Thankfully Back in the Studio and We Know we are Home when we hear that Sound

I love to visit my family but I am always uneasy when I am away from my studio. I get quite nervous and distracted. Painting keeps me together so I never stop unless I have to. My mother celebrated her 89 birthday and I saw my siblings, and some nieces, nephews, and other in-laws. I am thankful that I don't call them out-laws. We all get along pretty well but I was so glad to see the Radford sign yesterday. I am working in graphite for the first time since the 80's. It is true that artists do go back to old works and modify them. The trick is not to destroy the work in the process. I have gotten good at that over the years.

As soon as we got in the door, the little dogs next door started yapping away. They still bark like mad and bare their teeth at our dog as she just looks at them by the fence. She isn't going to stop patrolling the back yard but she also doesn't bother with barking back. These dogs are as small as Chihuahuas but they don't look at all like them. They are very unattractive to me- sorry dog lovers. My husband just calls them Chiuglies.

It is Paint and Can We be Friends?

When I was young I didn't understand the phrase artistic license. I thought that it was an excuse for the inability to reasonably reproduce things. Like many young artists I was working on my drawing and painting skills and had no idea what artists that understood the phrase meant by it. When a teacher would try to explain to me that all art is an abstraction from life I would smile politely and think the teacher was either nuts or making up some nonsense.

Now I talk exactly the same way to students and I don't think I have flipped. When critics of Manet's portrait of Emile Zola said the pants didn't look like pants he said in so many words they are not pants. It's paint! Regardless of whether the painting looks like something or not it is an arrangement by the artist that is in some way an abstraction from life. My work is a visual arrangement of my feelings for the natural world and I am thrilled when people understand the "license" in my paintings.

My old dog was running back and forth at our fence while the very small dogs next door chased back and forth barking like mad. Now our dog, Frances, likes to just go to the fence and walk around a little. The dogs still bark like mad and bare their teeth. Frances just looks at them and never barks. If she could talk I'll bet she would say, "Can't we just be friends?"

Almost to the Finish Line and So What if they are Little Shrimps?

I am almost to the end of a grueling painting. It is nice to achieve close to what I want which is all anyone can ever do. Painting is a never ending learning process and the next one will be perfect. Painters have to learn to live with all most and wait. They look much better later. Time to get back to work on one I was not at all happy with. I'm sure I know what to do now. Hope springs eternal.

Our neighbor has acquired a number of very small dogs. I'm not sure what breed they are but they sure can bark. We have an old medium sized labrador mutt and she seems to be getting into checking out the dogs at the fence. We have a shed that blocks off part of the fence. She goes to one part of the fence and they bark like mad. Then she runs to the other side and they bark like mad. My husband said she probably likes the company. So what if they are little shrimps? They are her own kind and she sure looks happy running back and forth.

Be sure to check out my Limited Time Promotion on two popular paintings at kendall-kessler.artistwebsites.com

Last Day of Special Promotion and No Screetching Dog on Monday

Don't miss out on buying one of my three most popular prints at a greatly reduced price today! kendall-kessler.fineartamerica.com My work will light up any space. Over the years I have received numerous compliments from patrons regarding their purchase. One patron has my still life in her kitchen and she says it brings her so much joy as she begins her day.

I am so excited about my current painting. I am working on a simple rose study that won't be simple when I am done with it. It will reach out to the viewer with so much exciting color and texture that people will want to touch it. That is my favorite compliment. I want to touch your paintings. My paintings have exquisite surfaces with intense, emotional brushwork. The painting here is Bull Mountain.

Tomorrow my sweet, old dog will be at the groomers all day so I can work on photographing my work. I put her in the shade and she squeals and cries until I am done. I guess she just can't stand to be tethered anymore. She will feel a lot better when she gets that coat shaved. I don't think she will be around much longer. She is a very old dog that still acts like a puppy.

Sale of Blue Ridge Morning and My Screetching Dog

Sold another print yesterday! A great patron from Providence, Rhode Island, bought a framed print of Blue Ridge Morning. It is great to be appreciated! I live in such a beautiful region of Virginia. My father used to tell me that when he flew he was always impressed with how beautiful Virginia looked from the air. I try to stay out of airplanes but both of my parents loved to fly. I never tire of trying to capture beauty. I agree with Georgia O'Keefe that it isn't possible to really reproduce anything but it is such an exciting experience to try. Of course, I am also adding my own expression into the work which adds intense emotion to the painting.

I have, for some time now, been working on updating my images for reproduction. Since I have to take the work outside I have to have the right light and weather conditions. It is tedious work and my dog has figured out a way to make it an extremely aggravating experience. I have to put her in the pen and it is too hot so she cries the whole time I am working. I tried tethering on the shaded car port and she cried anyway. Yesterday I tethered her to a tree in the shade that was near me and she squealed. I have had it for a while! I am waiting for cooler weather to continue. Such is life!