Cob Cottage Studio

Into My 'Self "

2009-11-23T12:16:00.000-08:00

Our resident hunter was off for a few days of recreation with our sons, hunting the great white-tail. I had my days to myself, to pursue my own entertainment. Of course my day had to be scheduled around the walking of the dogs and caring for the horses...but other than that I was free!!

I have been working on a few paintings for shows that are coming up, but I felt like playing in my paints for a bit...doing something different... and decided to entertain the idea of doing a self-portrait. I hadn't done one in a while and I have always felt that one way to grow and explore as an artist, is to explore and paint one's self.

So I struck this pose in front of our bedroom mirror and Voila' ....a self-portrait arose! It is small, as I don't want to be taken for a self absorbed dilettante,...it is a 6 x 6" casein. Of course to be able to see what I was painting I had to have my posh glasses on! I feel they added to the 'feel' of the painting.

So here it is...'an artist as seen by an artist!' For what it is worth?!!

I Am Not Sure

2009-11-20T11:32:00.000-08:00

On a rainy windy and bleak day like today...I am sitting here and wondering if I posted this art work before...? If I did, please forgive. Yes, some days I wouldn't find my head if it wasn't attached! This is a casein work on paper.

Next week, a small show opens at Gallery B in Lexington, KY and I have several works in this holiday show of "Tiny Treasures" on November 23rd. Everything in that show will be approximately 12 x 12" or smaller.

And then the auction of all the art works that were in in the Freeport Maine's Artists in Maine Communities grant, "Experiencing Freeport-Knowing Our Town Though Art" happens the beginning of December. I will post more about that when I know more! My painting "Freeport Heroes" will be on sale at the auction.

The pups are napping on the couch, listening to jazz and the rain beating on the windows. If I continue that way I am now...I will be joining them soon. It is one of those days! That is the ONE THING that I am sure of on a day like this!

Reference Material Crop

2009-11-16T06:42:00.000-08:00

"Headed To The Ring"
casein 12 x 9"
Kathi Peters
copyright 2009

Sometimes it is not what I paint but more what I leave out.
This painting is of a rider and her horse going to the ring for a hunter-jumper class taken in the Kentucky Horse Park last May. I have a wealth of images to work with from that show, but many of the images are crowed with background noise. I am a firm believer in "Less is More".....so I edit a lot,crop images and make sure the design of the painting works.

I hope I have succeeded in the 12 x 9" casein on paper?

Eye On The Prize

2009-11-13T12:21:00.001-08:00

This painting is done....done on a birch panel, gessoed and then painted in casein. "The Gray -Holly Bull" is available on my website. I was thinking that maybe I should have titled it "Eye On The Prize"...because that is where this fellow was looking... at the barn where the mares were awaiting his pleasure!

Speaking about "men"....This morning when I went out to do the stalls, I watched as a young white-tail buck followed a doe right through our pasture where our horses were grazing, oblivious to the goings on. Of course I had no camera with me...just two noisy canines who were wrestling at my feet, as they tried to take each other's orange bandanna off. Yes, it is not boring on the farm. Everyday is full of 'happenings"!

Past Recaptured

2009-11-09T06:56:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it is the little things in our life that we hold dear....surround ourselves with. Someone else might not understand our relationship with them...May even think us silly to hang onto these things, ...but as for me, I hang on, hold dear and even display them around our cottage.
I have plates hanging on the walls, standing on hutches, in book cases....Some from my life in Italy as a child, some from my mother's childhood....and some even from my great-grandmother on my mother's side of our family. On occasion I even use some....a luncheon with a friend, Thanksgiving with family.....and sometimes just because.
The above is a small watercolor [9 x 11 1/4"] of my Great-grandmother's blue platter, often used by my mother and now displayed on our kitchen hutch. The silver creamer is from my grandmother Richeimer.....and the little silver spoon was mine when I was a baby.The spoon also fed my sons when they were little and is here in our kitchen for use by our grandchildren ...and even great grandchildren!!!
Wanting to do a timely still-life, I threw in some of our Crab apples from the tree that stands outside my studio window. I look at it now, as I write, all covered with red apples which the hungry Bluejays pick off of the branches and the Morning Doves eat below. There are plenty to feed the birds well into the winter.

I have put the watercolor titled "Spoon and Creamer" on my website. It is available and is unframed.
A piece of my life that maybe would touch someone else's life too.

What Color Is Left

2009-11-04T11:28:00.000-08:00

Looking out from my studio, the farm is starting to look a bit gray around the edges. The gold and orange of Fall makes way for the more solemn gray of the coming winter. But the one bright spot behind the barn,beside the pond, stands out with the still yellow of the Tamarack trees. I love them in the fall with their burst of yellow and again in spring when they put out their delicate soft Chromium Light Green needles that just whisper of the coming of warmth and growth on the farm.

The other bright spot being my awesome yellow barn doors. What a great statement they make!
Canvas is not the only thing I paint!!

Don't forget the 140 Hours of Fame Art show and Auction that is taking place on Twitter....check it out. A great way to get some great art to brighten up your walls for this winter! It starts tomorrow, Nov.5th! Bid early and bid often!

140 HOURS OF FAME

2009-11-02T06:31:00.001-08:00

"Pony Club Pals" casein 9 x 12" signed

I am proud to be part of an exciting new endeavor... a unique online art auction designed to introduce artists to a global marketplace.The auction will begin on 5 November 2009 at 12:01 p.m. EST and lasts 140 hours, through 11 November 2009 closing at 8:01 p.m. EST.

My equine art casein "Pony Club Pals" featured above, is in this online show and auction!...A neat way for collectors of my work to collect, and all from the privacy of their Twitter on phone or computer! ...where ever they are...at home, at work, on the train commuting to work......where ever! WORLD-WIDE!

The 140-hour auction will take place entirely on the World Wide Web. The gallery has designed an auction system allowing TWITTER® users worldwide to enter their bids online.

Gary Brant, the show Director, explained, “With the huge popularity of TWITTER®, we wanted to reach out directly to this group of highly sophisticated users. This event will give our participating artists an opportunity to be seen by art buyers and collectors alerted to the event through the power of social networking.”

The event is free for all artists worldwide. Early reports indicate that the auction will be a popular venue for emerging artists, as well as art collectors and patrons globally.

Collectors/Bidders must register by simply following on 140 Hours, a process that takes five seconds and can be accomplished before or during the auction.

I started "Tweeting" earlier this year.....yes! ...it is a phenomenon that has created a buzz...I am excited about being part of this new social media event! Check it out...see for yourself! As we said back in the 60"s ...COOL!

And you can see my tweets on Twitter at Cob Cottage!! It is not always about art or horses!! Sometimes just life!

Another White Horse

2009-10-28T12:44:00.000-07:00

I have been working on this 11 3/4 x 13 3/4" casein for a few days now, on and off. Yes, another white foreshortened horse. This is a subject that I can not get tired of exploring. And I will be doing more white horses over time...a series of sorts. [Like my 'Shades of Black' series that can be seen on my website.] This is a stallion from the Darley Farm in Lexington KY., a wonderful Thoroughbred Stud Farm that I was privileged to visit last spring.You don't see many farms like this here in Maine!

It is quiet today at Cob Cottage Studio...Nellie, our non-stop Jack Russell Terrier, is at the vet's, where she will spend the night, recuperating after having been spade this morning. She is doing well..or so I was told when I called a bit ago to check on her progress. Addie, our Corgi, is enjoying her reprieve from her nemesis and napping and taking leisurely strolls around the farm. How Nell has changed our life...for the better....since she came into it a year ago. But for today we are enjoying a quiet time.

Joining the Ranks of Plein Aire

2009-10-26T11:56:00.001-07:00

First let me say that I am NOT a plein aire painter, even though I love being outside and in fresh air basking in the sun's rays. But I do not like bugs, wind blowing my easel over,or being watched while I paint [especially by wild animals.] But so many of my friends are into plein aire work and suggested that I give it a try...
So from the comfort of my deck, with food and drink..... and warmth just a step away...I ventured out to do a 12 x 12" casein painting of my daily view here at Cob Cottage in the October sun. I am not a fast painter...so the light changed several times I am sure, during my plein aire foray....and this is what I am left with . What do you think?

I will photograph it straight on and clearer, if you think it is worth it.....or should I stick to the studio and never venture outside again?

The real problem I have with a landscape like this, is that there is too much information for my brain to absorb...and I don't know where to stop or even start. My approach with most of my work is always focused on a subject...and very composition and design orientated. The good Lord's work of painting and capturing the landscape is WAY TOO BIG for me.

But, I may try it again sometime soon, maybe...

Painted Dog - Real Dog

2009-10-23T13:05:00.000-07:00

As I write this blog entry, I am being besieged by JRT kisses. Little Nell just woke up from her nap on the cushy pillows on our bed, and NOW she feels it is time for play. I ,on the other hand, am still working,still need to clean up my messy palette of dried casein and try to find my desk under books and paper piled high. I clean the studio occasionally and in between times, the piles get high and things get lost. It is time to clean.....or else! And Nell wants to play

The above casein is a small 5 x 7" titled"Big Shadow"... and little Italian Greyhound, smaller than it's shadow! I am putting this work up on my website in the Small Work Collection. This was finished today, while Nell napped.

Cozy spot for a Jack Russell Terrier-ist!

Beautiful Blonde Belgians

2009-10-19T12:42:00.000-07:00

Finally this painting is done...a casein on canvas...30 x 40" and Titled "Beautiful Blonde Belgians".... painted from a photo that I took at a local fair this summer. We spent that day watching the draft pulling teams and eating blooming onions and blueberry pie. All rites of summer in Maine. The start of the state agricultural fairs reminds us that winter is not far away.
Actually last night we had a brief taste of winter as big fluffy cotton balls like flakes fell from the dark night sky and covered the farm with a heavy wet blanket. By morning it all was gone...but we got the message. We need to get EVERYTHING done outside and ready the farm for the months that lie ahead. Point taken.
This casein will be put up on my website.....and I will get back to commissions that need being done.....and some new work for galleries that I am with.

Painting A Bit & Getting Ready For Winter A Lot

2009-10-12T10:10:00.000-07:00

The last few days we have been busy battening down the hatches here on Cob Cottage farm in anticipation of winter and cold days ahead. It will come faster than we think...and I have more than a few gardens and window boxes to to cleaned and put to bed. It all cannot be done in one day. I am thinking this gardening frenzy that hits me each spring needs to be rethought and curbed a bit.

Control is not a operative word when it comes to me and gardening.!!

I am really almost done with the casein [30 x 40"] of the Blonde Belgians....this is how it stands today. The sketch of this painting has been sold and I need to ship that out this week. I am done with the drawing at this point and the painting can be finished without me referring to the drawing. I have many clients interested in purchasing my work sketches...a rather non expensive way of collecting my work.

The fall colors surround the farm. The below shot is from our deck.... of our fields...our barn. Soon the color will be gone and gray will prevail until the white and blue of snow covered winter landscape surrounds us. The scene new fails to remind us our blessed we are to be living in this spot in the middle of this natural splendor.

That reminds me.... I have 50 Narcissus bulbs waited to be planted before snow.....so much for control of gardens!

No Foot No Horse

2009-10-06T09:19:00.000-07:00

The old saying" No Foot No Horse" came to mind when I first saw this scene. I was attracted to the image of the horse and his caretaker....but it really was the landscape, the Mediterranean light and the shortened view that captured my muse.... and so I painted it, a 12 x 16" casein on board.
The finished painting is available on my website now. Jordi, a friend from Spain and his handsome Freisian are the subjects in this shot....I thank Jordi and Captain!
The title of this work is "Spanish Freisian".....maybe I should change it to "No Foot No Horse"?

A Day In The Sun

2009-10-05T10:50:00.000-07:00

After a weekend of rain, today Les and I headed out into the woods, to the back of our property, to see the fall foliage along the brook. How I love the smell of the woods, the cedar and pine, the wet dirt and composting leaves....all speckled with sun light. I swear I am going to head there in the spring to capture it all plein air....but this year I will work from photos taken today. I am busy with commissions now and upcoming shows, so my landscape work is going to have to wait.
It was a very healing peaceful experience this morning.....I needed it. We should all be so blessed to have a chance to venture into The Lord's woods.

On our way back, as we cut through our spruce grove at the back of our pastures, we have upon this fairies ring of mushrooms. I don't know the name of these mushrooms, or how fatal they might be...but I am sure that there are fairies somewhere near this spot that dance in the night with the deer and other wildlife looking on. At least that vision came to mind upon discovery of this ring!

Now back in my studio to work on a watercolor commission the rest of the day, I feel refreshed from my day in the sun.

Back Into The Bigger Biggers

2009-09-27T13:42:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I finally was able to get back into the studio and set up my easel to get back into painting this 30 x 40" casein of the "Beautiful Blonde Belgians". Even though it seems to be taking a long time to finish this one...it is one of those paintings that seems to be painting itself. I am using my usual palette... but it seems to be coming together differently.We shall see when it is done! Once I got over the initial fear of the BIG CANVAS....I am loving the looseness I feel doing this.

Nellie has been helping me by keeping me company from the comfort of our bed.From there she can see into my studio... and also into the mirror to keep tabs on that canine friend of hers who lives in the "Bizarro" world inside the mirror. That silly dog barks at her and growls a lot...but has yet to come into the bedroom to actually challenge her...big brave dog that she is!!

I love this shot of her...I think I will have to paint this one!

Come to the Show Opening!

2009-09-25T06:20:00.000-07:00

Come one, come all, to “Maine Harvest: Land and Sea,” a benefit sale of fine art and crafts inspired by Maine’s farmland and ocean. For six weeks Skyline Farm’s 4th annual invitational exhibit and sale will showcase talented Maine artists and artisans whose paintings, photographs, sculptures, and fine crafts are inspired by the cornucopia of Maine’s bountiful harvest - both from the land and the sea.

--- Please join us on Friday, Sept. 25 from 5-7 p.m., to help kick off the show, where you can buy artworks or bid on intriguing silent auction items. Enjoy light refreshments while meeting talented Maine artists, sculptors, photographers and artisans of fine crafts, including fiber, jewelry, wood, glass and metal.

Original creations to appeal to every taste and budget are for sale just in time for the holiday buying season for your gift-giving pleasure. The show is complemented by vehicles from the museum’s carriage and sleigh collection.

A Silent Auction, featuring artworks and related items donated by the artists and local businesses, will run concurrently with the art show. Bidding action will begin on Sept. 25 and conclude at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8. Artists are generously sharing a portion of each artwork’s sale and 100% of the funds raised from their Silent Auction donations to benefit Skyline Farm’s programs and operations.

Done - Fall Gray

2009-09-23T05:15:00.000-07:00

This morning I am heading out with hubby, two dogs and my painting to help hang the Skyline Farm show....
This painting is done..and framed, ready to hang. It is a 18 x34" casein on canvas and it is titled "Fall Gray". The scene depicts Maine Carriage Day at Skyline Farm, a very old and traditional pleasure driving show that originated in Maine many years ago!

Gotta run....it's long drive [ by car ] to North Yarmouth!!!

Skyline Show and Painting Almost Done

2009-09-21T10:37:00.000-07:00

I think I have been saying that a lot lately. "Almost done"... but I look at a painting and when I am not completely happy with it, I can't let go. I am at that point with this painting....I will let you know!
This is one of the paintings that I will be sending down to the Skyline Farm's Fall Exhibition which has it's opening reception on September 25th at 5-7 pm...on the farm.... in the Carriage Museum. The invitational exhibit is titled "Maine Harvest, Land and Sea", and this year showcases fine art and crafts too. My work in the show will cover the gamut.. from bovine to equine...and a bit of ocean too! I am looking forward to seeing the work of the invited artists and craftsmen. It should be a neat show for folks to come to, to find that very special Christmas present for their very special someone!

And speaking about someone.....Nellie , our resident Terrier-ist has taken to following me up into the studio...and then making a nest for herself on our bed amoung the pillows. She thinks if she hides her face...I can't see her! Silly girl!! So she sleeps amoung the pillows, like a princess, while I work!

I CAN SEE YOU, NELLIE!!!

Still Working On The Biggers

2009-09-18T07:26:00.000-07:00

Today really feels like Fall..a cloud covered day where the air has a different feel to it...a different rhythm to the breeze and bird songs. Hard to describe, but a feel of nostalgia permeates the morning. I covered my tomatoes and basil again last night, as I have the last few nights. Trying to grab the last sun filled days to grow the tomatoes bigger, redder and to keep the basil for more spaghetti pesto before a frost hits them. I picked the last of my green beans...the few that the deer have left for us....and will gather in the last of the summer squash and cukes today. Now it seems that life will be about cozy-ing in and not growing.

I work in my studio listening to classical music on the radio and the birds singing in the crab apple tree outside my studio's east window. I have been working on the big casein of the Belgian horses...and is finally pulling together and pleasing me. The image above is where it stands at this moment. That will change by this afternoon, if I get to stick with it.

BUT....Right now the dogs need walking and I am headed out to watch Les work with one of his mares. To soon the weather will change and the snow will blow. I need to savor every moment of fall's beauty.

A New Magzine Cover A New Magazine

2009-09-15T07:54:00.001-07:00

I feel very honored to be the artist picked to have my casein painting "A Moment In time" chosen to grace the cover of the new equine magazine, 'The StableWoman Gazette"!! This painting is a commissioned work, commissioned by the husband of the woman in the painting...a gift for her birthday. I have blogged about this work before....the painting has been delivered and now hangs in their Ohio home.

"The StableWoman Gazette is a new online magazine style portal dedicated to ALL horsewomen worldwide! Featuring a wide variety of content, from articles and stories to art galleries, video shows, boutique shopping, stress relievers and much more!

This publication is for you and about you. There will be features that are informative on a host of subjects, but also it will include your participation and comments. Browse through the sections. There's something to please every horsewoman.

The StableWoman Gazette changes several times daily with news, stories and updates. So make The StableWoman Gazette your home page to visit and enjoy often.'

Check out this great e-magazine...it is a good read about timely equine news and great stories! and tell them that I sent you! ;-)

Working On The Biggers

2009-09-12T05:58:00.000-07:00

The canvas with the 'Beautiful Blonde Belgians' is in the 'uglies' stage. All paintings seem to go though that phase... where I sort of loose direction and have to pull the work back together again. The fact that my studio is so small is also a problem when I work on these larger canvases.
But I am excited about this one...and I do know where I want to go with it...I am just not there yet!

The artshow reception at Anderson Galleries in Locust Valley, NY took place on Thursday [9/10/09] evening and I have already had positive input about the show and my work. Hope you can get into the gallery to see my work and the lovely work of the other artists exhibited there.

Color is slow, so far, to hit the trees surrounding our farm. But I can heard the sounds of fall and the sad passing of summer in the birds and insects around Cob Cottage. The yellow finch are singing like they never sang all summer. I wonder if they will stick around this winter cheering up the gray landscape with their sunny yellow? I hope so!

Back to my painting....mixing my colors for the day.

I Am Not Feeding The Deer

2009-09-10T08:51:00.000-07:00

The weather lately has be the most awesome...bright sun filled days followed by cool starlit nights. I love it! The garden is winding down for the fall and the deer are nibbling their way through our backyard each evening. The beautiful zinnias and morning-glories in my veggie garden are like hors d'oeuvres for them. So I picked one bright zinnia to grace my windowsill in my studio. The sunlight pouring through the old jelly glass [One that we use as a juice glass for morning orange juice] prompted this small 'gem"..... 7 X 5" Casein on board. I have placed it in my Small Works Collection on my website too.

I am still working on the larger canvas of the Belgian draft horses.
The summer days have just seemed to fly by here at Cob Cottage.

Beautiful Blond Belgians

2009-09-05T06:38:00.000-07:00

This is one of the paintings I am working on now...a 30 x 40" on canvas painting, it will be sort of exciting to complete. It is in the beginning stages, as I do the drawing with charcoal to get my harness and movement right in the composition.
So after I do our horses stalls and walk the dogs, I will get back into it.

Yesterday we went down south to Freeport for the artists reception of the 'Experiencing Freeport" exhibit. My painting for this Maine Art Commission and Freeport Creative Arts sponsored show, is hanging at the corner of Maine Street and Bow Street. I am so pleased to be one of the Maine Artists picked to take part in this show supported by the National Endowment For The Arts.

But today it is "back down to earth"...muck the stalls and play with the pups....and then back into the studio to create ...another painting!

Before The Paint

2009-09-03T07:44:00.000-07:00

I am sitting here posting this...still in my pj's! That is one of the perks of having my studio at home!!! But I got into this drawing this morning and forgot about everything else! So the dogs sit and wait to be walked for their mid-morning walk and here I am posting about this sketch that will be put up on a 30 x 40" canvas this afternoon. ...after I walk the poor pups! After I get dressed!
Actually they have been busy watching from their deck perch as Les trims around all the gardens. I am sure our Corgi , Addie thinks he could do a better job!

This sketch on bristol paper is really too big to scan at 11 x 14", so I will have to photo it to really show all of it and my signature on the right bottom. As I explained before, I very often work out a sketch before putting paint on canvas or board. This sketch works for me...so I feel the 'need' to get into it.
I am excited about the possibilities! Strike while the iron is hot!!! No???

Belfast Dock & Maine Seagull

2009-09-02T07:06:00.000-07:00

This small casein will be hung in the Skyline Farm Art Show with the opening reception September 25th. Titled" "Dock On The Bay"......it is sized at 5 x 7" !

It is a beautiful day on the farm...and I will be most of the day in the studio.I am all stoked on a new work started today! But also need to finish works still in the process. It ever ends....and as Martha would say "That's a good thing!!!"