Original Whaling Scene, Maine

Reproduction Whaling scene 

Curtis Island, Maine 

Today, I started a custom painting that will be what I like to call a story painting about Curtis Island, Maine.  

We are starting with this lovely large period frame.  I believe this dates to about 1820-30.  It's original and comes with all the little qualities that make it very desirable.  The finish has not really been touched.  It is about as original as it gets.  

My customer lives near this lighthouse.  This is Curtis Island (above).  I love the sailboat.  

Here's my drawing for the above frame! 

This is actually  on a small piece of paper that I proposed to my customer.  I call it a thumbnail sketch.  Actually, it's a bit larger than a thumbnail.  I am going to be painting a mini-painting at the same time.  

The composition will be very similar for the larger painting.  I will post pictures as I progress! 

Loving the red roof! 

Here's some more pictures that I found off the internet! 

I love the color! 

This painting will have lots of action!  There will be a large whale, ship, and some sailors.  I am even going to paint a little man at the lighthouse! 

Lastly, here's a closeup of the frame.   It's a beauty.  The picture doesn't do it justice!  This painting will be behind glass when it is finished.  

Watch for more posts.  Thanks for looking. 

Enjoy. 

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Holiday Mermaid "Facebook Early American Folk Arts and Trades Marketplace" Painting, Post 3

Songs of Cheer and Good Will 

https://www.facebook.com/events/1213533635380525/permalink/1224830087584213/

https://www.facebook.com/events/1213533635380525/

***THIS PAINTING WILL BE OFFERED FOR SALE AT THE ABOVE EVENT OCTOBER 15 AND 15, 2016. 

This is where I left off in my last entry and represents and stopping point for that day. 

I wanted to keep the background and the snow as clean as possible.  The way I spill paint these days, make this nothing short of a small miracle.  LOL.  

What's this painting missing??  I decided that it needed smoke coming out of the chimney and I also sprinkled some snow on the painting!  Can you see it.  Look at her hat.  As I said yesterday, I changed her hat by adding a scarf around the backside of it, bringing it forward to create a bow.  Here was how the drawing started: 

Before the hat was altered.  

While painting it, I decided to add the tie.  It made sense to me, after all, if it is windy, she may lose her hat!

No chance of any hats flying off of this head! 

In this shot, you can see that I both added the smoke and changed the title.  I just like the idea of Cheer and Good will!  That's what Christmas is about.  God's goodwill toward men.   It's worth singing about, wouldn't you say?! 

Don't forget to check out the Facebook event! 

https://www.facebook.com/events/1213533635380525/

Enjoy and thanks for looking! 

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Holiday Mermaid "Facebook Early American Folk Arts and Trades Marketplace" Painting, Post 2

The Pencil Drawing Details of my Musical Mermaid

along with some watercolor.  

Before detail 

After the composition drawn into the painting 

I decided that I was NOT going to use the Folk Festival in the title.  SO the mermaid below is sort of obsolete.  The composition otherwise is fine.  I am going to change her hat, too.   

Before the details.  Take a look at this white frame, though, so beautiful.  I think
it is perfect for a snow scene 

Don't forget that this painting will be entered into the Facebook Early American Folk Arts and Trades Marketplace online exhibit.  If you copy and paste this link, you can be part of this event.  You will not want to delay, however, because you must be included in this GROUP in order to look at and purchase the work that will be exhibiting.   Here is the link: 

https://www.facebook.com/events/1213533635380525/

I have started to watercolor 

As you can see, there were some steps left out of this.  For the sake of time, I needed to just skip the unnecessary details.  There are too many photos to cram into this entry, so stay tuned for Blog Entry No. 3.  

Enjoy! 

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Holiday Mermaid "Facebook Early American Folk Arts and Trades Marketplace" Painting

My Wintery 

Salt Water Folk Festival Painting  

Snow, skating, and wintertime Nautical in the background 

Boy that title is a mouthful!  I know it's hard to believe, but we are heading into the holidays.  I want to so badly call her Christmas Day Mermaid but am concerned that people will hesitate to purchase a mermaid that you can only hang a few months out of the year.   The frame on this is fabulous and once the skaters and sailors and water are in place, it will look very festive and inviting. 

This painting is going to be entered into a FACEBOOK event.  You will be able to purchase it at this time.  I have been working on her but am going to post her progress in phases so that my followers can see how my painting's progress and how it comes together.  Here's the event link for you to copy and paste in order to see the event: 

https://www.facebook.com/events/1213533635380525/

Here are some details of the event.  It is called The Early American Folk Arts and Trades Marketplace.  

The date will be October 15-16, 2016 

10 am-5 pm (Saturday)

10 am-11 am (Sunday)  

If you go to the above link, you can see other artists' goods that will also be for sale. 

Beautiful early 1900s frame. 

Here's a closeup of the fabulous frame.  It is quite large and the glass is still in tact and very old and wonderful and wavy! 

The mermaid will fill the opening, but there is still plenty of space for wintertime on 

either side of her.  

Another closeup! 

As I type, I have some friends today that are keeping me from achieving much of anything! I am dog sitting, smile.  

Meet my two companions, Scout and Girl. 

Don't forget, This painting will be entered into the Facebook Market Place Event.  

Check her progress out on https://www.facebook.com/events/1213533635380525/

Thanks for looking,
Enjoy! 

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Reproduction House Portrait in the Georgian Style Complete , Post 4

House Portrait Complete

Finally!  

Post 4 

Pumpkins make a nice accent

This was quite the project.  There were so many beautiful trees around this house, it was difficult to know which ones to eliminate and which ones to paint smaller or slightly different so as to highlight 

the house.  As I said in an earlier post, the owner loves the beach.  She has starfish in the windows and sailboats in the door transom window.  

The owner said that they fly the flag almost year round.  They LOVE the American Flag, and

I happen to love it, too.   Obviously, the garage is larger in the picture.  I didn't want it to 

be about the garage.   It is all about this big beautiful white house!!  

Love the old frame with the lemon gold liner! 

Now I have the job of looking for a nice piece of antique sheet glass with lots of bubbles and waves!

Here is the final picture of this long series of posts!  Sorry it took so long to complete.  Art can't be rushed! 

I still need to name this...it will be inspiring! 

The Customer requested that I add their pet, which I was happy to do!  Ironically, we have the same identical looking dog.  Here is theirs! 

How much is that Doggie in the window? 

Enjoy

and thanks for looking! 

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A whaling painting

The Whalers 

Kolene Spicher Original Whaling scene 

This painting is listed on a LIVE Facebook page today!  Take a look at this link: 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10207623799532562&set=pcb.1225899067477315&type=3&theater

This morning I decided that I was going to alter an existing painting.  All week I have looked at it and it has just bugged me.  I decided that I didn't like my big red flag :(  Here is what it looked 

like as of 7 am this morning. 

...And here is what it looks like now!  

https://www.etsy.com/listing/483381337/kolene-spicher-original-whaling-scene?ref=shop_home_active_1

It is still referencing 'The Whalers' but it is less restrictive because...it just is.  I think the painting needs to be about whaling and actually HAVE whales in it.  That was what I didn't like.  So I painted a few in.  

Here it is shown next to my favorite ship scene that is located over my kitchen mantel.  You can sort of get a sense for the size, which is about 11x13.  

Here I show a few shots of the tips of the whales as they swim across and under the water.  As I have said I have said in previous posts, whalers needed good eyesight.  Have you ever gone on a whale watch and someone says, "There's one over there."  You think, over where.  You see nothing but water, exactly! 

Another shot in my famous seashell room.  I love this old black buffet which I inherited from my Great Aunt Nellie and painted black.  SHE would hate that I did this.  But doesn't it make my shells stand out and artwork pop? 

Finally, here's a good closeup.  Thanks for looking today.  

Enjoy. 

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Custom House portrait in American Folk Art Style ~ Post 3

Moving right along! 

This project has been very tedious.  I am just now starting to add what I call my fun whimsey.  I like to take my time at the beginning to to get the details JUST as RIGHT as I possibly can.  Please remember, this is not a photograph, smile 

You can see that I had the roofline all wrong...now fixed! 

I also realized that I missed the dentals that were along the porch arch! Wow, I caught that one just in time! (See photo below).

Here's a shot with the foundation windows drawn in! 

There are a lot of steps to this project that I have not included, but each time I snapped a picture, I was thinking...I am almost done with the house drawing.  Then I would find something else that I missed.  Ha.

Here you can see the dentals added at the porch  

I seriously was thinking about making this a winter scene, but I just couldn't pass up not including that wonderful American Flag.  We are so blessed to live in the United States.  I really took some Artist Liberties with the background.  The little garage sort of reflects their garage, but that is where the likeness ends.

This home definitely sits in a neighborhood.  Once I have the big trees in place it will start to look more shaded and like the reference material, minus the mature trees.  I really want the house to be what stands out and not the landscaping.  I plan to paint in the happy couple, too, in the good old fashioned Americana Style! 

Check back for a few more posts on this one! 

Enjoy! 

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