"Hawaiian Sunset" (oil on linen; 8" x 10") sold

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The sun sets in the Big Island, Hawaii.  The orange sky glows against the grays and soft pastels of the ocean and the dark volcanic lava rocks. Very peaceful.

Roseate Spoonbill in the Pond" (oil on linen; 6" x 8") sold

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A friend of mine saw this beautiful bird with extravagant plumage, brunching in her pond.  I am green with envy.  When I see golden finches in my garden, I quiver with excitement.  If I have one of these spectacular birds in my neighborhood, I would die of ecstasy!

"Room with a Sailboat" (oil on linen; 8" x 10") sold

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"Room with a Sailboat" is another painting for my Facebook friend, Elizabeth.  It is her new conservatory, where she likes to stitch.  There were other knickknacks on the window sills, but the sailboat model in its prominent location gave the painting the title.

By the way, I will be participating in Leslie Saeta's September 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge.  That's a lot of paintings!  I have never painted that many and blogged that often in a month.  Do you think I can do it?  Let's make it a team effort!  Please send me your pictures to kimstenbergart@gmail.com.  I am waiting for your pictures of pets, houses, vacations (without people in them), favorite places, gardens, hometowns, etc.  I will do a drawing and give one painting away at the end of September.  Thanks!

"Autumn Day in the Vineyards" (oil on linen; 8" x 10") sold

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The reference picture was taken near Weinviertel, the region north of Vienna, Austria.  It is the largest wine-growing region in the country.  The middle ground in the painting are vineyards, hence the title.

"Kauai Surfer Dude" (oil on linen; 10" x 10") sold

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I may be a tad too old for surfing in this life, but in my next life I would like to do some surfing! Preferably in Kauai.  Like this guy.

By the way, I will be participating in Leslie Saeta's September 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge.  That's a lot of paintings!  I have never painted that many and blogged that often in a month.  Do you think I can do it?  Let's make it a team effort!  Please send me your pictures to kimstenbergart@gmail.com.  I am waiting for your pictures of pets, houses, vacations (without people in them), favorite places, gardens, hometowns, etc.  I will do a drawing and give one painting away at the end of September.  Thanks!

"Oreo" (oil on linen; 6" x 8") sold

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"Oreo" is for my good friend, Anne Fox.  She wanted me to do a portrait of her mother's dog last fall, but hesitated because she thought her pictures were not good enough.  Well, look at what I came up with!  Oreo is a 10-year-old toy poodle.  It was difficult to go beyond the excessive cuteness to get at the smart, spunky dog he truly is.

Anne is the kind of a person whose friendship make one's life richer.  We got to know because our daughters went to the same preschool.  We hit it off from the beginning.  The two girls had lots of playdates so that we could hang out together!  Below is the double portrait of Anne and her younger child, Declan, that I did many years ago as a token of my affection.  Thanks, Anne!

"The Foxes" (watercolor, 14" x 18"; gift)

If you would 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!

"Barley" (oil on linen; 7" x 7") sold

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"Barley" is for my new Facebook friend/fan, Susan.  She sent me the pictures of two dogs; I chose Barley because of his expressive face.  As it turns out, he is no longer with us.  Perhaps the sad thought influenced me.  Isn't the painting more distinguished and somber than usual?  The purple/soft yellow color scheme makes the guy look royal!

Barley was six when the picture was taken four years ago.  He was a soulful, sweet dog.  The (dog) love of Susan's life--love at first sight.  He was a mix of Australian shepherd, Labrador, and likely golden retriever.  He had the funniest habit of leaping backwards when something startled him or when he was playing.  Susan's husband wrote a tune for him called "Jump Back Barley"; the CD it was on was nominated for a Grammy!).

If you would 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!

"Joy Run" (oil on linen; 8" x 8" sold

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A colt gallops joyously on a sunny spring day.  How do you like my "action painting"?  It is based on a picture that my good friend, Jo Mackenzie, sent me.  She couldn't remember whose pet it was!  So I am hoping someone will step forward and claim the painting.

If you would 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!

"Rocky and Thelma Lou" (oil on linen; 8" x 10") sold

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"Rocky and Thelma Lou" is for two good friends, Jenny Frampton and Sherry Worshum.  The painting shows the ill effects of excessive TV viewing for kids.  Rocky of an unknown breed, on the left, is over-excited; Thelma Lou on the right, a Basset Hound, is completely dazed!  The two kids are best friends and often have playdates.  Don't worry.  They play outside too.  I've seen pictures.

By the way, Jenny is a good Samaritan.  She fosters rescued dogs until they find permanent homes.  Sherry teaches gifted children.  What awesome friends I have!

If you would 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!

"Colden" (oil on linen; 8" x 8") sold

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"Colden" is for my good friend, Jo Mackenzie, who is a talented watercolorist.  Colden is half-lion, half-Collie.  Just kidding, but look at his mane!  He is so old that he can hardly stand up.  Jo is keeping him alive with duct tape and glue!

Jo has been painting pet portraits for a while and has a big following.  Please check out her Facebook page.  She also paints flowers and houses for her fans.  Painting pet portraits from fans' pictures and doing a drawing was something I learned from her.  Thanks, Jo!

If you would 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!

"Kauai Rooster" (oil on linen; 8" x 8") sold

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Some birds are born to rule.  Look at this Kauai rooster with a red crown.  Kauai is called the garden isle for its lush vegetation.  Now people are calling it the chicken isle because it is overrun by roosters, hens, and little chicks!

Most of the birds are believed to be descendants of former fighting cocks unleashed during a devastating hurricane more than a decade ago.  The birds now forage at outdoor food courts and parking lots, and ruin sugar cane and corn crops.  They wake islanders and tourists with predawn crowing.

When we first saw them, we thought they were exotic and fun.  We took gazillion pictures.  But there were just too many of them to remain excited.  Some resourceful islanders capture them and put them in a chicken coop for future dinners.  The wild hens are edible, but remain tough even after hours of cooking.  How about roosters?  Well, as I said, they rule the island.

"Guarding Alcatraz Island" (oil on linen; 8" x 8") sold

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A seagull takes a break, while eating the famous San Francis sourdough.

Alcatraz Island is located in the San Francisco Bay, 1.5 miles offshore from San Francisco.  It is home to the abandoned prison, the site of the oldest operating lighthouse on the West Coast, early military fortifications, and a seabird colony (mostly Western Gulls).  Today the island's facilities are managed by the National Park Service.  As far as I can tell, due to the recent budget cuts, the island seems to be guarded mainly by the seagulls!

By the way, the seagull population is skyrocketing and the birds are taking over San Francisco. Don't feed the gulls and pigeons!

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!

"Sunset Beach" (oil on linen; 9" x 12")

click here to buy

I did four pet portraits in a row for my Facebook fans and am now totally out of pictures.  While waiting for more pictures to arrive in my inbox, I thought I would go on an artistic vacation.  This is a sandy beach in Kauai, where my family vacationed in early 2012.  We saw several sunsets there, all of which were spectacular.  The sunset doesn't last long, but what a golden moment it is!

"Sheba and Shaman" (oil on linen; 6" x 8") sold

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"Sheba and Shaman" is for Patricia and happens to be my first cat painting! Both are Maine Coon cats.  The black one is Sheba, who is seven years old.  Patricia and her husband bought the white one for her as her "boy toy".  When their 26-year-old cat, her constant companion, passed, she grieved so deeply that they had to find poor Sheba someone else to love.

His name is Shaman, two years younger than her.  He was supposed to be a show kitty, but was sold as a pet, because he didn't "meow." Patricia often finds them "holding paws."  Both of them play fetch, and Sheba will even take a small ball in the glass shower and play Jai Alai.

If you would 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!

"Monte" (oil on linen; 8" x 6") sold

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"Monte" is for Liz.  Monte is a 2-year-old Havanese.  He loves being around people.  He likes to run around the house at top speeds and when he is tired from that, he snuggles with his family and takes a nap.

On a sadder note, he has to have surgery this Thursday because he has a condition common to small dogs.  Both his hind legs have "trick" knees; his knee caps keep popping out of place, which is quite painful for him and can lead to bad arthritis and serious walking problems later.  He will be out of commission for 8 weeks, but the good news is that he will no longer have leg problems after the surgery.  Let's keep him in our thoughts and wish him well!

If you would 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!

"Coneflowers and Daisies" (oil on linen; 8" x 12") sold

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A few years ago, I bought a packet of wildflower seeds and spread it in a small sunny garden patch right next to the sidewalk.  Who knew that coneflowers, daisies, and black-eyed susans, etc. will come back year after year?  My husband thought they were too tall, wild, and out of control.  So I tried to get rid of them.  A word of advice.  Be careful with wildflowers.  They are HARD to get rid of.

I kind of like the cottage-garden look of my "warm-palette" wildflower patch.  It doesn't look as pretty as the painting now, with lots of spent flower heads that need to be trimmed.  But who has the time!

"Sunflowers on Hot Summer Day" (oil on linen; 8" x 10") sold

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No other flowers say "summer" as loudly as sunflowers.  In the depth of winter, or on a cool summer day like today, if I want to feel the hot summer sun in my heart, I just have to think of these big, bold, in-your-face, flowers.

By the way, I am back to painting oils.  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 created during my explorations on Yupo painting last month.  Enjoy!

Collage of my Yupo Paintings created in July 2013!

"Summer Garden with Hydrangea" (oil on stretched canvas; 12" x 12") sold

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Before

Something about "Summer Garden with Hydrangea" bothered me.  It felt like a faded old picture.  I decided to rescue a painting nobody seemed to care for.  I punched up the darks, got rid of the dominant sap greens, and played up the violet-yellow green complementary color scheme.  My new summer garden painting looks kissed by the sun, don't you think?

"Winged Victory of Samothrace" (watercolor on paper; 20" x 14")

click here to buy

The famous ancient Hellenistic Greek statue at the Louvre Museum in Paris was the inspiration for the painting.  The 2nd-century BC marble sculpture of the Greek goddess Nike (Victory) was created to honor a sea battle.  Since 1884, it has been prominently displayed at the Louvre and is one of the most celebrated sculptures in the world.  Although headless, it conveys a sense of action and triumph.  I cannot imagine it with a beautiful woman's head, just as I cannot think of "Venus of Milo" with arms.  The power of imagination!

I visited the museum back in 1997 during a two-week trip to France with my husband. I was awed by the beauty of a chunk of an ancient marble.  I wanted to paint it and paint it well.  It was particularly challenging project.  The reference photo with a flat, interior lighting didn't give me much value variation.

I crumpled a thin piece (90 lb weight) of watercolor paper, which crackled (damaged) the surface.  A sacrilegious act, but I was going for an unfussy way to suggest the marble texture. The background interior of the museum was pained with minimum details, whereas I carefully punched up the statue as much as I could with the same limited palette.  It is a subtle, blue painting, which is curiously alive.  You can almost feel the breeze caused by the fluttering wings of the goddess, which is about to take off!

The painting was juried into the Art League show in Alexandria, VA in 2006.