features a vehicle as a main subject within a landscape and I was enamored with all of the shapes and values. I'd like to do a series of abandoned trucks found on the side of the road that have become consumed by their surroundings.

"Too Far Gone" - Acrylics on Gessobord - 8" x 10" by Kimberly English © 2015

Below is the painting progression video, enjoy!