Kyra's Art Studio Blog

Loose

2012-01-31T21:43:00.001-05:00

There are a lot of things I need to do, but being the main employee of your business - if something isn't done? You really do only have yourself to blame!

This week, my goal is to get the prints nailed down and ready to offer for immediate sale. In addition to that, I am working on two paintings at the moment. The first, as I had mentioned, was my Alice painting that I am finally getting back to. However, I hit a stopping point as one often does with oils, and needed a filler while I was waiting.

I had long thought about a painting with two castles, one light and one dark. So, this seemed the perfect time to give it a shot, considering I have the extra long canvas on hand! Even better? I'm shooting a time-lapse of this painting from white canvas to finished product!

What makes this painting different for me is that this one is very off the cuff. As you'll see from below, I have a light idea of what I'd like to see. But to be honest, the real concept is one that's developing as I paint it. It's not mapped out, and there is a lot of wiggle room. For example, I'm contemplating a little bit of lightning... we'll see.

Here are a couple snapshots from the time-lapse I'm shooting:

Sketched out... sorta

putting in the basic background, working from day to night.

Working on the moon (sun is on the other side, smaller)

Laying in the distant landscape outline

Putting in the distant mountains, and highlights.

I've never painted lightning before, but I'm contemplating how it might work with this painting... we'll see!

Moving Fast Forward!

2012-01-19T19:03:00.000-05:00

It's been a productive day for me! I've been working on my haunted house painting for what feels like forever. Just this week, I got hung up with a migraine on Tuesday, and then had what turned out to be a totally unproductive day on Wednesday for no particular reason. The house did get cleaned though, so there's that. However, I was determined to finish this painting!

Not only did I finish my painting today, I also figured out how to work the interval programming in my camera for an extended time-lapse session. Then I figured out how to make it into a video, and then I figured out how to post it!

So, without further ado my new YouTube channel for Kyra Wilson Studio can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/user/KyraWilsonStudios

I fully intend on posting many painting videos. I have the test below, it's only 40 seconds long, but I was able to see how it all worked (and once you get to the part when I'm working on the cat it gets more interesting.) It really let me see how it was all going to work, and I cannot wait to work on a painting from start to finish with it and see how it looks. The next video will actually be of the first painting in my Alice series which has been sitting on the back burner for quiet awhile. Unfortunately, I have started some painting on it, however there is a long way to go just yet, so it still should make for an interesting video. We'll have to see how long these videos end up being, and where I'll need to cut them down. I'm sure YouTube has a time-limit, I just haven't looked it up yet.

Here is the test video I made today:

And here is the finished painting:

"Haunted Evening"

9 x 12 x 0.75", Gallery wrapped stretched canvas, sides painted.

I'll post it for sale once it's dry, but because it's oil, it's going to be awhile. However, I am very happy with how it turned out, and I'm extremely excited to move onto my Alice series and some of my others, as well as documenting a few with the time-lapse!

Switching Venues

2012-01-10T15:42:00.000-05:00

I've taken a nice little clip of time off during the holidays, but I'm back to painting now. It's a little odd how some time off can actually throw you off. I'd love to be one of those people who come back with more energy than ever, ready to go, but after an extended period I'm really one of those people who needs a push.

Well, I gave myself that push, but also evaluated why I needed it. Frankly? Even without any snow (which, by the way, is completely bizarre for Vermont) my studio is COLD! So, I made an executive decision... I snuck out of my studio and set up shop in my family room.

My unfinished family room, but the flooring is in, the walls are painted. Really, all that's missing is the trim and chair rails, and the art that belongs back up on the wall. This might turn out to be trickier when I work on some of my bigger paintings I have slated in the line-up (I have a huge, much harder to move easel, and a tendency to not be a clean painter.) I'll probably have to slink back up to my studio for those. But, until then... I have taken over!

I also sent my husband this picture with a "Guess where I am? What football games? Who needs that when we can watch sappy romance movies and dramas while I paint!" He wasn't a fan, but he's got a lovely level of patience and tolerance for me.

As you can see behind me in the photo, I'm back to work on the Halloween painting with the haunted house on the hill. I'm about to start in on the figures this afternoon actually.

As I have been taking pictures over the past months of paintings in progress, it has occurred to me that a time-lapse might be a fun project for me to put together on one of my future paintings. After chatting with a few people, I was told to look for a device that works with my camera for interval timing. What I discovered after googling my own camera is a special timer that is actually built into the camera! (I know, I know, but the longest time lapse I ever needed wasn't more than 10 minutes, so I never really dug in before this.) So, that being said, I do believe that I am going to try to create a time-lapse video of one of my paintings over the next month. I have one that might be fun, it's a long landscape with two castles in it. Another, same orientation, but with all four seasons.

Hmm.... Maybe both? We shall see!

Guess What?!?!

2011-12-13T12:50:00.004-05:00

My website is finally up and running! Yes it is!!!

Wanna see? Kyra Wilson Studio

(if you notice any glitches, let me know...)

I met with a new printer, and I like their stuff! I wish I had found them sooner, so I'd have all the prints right now, but it's alright. They're available for pre-order, expected in mid-January. The upside is that instead of my prints starting at $30+ shipping, I now have them starting at $11.99 INCLUDING shipping in the US and Canada. HUGE changes. Even better? The prints are of better quality in my opinion. All Giclee, quality archival paper and inks, or on canvas. YAY!

Since my new site lets me sell right through it, securely, I'll still have some stuff up on Etsy, but mostly it'll be on my actual site. Additionally, I'm in a growth period with my art, and headed in a new direction. I'm not sure where I'll end up, but I've decided to enjoy the ride. More figures in my artwork is on the menu. I'm going to finish my holiday paintings up, and then go back to my Alice series I started and ended up getting sidelined with. I also have a new Seasons series that is in line for my easel!

So much to paint, so much to do!

'Tis the Season!

2011-12-01T16:08:00.004-05:00

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving, those that are in the US, and that everyone else had a lovely week as well! We chose to work on the house last week, and this included a lot of major home "improvements" that are still in progress.

It's actually a relief to get back to painting again, even though there is still a long way to go on the house projects! Given that the house is in such a state, this is the first year that I don't have any holiday decorations up at all. Never has Rockefeller beat me to my own tree-lighting.

I've actually been working on quite a few paintings all at once right now. I have a Halloween haunted house that I'm still working on, and a snowy ice skating scene, but I took a break to shield the oils and pick up my acrylics once more. Today, though I may not have a tree, I got to paint one!

Christmas Moment
6x6x.75", Gallery wrapped (edges painted, no frame needed)
Acrylic
$75

Currently available to purchase immediately in my Etsy store:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/87615234/christmas-moment

No prints will be made.

Jade Moon, and other paintings!

2011-11-02T18:08:00.005-04:00

Last night, I finished a small painting (6" x 6" x 0.75") called "Jade Moon":

It's up in my Etsy store, along with these others that are not recent, but ARE available (and framed, to boot!)

"Gold" Enchanted Forest Series

"Starry Night" Enchanted Forest Series

In addition to finally getting things up in my Kyra Wilson Etsy Store, I've also finally started getting things up in my Official Zazzle Kyra Wilson Store. I'm very excited about the Zazzle store, because it's got all sorts of things in it. I made a few cards involving my Halloween/cat painting "Patch", and my Snowy Evening painting, as well as my recent painting Garden Party. I even have a slew of things with my Midnight River painting on them, which looks fabulous (Zazzle liked my mug enough to give it a Today's Best award right off the bat!

Anyway, I'm excited about the merchandise I can offer. I'm excited that I've enabled a direct buy option via Etsy until I have my main site completely revamped (I'll have the ability to sell directly from there when I'm done, but I'll keep my Etsy store too.)

I'm getting close to starting in on my snowy/holiday type paintings! I know, I need to get to them quickly!

make custom gifts at Zazzle

Mural Mural on the... well..

2011-10-27T22:20:00.005-04:00

Today, I spent my time painting a mural for the town I live in.

It was kind of like a survival challenge. The mission? To paint over an unwanted scene on a big, oddly shaped screen. Supplies are limited to 20 mystery cans of wall paint left over from prior projects and school play productions put on at the town hall, a few brushes, a roll of paper towels, and drop cloths. Time limit: get it done in one day.

After spending well over an hour popping cans, I figured out I had a ton of pastels and other odd colors, and NO primaries. I had a red-red glaze, which kinda counted, a beige yellow, and an off blue. I made do with those, though, and in the end it worked out for the most part.

All told, it took 7 1/2 hours of painting. It wasn't all at once, though, since I had to run and pick up my children, and feed them, and then get myself back. It was much harder to go back than it was to start in the first place. I was tired! I did something I never do, and that was to have caffeinated coffee in the late afternoon before I returned to work on the mural.

I admit, I was a little panicky around 6PM, thinking I'd NEVER get this finished. I even said to myself "I wanna quit." But I kept at it.

As I was painting, I realized it was pitch dark outside. I was by myself, in a VERY old building. Painting, most lights off, days from Halloween... I thought to myself "This is the part of the movie where the girl with the paint brushes ends up dead, isn't it..." And right as I was thinking that, my friend who asked me to do the mural came banging through the door.

A good startle is as good as strong coffee, as it turns out!

I finished the mural at 9PM. It's funny how a day gets divided when you have outside responsibilities. 7 1/2 hours is less than a normal work day, but it took me ALL day to fit it in!

Here is my mural (please excuse the bad picture, I took it with my phone, which is decidedly low-tech):

Not bad for a day's work!

It's Halloween!

2011-10-25T09:53:00.005-04:00

I painted a new Halloween painting, and I'm just so glad I made my return to oils. I had forgotten how smooth they are, how easily they work, and how much deeper they make the colors. I have been working on this one the last two days, and I'm happy to say that I'm pleased with it. I like this one!

Here is the evolution:

It's wet, so the pictures aren't fabulous because the light really reflects right now. I'll have better photos of it once it's dry. It'll go up in the store in a week or so, when it's dry (and the varnish too.) I don't feel right putting a wet-painting up before it's ready to ship.

I have a town painting project I have to work on today and tomorrow (which is painting a screen for town events), but then it's back to painting fun stuff! I'm really enjoying myself. I want to paint a haunted house silhouetted by the moon. I'm contemplating a cat & ghost painting, but I don't know if I'll do that or not. I've also been thinking about a few butterflies in the paintings. Some plain pumpkins, rather than jack-o-lanterns. More than all of this though? I want to put more of my figures in the paintings too. Maybe a few more with the girl and the cat, maybe as a witch, maybe not...

We'll see! It's supposed to snow on Thursday, so I've also been in the mood for some other types of holiday paintings. I'm definitely hitting a major painting streak right now!

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

2011-10-22T17:34:00.003-04:00

A bit of frustration that should have been anticipated, but wasn't, finally lit a fire under me. I can be as irritated as I want at the outside influence, but really it's my own fault if I should have known. That being said, this bout of aggravation lead to my finally taking steps to make everything better.

First stop? Start putting things in the Etsy store. No longer will I be simply announcing that a new painting is finished and for sale without a direct buy option, it leads to a tangled mess, and frankly? Sales get lost in the process. Plus, I know that most people want to buy something without the personal interaction. We had already decided to revamp the website with an easy direct buy option through the site, but that is taking a bit of time because it's all part of a major site overhaul. But in addition to that, we had also decided on a few other venues for access - one of those being Etsy.

So, we now have an official Etsy K. Wilson Studio, Kyra Wilson Original Art Store. Is everything in it yet? Nope. That'll be slow moving, I think, but I'll get it done as I revamp and everything gets organized (so there should be more things added daily!) However, anything new will immediately be in the store (it's really the older stuff that will be slowly added over the next few weeks.) Going forward, it's the right way to roll, and it feels good to boot!

I'm planning on having Giclee prints made of a few things, including the garden party I recently finished, but also my snowman painting. I'm excited, because I have found a printer here that specializes in fine art prints! I'll have to drive up, but I have a good feeling they're exactly what I've been looking for! Soon, those too will be in the Etsy gallery (and on the new site.)

The mini-witch painting is already up and available for purchase. As are a few other miniatures and I'm slowly adding some of the larger paintings too. I'll be pulling down my main website (www.KWilsonStudio) while we go under construction. I'm hopeful it won't be for long, and I can spend less time on the computer stuff and more time with my brushes!

I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before, but I am on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KyraWilsonArt

and now Twitter: http://twitter.com/@kyra_art

Yay for progress!

Witchy Friends

2011-10-19T20:59:00.006-04:00

I did a quick little painting, just to get into the holiday mood!

"Witchy Friends"

SOLD

(not including shipping, which is probably around $5, unless you're overseas, and tax if you're in Vermont)

4x4x1.5 Acrylic

It's a little one, only 4 x 4 x 1.5. But it's gallery deep with the sides painted (no framing required.) It's a little tricky photographing such a small painting, because the texture of the canvas tends to reflect the flash, and it makes it look like maybe there is something there that isn't.

I just wanted to do something fun for Halloween. I think I'm going to do something a bit larger with a little more detail next, but also Halloween... and probably cats! I really think a Jack-o-lantern is on the horizon somewhere here.

Garden Party

2011-10-15T16:03:00.003-04:00

Finally! I finished a painting that has taken much time than I expected. This painting is going up for auction for a charity in a couple months (I'll make sure to let you know if it will be public or not, if you want a shot at the original), but I am making prints out of it.

I was asked to do a painting for my son's school, as were many other artists. Then, I was asked to teach the class that is going along with it. Professional artists are to create and donate an original painting, and then 12 children are going to be in the class, choose one each, and create their own painting semi-inspired by the pro-artist's. The paintings will then be paired together, and go to auction to raise money for the school (which desperately needs it.)

The theme we were given was "Garden Party", and whatever that meant to us. I've seen the other paintings, as I am the teacher. There are abstract, impressionists, and more in the bunch. My brain took it to Alice in Wonderland, likely because I am actually working on a series with my daughter as my Alice.

The photo is fuzzy, and just a quick snap - because it's not all dry yet, and thus the art-shoot of it will be a little while just yet.

I've settled on what I'm going to do with my site, AND my business, and my goal it to launch sometime in January with the new site, and lots of new prints and paintings!

Boo!

2011-10-11T09:07:00.002-04:00

It's Halloween time, and I'm not working on anything Halloween! GAH! It's so not right! But it's next on my list.

I'm currently working on a painting for charity. Because I have Alice in Wonderland on my brain because it was my next project, the picture turned into an Alice in Wonderland picture. Clearly my brain has it's own ideas. The theme (not my decision) was Garden Party, so it's understandable that it went that way, but still.

I hope to have that painting finished today, and I'll post a picture of it. Then? Fun stuff, Halloween stuff... jack-o-lanterns, and more! And then back to Alice stuff. Or maybe Alice will hit the back burner until January, and I'll just get into the holiday stuff.

Website - haven't moved on this yet. I think I've got my direction with design, and while I don't like using a canned site, the reality is that it's easier to update with new things. I also found a printer, which will make my Giclee prints affordable! I'm so excited! I've also finally got plans in the works for a calendar. It won't be ready for 2012, but it'll be ready to pop for 2013. So, stuff is rolling, things WILL be happening!

A Real Step

2011-09-02T12:21:00.005-04:00

I've taken a lot of time off from my art business. Sure, I've done a bit here and there, but in truth I haven't been pouring myself into it. I have to be honest; I think I've been spinning in my own circle. I'd say I was chasing my own tail, but that would mean I was chasing something and that isn't true. Instead, what I've been doing is a lot of internal arguing with myself.

I have an art business. I have a photography business. I have opportunities to write (in addition to freelance, I've had the "I could write a book about this... or that... I should write a book" going on in my head for years.) I could do any of these things. I could be successful (most likely) at any of those things, with the right amount of effort and planning and dedication. Persistence.

But I cannot be successful at all of them. I'm not even sure I could be successful at more than one at the same time, much less three. The reality is that I have a lot of opportunity in front of me, many choices. Sometimes choices are freeing, and exciting, and sometimes they're just too much. I made my career opportunities into too much to think about, and an overwhelming experience. Again, a choice - my own, but one I let bog me down out of fear.

It's taken a lot of talking with myself and others to start to figure this out. I'm not there all the way yet, either. What I do know is that it's time I face my fear and start doing something, rather than sitting and doing nothing with a whole lot of excuses. I've had people tell me their version of what is successful, or what they think must happen, and let that be my only vision of what could be - which I subsequently ran from because it wasn't who I am. However, I know very well that it doesn't have to be that way. In both art and business, there is ample room for creativity and success via new channels. One person's vision does not have to be someone else's. There is no road, only the path you make for yourself.

This whole art business is going to change. I have figured out that if I were suddenly wildly successful, bringing in money at any of the three choices I have, I would be most satisfied with my art because it's about more than selling something. Art is who I am, and I'm finally preparing myself to move forward. My time away was not a loss, as I have a much better understanding of who I want to be, and what I want my business to become without losing sight of who I am.

I'm letting some things go, embracing others, and preparing to take the risk. Big changes are ahead, and they're going to take a lot of work. I know deep down I can, and will make them happen.

Here goes something...

In The Details

2011-07-28T16:33:00.002-04:00

As I said before, I've been spending a lot of time with my camera. My paint brushes have been rather shamefully ignored. The county fair that I participated in last year is actually right around the corner, and I realize that minus charity donations, I have spent very little time painting at all!

Part of the reason is that I desperately need to fix my website. But what was supposed to be an easy sort of "flip" of my site has turned into a massively daunting task. Of course, I know better... No matter how big a job, it all starts by taking tiny steps, until one day you're closer to the end than the beginning. I'm torn between using an actual designer (two of them, actually - each telling me they should do it) or going with something like Yola.com which seems to have all the little details I want (but I am told might make everything more complicated.)

Makes my head numb.

Still, I've used my overwhelmed ambivalence over my site to get in the way of most everything else. It was so much easier to focus on the photography. But running two businesses (paintings are still selling, and prints, even if I'm not actively working on them right now) is a lot more work than one would expect, even when I'm my own boss!

I've come to realize I'm a wee bit lost on the art front. Almost a year without any significant painting on my part is just... weird. The positive spin on all of this is that I have rekindled my desire to paint. As a matter of fact, I've been contemplating playing with a goal of a painting a day (probably five per week, as with a family and other obligations all seven days would be tough.) Doing this would get me back into gear, and actually produce a lot of affordable art if people were interested in picking up something quick.

I'm also looking at a new direction for my paintings as well, and there's no better way to find that direction than diving into something like trying to paint a painting a day!

I'm still toying with the Alice in Wonderland idea (I posted about it on my art Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kyra-Wilson-K-Wilson-Studio/86614894469) and I also recently discovered metallic wall paint in the local Home Depot store, which has me hunting for a place to do a wall mural in my Enchanted Forest series style. Normally, I charge for wall murals - but as this is one looking for a home from my mind (and me without a wall to do it on), I just want the wall volunteered. Anyone want a mural?

I'm also pulling out my watercolors. It has been a VERY long time since I pulled them out, my masking has completely gone on me. But, I'm teasing a bit with the idea of fairies, and I don't know if oil, acrylic, or watercolor would suit it best.

And that's where I'm at! Lots of details, very little action... but all of that is about to change!

Boo!

2011-05-20T17:16:00.004-04:00

I realize it's been a while since I have posted. Far too long, really. The truth is that what energy I have had, I've spent putting towards Kyra Wilson Photography. I haven't had a lot of desire to paint. However, that is changing.

Lately, I've had a few intriguing ideas and I plan on exploring them. I sketched out one canvas, a representation of Gemini. This is really for a business where the imagery of women and hair swirling (because, let's face it - I do enjoy a hair swirling moment on canvas!) fits rather nicely. But once I sketched it out, I lost interest in it.

Instead, I've been dreaming of a sort of Alice in Wonderland theme. Not very Disney-like, and not quite like what was recently on the screen either (although it definitely leans in that direction.) So, I'm going to give a little painting a shot, and see how I feel about it. Normally I work big, but I think this one will be much heavier on the details, I'm also going back to my oils for a while. I work in acrylics solely for the reflective paints that are available, but my heart is in oil. So let's see where it takes us!

It could tip off a whole new painting jag, which I alternately look forward to and dread. It's good, because I produce a lot of work at once. It's bad, because I end up working 20 hours a day, for weeks on end, and get a bit frazzled... but it's time, I'm due!

Off to find my brushes...

Blah

2010-10-13T09:41:00.003-04:00

It's been a while since I did any painting at all... really, since the fair. I have projects I need to get started on, but right now my heart really isn't in it. Instead, I'm investing lots of time into my photography (in between the insane bouts of life, including a flooded basement, refinancing the house and more. It's enough to make you pull all your hair out. Literally.)

Still, with Halloween around the corner, I have the urge to work on a couple silly projects. I think I want to paint a really nice Halloween painting. I haven't quite figured out the composition yet, but I love holiday stuff, and it's long past the point that I should indulge myself with it a bit!

So, look for that soon!

Little Bits

2010-09-22T10:10:00.005-04:00

I have sort of slacked off with blogging of any type. I started a new photography blog, but even that I haven't quite been keeping up with (although, I plan to - especially with the Autumn season starting to hit.) I deleted my other blog-blog (this makes, what the fourth one I've deleted in a year or something?) So, I've decided minus the photography and art blogs, I'm done with blogging. I think I've actually outgrown it, and it's just taken a while to accept that, because it was such a big part of my life for a while.

I promised pictures of the paintings I finished during fair week, so here they are:

Small Bridge, Enchanted Forest Series - mini
Acrylic, 6" x 4" x .75", stretched canvas
$45

Daylight River, Enchanted Forest Series - mini
Acrylic, 6" x 4"x .75", stretched canvas
$45

Midnight River - SM, Enchanted Forest Series - mini
Acrylic, 6" x 4"x .75", stretched canvas
$45

Twins, Enchanted Forest Series - mini
Acrylic, 4" x 4"x1.5", stretched canvas
$45

Midnight River - SM, Enchanted Forest Series - mini
Acrylic, 4" x 6"x .75", stretched canvas
$45

Daylight Alone - Enchanted Forest Series
Acrylic, 12" x 12"x 1.5", stretched canvas
$175

Next up, time to shift things around on my website, and get the printing links set up, remove sold paintings and so on. I think the paintings are going to take a back seat for a while though, while the Autumn in Vermont colors are popping and wedding season is happening. It's really going to be about photography until the world is well and truly frozen for the season, I think!

New Projects

2010-08-28T19:07:00.007-04:00

It's been a while since I updated! We had a booth at the fair, locally. Mostly it was to promote the local photography business I just started, but you can't just sit there and sell pictures (especially at the last minute... maybe I could have, I have a photo printer... hmm...) So, I stocked the booth with paintings and prints because I DO have those to sell!

That's what we pulled together with only a week to do it (which was just stupid, in case you were wondering. You should have months to prepare for this sort of thing. Clearly, we must have had a brain hemorrhage or something.) We broke even with the cost of the booth and the paintings/prints that were sold, so minus the time spent, there was no real loss. Personally, though? It was the wrong venue for art. No question. A learning experience without a doubt, but the wrong spot nonetheless.

I finished several smaller paintings, and I need to photograph them so I can share them. Another thing I need to do... on my list.

Moving forward, I have finally opened up more prints for sale of the paintings. I even have prints of the enchanted forest series. I thought I would be unable to do that, because the paintings are iridescent, and thus you lose so much in a print form that can't shift colors as it does on the original. However, even so, we have found they make some nice prints. So far, I have prints of (and the prints aren't taken from these pictures, they're much different for the process, which you'll notice if you click on them):

Starry

Midnight River
Partly Cloudy
Alone

And some of the earlier paintings like Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, and more. I love them in the Giclee prints, because of the canvas-like value it gives it. The regular prints came out great too,l though! With my new printer, I am able to offer some new things like keepsake boxes, coasters, tote-bags, and more as well. So, there are two images of each single painting used for different types of reproductions. Hopefully it won't be too confusing. Now, I just need to set up the links on the normal Art Gallery Site. I'm slowly adding to the prints being offered, and I'm happy they're of higher quality, and easier for folks to order since it's just a click-n-go set-up.

Looking forward, beyond the prints, I have a new project (besides the photography), where I plan on working to complete 12 paintings for the Enchanted Forest Series, but with the intention to use them in a calendar. I'm working through how I want to portray each month, and I'm excited about the project in general. At the same time, I'm looking at a second calendar project, which also involves paintings, but probably a bit more "fun" (i.e. I plan on a glittering and wonderful Christmas Tree, and snoozing cats and so on.)

Additionally, I picked up a package of bismuth pieces, and I'm working through on how to use them in my paintings. They're like little pieces of fractal art in themselves. I'm contemplating a castle, perhaps...

Much to do!

Excited!

2010-07-28T12:24:00.005-04:00

I really am just so excited right now! With the establishment of my new business, Kyra Wilson Photography, I have had access to a couple different professional printing services. Now, while they do photos, they also offer printing on other stuff. Like canvases and Giclee prints. So, as all fine art prints are taken from a high quality image, I've been playing with the printing service trying to see if they can offer me more options for my fine art prints.

The first printing service I used was a complete dud. The canvas showed up looking like it had been only printed with half the ink and then left in the sun to dry. I wondered if my image just wasn't high quality enough, or something else. But the truth is that I was using the same file that I use for my prints here that are excellent. So, I switched services and then saved up to try it with them.

Well, my order just showed up today, and I cannot be happier! The basic prints were perfect. The canvas print I have is just gorgeous! I have never been able to offer canvas prints before, because the price was so prohibitive and the minimum orders required made it simply impossible. But with this service, they do one at a time orders at a reasonable price, so I will be able to offer not only regular prints - but canvas replicas as well that people can frame just like the original!

It really is exciting for me as it reduces the amount of traveling I have had to make in the past to printers, arguing over colors and print runs, and buying up front in bulk. Now I don't have to tell anyone that I'm sold out of a certain print. Even more, people have long asked me to put together a calendar and maybe some note/post cards. I can do that as well, or create the option for them to create their own set. I knew I could do that through something like Zazzle or CafePress, but I have never been thrilled with the quality of their stuff, which is why I haven't done so before now.

So, while I'm working on expanding my paintings on the "Daylight" portion of my enchanted forest series (by request, I'll soon have a slew of smaller, more affordable ones of the same style and color scheme - the original has sold), I'll also soon be opening a new section on Kyra Wilson Photography, and K. Wilson Studio to offer these new items as well.

Edit: I've opened the new area on Kyra Wilson Photography, featuring the fine art prints. I'll slowly be adding to it as I go along, including new prints of paintings I haven't offered before (like the enchanted forest series.)

Dryad

2010-04-29T20:26:00.004-04:00

Dryad
(Enchanted Forest series)
Acrylic, Metallic used (reflective in the light),
Gallery Wrapped
16 x 20" x .75"
$300

My enchanted forest series has taken a new direction. This painting was an experiment, as I wanted to combine the current series with some of the other themes I enjoy. What resulted is this.

I really like the effect of having the woman (or nymph) in the tree. I like the feel of it. I'm going to take it further with my next painting, and I am already hard at work on it.

The more I paint this series, the more I am playing with the depth of the iridescent paints, and I'm really enjoying some of the new effects I am able to create. I still love that these paintings don't need to be lit (in fact, I would say that they should NOT be lit by any special lights), and that they change throughout the day or evening. I recently took down my paintings from their show, and I confess that many of them are now hanging in my house instead of being stacked in my studio, because I enjoy the colors shifting that much.

Jade

2010-04-23T07:18:00.004-04:00

I finished a canvas that has been bothering me for a while now. I wanted to try doing the opposite with the copper/gold trees and purple, and try using my silver and iridescent white paint... the only color I could think of that would look contrasting as a backdrop was red.

But it turns out that silver trees just look like dead trees. I grew up in Colorado and there were always areas of the forest that died, and when that happened the birch and the aspens were silver. I was painting dead trees. Ugh.

So, I set the canvas aside. It's probably been over a year now, and it has been sitting in the corner of the studio... mocking me. I finally decided to tackle it when I came across my iridescent green paint, and this was the result:

Jade (Enchanted Forest series)
Acrylic, Metallic used (reflective in the light),
Gallery Wrapped (Gallery Deep, standard depth, 1 1/4 inch - no frame needed)
11 x 14" x 1.5"
$150

The sun is iridescent gold and copper, and textured. The forest, in person, looks like it's made out of jade, which is really pretty neat. The red was very hard on my eyes while I was painting, though. I won't be doing another one like this, although I think I will use the jade-tree-look again. I find that this painting has an... aggressive feel to it. Not the usual peaceful feeling I normally create for myself with my paintings.

I have gone back to my purple backdrops and fiery trees, but I have a new slant that I am really excited about. I should have the first painting of my new direction finished in a few days. I'm excited about the way it's already turning out!

A Narrow View

2010-04-10T13:43:00.002-04:00

I just finished this smaller painting:

Narrow View (Enchanted Forest series)
Acrylic, Metallic used (reflective in the light),
Gallery Wrapped (Gallery Deep, standard depth, 1 1/4 inch - no frame needed)
12" x 6" x 1.5"
$200

Daylight

2010-04-04T16:17:00.003-04:00

Last night, while trying to stay up so the Easter Bunny didn't fail to make an appearance, I finished a painting I've been working on for a while. A friend asked to see my current Enchanted Forest series with a daylight/pastel theme. So, I went ahead and gave it a go:

"Daylight"
Enchanted Forest series
Acrylic, Metallic/Iridescent
Gallery Wrapped, Shallow
16" x 20"x .75"
$300

The color changes from one side of the painting in the trees to the other is an affect of the lighting. The trees are actually the same, but different lighting conditions will bring out different colors throughout the day and evening.

To be honest... I'm not in love with it. I like my deep purple hues with contrasting fiery iridescents. I actually struggled with this painting, because normally I get lost in the canvas. I can lose myself in it, and I suppose it's a sort of... meditation. I've never been one for meditation, I can't even get through a whole session of yoga without going "Come Ooooooooon!!!!!" Running is the closest I get to being earth bound and quiet.

Well, except for when I paint, as it turns out. I found this painting intrusive, rather than relaxing. Stressful. My husband likes it, and we'll see if my friend likes it, but for myself? I don't think I'll be creating another with the same bright lines.

I'm going to paint a smaller purple one, just to set myself back at ease.

I actually have plans to start incorporating a few other familiar concepts into this series, with a plan for a very large painting with a figure in it. We'll see how it turns out!

Lily

2010-03-03T21:29:00.003-05:00

I finished the painting that was bugging me earlier.

"Lily"
Acrylic, Metallic
16" x 20" x .75"
Gallery Wrapped
$300

I'm glad it's done, but my husband absolutely hates it. Well, you can't win them all I suppose. The truth is that it's fine when someone doesn't like my art. Heck, I don't always like my art either. What is interesting is that only one person has to like it enough to want to keep it. It's just about what speaks to you, and that is independent of everyone else.

It's funny how artists use art to define themselves, but it's really the buyer who is expressing their own unique qualities by what they select for their own collections. This is what always makes the critics who try to psychoanalyze an artist through their art rather interesting... I always wonder what they have hanging on their walls.

I actually kind of like the lilies. I may have to experiment with them, away from the Enchanted series. Maybe go back to my swirly skies... I might actually start playing with something tomorrow with this. Lilies can be a bit monotonous, but they're just kinda cool too. No wonder Monet payed them such tribute.

Awry

2010-03-03T12:30:00.003-05:00

Today, I hit a roadblock with my painting I mentioned earlier that has similar characteristic to Alone. My intention was to create a strong reflection in the water, and thus create a Tree of Life look to it. But everything I try, in order to achieve the reflection looks... wrong. It's seriously annoying me.

Worse, I have a huge area of water - much larger than Alone - to deal with. I'm switching tracks. I'm looking into adding lily-pads... and anything else I can come up with. I hate messing up a painting. It doesn't happen often, so I find I have a lack of patience when it does. Unfortunately, it's been happening more frequently than I would like. This would make the third painting in a recent string that has gone awry.

I started in on the pastel version of the Enchanted series, and it's not going well either. *sigh* Sometimes I have days where I wish I had someone more to yell at than my paint brushes and my own two hands.

Sideways

2010-02-25T09:36:00.005-05:00

It's funny how life can sideline you when it comes to getting things done. I came down with some sort of cold-flu thing, and even though I had all that motivation to get rolling on my work, I instead found myself laying on the floor and doing nothing but snuggling with my tissue box and reminiscing over the days when I could breath like a normal person.

Fortunately, my head is still in the game. I have a bigger painting that is similar to Alone, but about twice the size - and I'm contemplating really making the reflection stand out like the tree of life symbols do, and perhaps a few birds in the branches... we'll see. Anyway, I have plans to work on that today, and if I am able to actually work - I believe I can have this painting finished by the end of the weekend.

Which is good, because I have a joint effort painting with a friend and fellow artist (Chris Edmunds) that I need to work on. Chris plays with perspective and generally just has a lot of fun with his art. This is a picture of the first painting we did together, which is in my own collection:

And now I'm working on something similar (but much larger), for their own collection.

Lastly, I am going to try taking my current enchanted forest series into a pastel colored direction (briefly, because I really enjoy the vibrant striking colors and contrast that I get with the dark blues and purples) for a friend and see how it comes out. She really liked this painting:

(Enchanted, Sold, No prints)

Which was actually my first venture into my enchanted forest direction. This is where I started, and you can see where it has evolved and shifted into what it is now. I'm not entirely certain I can use metallic paint with the pastel colors, because they really are about the contrast between light and dark. So, I may have to try a few things to see what I can come up with.

Off to my brushes!

Restrictions

2010-02-12T00:39:00.104-05:00

When I first started out in art, it was all about "more". If I started a drawing, and it went wrong, I just flipped to the next page. I started over. It didn't matter if my bedroom was littered with crumpled papers, because it was OK to start over. But that was only pencil and paper.

When you graduate to something like paint, you start risking more. It's expensive. So, you start conserving. Planning. You spend more time envisioning than you do actually working on a piece. You can literally sit around all day, and when someone says you did nothing that day you can argue that they're wrong. Because while your body was still, your mind was at work sketching, and erasing, and layering, and chipping, and starting over a hundred times until you had it right. Or at least going in the right direction, enough so that you could actually approach the canvas without guilt and worry overcoming you.

It's a process that not everyone uses, but many of my friends do. I can honestly say that out of the last hundred or so canvases I have begun, only two have been a loss. Not every painting was worth hanging, but they were as I intended at the time... for the most part (art isn't something you can just dictate. It's organic. It's sort of slippery, like water. You can try to direct where it goes, but at times it simply has a mind of its own.) So, I restricted myself to only paintings I knew would generally come out right.

By another seemingly unrelated turn, for many years I worked only in black and white. Color is the first thing every person reaches for, but it's far harder to use correctly than working in strict shades of gray. I didn't touch color for the longest time, not because I didn't love it, but because I was afraid of it. Of creating something worthless, or worse - costly and worthless.

I'm not sure why, but for the longest time I have struggled with creating junk. It doesn't matter that no one would care. That making a whole slew of junk might even be a good thing, a necessary process sometimes. It is... wasteful.

Lately, I have found myself wound into tighter and tighter circles, holding myself back. The best example would be my online gallery; in all those paintings there is one that looks like a game of "which one is not like the other?" The boy sleeping on the moon, while different from the other works, is not unique. I seem to have two styles, one that works for contemporary endeavors, and one that runs just a wee bit on the cliche side.

And let me tell you, cliche can be fun as hell. I have written and illustrated a children's book, on a project for charity that was unfortunately dropped due to a change in program. The children's book gave me the latitude to create on that level. It was going to go somewhere, so it was acceptable to play around and make goofy kitsch-like compositions.

I have had many people ask why I don't sell postcards and calendars of my contemporary work. The answer is that I just never got around to looking into it. But lately? I've been looking into it, and I am happy to say that I'll soon be offering those requested cards and calendars featuring my work.

But as I was thinking about the calendar, I realized that I may have to do two. The reason being not that I just have so much work, but because I would really like to play. To make pictures with a calendar in mind, no matter how cheesy (I love making Christmas pictures, for example) would be a lot of fun.

I think I have forgotten how to play with my art. It's been enjoyable, but... well, I suppose it's like being a grown-up verses being a kid. As a kid, you get recess and the opportunity to run around like a lunatic and hang off of things like monkey-bars without feeling any embarrassment (assuming you don't fall on your head, which I did do a time or two.) As an adult, you can still run about - but you are expected to do it with dignity, to find a sport, or activity generally accepted as a "hobby" by the grown-up-playground at large.

Maybe this will only create a whole lot of junk. Trash, even. It could happen. But I recently sold a painting, I'm already in the green (or the black?) this year business-wise, and I could take the money and set it aside for "junk", and not feel guilty about my economic success with my business.

Yes, I think I will. It really is time for a recess. Long past time.

Besides, I always have the fire pit in the back yard if anything truly hideous results from my efforts.

Website!

2010-02-08T10:20:00.001-05:00

We finally relaunched the website for www.KWilsonStudio.com.

It looks pretty much the same, but there is no flash animation involved anymore, and every picture takes you to a specific page with the painting you wanted to see on it.

It's rather ironic how backing off the fancy technology is actually the better choice for a slicker website design for an art gallery. The upside to all of this is that the site is easy for me to edit and update with new paintings as they are finished. All in all, it should take a lot less time to load for everyone else, be a lot easier to look at what you want to (and easier to purchase, although contact through email will still have to happen.)

I'll still post here... as a matter of fact, I am contemplating restarting my art-blogging. Of course, life always seems to creep in, because that's just who I am. And frankly? Art without life influencing it is pretty darn boring anyway.

Alone, Enchanted Forest Series

2009-10-27T16:29:00.004-04:00

Alone (Enchanted Forest series)
Acrylic, Metallic/Iridescent used (reflective in the light),
Gallery Wrapped (Gallery Deep, standard depth, 1 1/4 inch - no frame needed)
11" x 14"x1.5"
$250

Starry

2009-10-26T15:10:00.006-04:00

This is the latest addition to the Enchanted Forest Series:

Starry (Enchanted Forest series)
Acrylic, Metallic used, Gallery Wrapped (shallow depth, 3/4 inch)
18" x 24"x.75"
$350

This past weekend, I hung the available paintings in the Enchanted series at a local fine restaurant called Tourterelle.

I'm working on taking the series in a new direction currently, and I'm experimenting on a smaller canvas (today, actually.) I'm going to test the style out with something along the lines of a "tree of life" flavor.

Enchanted Forest Series

2009-04-11T09:21:00.003-04:00

The following are original paintings that are in the Enchanted Forest Series that I am currently developing (these are not the only paintings available, you can click on the sections by medium for current stock by using the sidebar or simply scrolling down the main page.) All paintings are sold unframed, unless otherwise stated. Some paintings are gallery-wrapped, which means that the sides are painted and do not necessarily require any framing. If so, the gallery-wrap will be noted in description of the piece.

A note about the Gallery Wrapped canvases: in smaller pieces (anything below 18"x24") 3/4" depth is fine for remaining unframed, but it is likely you will prefer it framed. Anything larger (18"x24"+), and 3/4" wrapped will still need to be framed. Deep gallery wrapped (1.5"+) will not need a frame, and will actually be difficult to frame.

If you have any further questions, or would like to purchase a painting please send an email to savyart@gmail.com.

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Alone (Enchanted Forest series)
Acrylic, Metallic/Iridescent used (reflective in the light),
Gallery Wrapped (Gallery Deep, standard depth, 1 1/4 inch - no frame needed)
11" x 14"x1.5"

$250

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Starry (Enchanted Forest series)
Acrylic, Metallic used, Gallery Wrapped (shallow depth, 3/4 inch)
18" x 24"x.75"
$300 ($350 framed)

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Moment (Enchanted Forest series)
Acrylic, Metallic used (reflective in the light),
Gallery Wrapped (Gallery Deep, standard depth, 1 1/4 inch - no frame needed)
12" x 6" x 1.5"
$110

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Unnamed (Enchanted Forest series)
Acrylic, Metallic used (reflective in the light),
Gallery Wrapped (Gallery Deep, standard depth, 1 1/4 inch - no frame needed)
6" x 6" x 1.5"
SOLD

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Partly Cloudy (Enchanted Forest series)
Acrylic, Metallic used (reflective in the light),
Gallery Wrapped (gallery depth, 1.5 inch)
30" x 40" x 1.5
$600

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Midnight River (Enchanted Forest series)
Acrylic, Metallic used (reflective in the light),
Gallery Wrapped (shallow depth, 3/4 inch)
30" x 40" x.75'
$600
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Midnight Brook (Enchanted Forest series)
Acrylic, Metallic used (reflective in the light),
Gallery Wrapped (Gallery Deep, standard depth, 1 1/4 inch - no frame needed)
11" x 14"x1.5"
$200
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Blue (Enchanted Forest series)
Acrylic, Metallic used, Gallery Wrapped (shallow depth, 3/4 inch)
16" x 20"x.75"
$275
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Gold (Enchanted Forest series)

Acrylic, Metallic used, Gallery Wrapped (shallow depth, 3/4 inch)
18" x 24"x.75"
$300 ($350 framed)

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The following three are smaller paintings with metallic paint. As shown here you can see how a 6"x6" can fit into your hand, so the details look a little different compared to the very large paintings pared down onto a blog sized picture for the web:

Purple Trees (Enchanted Forest Series)

Acrylic 6" x 6" (this is a SMALL painting),
Gallery Wrapped (shallow, iridescent paints)
$40

Blue Trees (Enchanted Forest Series)

Acrylic 6" x 6" (this is a SMALL painting),
Gallery Wrapped (shallow, iridescent paints)
$40

Green Trees (Enchanted Forest Series)

Acrylic 6" x 6" (this is a SMALL painting),
Gallery Wrapped (shallow, iridescent paints)
$40

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Enchanted Forest Series, Sold Works
(this is not all inclusive of the series, some smaller pieces were sold before photos were taken and thus I have no visual record of them):

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Original Acrylic Paintings

2009-03-28T20:59:00.000-04:00

The following are original acrylic paintings that are currently available. If there are prints available of the painting, it will be noted in the pricing information beneath each painting. All paintings are sold unframed. Some paintings are gallery-wrapped, which means that the sides are painted and do not require any framing. If so, the gallery-wrap will be noted in description of the piece.

If you have any further questions, or would like to purchase a painting please send an email to savyart@gmail.com.
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Midnight River (Enchanted Forest series)
Acrylic, Metallic used (reflective in the light),
Gallery Wrapped (shallow depth, 3/4 inch)
30" x 40"
$600
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Midnight Brook (Enchanted Forest series)
Acrylic, Metallic used (reflective in the light),
Gallery Wrapped (Gallery Deep, standard depth, 1 1/4 inch - no frame needed)
11" x 14"
$275
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Blue (Enchanted Forest series)
Acrylic, Metallic used, Gallery Wrapped (shallow depth, 3/4 inch)
16" x 20"
$275
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Gold (Enchanted Forest series)

Acrylic, Metallic used, Gallery Wrapped (shallow depth, 3/4 inch)
18" x 24"
$300

_________________________________________________________

The following three are smaller paintings with metallic paint. As shown here you can see how a 6"x6" can fit into your hand, so the details look a little different compared to the very large paintings pared down onto a blog sized picture for the web:

Purple Trees (Enchanted Forest Series)

Acrylic 6" x 6" (this is a SMALL painting),
Gallery Wrapped (shallow, iridescent paints)
$45

Blue Trees (Enchanted Forest Series)

Acrylic 6" x 6" (this is a SMALL painting),
Gallery Wrapped (shallow, iridescent paints)
$45

Green Trees (Enchanted Forest Series)

Acrylic 6" x 6" (this is a SMALL painting),
Gallery Wrapped (shallow, iridescent paints)
$45

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Lunar Blaze

Acrylic 16" x 20", Gallery Wrapped (shallow, costume stones)
$230

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Sunburst

Acrylic 18" x 24", Gallery Wrapped (shallow, iridescent paints)
$250

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(Copyright text and watermarks shown on images are not on actual prints. Images online are of a reduced quality. Actual prints are sharper, with greater detail.)

Prints

2009-01-29T15:49:00.000-05:00

This is a list of current available prints. The sizes listed are the suggested matted/framing size (which is larger than actual image size), and price.

All prints come without matting*, or framing, in a protective sleeve and backing. All prints are numbered and personally signed.

If you have any further questions, or would like to purchase a print please send an email to savyart@gmail.com.

Cinderella, 2008. 10" x 10"
$30 (original sold)

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Sleeping Beauty, 10" x 10"
$30 (original sold)

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Moonlit Crossing 18" x 14"
$30 (original sold)

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Tempest, 18" x 14"

$30 (original available, Oil 16 x 20)

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Midnight Sands, 18" x 14"
$30 (original sold)

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Moonlit Dreams, 12" x 9"

$25 (original sold)

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Daughter of Spring 14" x 18"
$30 (original sold)

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Winter Solstice, 14" x 18"

$30 (original sold)

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Legacy 18" x 14"

$30 (original available, Oil, 16"x20")

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Homestead 14" x 18"
$30 (original available, oil, 16 x 20)

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Montpelier Summer 14" x 18"

$30 (original available, Oil, 16"x20")

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Tucked Away 18" x 14"
$30 (original available, Oil, 16"x20")

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Township 14" x 18"
$30 (original sold)

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Stafford Spring 14" x 18"
$30 (original available, Oil, 16"x 20")

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(Copyright text and watermarks shown on images are not on actual prints. Images online are of a reduced quality. Actual prints are sharper, with greater detail.)

* Some limited quantities of matted prints remain, there is no price difference between the matted and unmatted prints.

Original Oil Paintings

2009-01-28T20:28:00.000-05:00

The following are original oil paintings that are currently available. If there are prints available of the painting, it will be noted in the pricing information beneath each painting. All paintings are sold unframed. Some paintings are gallery-wrapped, which means that the sides are painted and do not require any framing. If so, the gallery-wrap will be noted in description of the piece.

If you have any further questions, or would like to purchase a painting please send an email to savyart@gmail.com.

Three Shades

Oil, Gallery Wrapped
Moon - 4" x 4", Water - 6" x 12", Trees - 18" x 6"
$295

Mermaid

Oil 6" x 18", Gallery Wrapped
$230

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Meander

Oil 40 " x 30", Gallery Wrapped (deep, costume stones)
$400

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Nite Lite
Oil 6" x 6", Gallery Wrapped
$70

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Elemental
Oil 40" x 30", Gallery Wrapped
$400

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Zephyr
Oil 16" x 20"
$300

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Tucked Away
Oil 20" x 16"
$300
Prints Available
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Vortexual

Oil 20" x 16"
$300

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Identity
Oil 30" x 40"
$400

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Stigma
Oil 30" x 24"
$300

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Bone Weary
Oil 40" x 30"
$400
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Moonlit Moment
Oil 16" x 20"
$275
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Force of Motion
Oil 30" x 24"
$300

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Montpelier Summer
Oil 16" x 20"
$300
Prints Available

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Stafford Spring
Oil 16" x 20"
$300
Prints Available
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Legacy
Oil 20" x 16"
$300
Prints Available
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Homestead
Oil 16" x 20"
$300
Prints Available
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(Copyright text and watermarks shown on images are not on actual prints. Images online are of a reduced quality. Actual prints are sharper, with greater detail.)