Gypsy Wind
 

30x20"
oil on ABS

Kim--

This is just fabulous.

--Tom

This is really nice. Is it my imagination, or do you post a painting a week? You're getting quite prolific.

Keep 'em coming

Thanks Tom & Jeff!

Jeff, nah - that would nice though. :) I just went and looked and I've finished only 6 paintings in the last 3 months. Im slower than I used to be actually. If things go smoothly, I guess I might average one every 2 weeks. I paint a lot of hours almost every day.

Kim,
This composition is great. it was daring to include that strong diagonal at the bottom, but you pulled it off beautifully. (I keep a painting on the wall in my studio that includes a strong diagonal that went horribly wrong to remind me of how diagonals can sometimes and inadvertently go wrong.) I also like your use of saturated colors as they add a nice punch to the painting.

My gosh Kim! I think it's about time you start posting these in the Seasoned Pro area. Just gorgeous.

Thanks Richard!

Heidi - thank you. I do post in the Seasoned Pro area when I paint a portrait. There is only one choice for figuratives. :oops:

Very, very, very wonderful, Kim!

Wow, I love the diagonal lean of the torso, scarf and hair. It makes the composition so strong, and leads right to the face. I've also been admiring the bright patterns in the skirt and appreciating how they can be so bright and interesting, yet not divert the focal point away from the face. This is a real winner!

Thank you Alex!

The background is actually a grey/blue sky, just a tiny bit bluer than what I see on my screen. The rest of the painting photographed pretty darned close, but the sky is just a tad too light.

You wanna duke it out in the Seasoned Pro area? ;)

Kim,
this is beautiful. I love the light,and the composition is a success.
I know you have worked many hours on it, but it looks very fresh, like if you have done it quikly and easily. There is some watercolor feeling ( especially in the stones and the skirt)
Could someone explain me what means exactly "seasoned pro" ? Can't find it in my dictionnary...

Marina, thank you. :)

Seasoned means 'experienced' and Pro is short for 'professional' - meaning those artists that do this full time for a living.

Kim,
Alex took the words out of my keyboard.
I also like how you have subdued the values of the skin. It's a lovely shadow area and the black shirt is just right, those low key areas really makes the Egyptian? skirt glow.. .. :thumbsup:

Allan

Simply stunning Kim! I, too, love those saturated colors against the cool background, and the lean, and the wind. The title is perfect too.
Just Gorgeous!

Thank you Allan! You know, I dont know what you would call the print on that skirt. It's actually mine, and I bought it at Old Navy - I thought it looked like it could be from India. I used this skirt in Creative Dance and I also have another of this model in the same outfit, same setting - just a slightly different pose that Im working on now. That scarf has been in many paintings also.

Thank you Terri!
Im glad you like the name, I didnt come up with it until I was finished and usually I have one long before that. For some reason I really get into naming my paintings. Someone told me once that it was because Im bossy and want to tell everyone what to think about them. Nah. That couldnt be it. :sunnysmil

Best of show. Best composition. Best use of color.
All together now:
Best of show. Best composition. Best use of color.
Once more with feeling:
Best of show. Best composition. Best use of color.

I don't know about the bossy part, but I do know that titles are powerful marketing tools. Yours is perfect. In marketing body text, titles account for 50 to 80% of the draw. Keep using great titles.

I keep looking at this painting because all three diagonal work so well. It finally dawned on me that each are stopped by the column. Was that an intentional stop to keep the eyes from going out of the painting? In any case it is a masterful use of diagonals and a visual stop.

awww Mike - I feel like I have a cheerleader.
(any chance you'd put on one of those skirts?) ;)

Richard - while I was aware of the diagnols and columns and instinctively registered this - it was also partially a lucky find in real architecture where I posed the model. I guess I didnt 'plan' this in advance of the model arriving - but I did recognize it's potential as I started posing her.

I have a couple close ups. I was waiting for someone to ask. The heck with you all then - Im just going to post them anyway. :D

The "WOW" Factor
 

Kim, it seems that all the adjectives in the English language have been taken so I'll just say ditto to them and tell you that your painting made me suck in my breath and say, "Wow! That's retina burn!!! I LOVE everything about it. Thanks for posting the details. I plan to print it out and use it for inspiration.

Oh this one knocks my socks off, Kim! It is marvelous. I love the "face into the wind" effect you have here - it really seems to suit your style. I love the composition and the feeling of movement - what a winner this one is!

I Can't Stop Staring
 

Kim,

I love every thing about this painting. I especially enjoy looking at your subject. She has that certain type of beauty that makes me unable to stop watching her strike that gaze into her world.

I also think, as someone else commented on, the composition has a very intelligent rhythm about it. It's very comfortable to look at all the elements of the work.

The use of your colors completely brings out the raw beauty of this lovely creation.

~Gear

Carol, Linda & Geary - thank you so much for the great comments! :D

I love the division of colors from top to bottom bringing the piece together with the diagonal scarf. Well done.

There's a good chance that I would skirt the issue ...

You keep pumpin out the hits down there in Corpus Krispie. How bout another store front like you had in Uvalde? You must have enough to cover the walls. Have you been over to Rockport? They used to have a nice little artist community over there. There is also a very good landscape painter that lives in Port Aransas and used to show in the one good gallery there.

Love this painting!

Thanks John!

Mike - We dont allow the words 'Krispie' or 'Kreme' to be whispered in my house. Well, at least not during bathing suit weather.

Ive thought about having a storefront studio, but Im afraid the rents here would just stress me out. There are a lot of empty places downtown so if I get the bug to get out in public again I suppose there might be folks willing to cut a deal. I do have plenty of paintings, but they go out to exhibitions pretty regularly - and some even sell. :D

This city could sure use a decent gallery. There isnt anything...at all really. There used to be a couple small ones, but they are gone. The beautiful art center right on the water doesnt get any buyers either - just artists. It is wild - 300,000 people, plenty wealthy - yet no art being sold locally for the most part. I think most must go to San Antonio or Rockport. It is just amazing in comparison to Alpine (population 20,000) that sold SO much art. I suppose once a town gets a reputation for being an art community it brings in the collectors.

Years ago I used to be a member of the Rockport arts association (I dont recall the name, this was over 7 years ago when we lived here before). It is a nice art community and they do bring in collectors. It's generally pretty specific to wildlife and ocean paintings. Im not familiar with the landscape painter your mentioning, but there are some really good painters in that area for sure. Ive been here almost a year and I've yet to get over there and look - I should go soon!

My new favorite of yours. What can I say that already hasn't been said? Just add me to the long list of people who love this one.

Thanks Janel, I appreciate it. :)

Kim,

So many replies already and I just opened this now. Don

Ditto what everybody said. This is great Kim!

Carlos - thank you! And I like that word a great deal! In fact, I may have to use that for a painting at some point.

Thanks Claudemir!

Kimberly,

This is really beautiful. You just keep getting better and better - when is it going to end?!?

David

Thanks David! Hopefully, improvement will never end.... :oops:

It was nice meeting you at the PSA conference, by the way - too bad we didnt run into each other again!

Kimberly,
Coming in late on this one, but gawd, I love it. Ditto to everything which has already been said.

Especially like the composition

Congratulations on a nother beautiful painting