Last weekend my husband and I made a date to go plein air painting. It's nice to have a spouse who is also an artist! :-) We went to a quant little town near us called Mount Dora. It was a popular winter retreat in the late 1800's. Since it's on a beautiful lake, people would visit for hunting, fishing, and boating. When the train depot was built in the early 1900's, it became even more popular. Today, it is a quaint little town, with lots of antique shops, restaurants, a wonderful art center and a few galleries and artist studios. Instead of painting in my sketch book, I decided to break out the easel and go for a larger painting. We painted for a little over 2 hours, and had to call it quits because it was just getting too hot! It still hasn't really cooled off here yet! I will tweak this one a bit in the studio, finishing the train car and adjusting values before I call it finished.
When Life Gets In the Way, Keep Painting
We have been undergoing a small renovation project on our house, part of which involves my studio. A project that started in June and should only have taken three weeks, for one shenanigan or another, has taken the better part of four months! Thank goodness it's not the kitchen! As for my studio, it has been a bit chaotic, but I'm staying positive and I'm still painting! New wood laminate flooring was installed last week. While some carpentry and painting work is being completed, I set up my painting table and easel in the middle of the room and I'm painting while keeping the carpenter company. I'm really looking forward to reorganizing my space and unpacking all of my art books which have been in boxes since May. I feel so fortunate to have such a nice roomy, well-lit studio to work in!
P.S. You can see a sneak peek of the progress of my current painting on the easel. :-)
Chinese Puppets were Waiting in the Wings
This painting Waiting in the Wings was inspired by my jaunts to Cat Street Market off of Hollywood Road, near Man Mo Temple in Hong Kong. A few of the vendors there sell Chinese Opera marionette puppets. Like the embroidered slippers, I was immediately attracted to them for the variety of color, pattern and personality!
I was happy with this painting when I did it. After recently getting it out and living with it a while again. I decided to do some tweaking. I felt the background was too much the same value as the rest of the painting and wanted to make the puppets stand out more. I also played around with more value changes on the puppets themselves as well assome lost and found edges. With a stencil I created a slight vertical striation very subtly in the background to represent the puppet strings without being to literal.
Waiting in the Wings before tweaking
I’m happy with the tweaks. A painting I thought was finished has a new lease on life! The title has become even more appropriate. :-)
Success at An Affair of the Art, 2013 for Ryman Arts
I'm happy to pass on the news that two of my paintings were sold and went to good homes at An Affair of the Art, 2013 to benefit Ryman Arts. It feels wonderful to sell your work, then it makes it even more special when you know some of the proceeds are going to a great cause such as this. Thank you to all who dedicated their time and art to put on this event. Hopefully, see you next year!
"An Affair of the Art, 2013" to Benefit Ryman Arts
Hong Kong Happy Hour
$175.00
Price Includes Shipping
Limited Edition Archival Print Giclée Signed and Numbered, Edition of 300
Original Painting is SOLD.
Image Size: 12” x 18,” (30.5 cm x 46 cm)
Quantity:
Available at "An Affair of the Art, 2013"
I was invited to be a participating artist in “An Affair of the Art 2013,” to benefit Ryman Arts, which takes place this Saturday. I attended this event every year when I worked at Walt Disney Imagineering.
www.kimminichiello.com
Available at "An Affair of the Art, 2013"
Named after Artist, Designer and Mentor, Herbert D. Ryman, Ryman Arts teaches skills in art and life to teens in a nurturing studio environment. High school students interested in pursuing a career in art can take classes and get guidance to help them prepare for college and a creative career in the arts. The program is free to any student based on their ability and commitment, without regard to their families financial status.
Herbert D. Ryman or Herbie to those Imagineers who had the fortunate opportunity to know and work with him, created the first overall illustration of Disneyland, as Walt described it to him. This illustration was used to pitch the concept to get funding for the construction of Disneyland. Herbie worked on every Disney theme park until his death in 1989.
Hong Kong Gatekeeper, Watercolor on Archival Paper, 6" x 6"
Available at "An Affair of the Art, 2013"
The Affair of the Art, is hosted by two of the foundersof Ryman Arts, Leah and Marty Sklar in their home in Southern California, mid September 2013. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of all the art in the show, will go toward Ryman Arts. Marty was head writer for Walt Disney, and was the head of Walt Disney Imagineering up until his recent retirement a few years ago.
I'm extremely excited to be a part of this event and joining the company of many talented artists. One other watercolor and print making artist, Belinda Del Pesco, is also participating. I am a great admirer of her work and have followed her blog since living in Hong Kong in 2007.Unfortunately I will now be attending but have many friends who will be my eyes and ears! I hope the evening is a huge success to benefit this great organization!
For more information on Herb Ryman click here.
For more information on Ryman Arts click here.
For ticket information click here.
To preview the artwork in the show click here.
To preview silent auction items click here.
Kraft Azalea Garden in Winter Park Florida and A Wonderful Memory
Watercolor on Archival Paper 8" x 10", 20cm x 25cm
I have had some real bittersweet moments this week. We took my daughter to college last weekend and my husband and I are officially empty nesters. I have had my moments of sadness because, of course, I will miss her dearly. But, I am also very excited at the same time, as she starts her new life adventure, fulfilling her dreams!
One afternoon a few weeks ago we went Winter Park and she and I wondered around the Kraft Azalea Garden on Lake Maitland, during the “magic hour” when the afternoon light has that golden hue casting long shadows and creating a patchwork of lights and darks on the lawn.
This painting was done there. It’s a small work, 8” x 10”, 20cm x 25cm, featuring the exedra, which is a portico with a bench or seats where people may converse, especially inancient Greek and Roman houses. This beautiful spot is known for sunset wedding ceremonies.
This painting is available for sale, price is $250, plus, $15.95 shipping.
Watercolor Sketch: God of Longevity Shou Star
Watercolor on Handmade Paper
There are three deities in the Taoist philosophy that represent good fortune. The personified images of these three are Fu star, Lu star and Shou star. They are referred to as stars because of their ties with chinese astrology. You will see statues of these three stars in almost every temple in Hong Kong and in many homes, restaurants and shops.
Shou star or I believe, Sao, in Cantonese is the God of Longevity. He has a high domed forehead, carries a staff in his right hand and holds a peach in his left, which represents immortality.
This watercolor sketch is from a Sao statue on a wall at Hung Shing Temple thatI would pass on my way to my framers on Queens Road East, in Wan Chai. This is just a small street side temple that used to face the water front until Hong Kong expanded outward! There seemed to be a revolving display of deities on this wall, because every time I passed by there was something new to see. I enjoyed taking photos of whatever happened to be there. It would have been impossible to sketch at this location as busy as Queens Road is and the temples proximity to the street, so I did this one in the studio because I wanted a memory of this temple in my sketchbook. I’m planning on a series of temple paintings featuring the other stars! Stay tuned.
Kyoto Tanuki
Anyone who has traveled and lived in Japan can’t help but be intrigued by the Tanuki, the Japanese Raccoon Dog! This animal is a subspecies of the raccoon dog native to Japan. An artist's version in ceramic statuary is mostly seen outside of Japanese bars and cafes, to symbolize wealth and prosperity, because of some Japanese word play associated with a certain anatomical feature! (See number five below.) Folklore legend of the Tanukiportrays this creature as a mischievous prankster with shape shifting abilities that can take on a human form.
The legend of the Tanuki has eight special traits that bring on good fortune:
- A hat to protect against trouble or bad weather
- Big eyes to make good decisions
- A sake bottle that represents virtue
- A big tail that provides steadiness and strength
- An over-sized scrotum that symbolizes financial luck
- A promissory note that represents trust or confidence
- A big belly that symbolizes bold and calm decision-making
- A friendly smile
While traveling in Kyoto, I visited a workshop that made ceramic Tanukis. They can be as tiny as 3 inches and as tall as 6 feet. All varieties and sizes were nestled in the bamboo wooded area around the workshop, this particular guy caught my eye and was the inspiration for this painting.
Watercolor Sketch and Painting, Chinese Shoes
Watercolor Sketch on Handmade Paper
There is a street near the Man Mo Temple on Hollywood Road in Hong Kong called Cat Street. Although it’s touted as a street to find antiques, and some of the actual shops do sell antiques. The stalls along the street are mostly things made for tourists that appear to be antiques. That being said it is still fun to wander, and look and shop because there is a lot of cool stuff there. But remember, if you do buy anything bargaining for the best price, or what you are willing to pay is imperative! Sometimes what you are willing to pay is still a big profit for the sellers! But, you walk away happy with your treasure and the seller is happy they made a sale.
One seller has a bunch of embroidered shoes. Since I love textiles andthe beautiful colors of these shoes, I went one day to do a plein air sketch of some of them lying in a basket. As I was doing the sketch I knew I wanted to develop this idea further. I took photos and used them, and my sketch as reference for a larger painting.
Chinese Shoes, Watercolor on Archival Paper, 15" x 11", 38 cm x 28 cm
This is the larger painting, Chinese Shoes, that was exhibited in a summer exhibition at Brushstrokes Gallery, in Hong Kong from an invitation from artist, and my good friend, Isabelle Lim.
Friday Feature Interview
I wanted to share with you today a link to an interview I did for another guest blog post on watercolorist, Carrie Waller’s blog. Every Friday she features another artist on her blog. The interview is quite extensive and I really enjoyed doing it. There is more information there than what I currently have on my bio! If you are interested in learning a bit more about me and my artistic journey, and my time at Walt Disney Imagineering, click here to read the interview for Carrie’s Friday Feature that features yours truly. :-)