Katie Jeanne Wood

Mixed Media Artist - daily painter of portraits, flowers, abstracts and birds

Promise to myself

Katherine Jeanne Wood - 6x6 Flower Series No 48 01

Katherine Jeanne Wood - 6x6 Flower Series No 48 02

Impasto palette knife painting
Flower Series No 48
Acrylic on canvas
Available here

Two weeks ago, I made a promise to myself that I’m going to read more books, and cut back on work hours. Since I’m usually too tired, and have strained my eyes all day staring at the computer screen, I don’t read much at night. I watch something mind numbing on Netflix or Hulu until I fall asleep. The next day, I’m in the studio. No time to read is what I kept telling myself, but there had to be a better way.

So, I started setting my alarm early. I figured I’d give myself one hour each morning, and see what happened. Well, what happened is I finished The Goldfinch, The Art Forger, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, and now I’m more than halfway finished with Her Fearful Symmetry, and an ebook called King of the Dust Mites. So, I went from barely reading anything all summer to five books in 2 weeks! Not bad. 

The color of a rabbit’s nose

Katherine Jeanne Wood - 6x6 Landscape No 8 01

When I was little, I asked that my bedroom be painted pink because it was my favorite color. My mother agreed, and the room stayed the color of a rabbit’s nose until I moved out of the house when I was 18. Then, Mom painted it white like the rest of the walls, and turned it into her sewing room/spare bedroom. I thought she was so unimaginative, but now I prefer white walls myself. I still like the color pink, although it’s not my favorite color anymore. I’m more attracted to a darker shade these days, more like the color of a sunset. 

This is Landscape No 8, painted with palette knives on 5×7 watercolor paper, and it’s available here.  

White flowers, pink and black background

Katherine Jeanne Wood - 6x6 Flower Series No 47 01

 One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words. -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Katherine Jeanne Wood - 6x6 Flower Series No 47 02

Katherine Jeanne Wood - 6x6 Flower Series No 47 03

Acrylic palette knife painting
Impasto
White flowers, pink and black background
on canvas
Flower Series No 47
Available here

Always

Katherine Jeanne Wood - 6x6 Flower Series No 45 01

Impasto palette knife painting
6×6 white and blue flowers
Flower Series No 45

I must have flowers, always, and always.
Claude Monet

Katherine Jeanne Wood - Friend 04

And, kitties, too, I say. 

Katherine Jeanne Wood - palette and knife

Getting back in the swing of things. Words aren’t coming easily for me, so photos might have to do for today. I type, then delete. My brain is constipated after being away from the blog and internet for a week. Art. What’s art? Remember when I said I didn’t want to stop blogging at the end of 30 paintings in 30 days because I’d freeze up? I’m feeling pretty frosty, but I’ll trudge on. Always, always. 

My opinion of The Goldfinch

Katherine Jeanne Wood - 4x4 Flower Series No 44 01

Palette Knife Painting
Flower Series No 44
Somehow I’ve misplaced No 43, but as soon as I find it, I’ll post it. 

Sitting on top of White Rock Mountain at 3am one morning, I finished The Goldfinch, finally. It took me 3 months to get through it, but I wasn’t reading it regularly because I kept getting bored. It was 775 pages long, and kept going off on tangents that didn’t interest me. I knew I would finish it at some point, even though I went on to read a few more books in the meantime. I give it an “eh” grade or 3 stars. I didn’t love it. I didn’t hate it. I thought it was incredibly long, rambling, and preachy at times. The author repeated herself way too much. It’s in dire need of an editor. If 300-350 pages were whittled away, it would be a fabulous story. 3 stars is probably being too generous, but I’m in a good mood today. Do I recommend it? Not really, no. There are better stories to be read, which take far less time. 

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