Soldier Painting Williamsburg Style

Williamsburg Style Reproduction Painting 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/475268672/kolene-spicher-original-of-colonial?ref=shop_home_active_1

Nautical Soldiers

This painting is featured in an antique frame.  I believe it was an old Currier and Ives frame.  The finish is in good condition.  I did not have a piece of antique glass for this one, however.

The colors are vibrant without being brassy 

The technique on this painting, while not unique, is common for me.  It is what I would refer to as Pen and Ink with watercolor.  I love the ships in the background and the symmetry of this piece.  I love the yellow, too.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/475268672/kolene-spicher-original-of-colonial?ref=shop_home_active_1

Check out the flags.   I have two American and two British.  To me, this screams 

Colonial Williamsburg.  

This give you an idea of the scale. 

Both of these paintings will be for sale on ETSY.  Please message me if you have any questions.  

https://www.etsy.com/listing/475268672/kolene-spicher-original-of-colonial?ref=shop_home_active_1

 Enjoy! 

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Flocking Birds, Painting 2

Birds of a feather...

Number 2 

I am having some fun with this.  Now, I just need to find some unusual and beautifully shaped trees for No. 3. 

Instead of Scripture, this one has a bunch of "BIRD sayings" written in the grass

I am currently in love with vintage and antique lemon gold frames.  I found this one recently with a mirror in it and quickly tore it apart for this painting.  I like how the sayings are written in the grass.  One thing that I am really enjoying painting are the horizons.  If you look at Flocking Birds, post 2, painting 1, you will see a different horizon in that painting.  I love the blue mountains.  

You can see that this painting is somewhat smaller than the first.  However,  They go very nicely together.  

Each saying is different from the other and is about a bird and some truth that a bird holds.  People love birds.  There are many bird groups (people that study birds).  Ornithology the technical name and is a branch of zoology that concerns itself with the study of birds.  

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Flocking Birds Painting - Post 2

The many steps 

I take to complete a painting.

There are a few steps involved in starting a painting.  Yesterday, you learned that I started with a photograph.  Obviously, this is not always the case.  Many paintings I make up!   I am going to condense the rest of the steps into one final post for ease.  

Can you see the wavy glass 

Choosing a frame can be a job in itself.  This  one was an antique Currier and Ives frame at one time.  The print was not in great shape so I bought it for the frame. 

I drew the tree first.  

After cutting the paper to the correct size,  I drew the tree.  Here is the reference photo for your comparison.  This will help you understand my goal.  

The tree is the one with the bushes underneath! 

After drawing the tree, it was  then time to do the landscape area that you see in the background, minus the houses.

Can you see the hills in the background? 

It is a lot of fun changing things up, and sometimes the little twists that are added as afterthoughts really make the piece special.  For instance, I added a bunch of words about birds found from the Bible.   

You can see my layers of color that I am slowly building.  

As the piece progresses and the base is set, I am now sure what direction I want to go and can start to add detail in both texture and color, which further enhances and subdues the colors as I direct with washes of paint. Each step must dry completely before starting the next.   

I added some trees at the horizon.

My horizon has trees in the photo, and I liked them.  They are simple upward strokes of black and burnt umber.  This color is nice because it compliments the blues.  

I added some quotes taken from the Bible about Birds.  

Lots of detail here and different views of flight to create the flocking illusion that I like 

I love the punch of blue in the sky 

I sort of skipped some stages but I filled in the tree, making it nearly opaque and drew in the birds in pencil first.  This was a very time consuming progress but fun.  I listened to music.  

This looks like dusk to me.  

I love outside shots of sunsets and sunrises.  I frequently have them on my FB pages, too.  I love nature.  I have a few bird paintings around the house that I am going to hang this one to compliment.    I will eventually put this original on ETSY if you are interested, message me.  It will also be added to our print line.  I intend to start another one today that has the same feel.  

Here it is in my Living room Spot light.  

I photographed it in this light so that you could really see the color pop.  This is not a dull piece! 

This is my favorite shot 

I really like this shot in front of the Robin Egg Blue table and bright white plate!  It just pops!  Thanks for looking at the progress.  You can see more of my work at www.Spicherandco.com.  I sell to the trade but can get 

anything  someone might be interested in purchasing.  I do this frequently. Thanks and 

Enjoy! 

 

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Show sales!

A collection of paintings that sold from Doylestown, PA show 

This is going to be a long post!  I had so much fun this last weekend presenting my creations that I have been tediously working on over the spring and into and through the summer!  I will start with the miniatures!

These are my imported handmade gold and silver leafed Italian frames.  They are very well made and were very well received at the show 

I really took my time painting these little guys.  I was thrilled to see that they sold quite quickly and found them to be a good introduction piece to individuals that have never purchased from me before!  Hopefully, it is the beginning of a wonderful relationship!  HA.

This one was very popular and could have sold several times if I had duplicates (which I did not).  I did take an additional order on it, though! 

Another well received miniature! 

Another category that I happened to do well in was the mermaid department.  People like fish.  I always have so much fun painting them, too.  I never know quite what direction that they will go…and then WALA! It sort of hits me and I run with a theme.   I present these in the order in which they sold.

I sold this right before the show (sorry) but I happened to love the person that
bought it and wanted to see her get it.  She has been patiently waiting for a redhead that she loved for a long time. 

This was a special request mermaid (the next one below).  The customer that bought her has been buying from me for a very long time.  She is my friend.  Her daughter actually picked out the frame that her mother would want.  I thought this was neat.

Some of you will remember the next one because I actually already blogged about her.  She was part of my tattoo artwork.  She's fun and is one of those paintings that I have things written in the water.  This makes it something that you really want to look at…What does that say?? 

Can you see what's written in the water? The little painting on the right gives you an idea of the scale of this piece. 

This last mermaid was a first for me.  It is what I like to call 3-D.  I actually cut her out and mounted her on the background that I painted.  I really liked it and sold 2.  The second one will be slightly larger than this piece.  The cutout really gives it a modern feel. 

Can you see that it is cut out?? 

You can really see it here.   This is actually behind glass. 

Flags are also 3-D 

My tattoo artwork was really well received, too.  Some of these pictures are a little on the dark side (and I apologize for that in advance).  I didn't take the best pictures because it was very busy and I was working the show by myself (with the help of a few wonderful customers [friends]).

This is the second one of this style that I have painted.
I usually do not do the same painting twice but
it was so well received that I needed to.   

I apologize for this one.  It really is dark and happened to be one of my favorite.  I don't know what I 

was thinking…I loved the frame on this, too. 

The last photo that I want to share is my Retrieved Wallpaper technique that I painted on canvas.  I shadow mounted it, which made it have a sort of modern flair.  

Rufus Porter style.  He was known for painting
trees and landscapes. 

I am beginning to paint again for another show.  This one is in New England - Wilton, Connecticut.  It has been about 8 years since I have showed in this area of the country.  I am really looking forward to it! It is held at the Wilton Historical Society and is November 6-8, 2015.  See card below!

Enjoy and thanks for looking today.  Message me with any questions! 

Kolene Spicher 

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Harbor Mermaid

Providing Safe Harbor 

When the Night loses its light, I am there

This painting was executed on paper using Acrylic paint in two techniques.  Watercolor

and dry brush. 

Although this photograph makes her face appear a bit dark, I wanted to include it so you could see how sweet she turned out.  See below for the true rendition. 

She's like an ANGEL with her little etherial looking face. 

I love a good story.  This mermaid has it with the lighthouse, the silhouetted ship, the darkness, the light, etc.  She is for sale, but not now.  I have to start painting for my show in September or I am going to be in trouble.  I will be forced to show up with all prints.  Cry. 

When the Night loses its light, I am there. 

I wanted her to glow, and she does.  Just like that lamp at her tail, she puts off light!  I love light.  This painting is actually the moon scene (background) that I painted a few months ago.  I had kept that particular painting, knowing that I would morph it into something else.  I wasn't sure what, though.  

Providing safe harbor (written in the water). 

I love the way the black frame and the gold liner pull the light and contrast the darkness that tries to overtake the night (of this painting).  Isn't it so cool that we have a moon and stars that give us light.  No darkness can overtake light, even a little candle is enough to outshine darkness.  

I love the silhouette ship and lighthouse! 

Enjoy and thanks for looking! 

By the way, this is the show I am painting for if you want to come!  I have free tickets to hand out!

Just give me a holler!  

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