Goals for the New Year!

"Waiting for Mr. Right"

I usually make several goals on New Year's Eve, and sometimes I follow through and sometimes I don't.  So, this year, my plan is to make a goal every month and maybe that will be a short enough time that I may possibly follow through!  In January for the past 2 years, I have done the "30 Paintings in 30 Days" Challenge posted by Leslie Saeta.  Click on the link and you can join me!  For me, it's a great way to get back into painting after taking all of December off to party and all that goes with the Christmas holiday for our family.  (4 trees this year!)  The deal is that you can paint 2 paintings in one day, if you need to get ahead.  You just have to paint 30 paintings in 30 days.  I usually like to get ahead in the first week, so that I can post them early on her website, AND if I'm possibly called to babysit, I will be ready for that day.  I told myself last year that I would have soups, etc. frozen ahead of time, but that didn't happen.  I think I'll take advantage of the crock pot this year.  My goal is to do people that are part of an abstract background like the painting pictured here that I actually painted many years ago.  Any medium, but my goal is to keep them loose.  Wish me luck!  Happy New Year, you all!

Santa Collection- Here's the whole collection!

Happy Holidays to you all!  The final 3 Santa prints are still for sale, but the first 10 are collector's items.  They are 9 x 11.5 with mats and sell for $29 (matted).  I have only a few left that have frames, and those sell for $39 (framed).  Contact me at Karen@karenknutson.com if interested.

12th Day of Christmas- Santa Series

"Santa 2004"

I was making a political statement of sorts with this painting.  I truly believe that Santa is a good thing, but I also believe that the true meaning of Christmas is the birth of Christ.  So, this one combines the two, so as far as content, this one is a favorite of mine.  I'm going to post the last Santa in this blog too, since I'm going out of town tomorrow and most of you will be too busy to read this tomorrow too, right?  Below is my Minnesota Santa, who is a great fisherman.  May you all have a very blessed, safe, fun holiday with your family and friends! 

"Santa 2005"

11th Day of Christmas- Santa Series

"Santa 2003"

This was a full sheet watercolor!  It was painted in 2003.  I got tired of having to do the same size, year after year.  We artists don't like being told what to do, right?  Anyway, I'll never forget my framer's reaction when I brought in the prints.  He had already cut 50 mats of my usual size.  He thought he would be saving himself the last minute fury by doing them ahead.  After all, I had done the same size print for the past 10 years!  I told him to save them for next year and I would go back to the other size.  My favorite part of this Santa is the toes sticking out of the socks!

10th Day of Christmas- Santa Series

"Santa 2002"

This Santa was fun to paint, but anytime hands are involved, it's an extra push for me as an artist.  Still I loved the fact that Santa is telling us to keep the secret and be good.

9th Day of Christmas- Santa Series

"Santa 2001"

This Santa was especially dear to me because this was a friend of mine that I used to teach at the Minnetonka Senior Center.  He had such a great attitude and a twinkle in his eyes always!  I wrote Peace in the background due to the tragedy of 9-11, which happened in 2001.  Still hoping that our world can settle their differences and live peacefully.

8th Day of Christmas- Santa Series

"Santa 2000"

Remember back at the millennium? Celebrations galore!  So, I had to have Santa in the party mood at such a big event! I'm hosting a Christmas party of my own tonight, so I'll have to keep this short this time. 

7th Day of Christmas- Santa Series

"Santa 1999"

The face of this Santa was my very favorite!  I just want to pinch his cheeks!  I love how gentle he turned out, and so I decided to have him holding a cat.  I, myself prefer dogs, but I like cats too.  Each to their own.  Anyway, I thought that this Santa looked like he loved cats.  By 1999, I had quite a following who purchased my Santa paintings every single year.  So, you can imagine how surprised I was when one collector actually returned her Santa.  She really despised cats and couldn't stand to look at it.  So, that's my interesting story about this one.  Evidently, some people are very final about their opinion about cats versus dogs.  :)

6th Day of Christmas- Santa Series

"Santa 1998"

I used one of my students as my model for this Santa.  I started my teaching in 1988, at the Minnetonka Senior Center, and I have so many wonderful memories of those retired ladies and gents.  This particular one was always up to mischief, so it was my own bit of mischief by using him for my model.  I thought if he were playing with a puppet, it could remind us that there's always someone higher than ourselves who is in charge.  :)

Days 4 and 5 of Christmas- Santa Series

"Santa 1996"

Santa has to be an artist sometimes, but not without the help of an elf who is whispering an idea to Santa. I'm actually going to post 2 Santas today, since I was busy babysitting all day yesterday. 

"Santa 1997"
This was one of my favorite ideas.  Santa woke up one morning to find that a bird had built a nest in his beard!  And being the really kind soul that he is, he left the nest there for his friendly bird friends.  They sang songs to Santa while he worked hard making toys for all the good girls and boys. All is good in Santa's world!

3rd Day of Christmas- Santa Series

Santa 1995

Yesterday, I told you that I would have to use my imagination for future Santa paintings, so what's better than a book of the girls and boys who made the Santa list?  One of my son's friends noticed a big flaw in this painting.  Do you see it?  Our son was in middle school at the time, and I found it ironic that this friend happened to see the mistake right away.  He wasn't the type to notice such things.  So, this Santa brings a smile to my face every year, remembering that conversation with Jeremy.

2nd Day of Christmas- Santa Series

Santa 1994
 

This was my second Santa, painted in 1994.  It was after this, that I realized that the Santa paintings would have to have a theme.  After all, how many times can you paint a white haired Santa with a hat and not get bored with the whole idea.  So, tomorrow's Santa will be a nice surprise.  BTW, I think I mistakenly said that yesterday's Santa was from 1992.  It actually was featured in 1993.

12 Days of Christmas Santas!

Someone posted on Facebook that they were enjoying one of my Santa prints that I had painted years ago.  Then, several people asked me to post photos of my Santa paintings, so I decided to post one each day from now till Christmas!  I actually painted 13 different Santas, or as I like to say, "12 plus one", cuz I'm not a fan of the number 13.  Baker's dozen is lots better.  This was my first Santa, painted back in 1993. It seems like a dream now, that I ever painted these.  It's so different than I paint now!  Anyway, hope you enjoy the 12 days of Christmas coming up!  Happy Holidays!