Karen Knutson paints in mixed media, trying to make her paintings fun and easy. A wide range of subjects, including landscapes, figures, collage, abstracts, florals, and birds. Many lessons are included on this blog to encourage her art students. Teaching across the country makes her life a great journey.
Friday, February 10, 2023
Thursday, February 9, 2023
Day 29 of 30 Day Challenge!
"Bike for Mike" $75 11" x 11" image |
Wednesday, February 8, 2023
Day 28 of 30 Day Challenge!
"People Watching" $75 7" x 11" image |
Day 28 of 30 Day Challenge:
Tuesday, February 7, 2023
Day 27 of 30 Day Challenge!
"Got my Eye on You" NFS 5" x 5" image |
Monday, February 6, 2023
Day 26 of 30 Day Challenge!
"Dismissive Attitude" 6" x 8" image $55 |
Day 26 of 30 Day Challenge! This blind contour wire drawing made me laugh at what ended up on the paper. I called it , “Dismissive Attitude”. Doesn’t she look like she would rather be anywhere but here? She makes me laugh. This drawing is 6“ x 8”, permanent marker on paper. If interested, go to karenknutson.com
Tip #26: Don’t lift your pencil when drawing. Seriously! Linkage is one of the best things you can do for your paintings. Wire drawing means a drawing that resembles a wire sculpture. Think about it. Everything has to link in a wire sculpture. I love wire drawing!
Sunday, February 5, 2023
Day 25 of 30 Day Challenge
"Chicken Little" 9"x 12" image, $125 |
Day 25 of 30 Day Challenge!
I did this one backwards. First I did the wire drawing. Then I coated the whole paper with matte medium, let dry and then painted with acrylics. Usually, I coat the paper with matte medium first, then I paint a colorful underpainting, then I draw my subject. It was fun to mix it up! “Chicken Little” is 9” x 12” image, acrylic on paper. Available through my website, karenknutson.com Then click Shop All.
Tip #25:
Mix up the order that you do things. It may lead to great discoveries. I loved the glassy feel of the paper after coating it with matte medium, and I added 3 layers to the background to get the antiqued blue look. Below is the wire drawing beginning.
Saturday, February 4, 2023
Day 24 of 30 Paintings!
"Snook Haven" 7" x 11" $95 |
There’s a special place in Venice, FL called Snook Haven. It really feels like you are deep in the jungle. Our plein air group paints there often. I love the cool atmosphere and the views are incredible. This painting, “Snook Haven” is 7 x 11”, watercolor, painted on location. If interested in this painting, go to karenknutson.com and click Shop All. My favorite thing about this is the light pathway. And that is today’s tip.
Tip #24: Always look for a way to connect one of the values for linkage. Don’t lift your pencil as you draw. I like to connect lights , but many artists like linkage of midtones. I like to link the viewer's eyes to at least 3 sides of the painting. Below is my painting in black and white so you can see the light pathway easier.
Black and white version of "Snook Haven"
Sent from my iPhone
Friday, February 3, 2023
Day 23 of 30 Day Challenge!
Thursday, February 2, 2023
Day 22 of 30 Day Challenge!
"Cardinal Art". 8" x 8" image $95 |
Day 22 of 30 Day Challenge!
Because I’m a bit of a hoarder, (not terrible, but I do like to save things), I keep small pieces of collage papers in a special bag. This painting was created by using those. “Cardinal Art” is 8” x 8” image. If interested go to karenknutson.com and click on Shop All.
Tip #21: Tear pieces of collage to about 1 or 2” pieces. Stack in different colored piles. Cover the entire sheet of watercolor paper (about 8”x 8”) with acrylic matte medium and quickly position the collage papers on the paper as fast as you can, securing the top with matte medium also to seal the papers. Let dry. Draw an animal or whatever simple subject you want and negative paint around it, using acrylic. This is such a fun process and a great way tp use up tiny papers. My friend, Nancy was going to throw away a bunch of them when we were at a Paint-in together and I said, I’d take them. She had the rule that anything less than 3 inches got thrown away. I quickly made a fun painting with her collage pieces, and she said, "Well, I’m going to have to start saving those again.” My friends call me the Bag Lady, cuz I save everything. Haha. Below is my first layer. Notice how I repeated colors and changed the shapes of the papers.
First layer of collage on paper. |
Wednesday, February 1, 2023
Day 21 of 30 Day Challenge!
"Voice of Reason" $75 (5.5" x 6.5" image) Day 21 of 30 Day Challenge! |
"Voice of Reason” started as a doodle session, trying out many different types of eyes. By the time I got done, the figure in the middle seemed to be looking both ways! So, I named it "Voice of Reason", as he seems to be listening to both of the others. I think this is my favorite of all the paintings so far. I love letting the painting talk to me, really letting go and let it become whatever it wants. I did this a few days ago, while I was visiting my mom. I can’t wait to add color to a larger version of this. I’d like to make it very large and very bright. If interested In this drawing, go too karenknutson.com Tip #21: Be willing to let go and just play! You may learn something, just by accident. I love working out the design with these 3 value sketches in only black and white. |
Tuesday, January 31, 2023
Day 20 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days!"
"Letter of Love" $75 (6.5" x 7" image) |
I’m back from my trip to Spokane to visit my mom, who was very sick. I left off at Day 19, so here we go. 10 more paintings after this one. I will finish on Feb. 10th, instead of in January. Family comes first. But when I start something, I finish it.
“Letter of Love” is a painting that evolved all by itself. The hearts kept showing up. I always think of my deceased friend, Connie, when a heart appears in my paintings. In this one, hearts just kept appearing over and over. I’m wondering if it has to do with my visit to see my mom and my sister. Lots of love.
Tip #20: Start with one color only. Then glaze with its opposite. I used permanent magenta with a glaze of quinacridone gold. I love the neutrals that are produced. Below are the steps of this painting. I actually started this as a horizontal, but when I saw the hearts, I decided to rotate it 90 degrees.
Thursday, January 19, 2023
Day 19: 30 Paintings in 30 Days!
"Going Through Hoops" $45, 5 x 7" image |
"Going Through Hoops" is a little 5” x 7” watercolor collage. I call these Little Abbeys (nickname for small abstracts). If interested in this, go to karenknutson.com
Wednesday, January 18, 2023
Day 18: 30 Plantings in 30 Days!"D
"Doodle Mania" 5" x 7" image, $45 |
Day 18: 30 Paintings in 30 Days!
Tuesday, January 17, 2023
Day 17: 30 Paintings in 30 Days!
Today, I got to go plein air paint. We discovered a new park reserve in our area. We hiked about 20 minutes to get to the river, but it was so beautiful, it was worth the hike. Perfect temperature, no wind, and a fellow artist for good conversation. What more can I ask for? One lesson that I keep having to learn over and over is to pack lightly for outdoor painting!!!! When you walk for 20 minutes to get to your painting site, it’s important to pack just the essential items. Here is the scene and my painting that is in a sketchbook.
Painting in my sketchbook (8" x 8") photo of scene
Tip for the Day: Try combining areas to make as few shapes as possible, when outdoor painting. I got the sketch done pretty quickly (about 10 minutes) due to combining shapes. My plein air is not supposed to be framable work. I do it to work out the value patterns, observe nature to learn new things, and try to get the feeling of that moment in time. I LOVE painting outdoors. Life is good! (I circled the shapes so you can see how I simplify)
Circled areas are simple shapes.
Monday, January 16, 2023
Day 16: 30 Paintings in 30 Days!
"Love They Neighbor" 8" x 8" image, $65 |
I'm working on a painting for an upcoming national show, and I want a variety of grey tones. I had started with the colors, Antwerp blue, Quinacridone gold, and Red Rose Deep. So I decided to do a small color study to see if I could get the greys that I had in my mind. This is what I ended up with. "Love thy Neighbor" is 8" x 8". If interested in purchasing, go to: karenknutson.com
Steps 1 - 3, recovering whites |
Sunday, January 15, 2023
Day 15: 30 Paintings in 30 Days!
"Best Dressed Award" 11" x 15" image, $195 |
“Best Dressed Award” was half done, so I decided to finish it up. I love painting crows! They are such smart birds. If interested in purchasing, go to karenknutson.com
Saturday, January 14, 2023
Day 14: 30 Paintings in 30 Days!
“Changed my Mind” started as a blind contour drawing. I had so many directions I wanted to take this. First, I wanted it to be like a sketch, maybe with painting some grays. I knew I wanted to doodle, so I stayed true to that wish. I’m including the original drawing so you can see how much these change. If interested in this painting, it can be found on my website, karenknutson.com
Tip of the day: Adding texture. I like to make diagonal lines at an angle like the left side of a roof. Then I add opposite diagonal lines, like the right side of the roof. Then I add straight up lines, and then start over.Friday, January 13, 2023
Day 13: 30 Paintings in 30 Days!Eac
Thursday, January 12, 2023
Day 12 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days!
"Proud Heron" $115 (7" x 11" image) |
"Proud Heron" was so much fun to paint. I feel so fortunate to be in Florida during the winter months and the colors, blue and green are influencing me greatly. If interested in this painting, go to karenknutson.com
I started this painting just like Day 5, where I used the beginning of a Little Abbey (small abstract watercolor collage) as an underpainting. You can look back to that day on this blog to see directions.
Tip 12: When drawing a difficult subject, draw 90 degree horizontal or vertical lines near the edge of the subject. I can see the angle so much easier when I have a 90 degree angle nearby. Try it! Below is my lines that help me draw the accurate angle.
Wednesday, January 11, 2023
Day 11: 30 Paintings in 30 Days!
"City Life" $245 (11" x 15" image) |
Close up of holes made in figures by running your fingers through it. |
When you paint over the masked figures, you will want to dig your brush down into the holes, so it will cover. Be sure to dry thoroughly before removing masking. Then add more bright colors in the outfits. I add wire drawing, and trace most of the shapes using an ultra fine tipped permanent marker.
Tuesday, January 10, 2023
Day 10: 30 Paintings in 30 Days!
"Everlasting Love" SOLD (11" x 15") Acrylic |
“Everlasting Love” is a commission painting that was long OVERDUE. Now that I’m done, I don’t know why I took so long to get started with it. It is 11” x 15”, and acrylic on paper. The process of this painting can be found on my video, that is available through this link. https://painttube.tv/collections/acrylic/products/karen-knutson-fun-with-acrylics They have a nice preview if you'd like to think about purchasing it. They did a nice job with the filming. I've had great feedback about it.
Tip #10: When painting in acrylic, starting with black in the areas that will later be light in value, leaves such a cool effect. And you can add small dots of water while the second layer is wet, wait 5 minutes, and blot with a paper towel to get the effect below. Then it's up to you whether you like that, OR if you want to add another layer for depth. I LOVE acrylics!
Monday, January 9, 2023
Day 9: 30 paintings in 30 Days!
Sunday, January 8, 2023
Day 8: 30 Paintings in 30 Days!
Saturday, January 7, 2023
Day 7: 30 Paintings in 30 Days!
"I've had Better Days" $75 (8" x 8" image) |
I think I’m finally over the hump. I’m in a routine of being one day ahead for this challenge, and trying to get a few more ahead, in case of busy days ahead. I do feel that the practice of painting every day sure makes you better faster.
Today’s painting, "Looking ahead to Better Days” is a blind contour drawing on top of a 3 color design. I love doing blind contour drawings. If interested, it's available on my website, karenknutson.com
Tip #7: Look at a magazine photo or maybe even one of your photos, and do a very fast, blind contour drawing. Do NOT look at the paper, till you are done. I don't lift my pencil. You can always make changes at that time if things don’t match up, but the fact that you don’t look at the paper gives your people such character.
Then I like to close all the shapes, meaning there are no lines just hanging out. Every shape has to be closed, like pieces to a puzzle. I then trace that drawing onto tracing paper, and use graphite paper to transfer it to whatever surface you want to paint on. I like to start an abstract and before I get too far into it, I add the blind contour drawing. To see more abstract beginnings, just do a search for color studies on the opening page of my blog. At the end of the painting, I use a permanent marker to trace the drawing again.
Friday, January 6, 2023
Day 6: 30 Paintings in 30 Days!
Thursday, January 5, 2023
Day 5: 30 Paintings in 30 Days!
"Fowl Play" $125 (7.5" x11") |
“Fowl Play” was created by using a half done watercolor collage. I have a pile of what I call, “U-Turn” paintings, that really need to take a U-Turn to be successful. I really enjoy bringing them back to life, with the use of acrylics.
Tip #5: Using "U-Turn Paintings" as an underpainting, and reviving them with acrylic.
Below is the finished painting and the underpainting that I started with. The most important thing to do is to make sure you have a light pathway in the original painting. Then you draw whatever subject you want on a piece of tracing paper, so you can move it around till it works. Look for a quiet white spot for positioning the eye and most of the head. Then you transfer the image onto the collaged underpainting, using Carbon Paper. (Available at most office supply stores.) Paint around whatever animal or subject that you drew, using black acrylic, and saving a few abstract lines that will direct the viewer into the animal. Then, it’s up to you how many layers you add around the subject. I find thee so fun to do! I also add lots of wire drawing within it. (Do a search on my blog for wire drawing to see more examples of it.)
Wednesday, January 4, 2023
Day 4: 30 Paintings in 30 Days!
"Day at the Beach" $85 (7" x 12" image) |
“Day at the Beach” is a plein air painting. That means it was painted on location outdoors. This scene is from Casperson Beach, in Venice, FL, which is a great to look for shark's teeth If interested in purchasing it, go to my website, karenknutson.com I absolutely LOVE plein air, although I’m still working on mastering the many variables of painting outdoors. If interested in this painting, go to my website.
Day 4 Tip: Try plein air painting! It will teach you how to really SEE, and get fresh air at the same time. The first time you attempt plein air painting, bring just a sketch pad, pencil and a marker. That way, you can learn early not to bring too much. I always go with friends, so we can visit while we draw and paint. You will need a lightweight chair and a water bottle. The first thing I do when painting on location, is to pick a spot in the shade. You will usually have about 2 hours to complete your drawing, so it’s important to be comfortable and out of the sun. I do gestural drawing at first just to get loosened up and trying to place the subject in the correct place on the paper. Then, I pretend that there is a 90 degree box around my subject so I can see the angles better. If time permits, I use the marker to go over the pencil lines. I don’t bother erasing as I draw. When you add the marker the wrong lines will get smeared anyway, so no need. After a few times, you may want to try watercolor outdoors. Remember, the colors will look different when you get inside. Usually I don’t paint dark enough outside. Things will dry differently outdoors too, but that’s part of the learning curve. You really learn how to SEE better by plein air painting and you will see your drawing skills improve tenfold.
Tuesday, January 3, 2023
Day 3: 30 Paintings in 30 Days!
"Put it in Reverse" $65 (8" x 8" image) |
Blackboard version of yesterday's painting. It reverses the values. |
Monday, January 2, 2023
Day 2: 30 Paintings in 30 Days!
"Chartreuse Color Study" $65 (8" x 8" image) |