Kate loves creating
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
What I have been working on
I always seem to love the work I do in my sketchbook. I started by applying gesso, let that dry and then applied re-inkers to the background. I drew the figures and started applying watercolors and acrylic white paint. I love doodling so I got my Ernst Haekel book out for inspiration.
Here is a close up of the face....I could have left the painting alone as is. It's very satisfying to me. I like how some of the inked background comes thtrough and the subtle mixing that happens here.
This is my girl! I had this idea of putting helmets on my girls. I think more helmets will start appearing in my artwork.
The painting completely changed as I started building up layers. I started finger painting with my beautiful Daniel Smith watercolors.
I love adding pencil work over my painting. I seem to be more into the detail when I draw rather than paint. When I paint I like to be more expressive, but when I have my fine .3mm mechanical pencil in hand, I love going in with the detail.
This piece is a bit tricky. It is all on fabric. I thought I wanted a sepia toned pallete but realized I really wanted to splash color in this., especially pink!
So I went in with color....still not sure if she is finished. I am working on her along with my students in my new online class. I videotaped the process except for the color. Whatever else I do on her I will videotape and include that in the class.
Still working on mermaids. Using my watercolors and mixing with white acrylic open paint....my favorite medium right now.
Back to acrylic on wood. Love how she is coming through. Wanting to work more on expression rather than a stare....put some life and personality in the figure.
My pintuck mermaid....see I told you I love detail with my pencil.Thanks for looking!
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Facing my demons and loving it!
It has been an extremely productive and creative couple of months. I taught my first live class at Random Arts in Saluda, NC. I am repeating the class up there in August. Now if you would have told me a couple of years ago that I would be teaching online classes, filming and editing videos of me creating and painting, teaching live around the country and selling my artwork, I would have laughed my ass off! I made a successful living as a print designer for the apparel industry in Los Angeles, but almost 5 years ago I moved to Charlotte, and my career came to an abrupt end. I believe I was done but I wasn't ready to admit that. There was a couple of years where the wolves were at the door and the bills were not getting paid and I was well into my 50's! Now I see that those scary wolves were really my allies and helped me to sharpen and focus like a laser on my future. My dear friend Jane, kept telling me to do a video and put it on youtube. I finally did it because everytime I saw her she asked me about it. I couldn't take the shame anymore that I hadn't followed through. From that video, doors were opened and I started teaching. She believed in me when I didn't believe in myself.
I never even thought of teaching as a career in the past. I am an introvert, and that can be a good thing if you are an artist, but I wasn't sure how that would translate into teaching art. What I do have is passion and the most important part of creating for me is the process. Teaching is about being in that process and letting the magic and inspiration flow, so not only am I in the process but the students are as well and I get to experience and interact with them as they create their magic. I absolutely love it and it energizes me so. I love the teaching process just as much as the creating and I am so deeply grateful that I get the opportunity to make the rest of my life even more productive and fullfilling than my past.
Please check out my page on FACEBOOK to see all the student's wonderful artwork.
FRACTURED-ANGELICS-KATE THOMPSON
It's a post from July 1- Random Arts Class Photos
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