Katie Jeanne Wood

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

The High Road

The High Road

The High Road
Blue and orangey red abstract painting
Available for purchase here

looking out any window

Looking out any window
black and white abstract figure painting
art journal page

Katherine Jeanne Wood - Fred cuteness

Big Red Fred

I haven’t posted photos of Fred in a long while because he’s been staying downstairs. It’s too hot and stuffy up here in the studio these days, but the downstairs is nice and cool. I’m thinking of taking this old couch out to the curb in a couple weeks, and replacing it with a recliner. Our city yard sale day is coming up soon, and I’m hoping I can find a new chair. Poor Fred. His couch potato days may be over. :/ Sorry, Buddy, but this couch has got to be the most uncomfortable piece of furniture I’ve ever owned. Seriously. It’s got to go.

Katherine Jeanne Wood - tree

I took this photo a few days ago. We’ve had a stormy weekend. Rain, wind, hail, and threats of tornadoes continue today.

What’s on my work desk, and busted a peeper at my window

Katherine Jeanne Wood - black yellow red abstract painting
art journal page in acrylic

Katherine Jeanne Wood - work desk

I took this photo about a week ago, and I’m still plugging away at these little oil paintings. One thing I’m finding with working in oils is that I have a harder time knowing when the painting is finished. I keep tweaking this and that. I need to learn when enough is enough, and stop.

Oh, how I love the richness of color in oils. I look at my acrylic paintings, and all I see is how dull they look.

Katherine Jeanne Wood - prepping book with gesso 03

still prepping old books.
it’s endless.

Linking to What’s On Your Work Desk

11x14 blue orange landscape abstract 05

Stuck
14×11 abstract painting on canvas
frame is not included
Available for purchase on Etsy

Katherine Jeanne Wood - peeping squirrel

Busted peeper squirrel

He startled me when I walked into my office, and saw him staring back at me. Look at how relaxed he looks with his leg dangling down like that. Cheeky.

Listening to: Om Chanting Divine

Abstract painting, Mark Nepo quote, Work Desk, and Oil painting

Katherine Jeanne Wood - 9x12 Wish Upon the Pink Stars 02

Wish Upon the Pink Stars
SOLD!!
Prints available here
Frame does not come with print purchase.

Katherine Jeanne Wood - work table 0

One of my work tables

Katherine Jeanne Wood - gessoing book pages

another work table
I’m still gessoing pages of old books.
It’s such a tedious job.
I can’t wait until I’m done, and creating in these books.

Linking to What’s On Your Work Desk

Katherine Jeanne Wood - blue lines abstract painting
abstract painting in my art journal

We waste so much energy trying to cover up who we are when beneath every attitude is the want to be loved, and beneath every anger is a wound to be healed and beneath every sadness is the fear that there will not be enough time.

When we hesitate in being direct, we unknowingly slip something on, some added layer of protection that keeps us from feeling the world, and often that thin covering is the beginning of a loneliness which, if not put down, diminishes our chances of joy.

It’s like wearing gloves every time we touch something, and then, forgetting we chose to put them on, we complain that nothing feels quite real. Our challenge each day is not to get dressed to face the world but to unglove ourselves so that the doorknob feels cold and the car handle feels wet and the kiss goodbye feels like the lips of another being, soft and unrepeatable.

Mark Nepo

 

Katherine Jeanne Wood - bw paint cups gesso brush
paint cups in black and white

Watching: Ben Lustenhouwer’s youtube videos about oil painting

 

Don’t Think Twice Abstract painting, Poppies, Oil Painting, and What’s For Breakfast

Katherine Jeanne Wood - don't think twice

Don’t Think Twice
Abstract painting in white, gray, black, and a sprinkle of pink
Prints are available here

red flowers

poppies in my art journal

Katherine Jeanne Wood - blocked out face

There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.
c.s. lewis

I ended up painting over the entire painting in black paint. It started going off in a direction I didn’t like, and I couldn’t rein it back in. Oh, well. I think I’ll try it again, but next time with oils.

Katherine Jeanne Wood - 4x4 in oil 01
4×4 in OILS

Remember when I said I was struggling with oils last week? Yeah, well, I’m not anymore. 🙂 I LOVE them now. Four days, I’ve had oils on my palette, and they’re still soft, and ready to use. I’m still constantly fighting to keep my acrylics from drying out in paint cups full of water. It’s such a pain. I’ve been wasting so much paint. Sure, oils are more expensive than acrylics, but when I think of how much I scrape and throw away every day. ugh. I probably will be ditching the acrylics, well, not completely. I’ll still use them in my art journals because I don’t want open books taking up space on my table for weeks at a time, but this is certainly a huge game changer. This weekend Greg is going to build me a long shelf for drying oil paintings, like this one I saw on Carol Marine’s blog. I wonder if he plans on doing it before or after we do our taxes. UGH. Oooh, I hate this time of year.

salad
salad with tofu
I often eat lunch for breakfast because there aren’t a lot of breakfast foods I can or want to eat.
nom nom nom

I’m a hot mess

Katherine Jeanne Wood - lay your weary head to rest No 2 2

Sold
Lay Your Weary Head to Rest No 2
New!
8×10 print is now available here
Frame not included in the purchase.

black white green landscapeabstract painting in my art journal

sharpening stabilios

Sharpening stabilo pencils is always challenging. I’m as careful as can be, but I always, and I mean always end up breaking them, and before I know it, the pencil is a little stub. I found a sharpener at Blick that I’m going to try. It’s in my cart, and I’ll be placing an order sometime this week.

baby leaves on the trees

The leaves have been coming out on the trees for two weeks now, and my allergies have been going through the roof. My head is so stuffy, and achy. I’m moving in slow motion. My eyes are blurry, itchy, and bloodshot. I’m a hot mess. This year, I’m going to try something new, an herbal pill. The reviews are mixed, as reviews always are. The majority of people say it worked for them, so here’s hoping. I’m waiting for it to come in the mail, hopefully today or tomorrow. I’ve read it takes a week or so to kick in. If it works, I’ll link to it in a future blog post.

I’m off to the studio. Hope you have a great Monday!

Edited at 3:30pm: My allergy pills came in the mail, and I took 1 pill, which is half the dose. I wanted to be sure I’m not allergic to it before taking the whole dosage, but if I can get away with taking only half the dose I will. So far, so good. About an hour later, I am feeling much better. Stuffy head and headache is gone. AlleriClear by Native Remedies is what I’m taking. I do feel a little loopy, but I’m blaming it on all the oxygen I’m able to take in now.

Large Black and White Abstract Painting, Imogen

Katherine Wood - 24x30 Imogen 01

Katherine Wood - 24x30 Imogen 02

Katherine Wood - 24x30 Imogen 03

Katherine Wood - 24x30 Imogen 04

Katherine Wood - 24x30 Imogen 05

Imogen
30×24 inch abstract painting
black, white, and gray or grey
Available for purchase here

Is it wrong to fall deeply in love with your own work? If it is, I am guilty. If I told you how many months it took for this painting to come together, you probably wouldn’t believe me. It was torturous. It was on my easel, and then off my easel. Sometimes, sitting in a corner longer than it was on the easel. It was going nowhere, and I didn’t think I would ever finish it.

The problem was my palette. I couldn’t get it figured out, so I started to cover it up with black paint. It was about to get painted over completely when it came to me..the palette was alllll wrong. What I needed to do was turn the colors into something I love. That’s when the purple and orange disappeared, and in came more black, white, and gray. Finally, it was working, and I was excited with what I was seeing transform before my eyes. Imogen.

Just another way of keeping a diary

Katherine Jeanne Wood - abstract Picasso quote
art journal page

I’m smiling.
The music is loud.
Listening to Songs That Make me Happy Sometimes

Shutting out the light
Shutting Out the Light
Revised!
Available for purchase here

art journal abstract
art journal abstract painting

Live out of your imagination, not your history.
Stephen Covey

Little Pea catching some rays
Little Pea catching some rays
It was 80F on the back porch a couple days ago,
and then it got sooooo cold and windy yesterday.
I had to close the windows.
brrrr!!

Short video of my completed paintings January and February 2014

Let’s Pretend, art journal, Fred and his lazy ear, water jars

Abstract Acrylic Painting 20x16 Original Contemporary Modern Wrapped Canvas Red Blue White

Let’s Pretend 20×16 inch blue and red landscape abstract painting Available for purchase here

art journal pages

art journal pages

Freddy and his ear

freddy and his lazy ear

water jars

water jars

Today marks the 4th year my mother isn’t here to celebrate her birthday. It’s hard to know what to do on days like this. How to pass the time? I will probably bake a cake. I usually do. It’s sorta a new tradition now. Instead of being sad that she’s not here, I try to celebrate her life, and be happy for everything she gave me. Eating birthday cake, and being thankful sure beats sitting around being sad. Yeah?

Happy Birthday, Mom. I love you. xo

ps: if you substitute unsweetened applesauce for the eggs or butter, it makes the recipe lower calorie, and healthier. I never use eggs when baking something sweet.

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