Custom House Portrait in American Folk Art Style, Post 2

Custom House Portrait 

Getting the Details! 

Post 2

This is a house with many details.  Just when I think I am getting close to finding them all, I FIND MORE! 

So much fun.  

Lots of erasing going on here 

I find that I do my best detailed work in the mornings.  Often times, I am tired by the afternoon.  So I put my best foot forward in the AM.  This house is in a lot of shade.  I didn't want to just paint the windows solid black with white dividers, so I added some color and variation to make them dance. 

Drawing the house wasn't as hard as getting it all spaced evenly.  I don't want this to look like a photograph but it can't be too lose either (at this stage of the game).  

Making progress...

The owner of this house happens to love all things NANTUCKET.  There are starfish in the windows and there will be ships in the transom window of the front door.  

Check back for later updates as I slowly make progress! Now that I have HIGH POINT Furniture Market  out of the way, I can concentrate on my other custom work! 

ENJOY. 

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Early Kolene Spicher Fraktur

My humble beginning 

Is it humility to say that commercially, this was an example of  some of my first few paintings?  Well, I don't know, but this was in fact some of my earliest work that I sold as an artist.   

I had a customer contact me about them because one of her little pictures had accidentally been knocked off the wall, and the glass was now broken.  Could I fix it, she asked? 

I was more than happy to, but not before I snapped a few pictures to show people how I got started.  This was 26 years ago! I have loved every moment of it, too.  

Broken glass!  

This actually is my favorite of the three.  I have always liked George Washington!  

In 2008, my mother passed away.  When she died, my father gave this back to me!  This is another example of some of my Fraktur work.  This was painted later, by at least 10 years. 

Thanks for taking the time to look!  Now back to work.  

Enjoy. 

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Mysterious Animal Silhouettes in the Big Woods

Woodsy Animals 

What is black and white and green? My Mysterious animal Silhouettes!  These are part of my final push before market.  I say final, but is anything ever final?  No, I am still working on something else! 

I think these are so fun.  I am not sure what kind of frame they will go in yet, maybe you have a suggestion!  Where do you see them?  Over a mantel? In a bedroom? or in a living room?  Maybe you see the kitchen!  I would love to see that pig all enlarged hanging over my kitchen fireplace! 

I picture the horse with the fox! 

I would place this sheep with the cow! 

I would place this rabbit with the squirrel.  

The squirrel and the rabbit happen to be my favorite.  I can never say why I feel that way, but there's something about this wild animals that are fun and mysterious!

Hopefully, they will enlarge nicely as I didn't paint them super small this time.  Here's the lot of them on my kitchen table! 

Thanks for looking and I hope to see you at HIGHPOINT Market October 2016! 

Spicher and Co is located in the Commerce and Design building! We are on level 1 just right inside the door!

Enjoy! 

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Dapper looking Sailor/Whaler

Worthy Whalers Wanted 

Navigating the Shoals 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/478764983/kolene-spicher-original-one-of-a-kind?ref=shop_home_active_1

This antique frame is in amazing condition with the exception of a few flaws in the corners.  It does not
affect the overall look of this painting.  

For sale on Etsy 

I love this #whalersailor look that I have painted over the years.  I have included this item for sale on my Etsy store because it helps the buyer to see how to include various paintings in group settings.  I happen to like the way this picture looks with the painting WORTHY WHALES WANTED,  also for sale on ETSY.  

https://www.etsy.com/listing/461914254/kolene-spicher-original-ship-painting?ref=shop_home_active_2
(This is the link for the top picture on ETSY) 

Using the antique frames is fun.  Often times you find frames that are one of a kind.  This gives your home a unique look that is not cookie/cutter, which I tire of quickly.

Navigating the Shoals 

Holding a book that has maps of the Shoals was very important in early America.  Many dangerous shoals, for example, surrounded the whaling port of Nantucket.  This painting is a story of a boy Sailor/Whaler who navigated the shoals of Nantucket.

These closeups show the naive style in which they were painted.  Not all of my paintings are done this simply, but this is correct for the time in which I am depicting.  It falls into that category of #folkart that was #selftaught and lends itself toward #outsider art.  

Also for sale on ETSY 

I feel that this frame is not photographing well.  The piece in person looks really unusual because it has specks of real gold leafing on it. I find it very pretty.   The pieces that stand out and are lighter are actually gold leaf.  Here's another shot.  (below) 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/474363435/kolene-spicher-original-mermaid-painting?ref=listing-shop-header-2

Thanks for looking today! 

ENJOY. 

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Custom House Portrait in American Folk Art Style

A portrait in the Georgian Style

Post 1

I  asked the question on the internet, "What makes a house Georgian in style?"  A lot came up but in a nutshell it is this.  The Georgian style consistently is admired for its symmetry, classic proportions, and decorative elements.  I would classify this house portrait in that genre.  

The customer included a lot of pictures of his home in various seasons.  I was really torn between the snow scene and this picture with the pumpkin.  I love the colors in the above picture. (above)

I really think this is pretty

The details on this house are amazing.  There are so many things that are not immediately seen.  I love the bricks at the foundation and the two chimneys!   The columns are fluted, too!

There are three starfish in each window, compliments of there many trips to Nantucket.  Note the sailboats in the transom window of the door

There is a small garage off to the left.  I may include a very diminished version of that in the painting as well as the fence.  The fence is very Nantucket, as well!

I am going to place this painting behind glass.  Hopefully, I can come up with some antique glass, but the size of the frame is on the large size.  It might be difficult to find.

Here is a shot of the frame.

This frame has a nice lemon gold liner.  Often times, these liners are a mess. 

Please check back for updates on this painting.  It might be a few days because I have three projects going right now! 

Enjoy. 

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Vintage looking pressed flowers

THE CHESAPEAKE COLLECTION 

THE ART OF pressing  REAL FLOWERS and 

turning THEM into LIVE stamps. 

I am really excited about these and have been working on this project ALL summer.  I went to the Chesapeake Bay and while on walks, I gathered fresh flowers and weeds along the roadside,  painting them, pressing them, and then turning them into 'stamps' that were used for art.  

These will be taken to High Point Wholesale MARKET  in October.   We exhibit in the Commerce and Design building!  There about 24 of them!  I hope you enjoy!  

I really love the colors on this one 

A splash of red for fall! 

I am unsure how I will have the framed but am going to be hanging then in my house sometime very soon.  Here is the whole lot of them thrown on my extra large dining room table!  

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Whaling Scene

Calling All Whalers!!

Making History One day at a time.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/474883307/kolene-spicher-medium-whaling-scene?ref=shop_home_active_1

Small whaling Scene 

I don't know now I come up with these titles but they work.  I just imagine that they would have to use banners and signs to get the word out, Worthy Whalers Wanted! 

The Call to all Whalers!

So this is an antique frame.  I painted this on canvas so it is not behind glass.    

The colors go well with the other paintings that I have done.  Most of my work blends with each painting that
I have done in the past.  These both are for sale on ETSY today.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/474883307/kolene-spicher-medium-whaling-scene?ref=shop_home_active_1

I love anything nautical.  My house is full of all kinds of props!  I like how these look sitting behind the ducks.  

Here is the painting in its entirety.  It measures about 11"x13"  Check it out on Etsy! 

For Scale

I use acrylic paint.  I love to use vibrant colors to depict things but also manage to subdue them if necessary, don't like garish colors.  

I wrote an inspirational saying on the back.  Isn't this so true?  Sometimes, when I look back at what we have had to do, I think WOW, how did we ever do it!  Doing what looks

impossible starts with the first step...

Enjoy. 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/474883307/kolene-spicher-medium-whaling-scene?ref=shop_home_active_1

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