Painting With Nancy, Kate and Kitty

For a couple of years now, I've been fortunate to paint with two artist friend's Kate Buhner and Nancy Keanan-Barron on a monthly basis. We often gather at Nancy's house in S. Gardiner, and we sometimes take our artmaking on the road, where we sketch and quickly work with pencils and other dry media. When the weather is warm or on a vacation day our children will play together, so there are often interruptions of performances or laughter. This particular day we  had additional company from Nancy's new kitten. 

 

 

 

                                        Kate contemplating her cupcakes

My artistic and personal relationship with these two women have had quite a profound impact on my artmaking.  Both have taught me such wonderful things, and not always things one can put words to.  

 

Our days together are often productive, although one of us can often be "off". And although that may happen sometimes, but you can always feel that a day working and talking together was worthwhile. The energy of that community can remain, the comments, ideas, the techniques shared can be happy and helpful memories back in your own studio.

 

 

On this particular day, we paid tribute to one of our favorite artists Wayne Thiebaud.  I brought over some cake forms and we collaborated on out still-life set up and cake decorating. Quite fun!      

 

 

 

Nancy's Set Up with Work in Process

Kate and Nancy getting started

View of the Still - life from Above with my drawing on top of an old painting

There's an old painting of mine that I had been toying with painting over.  Yes, I do paint over old paintings.  But not without some contemplation. This one I brought home and hung it in my bedroom.  It was pretty clear to me with in a few days that this one was on its way out.  You can see here the old one received a somewhat orange transparent-glaze and then I drew on top of it with a white colored pencil. Still unfinished in the studio today but I will work on soon.

Kitty Visits

lemon cake slices

with sprinkles

with two raspberries atop