New Spring Flowers for Spicher and Co

April Showers Bring May Flowers

I have always loved that poem, April Showers.  The problem is that I only know one line of it.  I couldn't really paint the spring flowers around that poem because I don't know what happens to the flowers in June and so forth.  

However, I thought it would be fun to paint a different flower theme for each month of the year.  I have been working on this for about 

2  1/2 weeks now.  I should have posted earlier.  

January 

I spent extra time on this month.  The first version was washed out.  I like how the roses POP!  

May, February, June, from left to right 

I have always loved pink and white flowers.  Throw a bit of yellow in there and I am really starting to want to plant a garden.  I do not have a green thumb.  

October, November, December, again left to right 

I know that most people think summer when they see Hydrangeas, but I happen to think fall.  I have a beautiful friend that gave me the most gorgeous hydrangea bush, every October before we have our first freeze, I go out and cut a bunch of the big heads and bring them inside to dry.  I always think of her and my mother, who also loved hydrangeas.  I think that is what flowers are about.  

Here it is February 2017 and my dried Hydrangea is still beautiful.  I think golden colors in November, hence the Sunflower.  Forgive me, but I just didn't have it in me to paint a pumpkin blossom.  

July, August, September 

I love blue, too, and guess what?  I love red as well.  When you are an artist, you love all the colors of the rainbow! 

The floor has some Spicher and Co Vintage Vinyl! 

I think these are truly refreshing.  They are totally original and I am excited to pick out a frame for them.  They will be available for purchase as prints sometime in April 2017 in time for the High Point Furniture Market!  

Stay tuned for more! 

Tweet

Rufus Porter Style Wall Panel, Post 4 - FINISHED

The final touches 

The "Period Look" lies in the detail 

Check out the Grained Edge! 

I love the idea of graining.  The graining on the edge of my painting has an old world look that is folky and fun. 

The entire painting's edge has been hand-grained and measures in at  36 X 80 inches.  This has transformed my living room. 

While this is some of my more primitive painting in style, it is by far not the easiest.  Working with a six foot panel can be cumbersome but every step of this was fun for me.  

This is probably my favorite section of the panel.  I love how the edges, sides, and the faux crack, front and center, turned out.  The plaster look of this was deliberate.  If you don't know who Rufus Porter was from the 19th century, I encourage you to google him because that is the look that was attempting  to achieve.  

 

As I said in an earlier post, I included the bright pink/red tone in the flowers (see above) to bring it into the 21st century.  This truly is a one of a kind painting.  It is also the largest that I have done in many years.  

The whimsical trees are free style and suggest a non-academic artist, again the look I was going for. 

The tones are soft yet jewel in color without being garish.  

I think this sets my linen couch off to a T.  The tiger maple graining is complimented by my tiger maple end tables. 

Faux Tiger Maple with a hint of folk. 

I call the black spot/line "FOLKY"

Thanks for looking today.  With all the competition for time these days, I consider it an honor that you would take the time to read my blog and follow the development of this painting 

ENJOY! 

I am willing to sell this painting even though it is part of my living room.  Message me with information on this.  The shipping will be covered my myself.  I am hoping to sell it locally, smile. 

Tweet

Rufus Porter Style Wall Panel - Post 3 by Kolene Spicher

Getting Closer to Completion 

What  a journey this has been from the first day onward.  Each day, I have worked a little on this piece and am nearing the stage where I will start graining the edges (see post 2). 

Ships and birds and flowers and leaves--one stroke at a time.  I am really loving this.  I think that I will be adding a little more of this red shade.  I love love love it because it brings this piece into the 21st century. 

Also, I love the gate.  I intend to add more ships...maybe tomorrow or the next, I will have a whole fleet of them. 

I also added the bird.  I am going to paint in some more, however, I am just not quite ready for that step.  I needed to add a few more balls of leaves to this tree in the center.  

Let me know, if you ever see a tree like this, please. 

My studio has the heat turned very low...  When the heat is normal, the paint dries too fast for my liking.  Right now I am on a ladder taking this picture, praying that I don't fall off. 

I love the ripples of the water, front and center. 

The painting is not entirely symmetrical yet it is balanced.  

I have had a good bit of interest in this piece.  I am willing to ship it.  It is not heavy.  I would pay for the shipping...I think.  If you live in Alaska, maybe not.  

Many people love the period look and find it hard to find the correct home decor objects.  While we at Spicher and Co. do not do this look exclusively, there are many items that we do sell that fall into this "reproduction" category.  

www.SpicherandCo.com

Check out the Vintage Vinyl that we offer, too.  You can see a piece of this on the floor of my studio.  We have that "look" that will create a period home.  

Thanks for looking at my ONE OF A KIND mural today. 

Enjoy. 

Tweet

Rufus Porter Style Wall Panel, Post 2

Painting In the Trees and Getting the Detail Correct 

Another day is gone, and I am no where near finished. My back doesn't enjoy working on the floor :).  This is a large painting, and it has to be done on the floor.  You get the idea, time isn't on my side, it's slow going.  

My goal with this is that the colors are bright and current but the technique, I want to look old and historic.  I plan on painting in some sailboats and ships.  I am thinking that some of the boats will have red sails.  (See picture directly above). 

As stated in yesterday's post, I want some birds in the painting, too.  They will be executed very much like the painting on the bottom left.  I love the flying bird and also the stationary ones!

I am getting closer, but no solo, yet! I love the stylized trees and the sunset/sunrise color scheme.  This will look perfect on my grey walls until I am ready for something new or it sells. 

'

Look at my mess, actually, this is rather tidy for me ~ smile. 

For now, here is what is completed.  By tomorrow, I should have some birds in the painting as well as some ships.  The panel has sort of a breadboard edge on it, which I intend to grain.  

Here is an example of some of the graining that I believe could look really cool on the edge of my mural painting 

Thanks for looking today.  Enjoy your weekend! 

Tweet

Rufus Porter Style Wall Panel

Sofa Sized Wall Panel 

Landscape 

Rufus Porter Style 

Rufus Porter Wall Mural 

This little picture above is an actual Rufus Porter mural taken from a book that I have.  While I want to paint in his likeness, I don't want to completely copy him.  It has to look like a "Kolene" painting, I think.  

This is going to be a long post with a lot of pictures. 

Here was the first step in my painting which is literally about the size of a door frame.  

I started by painting it a soft yellow and pink tone.  You can see the pink along the horizon of the reference picture above. 

Then I put some mountains in on the horizon.  This is very roughly painted for now.  I am resisting the urge to pick up a little brush.  I have learned to lay it out first.  If I get caught up in the details, I will be stuck. 

Here you can see that I am starting to build some color.  Even as I type this, the painting is nowhere near done.  I am just building color at this time.  The further I go, the more I will think about adding elements that make up the composition. 

In this shot, I am starting to add some deeper tones at the base.  This will cause the other elements of the painting to form a cohesive look.  Everything starts to come together.  

This is an actual Rufus Porter wall mural.  I like the colors on this because I happen to have a grey living room.  I think the warm tones with the subtle pink hues will blend nicely.  

My first tree. 

I admit, I really didn't want to have the trunk of this tree as wide as it became.  I decided that with some bark added, it would take my eye away from the width.  I was right.  I like this.  

Here is my second tree.  It looks very basic, but art takes time. Each day I work on this painting, the colors will develop into an antique likeness of an 1810 landscape.  (Or so I hope.)

I found this on line.  I happen to like the colors of this fire board a great deal.  I confess, I don't remember who painted this.  I think it was R.Porter but I can't swear to it.  I love how the colors have come together on this board.  

Here is what I have so far completed.  Tomorrow, if there is time to work on this, I will add more detail.  

Do you remember these silhouettes I painted a few years ago?  I kept some of them and they hang around my home.  Some day I might sell a few of them, but for now, they are mine.  I happen to really love the bird one and plan to place some birds in the painting.  This is a detail that will be added much further in the process.  Every landscape has to have some birds.  

Enjoy! 

Kolene Spicher 

Tweet