Kolene Spicher Original Landscape painting, Part 2

Happy Family 

New House, New Dog

I started this painting thinking that I would go all "Watercolor like", but as I painted it, it became transformed into a mixed media sort of thing.   I used paint, pencil, markers, pastels--everything but finger paints.  

The trees, the sky, the flowers are all inspired by old cross stitch samplers from the 1800s.  Living in Pennsylvania, I tend to be drawn to the whole pen and ink fraktur style as well. 

No matter what, I am in love with ships. My heart is always drawn to the water.  I love flowering fruit trees, too, which is what the folky stylized trees, front and center,  are supposed to be depicting.  

Love the bench and the big urn.  In fact, I wish I owned a planter like that!! 

The Bird's Eye frame on this is simply fabulous, the gold liner and the antique glass are all in great condition.  This frame is very gorgeous.  Very. 

The outside dimensions are 30" x 16 1/2"  and looks great from a distance too.  The colors really POP. 

Below you can see the painting hanging over my fireplace mantel.  As you can see this is a substantial painting.  Due to the largeness of this piece, the shipping will be costly.  

Thanks for looking! and POST MESSAGE me with questions.  Happy Family, Happy Spring! 

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Kolene Spicher Original Mermaid Circus Painting - an UPDATE from 10/01/14

The Noblest 

of 

Art is that of making 

Others Happy! 

If you look at Oct 1, 2014, you will see a very different version of this painting 

So this morning, I got thinking about this painting.  I've had it for a while.  I decided that the painting (not this one but the first version of this one THAT I JUST FIXED) looked really FLAT.  It lacked what I call POP.  So, I sat down on the floor and began the process of tearing it apart.  It was time-consuming to fix but well worth it!  The first thing I did was replace the frame.  I had a really nice gold leafed one tucked away and decided that if it made this painting feel "happy" it might be worth the extra effort to fix it.  I began by painting a drape.  

The drape had to be blue because it compliments the frame. 

Next I added a stripped flag.  Remember, I wanted things to POP. 

Thirdly, I added a saying in the water "If you are Smiling, I've succeeded." 

This painting is so happy now.  It makes me want to keep it.  You know, sometimes when things aren't the way they should be, you have to take the extra time to fix them.  Ask someone to do the parts that you don't like.  For instance, I had my son Ian tear the picture apart.  I hate removing the framers points.  

Recently, I received some bad news, I said to myself, what can I change about the way I am looking at this that is making me unhappy??  I decided that I need to switch my focus.  So I am focusing on making others happy.  Like life, No painting is perfect.  But sometimes if you add something colorful and intricate, it takes your eye and focus away from what is flat and, forgive this word, dead.  That is what I am doing, focusing on something different!  My perspective has changed and I can't wait to see who I make happy (through this painting). 

Finally, I painted the HULL black.  Wow, that really brought it together. 

This was the way it WAS.  What a difference! 

Finally, I wouldn't be telling the whole story if I didn't mention that the saying on the flag came from the circus man, himself,  P. T. Barnum. I think it would make him happy to know that I felt this painting needed some of his wisdom.

Enjoy! 

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