Donation to Wilton Historical Society, 2018

Happy Whale 

by Pennsylvania Artist 

Kolene Spicher 

The shipshape in the birds' eye piece front and center is what I chose this year to donate to the Wilton Historical Society's American Artisan Show fundraising event.  

Each year we pick a piece to donate because let's face it, preserving our history is important and this society does a lot of good in their community.  I am happy to be involved with this event.  

This frame is a sweet one.  It has some age, and I believe it is an antique but barely.  Some of my frames are really old, 19th century, this one is probably 50 years old.  

The ship is watercolor in technique and there is a little pen and pencil work in there,  too.  It is carefully antiqued and the paper is thin like rice.  

I like to photograph my work with other pieces of my work.  My art will all hang well together.  I generally paint with a similar palette.

Thanks for taking the time to look today.  If you can make it to the show, it will be wonderful.  It starts Thursday evening, November 1, 2018 at 6:30.  The opening night is a fund raiser and is $125 a ticket.  This piece will be auctioned off at that event.  If you can't pay that price tag, please consider coming on Friday and/or Saturday.  The gate is $10.  It is held at the Wilton, Ct Historical society, Wilton, CT.  

Enjoy 

Tweet

19th Century Reproduction Whale in Gold Oval Ornate frame and Whaling Ceramics by Kolene Spicher Pennsylvania Artist

Happy Whale with Happy Tail and

Whaling Ceramics! 

I decided today that I would post my whaling art along with my ceramics that I made to compliment my latest whale painting.  The painting is a one of a kind original in an old yummy distressed antique frame.  

The artwork speaks for itself.  All is painted with love and is UNRUSHED.  I want to enjoy my work.  I want people to feel the love that goes into what I make :) 

I made this a square cup.  It was deliberate and on purpose and I bravely took two  books and smashed the four corners.  I don't even know if that is correct.  But it's KORRECT Kolene.  

I will always love silhouettes. 

You can't see it because this is unbisqued, but the ship sails will be white and in between grey/tan.  

The Whalers! 

I haven't done it yet, but I intend to clean up that handle.  See Handles are my nemesis.  I couldn't even spell this word.  I Had to look the spelling up, but the definition remains accurate.  I struggle with handles.  I will conqueror them.  They can't be harder than _____.  

Big fat handle you will fire perfect!!! You will appear thin and be strong.  LOL

Pottery is fun.  You have to be brave to do anything exceptional.  I am trying to be brave and think out of the box.  Give me time.  

K. Spicher 

Tweet

Bird Mermaid Platter by Kolene Spicher

Showing off her bird-catching skills 

A Kolene Spicher Mermaid Pottery Piece 

Hand Building Pottery 

I have made some progress with my platter since I last posted.  The colors on this piece are beginning to POP as the clay is drying out in preparation to Bisque Firing.  

The edge of this piece was designed to look like coral.  I think it has this look, too, but I don't know for certain what this will look like once it is Bisque Fired. 

I decided to add the curtain because it gives it a good pop of color.  The water is textured and many shades of BLUE will stick out once fired. 

I am really loving this whole process.  I am going to be making many more of this sort of thing.  As I learn more about the clay, I am leaning more toward the hand-building process.  I am also learning to throw on the wheel, too.  

ENJOY! 

Tweet

What goes into a custom piece like a mermaid

The Black Pearl 

I am working on a custom piece for a couple.  This is the painting that they referenced.  I thought today's post could be about what is involved in making a "Custom" painting.  

The first step is to find a frame.  In this situation, the couple is looking for a 'beachy' frame.  What is a beachy frame?  It's a frame that would go well with beach decor!  They are usually white, black, or natural.  

We immediately thought of black.  We have  at  (Spicher and Co.) a simple black moulding that we often will frame nautical pieces in. I have framed original art in this moulding and it looks fab.    In the photo below, it is featuring a folk landscape but imagine a mermaid... 

We also could go white.  In this next picture, you will see a beautiful chipped up white frame that screams beach. 

The scale is wrong on this, but we could have it cut to fit. 

LOOK

This leads me to my next step, choosing a size.  

My suggestion  for mermaids would be to go with something that is 18x24, and this would be painted on paper.  The frame would add even more size to this piece.  The frame is a big part of the art! 

Here are the colors! 

Correct color pallet

The actual black pearl painting is below.  The room is dark that this was photographed in so the colors are sort of muted and dull in the reference piece.  

Colors not accurate

I love this ocean.  Oceans can really reflect many different colors.  We can go dark sea or light.  Check this out! 

Beginning stages of seascape with whales (top)

This is what we start with!  I go bright and each layer subdues and enriches the next.  Till I am done with this, the colors will be wonderfully muted like this mermaid! 

Really, that is the process.  Frame first, which determines the size, and then subject matter, and finally color.  

All you have to do is message me!  

Enjoy. 

Thanks for looking. 

Kolene E. Spicher 

Tweet

Whaling Scene

The Tale of Two Whales 

The water is clear and the whales are free 

Have you ever gone on a whale watch?  I have and for some reason, the guide didn't go up and close!  Maybe the old whale is a little forbidding and needs to be viewed at a distance! 

Peaking thru the water! 

I love the red boat!  These six guys are brave!  I wanted them to be front and center and the water crystal clear!  

The flying whale! 

The tale of two whales!  

Trying to figure out the title was just as much as a challenge as ever.  After a while I came up with The Tale of Two whales!  (A take off from The tale of two cities).  

I like it next to my mermaid!  (NFS). 

ENJOY! 

Kolene Spicher 

PS, This is going to Nantucket Country! 

www.nantucketcountryantiques.com 

But I think it's sold! 

Tweet

Building a Shadow-Box frame for Seashell Captain

Shadow-Box Frame for Seashell Captain 

Getting ready for the http://wiltonhistorical.org/events/american-artisan-show/ Show!  But before I do that, I miss finish this lovely... 

Here you can sort of see the shadow box effect in the photograph above.  It is about 1 1/4" deep to accommodate the shells comfortably.  

I made a duplicate frame and attached it.  The top frame is the original 1820 lemon gold frame.  The sides are not finished because some Joe tore it apart and this was originally a liner inside of another larger frame.  

While my solid black frame is not a perfect match for the top, it is very close and your eye is really fooled into thinking

that you are looking at a "double" old antique frame in all its glorious imperfections.  

As you can see, these old frames are not perfect.  Even in its imperfection, it was considerably expensive.  Add on all the modifications, and it gets laborious, too. 

I do love these shells!  

There is a self lining extender that also has to be custom fitted and then careful slipped inside the "double."  

When finished, this is what you see.  It turned out quite lovely, if I do say so myself.  This will be the last painting I sell for a while as I am going to paint for a show in the fall up in New England.  It is the Wilton Historical Society's original show now being held at the Society.  This building is amazing and chock full of antiques and wonderful reproductions.  It will be held the weekend of Nov. 4, 2017.  Here is the link: 

http://wiltonhistorical.org/events/american-artisan-show/

Thanks for looking

Like me on Facebook! 

KoleneSpicher@Spicher.Company

Tweet

Kolene Spicher Original Landscape with Red House

A Happy Family

Lives near the Water  

I don't know if you can see it, but there is a family drawn into the painting! That will be another day that this will be painted into the piece. 

I love the little garden chair and the flowers that look like an antique sampler.  I plan to add some more flowers.  LOOK AT THAT FRAME!  

This painting also has some great antique glass!  

You can see the family in this picture 

More details will be added to the house as well as the 4 people front and left of center.  

Check back early next week for the conclusion!

Tweet

Kolene Spicher original painting Whale and fisherman

His Finest Catch 

And maybe his greatest hour.

A whale of a fish! 

I love to tell a story.  True or false, it's just fun.  Today, I present my little original painting, His Finest Catch.  The size overall is 6.75"x 13.5" and I am selling it on ETSY for $525, plus shipping.  

Here are some additional pictures of this fine little painting.  By the way, I present these pictures from beginning to end and also show it hanging in various places throughout my studio so you can get the feel for size and color.  This painting was carefully antiqued at the end so as to not rob the painting of the richness of its color. 

I started out with a drawing.  

I don't know how to explain it but I go from front to back.  I start at the base (many times) of the painting and sort of work my way into the distance.  

As many small paintings usually will display well on a shelf or in a cabinet, this one is no different.  I love it displayed with my items from the sea and other nautical things.  

I wouldn't say the frame is anything really unique.  It is just a simple gold frame with great old glass which I didn't photograph because it keeps a constant glare on the painting and makes it difficult to capture the details.  

Finally, here it is with some of my other paintings so that you can see that it will blend well with my other work if you are deciding to add this to your collection. 

Look for this on ETSY at 

KOLENESPICHER 

Enjoy.  

Tweet