Folks That Like Hooters...will enjoy this post

Wwhooooooo

else is amazed by owls and birds ?

Spring is such a great time

 to photograph, observe, listen, and enjoy them all

lately I have been finishing up an order of owls 

for a gift shop

Here is my progress so far

 Nothing completely finished just yet...

but soon

 a swirl in the paints and matte gel medium

 I just use my finger to lay on some colors and texture

every owl turns out a little differently

I use reclaimed  birch or poplar wood 

for the owls and the back board

with some real preserved bark for added effect

which is a bit

 folk artsy I suppose

let me know what you think

hoot hoot hoot hooooooooo

start is always with a basic cut out of owls on wood

 -Kat-

joining in with:
Inspire Me Monday (IMM)

Paint Party Friday  (PPF)

What's on Your Work-desk Wednesday  (WOYWW)

see the links to these great groups below:

PPF art play

First a video
Just for giggles

 I filmed myself

  and my son edited to make it better

creating primitive wooden birds

 

I have also been painting 

along with the online group...

HERE

trying to paint in an abstract
 more loose style

fun

it is a four week free course via web videos

with instructor Robert Joyner

here are my three paintings so far from the classes

-KAT-
Here is an older post
I like to create anything and everything
that pops into my head

http://katethewayitis.blogspot.com/2012/01/i-love-crafting-with-all-my-heart.html

Birds of Repurposed Wood and PPF

Happy Friday 

come visit all the artistic people

 and see what creative works of art are happening this week 

at the Paint Party Friday link

In The Works :

I have some cute owls

 that are  filled with LOVE

I have mislaid my carving tool bag and so

I grabbed the OLD OLD dremmel tool

and will track down the carving tools later

 I actually used my hubby's scroll saw to cut this shape out 

all by myself for the first time. 

 When he saw I did it he just said, " You better be careful"

like I would probably cut my finger off or something.

this is as far as I am right now

so far the design is just pencil lines

I will add texture with modeling paste

 and color with acrylic paint

eyes and beak will be made of clay and glued on

These little owls hopefully will end up

as a wall plaque.

Do you notice the

 Valentine - Love theme ?

What's On Your Work Desk Wednesday ?

Hi Everyone

This is my work desk today
WELCOME

This is the back of some owls
I made from scrap wood
I got the wood in the throw -away bin at Home Depot

Happy little owls

Some old tree bark I found in the woods
has been dried and treated with sealant 

cardinals are popular
this time of year
so i make a lot to sell
on my etsy
and in my art studio
which has an open house every month

This owl is a grey owl
but by moonlight of course he
appears purple and blue-ish 

This owl is a amber color and has hints of orange
and sweet light brown eyes

So
What is lurking on YOUR 
work desk this week?

Hugs and Happy November everyone


- KAT -

Mindful Birds

This week has been very busy

"The Mindful Bird"
gift shoppe
at the Williams Inn
Williamstown , MA

would like more birds

I 

Am

 rushing around

 trying to do some,  

and get them out fast !

The season doesn't last long

... and it sure sneaked  up on me.

I start with a simple bird shape of wood
and sand the edges a bit
but keep it a little rustic and rough

paint a base coat of black acrylic 

paint the wing white and the rest any old vintage-y color

see that big old log
and the little dowels ?

slices of the log thing for bases
painted with a watery bronze paint;
 drilled a hole for the dowel
and sign each on on the bottom

now they can stand up
and get a spray coating of clear sealent

finished

Happy

 "Pretty Golden Leaf - Time "

soon to be 

"Where the Heck Did

all those Pretty Leaves go - Time"

and then, 

"Get out the Boots and Mittens" - Time

Big Ole Hugs to All !

- KAT -

joining the artistic and creative bloggers at..............

Bird, Bird, Bird, ..Bird Is The Word

Great News !

Suza 

has called

asking for more little birds

for her gift shop in Williamstown MA

as many as I can make in the next two weeks !

YEA !

There is  going to be a magazine article 

on her shop also

which is pretty exciting for Suza

and her shop

" The Mindful Bird "

this is modeling paste (heavy) mixed with a drip of water based paint
to make the basic texture on the wood bird 

owls, woodpeckers, cardinals, and bluebirds 

Maybe a bird of mine 

will make it into a photo shoot of her shop.

 I can hope and cross my fingers and toes.

It would be so cool for

an amateur like me

and for my art.

-  KAT -

Nancy Thomas - An American Folk Artist

If you love Folk art and Primitive decor

you have to check out Nancy Thomas's blog and website 

I painted for her a long time ago

 when my hubby was stationed in Virginia for awhile.

  Nancy gave me a job...and it is the one job i miss the most...

what a pleasure working with all the wonderful artistic people 

there in Yorktown Virginia

Visit her cozy shoppe and see her latest art 

and some art work by other artists she show cases also.

A wonderful Lady

Hugs

- KAT -

    

Nancy Thomas - An American Folk Artist: Must. Love. Geese.
: So, Geese are the theme of Nancy's new and exciting window display in Merchants Square. The window has been set and is ready for viewing! Ea...

Some things About Me Post...

I think these background info posts are important 
just like you
 I paint a lot at home on my kitchen table for some reason
maybe I'm a hopeless "Home-body"

   I'm Mom  (they call me Mem-mem)  

to four boys, ages 34, 24, 19 and 12 years.   

that is my most important job and joy of all my life !

I've enjoyed painting since a very young age

 and took lessons here and there, 

but prefer to explore the arts in  my own own unique ways. 

Painting took a back seat to raising a family. 

We moved around a lot, being a military family for 21 years.

I experienced  working for a well know folk artist

 in Yorktown, Virginia, named Nancy Thomas. 

... absorbed a lot of the basics like mixing colors 

and how to paint in the folk art style

 in a whimsical way, using modeling paste

...creating texture with it.

I have a great appreciation and fascination for nature

 and all kinds of Art.

 ...enjoy experimenting with oil, watercolor, and acrylic paint. 

 Forest and landscapes, birds and flowers are my favorite subjects. 

...enjoy using the palette knife technique

 and also multimedia pieces  

using nature “stuff” 

  (Interesting pieces of bark pieces and pinecones and acorns.)

I love to swing on my porch swing a lot

and I love pretzels.

I'm currently working on some watercolor illustrations 

with paints and ink to illustrate 

a children’s book 

...that should be out this winter. 

EXCITEMENT !

It is about a cat named “Creeper” written by Danny Langone

 of Beloit, Wisconsin (my home town).

 Future children’s books , hopefully will follow 

... the next one being about a mouse named “Percy”.

I am  always exploring what I can learn.

 We all find inspiration everywhere in nature and in life!

this is some bark art

do you see the spy in the woods ?

another palette knife tree painting that i sold to a
stranger...and I was over joyed when I did !

So as you see I love trees, animals and birds! 

 Birds have been a favorite subject of mine! 

... catching photos of them in my backyard

 or in a painting with flowers or trees 

my birch tree bird feeder and a cute little guy

A backyard visit from a red bellied woodpecker!
so exciting

water coloring try

my latest water-coloring
 cardinal and daisies
a gift for my 80 yr old Father 
(who is now called Brother Anthony)
he is a Benedictine Monk in Peru, Illinois.
which is a rural area out in the middle of the USA.
(my moms favorite saint)
St Anthony helped her find a lot of misplaced items
like glasses, school books, hockey sticks and pom-poms...
you get it , right?

I also blog about my mood,and hard times

Like when I did not get chosen for an art show 

that I really, really wanted to be in

 for two years in a row! (gasp)
my latest post from yesterday is all about crying over that stuff for the second time !
it does help to get it out and off my shoulders.

I'm blessed to have great friends
 among the bloggers here 

  I love the U. P.

 I love my grams Lake house
 which I blogged about in May 2011.  

The home was on Lake Huron in Michigan 

it is a large influence on me and holds wonderful memories

Hi Gram !

my dads mum is from German heritage
Her family name is Munck

Lake Huron

My Mums parent s are   French Canadian
Family name is Gignac

 My Gram Loved  Flowers

So I hope you enjoyed taking a little look at my blog 

I also blog about food and my travels 

and my ups and downs trying to be as great a mom 
and woman as my Mom was. 

 I hope you will come visit me

I'm doing a gift-away for my followers 
...if you message me when I have 100 followers 
 I'm getting very close to 100 followers.  
which is a big deal to me !
Hugs and peace and joy
KAT