Katie Jeanne Wood

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

If you love what you do

Katie Jeanne Wood - floral paintings Art By Katie JeannePink & blue mixed media acrylic floral painting 
Available here

Katie Jeanne Wood - floral paintings Art By Katie Jeanne

If you love what you do and are willing to do what it takes, it’s within your reach. And it’ll be worth every minute you spend alone at night, thinking and thinking about what it is you want to design or build. It’ll be worth it, I promise. –Steve Wozniak

Reading: Clothespins on the Line

Re-watching: Beautiful Losers 

I saw this documentary a few years back, but had to watch it again. It makes me nostalgic for the artist I was years ago.

From Wikipedia: The film focuses on the careers and work of a collective group of artists who since the 1990s began a movement in the art world using D.I.Y. aesthetics from skateboarding, graffiti and underground music such as punk rock and hip-hop.

Ancestry

Katherine Jeanne Wood - 16x20 Red Green Mixed Media Collage Painting Flower Series No 175

16×20 Red, Blue & Green Mixed Media Collage Painting
Flower Series No 175
Available here

I watched a sweet documentary on Netflix last week called Packed in a Trunk: The Lost Art of Edith Lake Wilkinson that I thought I’d share with you. 

PACKED IN A TRUNK uncovers the story of artist Edith Lake Wilkinson, committed to an asylum in 1924 and never heard from again. We follow the journey of Edith’s great-niece as she pieces together the mystery of Edith’s life and returns her work to Provincetown.

Red, Blue & Green Mixed Media Collage Painting by Katie Jeanne Wood

I’m not going to say too much about the film because I don’t want to spoil it for you, but I will say I give it 5 stars. Watching it made me wonder if any of my ancestors were artists. I come from a large family, but no one besides Mom painted (that I know of), and she never had the passion or drive like I do. Makes me wonder where all this comes from because it seems Edith’s great-niece inherited the desire to paint from her.

Katie Jeanne Wood - floral paintings Art By Katie Jeanne

It fascinates and intrigues me. Maybe I should sign up for Ancestry, and start digging? I know that my family’s last name Chandler means maker and seller of candles, which is artistic, so perhaps I’ll find a great aunt who painted, also? One can only hope.

A little side note: before I started painting full-time, I had considered making & selling candles, scents, and soap, but the pull to paint was too great, and won out. Later when I read about my family name, I got chills thinking back to those days when I was mulling over which I wanted to do. So, there’s a chance there was someone else in the family just like me, who chose painting over candle making, also. 

Do you know your family’s history? Were any of them artists like you? Have you ever used Ancestry.com? How helpful was it? Let me know in the comments below. 

 

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Signing a new contract with a gallery, plus summer schedule

Flower Photo by Katie Jeanne Wood

A couple weeks ago, a gallery in Chicago contacted me, and asked me to partner with them. I’m still looking over the contract, and if all goes well, I hope to sign it later this week. I’ll keep you posted. 

Katie Jeanne Wood - Daily Paintworks Gallery
I thought about what I wrote last week about casting my net wide and far, and I re-opened my gallery at Daily Paintworks. I’m willing to give it another shot, and see what happens between now and the end of the year. I have new lower prices on my mini 4×4 paintings. Some are as low as $15. Get them while you can. 

Katherine Jeanne Wood - Pink Abstract Painting No 64

My summer office hours started on May 1st, even though it’s technically not summer quite yet. I’m now in my office Monday – Friday, 10am to 5pm. This is when I’ll be replying to email, shipping out orders, writing and scheduling blog posts, making new videos, editing photos, and listing items. My studio hours will be 8pm ’til whenever I finish for the night. I always paint best in the summer after the sun has gone down, and the heat from the day subsides a bit. In the winter, I prefer to paint first thing in the morning. Hey, whatever works, right? 

Katie Jeanne Wood - floral paintings - Art By Katie Jeanne

New blogging schedule for the summer will be Monday, Wednesday, Saturday, and every other Thursday. I’m swamped with work, and things are about to get even more hectic if/when I sign the new contract. The featured artist posts will continue on Thursdays, but I have to cut it back to twice a month for now. 

I think that’s all the news I have to share for now. I’ll see you on Wednesday. 🙂 

New Tictail Shop

Art By Katie Jeanne Wood on Tictail

Last week, I opened a new Tictail shop, and so far, I’m quite happy with the results. I can’t believe how incredibly simple it is to list things there. It takes me less than a minute from start to finish. They also allow sellers to choose their own storefront design, and we can even edit the html in our listings. I’m impressed! Other online venues should wake up, and take notice of what Tictail has going on. Compared to any other place I list items, this is my favorite by far. 

I’m just getting started, but I hope you stop on by, and check it out.

Sellers, if you’re looking for an alternative to Etsy, or if you’re like me, and don’t want all your eggs in one basket, this just might be the place for you. It never hurts to cast your net wide and far. The more eyes on your work the better. 

Small thing

Katie Jeanne Wood - floral paintings - Art By Katie Jeanne

A small thing, repeated, is not a small thing.
Seth Godin

Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend, and you’re feeling well rested. New floral paintings are slowly being listed in my shop. The one on the bottom left has been sold already. 

blind kitty Sweet Pea and Harold - Katie Jeanne Wood
Highlight of my weekend: Sweet Pea and Harold 

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Watching: Grace and Frankie – so many people told me I would love this series, but meh..I shoulda listened to my gut. I hate to be negative, but I also like to be honest. I’d only give it 1.5 stars out of 5. Really sorry to disappoint anyone. It’s just not for me. 

Listening to: S Town – now this I like. What a crazy story this is. Hard to believe it’s true. If you’re looking for something to listen to while you paint, I highly recommend this podcast. I just started chapter 6. If you’re listening, what chapter are you on? No spoilers, please.  

Also listened to: A Quiet Passion – The Wit And Vulnerability Of Poet Emily Dickinson

Reading: My Life as a Failed Artist 

 Look what I got in the mail from Sheila Delgado!
Thanks so much!!
I also got the note you sent me through G+.
🙂 <3 xo 

Newly revised floral paintings

Katie Jeanne Wood - floral paintings - Art By Katie Jeanne
Newly revised floral paintings

I have a stack of these that I’m going to work on getting into my shop this week. I have photographed them, but still need to edit all the photos. It will probably actually take me longer than a week to get to all of them because 1. I tend to underestimate how much time a project is going to take, and 2. I’m trying to spend less time doing computer work, and more time painting. 

How to save a ton of money on books


Red poppy flower - Katie Jeanne Wood - floral paintings - Art By Katie JeanneAvailable here

It’s been dark, and raining here for the past couple weeks. I don’t really mind. I love stormy days, as long as there’s no threat of tornadoes. A sweet gentle rain is the perfect time to make a pot of raspberry tea, curl up with three cute kittens and a good book in my hand. I haven’t had much time to read all winter. I don’t know about you, but I can only go so long without reading before I start feeling my entire world is off balance. It was definitely time for me to go on a book reading binge, and that’s what I’m doing. 

red poppy flower - Katie Jeanne Wood - floral paintings - Art By Katie JeanneAvailable here

I don’t know if you know about the daily deals you can get from Goodreads, but I’ve been saving a ton of money on ebooks ever since I signed up. Now, typically I prefer having a real book in my hands because I like the smell and feel of the pages, but some of these deals I just couldn’t pass up. Signing up to get on the mailing list is free, and they email you every day with a list of ebooks that are on sale at Amazon. You choose the categories you’re interested in. 

Katie Jeanne Wood - colorful floral paintings - Art By Katie JeanneAvailable here

Last week I got The Rainbow Comes and Goes by Anderson Cooper and his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt. I saw the documentary when it first came out on HBO, but wanted to read the book, also. Books are always better than the screen, imo. When it went on sale for only $1.99, I couldn’t resist. Regular price is $10.99

I also scooped up Amanda Knox’s book, Waiting To Be Heard for only 2.99. Regular price is $13.99. I’ve been fascinated with this murder mystery from the start.

So far this week I’ve purchased The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubinn for only $1.99. (I thought of Dotty‘s recent blog posts when I bought it) The normal price is 15.99. If you hurry, it still might be on sale.

Also, Neil Gaiman’s book, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, which I’ve borrowed before from the library, but for $2.99, I couldn’t resist owning it. Neil is one of my favorite authors. His books are worth every penny spent, but I do love me a good sale. Regular price is $7.99.

Lastly, I’m reading The Masterpiece by Émile Zola, which I got for free from Gutenberg. I got it because I also receive daily quotes from Goodreads in my inbox, and this is what it said..

“Sin ought to be something exquisite, my dear boy.

Émile Zola

French writer Emile Zola (born April 2, 1840) was friends with artists like Cezanne and Manet, who both made him the subject of paintings, but when he wrote a novel about the artists and their bohemian lifestyle, The Masterpiece, Cezanne broke off their friendship.”

It made me quite curious as to what he wrote that ended the friendship, so now I must find out. I’m pretty sure I already know because I’ve read about Cezanne and Manet, but it will still be an interest read. It starts off with a rainy scene. Coincidence? I think not! 😉 

Listening to Charlotte Eriksson

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/301816543″ params=”color=3e1033″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Did I mention that I LOVE rainy days? 

New mini floral paintings

Blue roses in a green vase Katie Jeanne Wood - floral paintings - Art By Katie JeanneBlue roses in a green vase
Floral No 293

Mini paintings fit into nooks and crannies where large paintings can’t, and they’re intimate, and inviting. They beckon the viewer to move in closer for a better view. This painting would look great hung alone or as part of a large gallery wall. When you hang mini paintings in a grouping, you can change the layout whenever you like, and you’ll have an instant new design. Your walls will always be fresh and inviting for your guests.

Red & blue cottage chic roses painting Katie Jeanne Wood - floral paintings - Art By Katie Jeanne
Red & blue cottage chic roses painting

Red, blue and yellow flower painting Katie Jeanne Wood - floral paintings - Art By Katie Jeanne
Red, blue and yellow flower painting

One blue rose floral painting Katie Jeanne Wood - floral paintings - Art By Katie Jeanne
One blue rose floral painting

Tomorrow is the last day to get in on the 20% off sale I’m having. Purchase $50 or more, then use coupon code TAKE20OFF at checkout in my Art By Katie Jeanne Etsy shop. 

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