19th Century Style Portrait

Summer in the Country

1840 Style 

A Young girl sits for her portrait

https://www.etsy.com/listing/219812113/19th-century-antique-reproduction

Another Gold Leafed Oval Frame 

I can only imagine life back then.  I love the idea of  being where no cameras or phones or TVs exist (although, not really).  The backdrop for this painting could have taken place in my back yard with the columns and the water and the landscaping peaking thru the window.  As a child, I was always fascinated with picking posies. We had a butterfly type bush in our backyard.  One of my favorite memories was picking this flower and making "perfume" with the fragrant petals.   Some things never change.  I still LOVE fragrant flowers. 

The two pictures below were my inspiration pieces.  I love to paint portraits, but in my style.  Yes, the dress is similar, but the technique is clearly mine with the big eyes and soft tones.  The bright flower is about as 'bright' as it gets for me. I often put drapes in my pieces.   

Attributed to Sturtevant J Hamblin, c 1840

Quick bold strokes - Characteristic of Hamblin's style 

I am stock piling paintings right now.  They will either go to a gallery or on Etsy.  I am not sure which.  I just sent for some Antique Reproduction gold-leafed frames made in Italy.  They are beautiful and I can't wait to paint some children's portraits for them when they arrive.

Larger painting is SOLD

When I look at this little piece, as the viewer, I wonder, "What is she looking at?" 

Or I might wonder what is going on out the window.  I love the watermark on the wall and her sweet little smile.  All these things make me smile.  

https://www.etsy.com/listing/219812113/19th-century-antique-reproduction

Thanks for looking! 

Enjoy! 

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Reproduction antique silhouettes

Decorating with 'Smalls' Around Your Home

https://www.etsy.com/listing/208706887/darling-period-looking-silhouette-of-a?

https://www.etsy.com/listing/208697816/reproduction-antique-silhouette-of-a?

It's fun buying and decorating for your home.  Sometimes, however, you want a piece of someone's artwork but you just honestly do not have the space to hang ONE MORE THING!  Here's a simple solution! 

Artwork on bookshelves!! 

Placing artwork on bookshelves is a clever way to layer what you own.  I love old books and have collected  many of them JUST FOR THE PRETTY JACKETS.  I have no intention right now of reading them, I just love the way they look.  I love the silhouettes sitting on the shelves, too, it makes the shelf look complete.

I found this old antique envelope from FRANKLIN AND MARSHALL COLLEGE 

I thought that it would be neat to paint something on this old envelope.  I was pleased with the result.  These little silhouettes are available thru Spicher and Co. who will direct you to a distributer in your area.  OR you can go to my ETSY page KOLENESPICHER Where I currently have two slightly used ones for sale.  

Enjoy and Thanks for looking! 

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A Painting of a Little Girl

Mixed Centuries 

***This post was updated - Don't forget to check my KOLENESPICHER Etsy Page.

I feel like this painting is a little bit of the 1700s and 1800s combined.  The frame, too, some would say isn't completely correct.  I like the way it looks, however, together.  I think because it is a painting from 2014, it is okay to meld things together a little bit.  That is my humble opinion.  

The Lion sort of reminds me of Edwards Hicks who painted in the early 1800's 

Well, the lion reminds me of the 1830s and the hat reminds me of the 1890s and the frame reminds me of the turn of the century.

Edward Hick's most famous painting was called THE PEACEABLE KINGDOM! I was thinking of this when I painted the lion beside the lamb.  I just like the idea of peace.  I wish that our world was more at peace.  This picture represents peace.  The bird is not afraid of the human, the human is not afraid of the Lion, and the lamb is not intimidated by any of them.  Everyone is safe.  That is the way it should be!

LOVE the big hat with white flower 

I spent the most time on her face.  I wanted the face to be very sweet.  I think she's cute!

The Lamb and Lion are both painted in my primitive style - really the whole painting is painted that way.
  The finish that is on this painting is a wax encaustic finish so it has a very nice hand-rubbed look to it.  If you look closely you can see the glare of the finish. 

One thing about this painting that is not obvious is that I painted OVER another painting that I had completed around 1993 or 94.  I disliked the child, who was a boy, and I turned him into a little girl.  Don't get all weird about it, I kept the lion a lion.  Everything else about the painting was changed, including the finish~which is now encaustic.  I love the finish.

Large as life!! 

As usual, when I paint something new, one of the first things I say to myself is rather I want to keep it or sell it.  I hang it around different places in my house that are suitable for the size and color and then decide if another painting of mine gets bumped (and probably changed).  My husband thinks that I waste my time changing things.  "Paint something new," he will say.  Maybe you agree or don't care.  The thing is that I want to change it.  If I want to, I do.  There's something to be learned about each painting and the mistakes that are made and also the good choices that create the final painting's success.  The painting below (for now) has taken the place of another.  I really like how this painting compliments the gold round frame (compliments of Bombay Company 2004).  

Look at  how it picks up the books

I LOVE THE BOOKS and the painting together

That door to the left is the entrance to my studio, which is always a mess.  I keep the door closed because it is a fly in the perfume.

I thought this looked so neat on this stripped rug.  If you have a stripped wallpapered room this painting would look fantastic.  I have not decided if I will sell this now or wait till my show in September.  Don't forget to check out my Etsy sight.  It's under KOLENESPICHER.

Just for fun, I thought it would be nice to include an Edward Hick's painting. This is a small portion of one of his paintings.  He was a minister, born in 1789 (I think).  I should be looking this up.  I think that he did the Peaceable Kingdom series around 1830.

Not to be mean, but I don't like the face on this boy.  

I happen to have very honest teenaged children that will look at my paintings and tell me when they are ugly.  This does happen and did happen with the painting that was painted OVER...

Thanks for looking today!  I really appreciate your time! 

Enjoy! 

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Young child Silhouette in Miniature format

Young Girl Silhouette with hand rubbed finish 

Painted in that 18th and 19th Century Style 

I love her pretty red dress. (Just shy of 5 inches) 

I love to paint little pictures.  The only downside to painting smalls is that it really takes a good amount of time...  I make a mess and spill things and typically spend as much time on something small as I do a larger piece.  Why do I do it then??  Well, it is because there are many collectors of artwork that hesitate to spend a lot of money on someone they do not know.  I wish to expand my market; therefore, I am willing to do a few smaller pieces to get the customer.  It's all fun!  

This little piece was really a newer frame that I picked up somewhere and isn't all that old.  I like it sitting on a bookshelf, but I also think it would be sweet to hang. It just blends in nicely with my furnishings.  

There's a slight glare on this picture, but you get the idea! 

The overall dimensions are 3 1/2 x 4 1/2"

To give you a good idea of the scale of this picture, it easily fits into the palm of my hand!

In case it's not clear, she is holding a bird! 

Check out the Hand-rubbed finish

The color in the above example is not entirely accurate, the original is more like an almond color that is gently toasted! 

I have an Etsy page.  I have been very lazy about posting to it.  I have only one picture on it.  Today, I decided to post another~WOW.  This little portrait.  If you are interested in her, I have made it affordable.  Remember, she is all hand painted and finished, ready to go, immediately! Think birthday or belated mother's day or even father's day.

*Today, I am doing something a little different!  If you like my page on FB and 'share' this link to your Facebook, I am going to have a giveaway.  The silhouette print below is the prize! (NOT the small round one).  The size of the square giveaway print is square 7"x9".  This is a $50 value.  One person will be selected at the end of the week!  

**The winner was Katie G.  Yay, Katie! May 16, 2014 

Also don't forget to check out my etsy page!!  I have the round one up right now! 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/189468523/18th-century-reproduction-young-child

Enjoy! 

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