"Robin's Nest" (mixed media; 7" x 9")

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When I let my hair down and have fun, I come up with a loose, fresh, and uncharacteristic piece like "Robin's Nest".  To create the effect of an intricate and messy bird's nest, I resorted to oil pastel.  I wonder why I don't do this more often!

"Goldfinch on Coneflower" (oil on linen; 7" x 7") sold

sold

My summer garden of wildflowers is often visited by a goldfinch or two.  The tiny yellow bird looks even more exquisite on a purple coneflower!

"Eastern Bluebird" (oil on linen; 7" x 7") sold

sold

The eastern bluebird is a small bird found in open woodlands, farmlands, and orchards. It is the state bird of Missouri and New York.  My painting of this beautiful bird will make a perfect gift for a bird lover!

"Springtime Warbler" (oil on stretched canvas; 8" x 10")

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It took a while to paint a male prothonotary warbler perched on a tree branch on a sunny spring day.  Why?  It was tough to achieve the feeling of the sunlight streaming through the budding, tender leaves.  Do you think I got it?

"Winter Goose Pond" (oil on stretched canvas; 12" x 16")

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Exactly a year ago, my daughter and I went for a walk after a snowfall in the nearby Green Spring Gardens Park.  Geese were swimming in the half-frozen pond.  I even caught a goose in flight in one of the photos.  As we were expecting a snow storm yesterday, it seemed appropriate to paint "Winter Goose Pond".  When I showed the finished painting to my husband, he said: "It looks cold!"

August Newsletter

Hello, everybody!

Can you believe summer is almost over?  I hope you are all enjoying a great summer. We Virginians have been blessed with some lovely weather this year!  

I started a new, fun, ongoing series--"Pet Portraits".   If you love to see your beloved pet painted by me and shared on my blog and Facebook page, please email me at kimstenbergart@gmail.com.  Send me a picture or two, preferably taken in natural light without flash.  I will do a drawing at the end of September and give one painting away!  Since I first made the call for pet pictures last Friday, I already painted four pet portraits! I am totally out of photos at the moment and waiting for more.  Please check out my blog for the stories behind these beautiful cats and dogs.  

"Collage of Pet Portraits I"

When you are sending me pictures of your pets, don't forget to add their names, ages, breeds, and some fun facts.  And please send me more than one picture. My paintings will be as good as the reference photos, as I give every painting 110%.  I will work in oil for these pet portraits in various sizes, such as 6" x 8", 8" x 8", and 8" x 10". If you like the painting of your pet, you can buy it later.  By the way, it doesn't have to be cats and dogs; I can paint any animals.  Are you a birder?  I can paint from your favorite pictures!  The only condition is that you took the pictures yourself (because of copyright issues).

"Collage of Birds for Birders"

It was a summer without a vacation for me.  Instead, I've had a different kind of fun, creating watercolor paintings.  You wouldn't believe how exciting it is to switch back and forth between mediums. Watercolors do something oils cannot do; there are things one can do only with oils.  As I told a friend of mine, by renewing my watercolor ways, which were my first love, I doubled the fun!  I am sharing the collage of the paintings I did during my explorations on Yupo painting last month.  How do you like the collage of my July paintings? 

The paintings are available on my website or on my Etsy shop.  The prices are the same on both sites, but they offer you different ways of viewing and buying my art. Please check them out.

"Collage of My July 2013 Watercolor Paintings

My original plan for July was to do some more boat paintings, but I got distracted as you can see above!  A boat painting from June ("After Independence Day"), however, was juried into the prestigious annual landscape show at the Art League Gallery in Alexandria, VA this month!

"After Independence Day" (oil, 12"x 16"; $500)
For purchase information, email gallery@theartleague.org, or call 703-683-1780.

Exciting things happen in Kim Stenberg Fine Art Studio!  Thank you for your continuing interest in my art.  Enjoy the rest of the summer!

"Piping Plover" (oil on linen; 7" x 5") sold

sold

While taking a little break from my California series, I did a bird painting.  According to Wikipedia, the piping plover is a small sand-colored, sparrow-sized shorebird that nests and feeds along coastal sand and gravel beaches in North America.  The bird I painted must be a baby since it doesn't  have a black band across the forehead from eye to eye and a black ring around the neck.  If you are a beach goer, you must have seen it running in short starts and stops.

It was fun to paint the lovely avian creature.

"Cardinal on Maple" (oil on linen; 10" x 12") sold

"Cardinal on Maple"
sold

"Robin in the Evergreen Bough" (oil, 8" x 10")
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"Blue Jay at Bird Bath" (oil, 8" x 10")
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"Early Spring Robin" (oil, 8" x 10")
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"Cardinal in the Snow" (oil, 8" x 10")
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"Winter Bird" (oil, 8" x 12")
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"Duck Pond" (oil, 8" x 10")
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Last fall I decided to do some bird paintings.  To date, I have seven under my belt.  "Cardinal on Maple" is my latest attempt at bird paintings.  As you know, I am an impressionist painter, not a super realistic animal painter.  So if you are an avid bird watcher and I got some avian anatomies wrong, please bear with my errors. 

I am more of an opportunistic bird watcher, if there is such a thing. The other day I spotted a male cardinal perched on green shrubs outside of my laundry room. I grabbed a camera and began to click away. This bird made a terrific model, turning its head to show profile, then facing forward for the front view, and so on. This went on for a while until it decided to retire from a modeling career.  I didn't dare to open the window for better shots (one knows better than that when dealing with a wildlife).  After photoshopping the best shot, I came up with the picture below.  Passable, yes, but the environment in which the bird was sitting left much to be desired.  I did some Internet research and found a picture of a scrawny-looking cardinal on a lush maple tree.

My photo

Reference photo for the maple tree

I got to work and painted "Cardinal on Maple" with joyous rapidity.  My gratitude goes to the anonymous photographer and the cardinal who lives in and is fiercely protective of my property.

"Winter Bird" (oil on linen; 8" x 12") sold

sold

Red berries are heavily laden with snow.  One can feel that it is a cold gray day.  No matter.  The small black bird is intently and happily feeding.  I don't know why this painting induces a happy feeling in me.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

"Spring Robin" (oil on linen; 4" x 5") sold

sold



When you see robins busily building nests, you know the spring has finally arrived--a welcome sight especially if you live in a place with a cold winter such as Minnesota.  I lived there for six years, so I know what I am talking about.  The picture was taken by a naturalist neighbor down the street.