August 2013

Another summer month has arrived!

Today I finished a full sized watercolor and watercolor crayon painting. I had progressed to level two in a committee of prospects who want to have their art be chosen to be bought for display in a new hospital addition in Minnesota. I already knew they needed a larger size for display then my current painting. I have already spent some time preparing this beautiful 22 x 30 inch full sized painting. Hope they like it!

The Benton County Fair, in Sauk Rapids, is coming up this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Our CMW group will be talking to fair goers, doing demo's and showing off art and greeting cards on display on Friday and Saturday. We must be there 9 am on Friday to deliver the art and set up, 1:25 - 5:35 pm on Saturday is my time to participate, and back again on Sunday - 9 am to pick up the art before the grounds get full of people. Lots of races fill the grounds the evening before, so we wait till am to take down.

Got word that the selection process for the MN State Fair did not include a Kathy Braud original. The competition was fierce. Some of my friends were in round two and I heard that one of them had made the grade!

I am anticipating the Art Paintout in Lanesboro, MN. Coming up in a couple of weeks. Heard 38 artist people have signed up. I am practicing my painting and finding my supplies. Home will be a long ways away if I forget something.

Today is August 24, 2013 and I have amassed a lot of news to share!

I am back from the Paint Out in Lanesboro! It was a wonderful time of creating, sharing, learning, walking everywhere, good food, and we even included a lovely canoe trip down the Root River, MN. We had quite a rainstorm that passed thru and cut ravines in the roads and parking lots. We all enjoyed the extra time we spent hard at work making new art or finishing art with friends in the room to chat with on occassion. Critiques and sharing time also allowed us to understand new thoughts. I did try out en plaine aire painting, but I did not have the wonderful equipment needed to comfortably paint. I like studio painting better! ... so I did that the rest of the week - taking up as much room as I wanted!

Was part of a Supper Sizzling Art Crawl in St. Cloud, MN on Friday night with the Central Minnesota Watercolorists. Friends helped set up my booth and art and manned the area till I returned from my PaintOut trip. What a wonderful gift!
Art crawls do bring out a variety of folks to see creativeness. Falcon National Bank, St. Cloud, hosted us and we had a great turnout...... they even served wine & promoted a local wine industry.
I had made some new blank greeting cards of many of my works for this occasion ( approx. 80). Many are suitable for being framed "as is" - as they have a white border around them. I have a glossy appearance to the paintings and a matte, easy writing surface to the note area. I think some of my cards have make it to the refrigerator display area of recipients too!

My art did not get selected for purchase for the new Hospital addition in northern MN, as the decisions for choices was very competitive. But I suspect I have been added to their new rotating artist display selection.

One of my new paintings I have been working on this week is a landscapes of Lake Superior crashing into the rocks farther up the North Shore. So far I am impressed! I used a family of colors so the colors will go together well. This new painting might be shown in "Water Works" MNWS Fall Show 2013.
I also finished a new still life. And a little country church and cemetery landscape! That last one just glows! Used new techniques beyond watercolors.