And To All A Good Night

I want to send you wishes of love, joy and peace for this holiday season.  Keep those you love close to you and you will never feel the cold winds on a Winter night.  See you in 2017!

"Silent Night" Original Watercolor
on Yupo Plastic Paper
Krys Pettit

White Winters - How Artists Portray the Coldest Season

"Branch in the Snow" Andrew Wyeth

"Winter 1899" Edvard Munch

"Snow Scene at Argenteuil" Claude Monet

"Winter Landscape" Wassily Kandinsky

Snow--I have seen a lot of it in my day, from my years as a child in New Jersey, to the tumultuous tons of snow that landed in upstate New York in the winter (and even in May!) during my college years and the early part of my career.  Living in Raleigh brought ice but an occasional whopper of a blizzard.  No one would drive in snow in the Triangle area if they grew up in the South -- no one knew how. And, of course, the snow was for the most part, white.

But white snow is not so inspiring to many an artist.  We love color, texture and there is more than one way to add color to the fluffy white stuff as you can see by some of these classic winter paintings by the masters that I have shared above.

Below are my remembrances of cold days in upstate New York.  They are both small fleeting pieces of work in watercolor - perhaps because I was always ready to leave the crisp frigidity of Winter for warmer places.

"Winter Sunset"
Watercolor by Krys Pettit

"Early Winter Afternoon -Tioga County New York
Watercolor by Krys Pettit

Picture Perfect Pears

"Petit Poire" watercolor on paper
Private Collection

"Pair of Pears" watercolor on paper

"Juicy" watercolor on paper

"4 Pears" watercolor on paper
Private Collection

Some artists love to paint still lifes -- bowls or fruit or vegetables on table tops with maybe a bouquet of flowers, a vase, or even a candlestick for more atmosphere.  Personally, I don't enjoy painting still lifes.  Let someone else do the delightful pomegranate or lovely plum.  However, I have this fixation with pears.
Love to paint pears.  I'm not sure if it is the sensuous shape - they are not just round, the are a combination of round and triangular, almost classically shaped, each one individual and unique, unlike say a lemon or an orange.  And the colors vary -- from a warm yellow, a deep rich red  to a bronzed gold with markings and stripes decorating them.
I've painted them in oil and watercolor -- I prefer watercolor.  It seems a better medium to bring out the transparency of their rich colors of their skins.
But I love eating them too -- sliced with vanilla ice cream, partnered with asiago cheese. Or maybe in a classic French tart this this delightful recipe thanks to the great pastry chef, David Lebovitz.
David Lebovitz Pear and Almond Tart
Right now it is pear season so stock up on all those beautifully colored, sweet and juicy jewels.  Eat them if you must -- or just use them as some very willing models (and gobble them up when the art work is complete.)

This Thanksgiving

Norman Rockwell is well known for his paintings and illustrations of American life. Although somewhat dated and perhaps not representational of the diversity of our nation they carry a message.
And this Thanksgiving it seemed somehow very appropriate to share with you his famous paintings, "The Four Freedoms."
I don't have a lot to say about these because I feel the images speak for themselves, no matter what the year it is and where you may live.  It's enough to look and remember what is most important to us and to be thankful that we can hopefully still have the freedom to live our lives in this country.
This article from the Saturday Evening Post does a good job explaining the background of the creation of these pieces.

Norman Rockwell The Four Freedoms

May you have a blessed and loving Thanksgiving with your friends and family.

Krys

The Pencil and I

Brandywine River, Chadds Ford, PA Pencil and Charcoal on Paper
Private Collection

I adore color.  Like most artists I am seduced by the red, blues, yellow, heck even the browns and greys get me stimulated.
But to paint one really needs to know how to draw.  I have not had the benefit of formal art training like many of my colleagues so I always feel that I am playing catchup with those who have BFA and MFA degrees.  But I can draw and I began drawing at around 3 years of age.
I entertained myself quite a bit in boring classes through all 12 years of my formal education by constant sketching and doodling in the margins.  I practiced perspective drawing during particularly dull classes of algebra.
I passed all my classes, was awarded academic scholarships, received a college degree and made deans' lists in everything but never formerly studied art.  But I secretly had my own little art education program going on those margins of notes from mind-numbingly boring classes.
To this day I am in awe of what happens when you take a stick with pencil lead in it and a piece of paper, be it a professional grade drawing pad, the back of an envelope or a cocktail napkin.  That, my friend, is the magic of drawing.
For images of my artwork, painting and maybe a drawing or two, visit my website:
Krys Pettit Original Artwork

November Exhibit Opens SoBo Gallery, Winter Garden

"Iris Dance"
Krys Pettit
Original Watercolor & Gold Metallic Acrylic on Yupo Paper

My watercolor painting, "Iris Dance" will be on exhibit at the Winter Garden Art Association SoBo Gallery in Historic Winter Garden, Florida beginning Thursday, November 3rd through December 31, 2016.
Come join me if you are in the area this Thursday, November 3rd, from 5:30 - 8 p.m. for the opening reception of "The Gift of Art."
The majority of the artwork is comfortably priced under $200.  This is a great opportunity to visit the gallery and purchase hand crafted, original and excellent artwork as gifts.This event is free and open to all. The exhibition runs the entire months of November & December, 2016.
Here are the particulars and address information-- and I hope you will be able to come to the reception and visit this unique and exceptional Central Florida gallery:

Winter Garden Art Association
SOBO Gallery 
127 South Boyd, Winter Garden, Florida 34787
(407) 347-7996
SoBo Gallery "The Gift of Art"

You'll find other samples of my art work on my website:
http://www.kryspettit.com/

I'm Exhibiting the Art League of Daytona through December 3, 2016

"Shadowed Memories" watercolor on paper

A few weeks ago I submitted my work to a wonderful exhibit here on our Florida coast and I awaited Hurricane Matthew. Matthew was not kind and the exhibit did not open as scheduled.  But now everything is back on track!
My watercolor paintings, "Shadowed Memories" and "Treacherous Landing" are exhibiting at the Art League of Daytona in the Members Showcase exhibit. This exhibit will be on display until December 3, 2016. 
If you are in the Daytona Beach area please stop by and view my work along with the other immensely talented members of the Art League. And here's hoping we don't have to worry about a hurricane again for a very, very long time.
Art League of Daytona

"Treacherous Landing" watercolor on paper

Krys Pettit the Website

I like images and that is what I do for a living -- I make images using paint, pencil, paper, canvas. Tools that are tactile.  So creating a website is a bit daunting at times.  I can never decide how many images to put in there because, well, I think most of them really do tell the story of me.  Deciding on 15, 20, or even 50 images is very difficult.  The writing comes easier -- my words are not as creative as my artwork and it seems easier to tell my story with paints than with vowels and consanents.  It's the 80% part of time I need to spend on marketing.  In reality it is only a slim 20% of time I truly devote to creating my art.
If I am the working artist I strive to be and true to my craft, the image file continues to grow as my art grows and develops.  I need to switch out images, share fresh image on my site as well as my postings on Facebook, Instagram, Pininterest and Twitter to what I hope are interested followers.  There are the updates to the exhibits each year.  If I am lucky and blessed, I can add an award.
I've nurtured this web site for about a year now and recently updated it with some fresh work, showing my attempts at oil paintings.  I've listed my two most recent exhibits and also shared my art memberships and affiliations. And of course the most recent blog entry has a special place under "My Story."
The more I do this the more I realize that this web site is just like my art work in progress -- a constant evolution.  Just trying to keep it simple is as challenging as keeping the composition of my paintings simple. And taking the time to do it is tough even with the 80/20 standard -- which is it -- marketing or being creative (please, can it be both??).
Take a moment and visit my website and take a look at some of the most recent additions to this evolving part of my art business.  Thanks.
Krys Pettit Original Artwork

Bittersweet Autumn

"Pumpkins on a Hill" Andrew Wyeth

"Church at Old Lyme" Childe Hassam

"Church in Eastham" Edward Hopper

"Pumpkin Patch" Winslow Homer

"Pumpkin Head Self-Portrait" Jaime Wyeth

I love the season of Autumn and although I reside in Florida I spent many years in awe of the colors that enliven the landscapes north of the Sunshine State.  To me, Maine seems a state that that was created for colorful months between summer and winter.  I did a bit of research on some of my favorite Maine artists and their interpretations of Autumn.  It's a jewel of a season and it graces only certain locations in our magnificent country.  I wish I had more time to embrace Autumn and have but a few of my own paintings that celebrate the season, like the one below.  It passes so quickly and you have to grasp the beauty when it presents itself to you.

"Fall in Tioga County"
Krys Pettit
Oil on canvas panel 

Carl Sandburg, the poet, said it perfectly.
"I cried over beautiful things knowing no beautiful thing lasts.
The field of cornflower yellow is a scarf at the neck of the copper sunburned woman, the mother of the year, the taker of seeds.
The northwest wind comes and the yellow is torn full of holes, new beautiful things come in the first spit of snow on the northwest wind, and the old things go, not one lasts."

Joseph Mallord William Turner Knows Storms

The Storm, c.1840-45
Joseph Mallord William Turner

Joseph Mallord William Turner -- or JMW Turner (1775-1851) to keep it short -- was a remarkable British artist decades ahead of his time.  When many were painting perfect landscapes, portraits of family pet, prize race horses and heady aristocrats (with or without the horses),  Mr. Turner turned the art world upside down and painted gritty, emotional, full-blown impressionistic paintings, long before his time.
This past week the southeast coast had its fill of storms with Hurricane Matthew.  While I sat out the wind and rain in my secure home I wondered how I could ever convey the power of such a storm. Then I remembered Mr. Turner.  And I realized I shouldn't bother when it's been done to perfection.
If you want to learn more about Turner and why many impressionist artists like Claude Monet were influenced by his work, you can find more information at this website dedicated to his work:
The Complete Works of Joseph Mallord William Turner

Hurricane Matthew, Daytona and an Art Show

"Treacherous Landing" Watercolor on Paper

"Shadowed Memories" Watercolor on Paper

If you live in Florida, you always keep an eye out on the weather between the months of May and December.  That's a long time to keep looking over your shoulder for a potential hurricane to hit the peninsula.  It never was a big fear until 2004 when within the span of 6 weeks Central Florida was battered by Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne.  We lived for 6 weeks with plywood and windows taped up, a little catacomb of sorts.  Waiting.  We were spared major damage during Charley and Frances with the worse happening during Jeanne when the power gave out for a week. And perhaps even eerier was listening to the rain and wind, the constant noise on the roof, the skylights and the windows.

Ironically, I was in an art exhibit back then in a St. Augustine art gallery.  And rain was so bad residents were able to paddle in canoes and kayaks down the streets of St. Augustine.  So the art exhibit, in a sense, was a wash.

This year we await Hurricane Matthew and I am again, in an art exhibit.  The paintings I have submitted are above (note the stormy seacoast -- thought it appropriate considering the current weather situation).  I am in a marvelous member show at the Art League of Daytona, a stellar art group founded in 1929 and located in the historic residential district of Daytona. The roster of members is impressive and I am honored to be a part of this exhibit.  As to whether it is a wash, it remains to be seen at this point.  I'll let you know next week if we got rained out or lost power. Creating art is a challenge and sometimes showing it is a bigger one.

You can visit the Art League of Daytona all year long rain or shine.  They have a number of excellent courses if you are looking to take on some artistic challenges. They also have a number of strong exhibits and art for sale.  Check out their site below (an bring an umbrella during hurricane season).

Art League of Daytona

Yupo? Don't Mind If I Do

"Remains of An Empire" Watercolor on Yupo Synthetic Paper

"Iris Dance" Watercolor on Yupo Synthetic Paper

"Canyon Dream"  Watercolor on Yupo Synthetic Paper

Artists for years have used things like panel, board, canvas, and paper on which to create their work. As a watercolor artist the traditional substrate I thought I was supposed to use was paper, specifically watercolor paper.  Watercolor paper is cold or hot press, and comes in weights like 140 pound and 300 pound.  It is designed to work with watercolor pigments and water, absorbing these and in many ways limiting the freedom to correct and just let the colors and thoughts flow when creating a painting. It's something I got to used to as a watercolor artist and I always dreaded the need to make a fix on paper.  And then came Yupo.

What the heck is Yupo?  If you look at the site Yupo Synthetic Paper, YUPO is"...100% recyclable, waterproof, tree-free Synthetic Paper with attributes and properties that make it the perfect solution for a variety of marketing, design, packaging and labeling needs..."  Which sounds fairly technical, ecologically great, a little daunting, and makes you wonder how it can be paper if its, well, plastic. No matter.  As an artist all I care about is how to apply brilliant colors to Yupo,  how I can try to control and manipulate it, and how in the end I basically have to let it do what it wants with my watercolor applications. Which is where the best fun and the best results happen.  Sometimes it's good to loose control if the results are good for you.  

Visit my website and take a look at some of my work -- and see if you can spy the pieces I have painted using Yupo.
Krys Pettit Original Artwork

Flowers on a Friday "Wild Iris"

"Wild Irises" Original watercolor on Yupo

Years ago I would reward myself with a bouquet of fresh flowers on a Friday.  It was a special gift for myself, a small indulgence that pleased me.  These days I rarely buy myself flowers but still I paint them.

I particularly loved painting these irises since I broke away from the conventional use of watercolor paper and worked with a plastic paper called Yupo.  Watercolor paper absorbs water and pigment. Yupo is a plastic support and the water and paper pool on the surface.  It's a tricky thing to work watercolor on Yupo but I love it.  And the results, like a bouquet of flowers, are a great reward for a week of hard work.  I added a gentle spatter of gold metallic acrylic paint which gave the image a certain elegance.

Bring a bouquet into your day today.  And I hope you enjoy mine.

Oil and Water Mixing in My Studio

"Red Gate St. Augustine" (oil)

"Red Gate St. Augustine (watercolor)

Oil and water -- well known not to mix in a recipes, on our precious open waterways, and yes, when working with a painting.  But I mix my mediums if only on completed pieces these days.
For 25 plus years I worked in watercolor.  I like the medium and as finicky as it can be I have grown accustomed to the quirks. I love the immediacy and freshness of a watercolor painting.  But, as with any relationship, things were getting a bit old, a little boring.  They (who are "they"?) say artists shouldn't switch mediums when they are successful.  I say bull pucky.  And I succumbed to the seduction of oil paints.
   I have a marvelous instructor who is guiding me through what seemed a trickier process than painting with watercolor.  I love oil paint for the texture, viscosity, and bright, vivid colors.  It has more body for me, enabling me to build, correct, and give my images a certain patina.  But in many ways I want to work it like a watercolor, not overworking and letting the light places "sparkle" rather than dulling a painting.
   I am reworking paintings I have done in watercolor with oil these days.  Attached you will find a current effort.   On the left is the recent oil of an entrance in St. Augustine, Florida.  On the right is a watercolor image done some years ago of the same scene.  I know which one I like better.  How about you?

Small Might Just Be Nicer

I have been very lucky to experience some of the top art museums in the world.  I've toured the Tate and the National Gallery in London.  Paris was a dream come true with multiple visits to the Louvre, the Orsay and the Musée Marmottan Monet (I can never get enough Monet so can I add my trip to Giverny on this list?). When in Rome I had to visit the Galleria Borghese and of course the Vatican Museums.  Florence, Italy offered the spectacular Uffizi Gallery and the Academia.  In this country I've toured the Guggenheim, MOMA and the Met in New York City, the National and Portrait Galleries in Washington and countless other museums in cities like Charleston, Savannah, Raleigh, New Orleans, Portland, Phoenix, not to mention wonderful art venues in Florida. I've logged many a mile in museum galleries with many a revered master's work gazing down on me as I navigated through hallowed halls.

But more than anything I love small museums in smaller communities. There is something special about an intimate museum or gallery that allows you to linger, examine and get close to some very special work by talented artists that do not show up in conventional art history texts.  These are the museums that offer a glimpse at hidden gems and allow you to experience art that you can truly call your own in an intimate, relaxed setting.  One such place in Central Florida is a the Lake Eustis Museum of Art in the charming community of Eustis in Lake County, Florida.

Fondly known as LEMA it is run by the very capable and talented Richard Colvin, its hard-working Director.  Susan is one of the volunteers that will greet you when you visit -- she's a talented fiber artist in her own right and if you are lucky you can catch her working on her intricate needlework.

Richard keeps the museum running smoothy and he curates truly wonderful exhibits featuring local artists.  He teaches various levels of courses and brings talented and capable instructors to fill out the class availabilities.   You'll find instruction in Realistic and Abstract Oil Painting,  Pastels and Portraiture, Watercolor, Kidzart for the budding young artist, even a Create and Critique session each week to help motivate you.  The Museum is located on Lake Eustis at the edge of Ferran Park right in downtown Eustis. You can tour LEMA, and then take time to get some refreshment from the pleasant eateries just down the street. All in all a delightful way to spend an afternoon.

When you visit take time to longer over the new exhibits or closely examine the pieces shown from the permanent collection.  Relax, ask questions, chat with the wonderful staff -- and enjoy the wonderful feeling of being in this small museum that truly big on art.

For more information, hours, and directions visit the Lake Eustis Museum of Art website below:
Lake Eustis Museum of Art

Visit my website, Krys Pettit Original Artwork, for a look at how I create when I am inspired:
Krys Pettit Original Artwork

The Color Yellow

A yellow iris -- one of my few attempts at using primarily the color yellow.  That made me think -- why do I avoid it?  I was told paintings with a lot of yellow in them rarely sell.  And yet I have sold my share of work with a strong yellow influence.

I looked up the color yellow in Wikepedia where they wrote "...yellow is the color people most often associate with amusement, gentleness, and spontaneity, but also with duplicity, envy, jealousy, avarice, and, in the U.S., with cowardice." I always thought it a happy color and rarely think of cowardice or avarice.  Apparently the Chinese like the sunny primary, because they believe it is the color of glory, wisdom, and happiness.

Vincent van Gogh adored his yellows. The world adores and admires his sunflowers.  His positioned his lovely purple irises against a warm sunny background. "The Bedroom" has a selection of yellow furnishings one can hope brightened his day.  Did Vincent sell his paintings with predominant uses of yellow?  I can't vouch.  But I believe lovers of his art appreciate the happiness he was able to bravely and boldly communicated with this color.
Vincent can Gogh on Google arts

Visit website and see if you spot shades and tones of yellow in any of my landscape paintings.
Krys Pettit Original Artwork

Henry Flagler brings art to Florida

"Florida Sunrise" Martin Johnson Heade c. 1890-1900

(Courtesy Google Arts & Culture)

Sounds like a headline and it might have been back in 1888 in St. Augustine, Florida.  Henry Flagler, millionaire developer and Standard Oil co-founder took a liking to the sleepy, historic town of St. Augustine and decided he would make it a destination for the rich and cultured of the Gilded Age. To attract this type of clientele he built the magnificent Ponce de Leon Hotel.  Outfitted with all the best and latest comforts (like electricity) it attracted wealthy Northerners during the season and gave them a glimpse of the beauty of Florida.  From there Flagler moved his hotel empire even further south and the lure of St. Augustine was replaced by the glitz of Palm Beach and eventually Miami and the Keys.

But Flagler started a trend of artists coming to Florida to rest, create and share their art with a discerning and wealthy clientele. He outfitted the Ponce de Leon Hotel with a number of studios for artists where they were able to create, exhibit, and sell their works.  Martin Johnson Heade, a renowned artist at the time, is just one of the many who had a successful studio at the Ponce de Leon Hotel.  Flagler was a smart developer with a knack for what the public wanted.  Creature comforts are paramount but feeding the soul with art was also important.  To this day, St. Augustine has the reputation for being one of the major art communities in Florida with a remarkable amount of galleries and a thriving art association.

If you love in Florida, or have the opportunity to visit Daytona Beach, take an afternoon and make a stop at the Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art at the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Daytona Beach.  Among their remarkable collection you will find many paintings from the era of the Ponce de Leon Hotel and St. Augustine.  They depict a lush, rich Florida, a Florida difficult to find in these days of the new developers who forget that art, like creature comforts, are also important for an exceptional quality of life.

Learn more about the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Daytona Beach by visiting the link below --
Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art

For a sample of some of my work and impressions of Florida visit my website:
Krys Pettit Original Artwork

Red, It’s Said…

Is the color of romance, danger, and power.  It catches your eye, whether it’s a beautiful woman’s favorite shade of lipstick, or the stop sign you almost missed.  It’s the color of apples, Valentine’s Day, blood, or a remarkable sunset. A red light can mean a sexy district in Amsterdam or a warning at a busy intersection.

Red is used as a focal point in art work.  Artists have been known to scatter points of red through their work to act as eye magnets, guiding your eye to take in the entire composition.  It is a highly visible color, second only to yellow.

I rarely use red in my work.  I favor the cool blue, purples and greens. But every once in a while I venture to the Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium Red, and Vermillion part of my paint box and add a little punch there and there.  Here’s a few paintings I especially like using my bright, brash member of the color palette:

       

                               


Google Culture focuses on the color red with 7 interesting factoids:

Red from Google Culture

Visit my website for an look of my red (and other colored) paintings.

Krys Pettit Artwork

Redo It's What We Do

Painting for me can be hit or miss.  The best thought out piece can look exceptional in my head and turn out to be as blah as cold oatmeal on a grey day when done.  And those cold pieces get tossed in a portfolio to never see the light in my studio again.

Recently I purged a number of old watercolor paintings that just were not worth keeping.  I do this periodically but this was a deep dark disposal of some fairly weak items.  I kept a handful to reuse to paint on the backs (yes we artists reuse and repurpose -- have been for centuries).  I looked over this marsh scene and decided it needed a bit of a makeover.

It's a nice little piece, nothing too fancy.  Capably done but, as a friend would say, "Meh."

Redoing a painting in watercolor is more complex than in oil.  It is difficult if not impossible to lift color off the paper after it has dried.  So in this case lifting to add more highlights was tough.  I opted to just saturate with more color and contrast and shadows.

"Sunset - Florida Marsh" 

Krys Pettit

Watercolor on 140# Paper

11"H x 15" W

I worked on tweaking it a bit for an hour or so, adding darker values, playing around with complementary colors, adding texture and depth.  A pretty, restful piece that captures the glorious colors of a Florida sunset.  A little less "meh" and a little more "nice."

Visit my website for more samples of the pieces that didn't make it to the recycle pile :) 

Krys Pettit Original Artwork

Where's the Fun in That?

I study with a very proficient oil painter once a week.  For me this is weekly journey of challenges and anxiety, reversing my thinking process of creating a piece of art in another medium.  After 20-plus years as a watercolor artist I decided it was time to step up and learn a new medium.

So when an associate happily told me to "Have Fun!" as I set off to my lesson I had to wonder if this was really a way to have fun.  Art, as much as it is a joyous activity, also can be hellacious on the creator.  When you begin making art you are just gosh-darned thrilled to put lines, shapes, color on paper or canvas. And it may be all you ever wanted to do.  But if you are really committed, dedicated to making art, those blobs of color will never satisfy you enough.

You want more. You want to get better. You discipline yourself to work daily.  You take lessons and read and learn from the masters.  You want to explore and perfect your way of telling a story. You challenge yourself.  You throw out more than you keep.  You wonder what the heck possesses you to keep doing this, to add to the stacks of paper and canvases, to the pile of curiously squeezed tubes of paint, to the seductive smell of linseed oil in your studio.  And often you ask yourself why you continue to do this.

Maybe this is my idea of fun.  With just a little insanity thrown in.

“If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful at all.” Michelangelo 

Discover more of my work at my website http://www.kryspettit.com/

Endless Possibilities

Endless Possibilities

Colors in a tube.  Little morsels of visual joy.  Waiting to be opened, exposed, mixed, spread, splattered.  Creamy and watery, thick and gooey, dark and light.  Random ingredients in a planned recipe for art.  Choose one or all.  It's a visual feast.

Krys Pettit Original Artwork