Your Custom Text Here
Watercolor on Handmade Paper
More progress on this new painting. I'm approaching this one similar to the last painting, Paris Passy Gate, and also to how I would do an oil painting. I'm doing a block in of all the color first, and then will go back and add details and value changes. This is what I call the teenager phase of the painting! I hope it grows up and turns out.
Work in Progress, Watercolor on Handmade Paper, 15" x 22" , 38 cm x 56 cm
Last week I designed and started a new painting also inspired like Paris Passy Gate, by the area where I lived in Paris. This is the third in a "Gate" series. I'm very intrigued by the design of gates and metal work, and like focusing on a detail that lends itself to the composition having abstract qualities and the mystery of what lies beyond.
Original Watercolor by Kim Minichiello, 22" x 30," for the Coral Reef Restaurant Menus at Epcot Walt Disney World, Copyright 2014 The Walt Disney Company
I found out yesterday that the menus I didfor the Coral Reef are in guests hands at the restaurant!! A friend who ate there last night sent me a photo of the dinner menu. From the photo they look great and I can’t wait to see them in person. So today I”m sharinga photo of the original painting for the lunch menu which features a sea turtle. The dinner menu is essentially the same painting, and features a spotted eagle ray instead of the turtle. I also painted the background of the interiors of the menus. For the smaller dessert menu they were going to crop out more of a detailed area of the larger painting.
When I receive copies of the actual menus I will share them too. I am so excited, this project was an absolute joy to work on and am thrilled the folks at Walt Disney Imagineering and at Epcot loved it! If you are at Epcot for the Flower and Garden Festival stop by Coral Reef and take a peek!
Watercolor on Archival Handmade Paper, Framed
22" x 19," (56 cm x 48 cm)
Framed Size 30.35" x 27.5," price includes frame
Accepted into the 2015 Pennsylvania International Exhibition at The Carlisle Arts Learning Center
Inspired by the Passy area where I lived in Paris. For more information please visit my blog by clicking here.
I’m happy to post that Paris Passy Gate, c’est fini! If you have been following my blog or Facebook pages I have been documenting the work in progress on this painting. The last post I had all the block in completed and needed to analyze the painting for value and add details. I hope you can see what a difference value makes! There is a saying among artists and no one I’ve talked to seems to know the origination of the quote. “Color gets all the credit, but value does all the work.” This is so true. You can paint something in a completely different color scheme than what the original subject is, and it will work if the values are correct.
My goal for this painting was to experiment with getting a lot of texture from the pigments and work with a grayed palette. I’m very happy with the outcome. I’m always nostalgic for Paris especially in the spring time, and wanted to capture a place in the area where I lived which is also down the street from the apartment of a very dear friend I met while living there. When we met she was 90 years old but seemed like she was in her 70’s. We met by chance in a cafe and she started speaking with me in English because she had been married to an American man whom she met in Paris on V-day after WW II. From the day we met we got together almost every week for lunch and we are still friends and speak on the phone often. I thought of our special friendship a lot while working on this painting.
Work in Progress, Paris Passy Gate Watercolor
The block in for this painting Paris Passy Gate is complete and now I’ll move onto the next phase, pushing and pulling value and adding the details. I’m very happy with the initial washes and the texture I was after to convey the patina on this bronze gate. But over all the values are pretty mid-tone. I want to darken areas and lighten areas. That is what I mean by push and pull. I will pull lights out and forward and push darks back. The details I’ll add will be more emphasis on shadows and elements of the design that come after an initial wash. I really love this part of painting, it’s when the magic happens and it starts to come to life!
Work in Progress, Paris Passy Gate, Watercolor
I am always fascinated with details, behind the scenes and the logistics of doing certain things. I think that’s one of the reasons why I became a designer. In the past I have shown some work in progress photos of a painting after I had completed it. This time, I thought I would share them while I was actually doing it! It’s great for me to actually see the progression too. When you see the image on the computer monitor, it can be more obvious what tweaks or modifications need to happen! I hope those that are following my blog are enjoying this step by step process.
This phase of the painting I call the “block in” phase. I have not gone over very much of this a second time to make adjustments. Watercolor artists paint with this medium in so many different ways, wet on dry paper, wet on moist paper, wet on wet paper, glazing, etc. That’s what makes it so exciting to work with.
I like to try to get everything the way I want it the first time, however nine times out of ten that never happens! Therefore when everything is blocked in, I go on to the next phase. That’s when all the magic happens. Stay tuned!
If you enjoy following my works in progress, you might consider
or sending me a friend request. I tend to do a lot more posting as things happen there.
Work in Progress, Paris Passy Gate, Watercolor
The opening for the “Orange Blossom Special” Aril Exhibition at the Winter Garden Art Association was last night and there was a great turn out, wonderful art, crowd, and music! If you live in the area, stop by and see the show, and see what this great new facility in our community has to offer!
Today I thought I would share some progress on Paris Passy Gate. I had started this painting after I had designed the Coral Reef Menu commission for Epcot, while the design was being approved and before the actual paintings for the menus were done. I’m usually a monogamous painter focusing on one at a time. However, this may be the first time I put one aside for a while after completing two other paintings. I tend to get in a groove on one painting and really know the palette of color I’ve worked out and the painting techniques I’m using on a particular piece. Then I don’t over think it too much and just let the intuition kick in.
On this one, with some considerable time apart, I had to get to know it again. In this case, I am so thankful I made some color notes and swatches. So I could go right back to the palette I started with. It sure saved a lot of time.
I may not be making any sense. Artist friends if you would like to comment please feel free. Can you easily work on more than one painting at a time, or are you dedicated to one until it’s finished? Although that’s not to say that, sometimes when I think a piece is finished, a few day, weeks or months may go by and I decide it’s not and tweak it some more.
Watercolor
Mounted on Archival Board with 2" Wood Edge
12" x 12" x 2," (30.5 cm x 30.5 cm x 5cm)
Accepted into the 2015 Women Painters of the Southeast Annual Exhibition at the Blue Ridge Arts Association, Blue Ridge, Georgia
Inspired by the light and cast shadows on a bromeliad.
Last year while I was attending the annual exhibition of the Women Painters of the Southeast. I visited a gallery where there was a watercolor artist who had mounted her paintings on board and sealed them. Therefore, there was no glass, mat board or frame. They were displayed just as an oil would be, painted on a gallery canvas. I mentioned to the gallery owner how intrigued I was by this since I also painted in watercolor. She mentioned that many collectors and galleries don’t value or maybe I should say don’t think there is as much value in works behind glass, and many galleries decline works that are. This piece of news was a bit shocking to me. Really? One more struggle to overcome for watercolor artists!
I don’t agree with this philosophy so I won’t be mounting all my paintings from now on, but I was still intriguedand wanted to try it. After doing some research I came across a video done by artist Birgit O’Connor. My new work Star Struck I thought would be the perfect candidate to give this process a try. Essentially, it involves mounting your painting to an Ampersand Clay Board, with a soft gel medium and sealing with and archival varnish with ultra violet light protection.
I like that you can hang on the wall or place on a table or shelf.
I was pleased with the results. I would like to experiment a bit more as to the final finish on the surface of the painting. The Golden Archival UVL Sealer comes in gloss, satin and matte. I am am also curious about the Renaissance wax that Julie Ford Oliver has recently tried, thinking that would give a nice sheen to the surface as well.
As I experiment a bit more I will be sharing the results, going into a bit more detail on the processes that have worked for me. Any artists materials I use, I am very conscientious of the archival factor. I have been assured by all the specifications that the materials I use for my paintings, paper, paints, mat boards, etc., are archival. The materials used for this process, board, soft gel medium and spray sealers also claim to be such. I know there are a few out there that won’t feel this is adequate protection for a watercolor painting. But, only time will tell! At least with the sealer you are also getting UVL protection.
This painting will be available at the
Winter Garden Art Association's
April Exhibition, 127 SoBo (South Boyd), Winter Garden, Florida.
Price Includes Shipping
Limited Edition Archival Giclée Print Signed and Numbered, Edition of 300
Original painting is SOLD.
Image Size: Half size from original, 19.5" x 9.25," (23.5 cm x 49.5 cm)
Shipped flat with backing board.
Opening this weekend through April 18 is the 3rd Annual Women Painters of the Southeast Juried Exhibition at the Magnolia Gallery in Greensboro Georgia. I have two paintings in the show, Lotus Nocturne and Bananas on Japanese Box. Both will be available for purchase during the exhibition. Sadly I am not able to attend this year. Last year’s event in Franklin Tennessee was one of the highlights of the year. There are so many talented women artists in this show. I will be with you all in spirit!
Also, the 2014 Juried National Georgia Watercolor Society exhibition closes on March 31. This will be your last chance to see more amazing painting at the Carrollton Cultural Arts Center, in Carrollton Georgia. My painting Waiting in the Wings is in this show.
Both of these shows areright outside of Atlanta. Stop by if you are in the area!
Watercolor
Mounted on Archival Board with 2" Wood Edge
12" x 12" x 2," (30.5 cm x 30.5 cm x 5cm)
Accepted into the 2015 Women Painters of the Southeast Annual Exhibition at the Blue Ridge Arts Association, Blue Ridge, Georgia
Inspired by the light and cast shadows on a bromeliad.
When I saw the light hitting this bromeliad and the shadows that were cast I knew I had to paint it. This piece for me was more about shapes, shadows and warm against cool color, than the actual plant! After spending almost 5 months designing and painting the Coral Reef Restaurant menu project for Disney, I wanted to work on a small painting that only took 3 days to paint as opposed to months!
I also wanted to experiment with mounting a painting on a board and sealing it instead of framing behind glass. Stay tuned as that will be the next step to this paintings completion.
If you live in the central Florida area the Central Florida Watercolor Society Annual Juried Exhibition opens tonight at the Sanford Welcome Center. There will be 54 paintings on display from the members. The show will be up until April 22 and the reception for the show will be April 19 from 6:00-8:00. My painting Bird’s Eye view will be there. Thank you to juror Karlyn Holman for including it in the show. Hope to see you then!
Watercolor, Framed
11.5" x 30," (29 cm x 76 cm)
Framed Size "19.5 x 37.75," price includes frame
Selected for the 2nd Annual Women Painters of the Southeast Exhibition, 2013, at the Imagine Gallery of Fine Art, Franklin Tennessee
Selected for the 2014 Annual Central Florida Watercolor Society Exhibition
When I lived in California I had a persimmon tree in my backyard and I have been enamored with this fruit ever since. I loved in the winter when all the leaves had fallen from the tree and these bright orange fruits where dangling from all the branches. That is the inspiration for this painting.