Sunday, February 28, 2010

"Potted Tulips" Oil Painting by Artist NORA KASTEN


"Potted Tulips"
 
Copyright © by Nora Kasten, 2010
Oil painting on linen  24 x 12 inches
"I painted this on oil primed linen with a limited palette of six colors.  After laying down color all over the surface, I completed the painting using a palette knife and thick oil paint."

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

"Spring Tulips" Oil Painting by Artist NORA KASTEN


"Spring Tulips"
 
Copyright © by Nora Kasten, 2010
Oil painting on canvas  16 x 12 inches

"This painting is definately one of my Modern Expressions."  

NOTE!  "For outstanding (I believe) advice on use of COLOR in
our paintings, see Don Hatfield's Blog for today."

Monday, February 22, 2010

NORA KASTEN Artist & Terry Miura Artist


While visiting Gilberto's blog this morning I came upon Terry Miura's blog and his words really hit home with me.  I copied and pasted his post below for you to read but I hope you will visit his blog and see for yourself.  Terry Miura

"Call it a rut. A slump. We've all been there, over and over again. Nothing seems to work and you feel like you just forgot how to paint altogether. How do you get out of it, and get back on track? Seek inspiration by looking at other artists work, watching movies, listening to music, taking a long walk... we have many different methods of getting unstuck.


When I get stuck, often it's because I'm over-thinking what I'm supposed to be doing: technically, stylistically, psychologically, career-wise. Too much junk to work into a single painting, and I forget about what's important at that moment; the painting itself. When I recognize it, I just stop what I'm doing, and go back to my comfort zone, something I've done before successfully and with full control. Something I understand how to do. No, not for the purpose of rehashing something I can easily sell, but to find myself in a place where I feel back in control.


In figure painting, that means simple palette systems and a clear figure-ground composition, nothing tricky or overly ambitious. I just want to get my chops going again without worrying about style, or complex color combinations, or whether this fits in with the rest of my oeuvre. I think of them as going back to simple exercises, and these Zorn palette things are just the right ticket for me. Only three colors plus white, I can just focus on one thing at a time and soon (hopefully), I'm back in the zone. Or not. Some ruts are deeper than others, but eventually we get unstuck. It's just easier on the psyche to have a comfort zone at these times, somewhere you can go back to, to find yourself in control.

All these are done in the Zorn Palette. Not because I'm in a rut, but because I assigned it to my class as homework. After seeing everyone's efforts, I think it was clear that this was a good place to return to, should we get lost with more complex palettes and are left feeling like we don't know what the hell we're doing. Simplify the problem, as I always say, and you simplify the solution.
Ruts are a normal part of our artistic growth and as painful as they are, we can be sure that they're temporary. Don't despair, and go back to what you know. When you feel back in control, the path will present itself."  Terry Miura Artist Blog


Saturday, February 20, 2010

"By The Window" Oil Painting by Artist NORA KASTEN


"By The Window"
 Copyright © by Nora Kasten, 2010
Oil painting on gallery wrapped canvas  48 x 24 x 1.5 inches


 Left "Roses For Master Suite"

If you have been reading Don Hatfield's blog you will understand why I wanted to change this still life that I painted last year for our home.  My goal was to add sky, landscape and a figure to this ho-hum painting making myself a more well rounded painting artist. . . . . I'm pretty much well rounded already physically.  The figure didn't make it into the painting and hopefully that will happen in the next still life plus.  Today was the day for taking the painting on the left out of the closet where it's been for several months and work on it.  The plan was to make it better and though I do like it a little more, I'm also painfully aware of the errors.  For one thing having two light sources was not accomplished well but I've declared victory and the painting is going to hang on the wall in the master suite where I intended it to be all along.  The NORA KASTEN Website has many paintings of different  genre.

"Cantaloupe" Oil Painting by Artist NORA KASTEN




"Cantaloupe"
Copyright © by Nora Kasten, 2010 
#320  Oil painting on linen on board    10 x 10 inches

"This is another archive painting but there are plenty of paintings 
to see (recent and archive on my NORA KASTEN Website."

Friday, February 19, 2010

"Macy Marie" Oil Painting by Artist NORA KASTEN

"Macy Marie"
 #122  "Macy Marie"  Oil painting on linen   16 x 12 inches

"This painting of my youngest grandaughter (she's seventeen now) is from my early archives."

MY WEBSITE:  WWW.NORAKASTEN.COM

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Oil Paintings by Artist NORA KASTEN to Sheldon Fine Art Gallery

"Call Me Red"
 Oil painting on gallery wrapped canvas  30 x 30 inches


 
These two paintings were delivered to SHELDON FINE ART GALLERY / NAPLES
today and will be offered for sale.

MY WEBSITE:  WWW.NORAKASTEN.COM   

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

"Mother & Child" Oil Painting by Artist NORA KASTEN


"Mother & Child"  sold
Copyright © by Nora Kasten, 2010
#561 Oil painting on linen from my archives   30 x 24 inches

WEBSITE:  WWW.NORAKASTEN.COM

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

"Tangerine" Oil Painting by Artist NORA KASTEN


"Tangerine"  sold

Copyright © by Nora Kasten, 2010
Oil painting on linen  (14"x11")

"Tangerine" is another painting from my archives but today I want to share the art that a great friend of mine, Linda Westerfeld, sent to me."

      "I'm always amazed how things work together in each of our lives.  Yesterday I was perusing Dan McCaw's book, "A Proven Strategy for Creating Great Art", and though I've been through this book many times . . . I read that one of the surfaces that he liked to paint on was untempered Masonite with three coats of acrylic gesso.   The part where he says he sometimes tints the gesso and sometimes black is what had eluded me before.  In the first video I watched of Akiane painting a baby's face, she is painting on black gessoed canvas.  I couldn't change the video from running in fast forward for me but it was alright.  I drink water constantly while painting, using a handled glass cup for safety precautions, and though I have a large standing mirror in back of me I still use a hand mirror from time to time to check my work in reverse.  I saw Akiane doing the same thing but I hope she's using a cup with a handle by now. 
      You will be rewarded by taking some time and exploring her website, photo gallery, videos and her bio.  I believe she's 15 years old now and she also writes beautiful poetry.  I want to spend more time on her site and read it all."   Click on below for Akiane's website:


 


MY WEBSITE:  WWW.NORAKASTEN.COM

Monday, February 15, 2010

"Tumbling Roses" Oil Painting by Artist, NORA KASTEN


"Tumbling Roses"
 
Copyright © by Nora Kasten, 2010
Oil painting on linen   (30"x30")

"More from the archives"

"Blue Iris" by Artist, NORA KASTEN


"Blue Iris"  sold

 
Copyright © by Nora Kasten, 2010
Oil painting on linen on board   (7"x5")
I'm not sick but certainly don't feel the best right now so I'm posting some paintings from my archives.
WEBSITE:  WWW.NORAKASTEN.COM

Sunday, February 14, 2010

"Megan" Oil Painting by Artist NORA KASTEN


"Megan"
 
 Copyright © by Nora Kasten, 2010
Oil painting on linen   (16"x 12")
This is my granddaughter, Megan, when she was six or seven years old.  She will be twenty-four in April.  I'm just reminiscing.

Friday, February 12, 2010

"Rejection" by Artist NORA KASTEN


"Rejection"
Oil painting on linen   (16"x12")
I scraped yesterday's painting and just didn't want to scrape today's also.  The title "Rejection" is apt.  The painting looks like I'm sad but it couldn't be further from the truth.  I am so happy because my good friend and artist, Cynthia Richards from Indiana will be here this evening.  Our visit will be short because they are traveling over to the east coast of Florida tomorrow.  We have sooooo much to catch up on.  We talk every week on the phone but last March, 2009 was my last visit to Indiana and our last get together.

"Hopefully, you will visit my website to view the paintings."

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

"A Small Bouquet" Oil Painting by Artist NORA KASTEN


"A Small Bouquet"
Copyright © by Nora Kasten, 2010
Oil painting on linen on board  (8"x10")

"Many more paintings on my website."

Sunday, February 7, 2010

"Blue Lilacs" Oil Painting by Artist NORA KASTEN


"Blue Lilacs"
Copyright © by Nora Kasten, 2010
Oil painting on gallery wrapped canvas  (12"x12"x1")
"There is a beautiful blue that I'm seeking to put on canvas but I haven't found it yet."

Saturday, February 6, 2010

"White Roses On Blue" Oil Painting by Artist NORA KASTEN


"White Roses On Blue"
Copyright © by Nora Kasten, 2010
Oil painting on textured canvas  (24"x20")
"Please visit my website to view many, many more paintings."

Friday, February 5, 2010

Framed Painting by Artist NORA KASTEN


"Ruby Gem" (framed)
Acrylic & Pastel painting on sanded paper on board framed  (44"x44")

I framed and hung "Ruby Gem" this morning in a passageway between the kitchen and family room.  Of course getting a good photo of it is difficult because of window and lamp reflections on it from across the room.  I like this painting and even my husband says it's pleasant to view but he might like it even better upside down . . .  . he doesn't like the abstract style. 

There are plenty of paintings to view on my website in the traditional style as well as my "Modern Expressions".
WEBSITE:  www.norakasten.com

Thursday, February 4, 2010

"Ruby Gem" Acrylic & Pastel abstract painting by Artist NORA KASTEN

"Ruby Gem"
Copyright © by Nora Kasten, 2010
Acrylic & Soft Pastel abstract painting on sanded paper on board  (36"x36")

I attached the strong sanded paper to a heavy cardboard and textured some grit gel medium over parts of it.  Then I applied thin washes of Matisse transparent acrylic paint, adding metallic copper and gold paints at the end.  The bright yellow and orange pastel lightly over the metallic acrylic paint really makes it sparkle which doesn't show so much in the photo. Below is the painting at the end of the acrylic paint stage and before adding soft pastels.

"There are over 100 paintings to view on my website and hope you will visit."

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

"Wilted Roses" oil painting by Artist Nora Kasten

"Wilted Roses
Copyright © by Nora Kasten, 2010
Oil painting on linen   (18"x14")

This is a detail of "Wilted Roses" above.

I know that I said a pastel was in the works but I got sidetracked.  A friend, Nardena Sullivan, brought these beautiful roses to me a week ago and they stayed fresh for six days.  This morning the few roses still on their stems were bent down and there was a pile of rose petals laying on the table beside them.  It was really a beautiful sight, begging to be painted.

"There are over 100 paintings on my website and ready to view.  I hope you will visit."