Day 30: 30 Paintings in 30 Days!

"The Highest Power, #3"    NFS
Image:  11" x 15"    watercolor

     Yes!  I made it!  There were many times, when I wondered if I should quit, just for my health alone.  But I did easy paintings on those days, and then I got better.  For you runners out there, this was my marathon, and it feels really good to have made it across the finish line.

     I've been working on this painting here and there all month.  I needed a pure watercolor for the Transparent Watercolor Exhibition, so this will be one of my entries.  I know it's not a landscape, my original goal for this 30 Day Challenge, but I've already broken that many times with all my bird paintings.  So, why not break it one more time?  Go out with a bang, I say!       The study for this was the wire drawing below (drawings that look like a wire sculpture).   I've done 3 of these so far.  Every one is different, and surprises always arise as I'm painting.  Tomorrow, I will be posting the whole collection of 30 Day Paintings.  That will be your last chance to get in on the January bargain prices.  It's been a great ride, and as always, I learn so much along the way.  I really recommend you trying this.  Thanks for following along and cheering me on!

Wire Drawing of the original "Highest Power" painting

Day 27: 30 Paintings in 30 Days!

"Jungle Fever"    $99  (SOLD)

Image:  11" x 15"      Watercolor

Today, I tried something new!  I started the painting by drawing random doodles on the paper using a really wet brush.  Then I floated the color into the wet lines and let the drips happen wherever they broke through.  After that was dry, I drew the bird on the paper, trying to have the line work break across the bird.  I'm excited about this procedure because I now have a new lesson to teach for the next couple of years.  Below is the start of this painting.  To learn more, you will have to take one of my workshops!  (wink, wink) :)  Check my website for future workshops.  I've got a full schedule, traveling to many states on the East and West coast.

Beginning stages of "Jungle Fever"

Day 25: 30 Paintings in 30 Days!

"Eyes of the Forest"      NFS
Image:  15" x 11"      Watercolor

This painting started out as just a tree painting.  Then, I just had to add a bird.  My intention is to have the viewer aware of how we need to preserve our world by recycling, and conserving energy as much as we can.  Our forests are beautiful and I want them around for generations to come. I intentionally made the bird illusionary, as if it were a ghostly being, watching over its habitat.  That's why I named it "Eyes of the Forest".  I worked on this painting all day today, and may enter this painting into an upcoming national show, so I'm not selling it yet.  If interested, you can private message me.

Day 15: 30 Paintings in 30 Days!

"Bird's Eye View"   $99 SOLD

This was my demo for the Cape Coral, FL workshop. It was so fun to show my eager students how to complete their charcoal pour beginnings. This lesson included collage, charcoal pour procedure, negative painting to create depth in the branch area, and how to paint the bird's eye. They seemed to enjoy the eye lesson the most. Even tho the eyes are very small, there are about 7 steps to creating the glassy look. Their paintings turned out so well!  I'm back in Venice, FL now, enjoying the beaches and warm weather.  :)  We are renting a condo for all of January and I love it here.  Nice to escape the cold winter of MN.

Day 3- 30 Paintings in 30 Days

"Perfect Getaway"   $99 (only at this special price during January)
Image size:  11" z 14"     Original watercolor 

Another North Shore painting.  I used to paint traditional landscapes back in 1998, and here I am, full circle returning to them.  It's fun for me to see how far I've come, especially in thinking about composition and design.  Back then, I wouldn't even consider doing a value sketch beforehand, and now, it's like going on a trip without a road map.  Take my word for it:  If you want to bring your paintings up to the next level, do a value sketch!
Lesson for the day:  Another fun technique to help finish off the vignette feeling of this painting, is to lightly sprinkle the bottom rock area with a water bottle, then spatter small spots at the bottom of the rocks.  Then very quickly, place wax paper over the dots, and this will spread them a little bit and make them more organic.  Leave the wax paper on for at least 20 minutes.  You will see light cracks formed by the wax paper.  It's the same process as the plastic wrap that I showed yesterday on my blog, but this is  more subtle and great for the transition into the white paper at the bottom of the rocks. See below:

"One of those Days"

"One of those Days"  $75
6.5" x 9.5"  Watercolor 

Sometimes, it's fun to escape the usual routine and just paint for fun!  This is one of my funky ladies.  I named it "One of those Days", because her crown is falling, her hair is messy and she's just feeling not quite like herself.  We've all been there, right?  I'm teaching in Kiawah Island, SC next week, and we are painting funky ladies one day.  Can't wait to see what they all come up with.  It's always a blast with lots of giggling.

"Don't Talk to me before 8:00 a.m.!" - (Wire Drawing workshop)

"Don't talk to me before 8:00 a.m.!"    11" x 14"    $195      Original watercolor and markers

This was my demo for my recent "Wire Drawing" Workshop, held in Watertown SD.   As I've said before, I LOVE this process and have found that the abstract backgrounds are leading to the next painting!  The students' paintings turned out incredible, as you will see before.  I made this collage of their paintings, using the website, www.picmonkey.com  I love that site!  My next wire drawing workshop is at the White Bear Lakes Center for the Arts on Nov. 3-5.  Sign up now if interested in learning this process!  The first grouping was the paintings from the first day.

 

The grouping below is the paintings from the second day, when students got to pick between doing an animal or totally abstract.  They actually got 2 demoes for the price of one!

Summer Home Studio Workshop Schedule

Every Summer, I host 3 workshops in my home studio.  They are limited to only 10 students, so everyone gets lots of individual attention!  These really fill up fast, so if you are interested, sign up TODAY!  Seriously!

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May Workshop:  Wire Drawing and Illusionary People Workshop

 (3 Day watercolor, collage, and marker workshop)

Instructor:  Karen Knutson www.karenknutson.com

Dates:  May 6 – 8^th, 2015 (Wednesday – Friday)

Hours:  9:00 – 4:00

Place:  Karen’s Home studio (Red Rock Studio)

8621 Coachman’s Lane, Eden Prairie, MN 55347 

Home phone:  952-934-0876      Cell:  612-940-9231

Cost:  $295

Contact:  karen@karenknutson.com to sign up

** (To register, send me an email.  The first 10 to respond will get in!  Then mail your check to 

Karen Knutson, 8621 Coachman's Lane, Eden Prairie, MN 55347)

This is my new favorite thing to do:  wire drawings.  They are done with permanent markers, but they look like they are wire sculptures!  That’s why I invented the name, “wire drawings”.  We will have one day of wire drawings, and watercolor paintings and the other days will involve learning how to paint groups of people in an illusionary manner.  You may or may not choose to add collage.  You know me, I will more than likely be adding collage, but you have the option either way. 

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June workshop:  Painting Textures with Acrylic- People paintings

 (3 Day acrylic workshop)

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Instructor:  Karen Knutson www.karenknutson.com

Dates:  June 16 – 18, 2015, (Tuesday – Thursday)

Hours:  9:00 – 4:00

Place:  Karen’s Home studio (Red Rock Studio)

8621 Coachman’s Lane, Eden Prairie, MN 55347 

Home phone:  952-934-0876      Cell:  612-940-9231

Cost:  $295

Contact:  karen@karenknutson.com to sign up

** (To register, send me an email.  The first 10 to respond will get in!  Then mail your check to Karen Knutson, 8621 Coachman's Lane, Eden Prairie, MN 55347)

I’ll demonstrate painting people in this workshop, however, you can paint totally abstract if you would prefer. No drawing experience necessary.  I have shortcuts to make drawing people really easy!  This workshop will concentrate on how to get many textures that only acrylic allows.  We will be using rubbing alcohol, different surface textures, and many other tricks to come up with special effects. Each painting will have about 4 layers to produce the special effects.  So fun! I’m really enjoying acrylic most of all lately!  Can’t wait to share my tricks!

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July Workshop:  Paint like Gustav Klimt with Good Design! 

(3 Day Watercolor OR Acrylic workshop with collage and metallics)

Instructor:  Karen Knutson www.karenknutson.com

Dates:  July 28- 30 (Tuesday – Thursday)

Hours:  9:00 – 4:00

Place:  Karen’s Home studio (Red Rock Studio)

8621 Coachman’s Lane, Eden Prairie, MN 55347 

Home phone:  952-934-0876    

 Cell:  612-940-9231

Cost:  $295

Contact:  karen@karenknutson.com to sign up

** (To register, send me an email.  The first 10 to respond will get in!  Then mail your check to Karen Knutson, 8621 Coachman's Lane, Eden Prairie, MN 55347)

We will get to doodle to our heart’s content in this workshop.  Acrylic actually makes this process easier, but if you’d rather work in watercolor and collage, that’s fine too.  This workshop will emphasize good design and lots of tricks to make the detail work easier.  We will also be working with several different types of metallic special effects and will be studying Gustav Klimt’s paintings. 

Collection of all 30 Paintings in 30 Days!

Well, there you have it!  All 30 Paintings to view in one glance!  What did I learn from this challenge?  That it is better to be prepared with meals and sketches ahead of time.  I love that Leslie Saeta features this every year, because it gives me the push that I need in January after not painting at all in December.  I discovered many new tricks and they are all shared on my daily posts, so if you are a student, you might want to look back over this past month's posts.  For those who want to buy a book of these paintings, just send me a check for $30 (this includes shipping) with your mailing address, and email to : Karen Knutson, 8621 Coachman's Lane, Eden Prairie, MN 55347.  It is size 6.5" x 6.5".  I made one last year of my bird paintings, and really liked the quality of the Blurb product.  Thanks to all those who purchased many of these paintings.  It's always so rewarding to have you buy my artwork for your homes.  If interested in any of these, I've tried to keep updating them as to whether they have sold or not, so each day should have the details of each painting status.   I can't thank all of you who commented or "liked" my paintings as I posted them on Facebook.  It really means a lot to hear what you think!  And special thanks to my wonderful husband for encouraging and supporting me when the house hasn't been cleaned all month and we've been eating take out food most days.

Day 24 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days!

"Deep in Thought"            11" x 11"            $145  SOLD
Watercolor, acrylic and permanent marker

After yesterday's detailed painting, I just wanted to do an easy painting, and even though these "wire drawings" are time consuming, they are easier for me than other paintings, as far as design, color choices, etc.  I made a discovery today!  I did 2 layers of blue watercolor and was disappointed in the color.  I knew that there was no way for me to get the color of light teal that I wanted, if I continued to use watercolor, so I switched to acrylic for the blue color.  But I first wet each area quickly with a brush, then applied the acrylic really fast, and let it drip.  The granulation was so cool!!!  I definitely will be doing this technique again.  I hope you can zoom in and see what I mean.  My favorite part of this painting is the doodling within her dress and I also like her hair.

Day 20 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days!

"Treasured Friends"        11" x 11" image        $145
watercolor

I must admit, I hit "the wall" today.  I was so totally wiped out that I tried to take the easy way out, and just do an easy painting.  You'll see the first version below.  I thought, "It's good enough."  So, I went to have my hair colored and thought how nice it was to be done with my painting in the mid afternoon, so I could totally relax this evening and maybe even go to bed early.  I hesitantly showed my painting to my husband, (who has gotten to be one heck of a good critique), and he said, "is it half done?"  I love that he was willing to give me an honest opinion.  So, after supper, I went back to my studio and worked for 2 more hours on this painting, bringing it from "good enough" to good!  Lesson learned.  Always show your best work, or don't show it at all.  This is an illusionary painting, which I will be teaching at Cross Lake, MN in September of 2015.  Check my website www.karenknutson.com next week for details of that workshop, or email me at karen@karenknutson.com if interested.

Day 19 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days!

"Good Day at the Office"        11" x 11"image        $195
watercolor and permanent marker

Can someone tell me the meaning of the word "Easy"?  I totally meant to do an easy painting, since I was babysitting my granddaughters most of the day, and knew I wouldn't have much time to paint.  But, no, I had to start doodling!  And that takes hours!  I actually needed to go to bed last night with it unfinished and complete it this morning.  But the outcome is totally worth it!  This is another of my wire drawings.  I've been trying to take them to the next level.  My goal was to make them look more dimensional and to integrate the color with the drawing aspect of this technique.  I'm really pleased with the results.  By the way, I'm SO EXCITED to be 2/3 completed with this challenge.  Below are paintings 9-18.  It's been a great ride, but I really am getting exhausted.  On a good note, my art abilities have grown and the ideas are endless. 

Day 10- 30 Paintings in 30 Days!

"We hold the world in our hands"  11" x 11"  $245 SOLD
Watercolor, permanent marker, and Elegant Writer marker

Yes, I truly believe that each and every one of us makes a difference in our world!  I had this idea of a girl holding the globe in her hands and really enjoyed painting this.  Last year, one of my students (who happens to be a teacher herself in Duluth, MN), Mary Beth Downs taught me how to do "wire drawings".
 At least that's what I call them.  That's because they look like wire to me.  I can't tell you how to do them on this blog; it's actually something that you have to see.  Basically, they are contour drawings with changes afterwards. This will be a process that I will teach in one of my summer workshops if you are interested. (email me to be on the list:  Karen@karenknutson.com )  I use a permanent marker to do the initial sketch picture below.  When I started this, I honestly thought that this would be an easy painting, and picked it, due to babysitting my sick grandson this morning.  But the finishing touches took hours.  I used the Elegant Writer calligraphy pen to make some of the lines thicker and then activated it with a wet brush to cause it to soften a little.  Elegant writer felt markers are water soluble and therefore are really fun to mess around with!  Karlyn Holman introduced me to the Elegant Writer pens years ago, and I love them.  Click on this link to buy them from her store.  One of my heroes is Alphonse Mucha, and I was trying to do this painting in his style.  A lot of doodling, but it was worth it!
 

Value sketch (left) and first drawing using permanent marker (right)

Stencils and Mixed Media

"Morning Meeting"

I'm preparing for my home studio "Painting Birds" workshop, and wanted the last day's lesson to be a very easy one.  So, I decided to emphasize stencils and show them how to do a very easy illusionary painting. BTW, I only used 2 colors in this painting. (quinacridone gold and neutral tint) I will be having a mail order lesson on this process available soon, if you are interested.  It's a fun way to paint!
The image is 11" x 14" and is available for $145.