Karen Rike's Studio

Columbus Charolais

2012-01-23T06:03:00.001-06:00

I've been struggling with my painting for almost a year now. The last few months I have been working a little more trying to get my confidence back. This posting is of a painting that I thought was finished until I opened the photo this morning. The photo shows so many things that are wrong .. not all that I know how to fix... (or am I just too lazy?) Anyway, I am fortunate enough to have had a work shop with Rusty Jones and he encouraged us to send him paintings for him to critique. That, I have done and I am now waiting to hear back from him.

Victory Alpaca Ranch

2012-01-22T07:48:00.005-06:00

This painting of the Victory Alpaca Ranch in Moire, New Mexico is one that I have been working on for months. It is a peaceful setting and I do believe I have conveyed that in the painting. I would consider it finished, but of course, I see things that aren't just right, but I am not really sure how to correct them. I'm open to suggestions. All that being said, I am happy with it.... but not enough to enter it in any juried exhibits.

Anchored

2012-01-21T14:15:00.000-06:00

This is an 8 x 6 Ray Mar canvas panel. It was my entry back into getting paint on a canvas. It is naive, but I did it! And I did it in about 1hour.

My husband had worked into the morning so he was going to be sleeping most of this particular Saturday. I received and email with an attachment of a beautiful painting. I knew that I had to get back to painting, so I through on some clothes and with no makeup ... I ran down to the studio and just started laying paint on the canvas. I felt so GOOD!

I purposely had not posted it at the time I painted it because I didn't feel it worthy of the space on the internet, but since I have set my goals and put them out there for everyone to see, I decided the painting need to be posted.

A New Year

2012-01-21T10:18:00.005-06:00

The New Year has begun and I am slowly working on making it a great year. One of the things I am hoping for is that I get back to painting and make great improvements on my skill as an artist.

I took a Plein Air workshop with Rusty Jones this past November. It was fabulous and I felt like I learned a lot. Now I must put it all into practice. He is a great inspiration.

Another inspiration was the goals of Daily Paintworks artist Jacki Newell. I edited her list to fit my goals. Hopefully, by putting them out there, I will reach them.

Goals for 2012

1. Paint a small daily painting days a week, at least.

2. Paint 1 or more large paintings a month.

3. Plein Air paint every Friday.

4. Write in my blog a least 4 evenings a week.

5. Spend time editing photos for future paintings in the evenings.

6. Attend a workshop of a painter that I admire

7. Participate in plein air competions this year

8. Paint with other new artists more often.

9. Keep the clutter out of my workspace and out of my mind.

10. Go to new locations to take reference photos and/or paint Plein Air

11. Paint on DFW Streets

12. PAINT EVERYDAY

Studio Art and Soul at The Wine Therapist - Opening Reception Sept 24, 6 pm

2010-09-21T12:22:00.002-05:00

Studio Art and Soul at The Texas Discovery Garden

2010-09-01T12:46:00.000-05:00

Shelling on St. Croix

2010-08-14T17:54:00.005-05:00

This painting from a VERY old photo. The photo was taken on St. Croix in the USVI around 1981. I came across it a little while ago realizing it would make a great painting. The figure is looking for shells in Great Pond Bay on the Southern shore of St. Croix.

The painting is oil on gallery wrapped canvas 12x12.

Art & Soul at The Wine Therapist

2010-04-27T11:32:00.004-05:00

The Studio Art & Soul exhibit at The Wine Therapist will be hanging until June 11. If you are in Dallas please visit The Wine Therapist located on Skillman @ Live Oak.

Arroyo Seco Pottery Studio

2010-04-10T08:59:00.009-05:00

Arroyo Seco, is one of my favorite places to visit when in New Mexico. This pottery studio is one a several unique shops in this small village. I wish I could say to painted this En Plein Air, but I didn't. The photo I used was taken a few summers ago. The perfect time of day. Shadows and light.... PERFECT! Painting is much easier when the light is right.
9x12 oil on gallery wrap canvas - $100.00

Mooo ments

2010-03-15T20:37:00.008-05:00

This might have been one of those paintings that was a little easier. After all... you would have thought there was a lighting director...(there wasn't) and you might have thought the cows had a wrangler.... (there wasn't). This photo reference was from an outing with my artist buddies last year. We all met in Columbus, TX.. and three of us took off for the morning. We found these wonderful cows. The sun was in the perfect position... and the cows were as curious about us as we were about them. GREAT models. All three of us have benefitted greatly using these photos as reference for some fabulous paintings.

For me.. I AM very proud of this painting. After all... when my husband sees a painting at the studio and wants me to bring it home.. I know it is a good painting.

9x12 oil on canvas - $100.00 (unframed)

Struttin'

2010-01-30T07:01:00.007-06:00

Another crow to add to this series. I got this shot at a great time of day. The light and shadows were perfect. A flock of crows had just flown in to this spot and allowed me to snap several shots of them.

I feel like I am improving with these crows. I really like my soft edges, which is always a challenge for me.

This might be might favorite crow.

A View en Plein Air

2010-01-29T07:47:00.006-06:00

Suzy Moritz, Kay Wyne and I spent a beautiful day at the Dallas Arboretum painting. (We couldn't convince anyone else from the studio to join us for a plein air day.) This was a new experience for me. Painting en Plein Air. It was a lot of fun... but a whole new challenge. I attempted another painting with a LOT OF STUFF going on in it.... it was a "wiper". So I moved to another location which allowed a more simple view that was of White Rock Lake. Using a pallet knife, I chose to do an abstract of the lake. I know.. this is REALLY simple, but come on... I'm new at this and have had no formal instruction.

I did enjoy the experience and can't wait for the next outing. This day was a beautiful day at the Dallas Arboretum even though there was very little in bloom and most trees were bare.

I will improve because I will persist in getting it with plein air. I will eventually paint a painting that has detail in it.

Crow on The Green

2010-01-21T15:04:00.009-06:00

Well.. I seem to be back in the groove. I would like to do a series of more crows. I do love painting them.

After my last crow "Struttin'"... I am thinking this guy needs to be redone.

San Miguel de Allende - The End of the Day

2010-01-17T08:13:00.008-06:00

My my.... I haven't posted since October. I have worked on some paintings that I haven't been pleased with.. but mostly I have been working with this new painting.

This is a painting I have been trying to develope for several years. The photo is one I took while in San Miguel de Allende. I quickly took the photo ... afraid I would lose this woman with SO much character as she turned the corner. I had no idea of the scene... just the woman. When I looked at the photo, I was amazed at the whole scene. The colors you see are the true colors of that scene. The light cast on the wall is what we, as artists, are always looking for.

San Miguel de Allende is one of the most beautiful cities I have visited. I wander who is in charge of the pallet used to paint the city's buildings. Obviously, an artist.

24 x 36 oil on canvas

Google Street View - Belfast, Northern Ireland

2009-10-29T14:46:00.002-05:00

I painted this from the Google Map Street View as a challenge from Bill Guffey's VirtualPaintout. I don't know why I wait until the end of the month (when the challenge is almost finished). At least I painted it.

San Miguel de Allende Street

2009-09-30T10:53:00.006-05:00

San Miguel de Allende is a wonderful city in Mexico. The buildings are brightly colored. The streets invite painters to come and paint the many neighborhoods. The people are beautiful ... each is a painting. This street is in a residential neighborhood. (One of many that have been painted or is waiting to be painted.)
10 x 10 oil on gallery wrap canvas

$95.00
Buy it now

Encaustic Landscape

2009-09-15T23:09:00.007-05:00

I'm working on my encaustic blog. It has taken a while for the weather to allow me to produce new work for the blog. Fortunately, the weather has been great ... The last few days I have been able to open the studio for ventilation and heat up the wax. This landscape/abstract was a piece that I finished and was very happy with.

$35.00

16th Edition Island Art and Soul Calendar

2009-09-10T07:17:00.010-05:00

I have gathered the images within the calendar and posting so that you can look inside the calendar. Even better, you can click on the link to Island Art and Soul to access each image individually.
Island Art and Soul, the 16th edition of Fine Caribbean art will be ready for shipping shortly. There are 13 images, ready for framing! Artists from the USVI, Puerto Rico and Culebra! The proceeds from the sale of the calendar benefit the Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts located on St. Croix, USVI.

The calendar has been a passion of mine for the 16 years it has been published. The last 9 or 10 years, I have had the pleasure to be a promoter.

Order the 2010 Calendar

Soho Crying - My interpretation of the William Kentridge drawing

2009-08-29T07:20:00.006-05:00

This week I visited The Modern in Fort Worth. The current exhibit is "William Kentridge: Five Themes". It was my first introduction to the South African Artist. I sketched his drawing "Soho Crying" Drawing for the film Stereoscope. Visiting this type of exhibit is always a good time for me to exercise my drawing skills. I seem to forget how much I enjoy drawing.

If you are in the Dallas/Fort Worth area between now and Sept. 27, you should plan to visit the exhibit at the Modern.

Building Sand Castles - The first of a new blog

2009-08-09T08:47:00.006-05:00

I'm posting this painting to introduce my new blog Beach Paintings. The beach has been one of my favorite vacation destination most of my life, but living in Dallas, it isn't as easy to get to the beach as I would like. I hope to catalog my memories of the beach with new paintings.

This painting was painted after a great vacation with my long time friend and her daughters and granddaughter. Sabre (the granddaughter) loved this painting of her and has proudly hung it in her room (the best compliment ever).

Arroyo Seco Mercantile Truck #2 - Taos, NM

2009-07-26T19:36:00.001-05:00

This truck has been parked outside the Mercantile store in Arroyo Seco, NM. Everytime I have visited, I have tried to get a better photograph. I've painted it several times. This particular view, I've painted once before, in a smaller version. When it sold, my husband was disappointed, so I painted it for him, a little larger...(8 x 8) and I think a little better.

I'm traveling to New Mexico next week and I hope to see the pickup truck again. I have heard they moved it to the other side of the store, making it difficult to get a good shot of it. I hope it has been moved back to a proper photo location.

Different Strokes from Different Folks Challenge

2009-07-23T19:15:00.005-05:00

This is a painting I painted for the Different Strokes from Different Folks challenge. I thought I would pass when I first saw the photo that Karin Jurick posted. It was a boring image of a figure. I just didn't find it interesting at all. Then I realized that that made it even more of a challenge and an exercise that I should make myself do. I'm glad I did it. Finding the recipe for the black flesh was an exercise of its own. I think I did a pretty good job. I've included a copy of the photo.

Taos Magpie

2009-07-09T09:09:00.004-05:00

I'm not sure which I am more fascinated, magpies or crows. Living in Texas, I do see crows, but not magpies. Luckily, my last trip to Taos, I managed to take a LOT of pictures of magpies. They seem to be very happy to have their pictures taken. Slowly, I am working on painting each magpie that allowed me to take their picture. 6x6 Oil on Ray Mar canvas panel.
$50.00
Buy this painting.

Rower in Michigan - Different Strokes From Different Folks

2009-07-08T07:09:00.007-05:00

This is my first contribution to the Different Stroke from Differenet Folks. It is a fun exercise. This "challenge" was a good exercise for me. I've never painted water before.... and although I love having people in my paintings... painting them small is a huge challenge.

Via di San Vito, Florence, Italy - Google Street View

2009-06-24T15:13:00.008-05:00

Do to the painter's block I skipped the "Paris" Virtual Paintout assigned in May, so I was anxious to do this month's Florence Google Streets for the June Virtual Paintout. This landscape painting of a field of olive trees was a good exercise for me.

I love my little vacations while on Google Streets. I could plan a trip like no other. I have become addicted to Google Street Views. My husband will walk in while I am on the computer and automatically asks, "And ... where are we now?" This weekend... I discovered the countryside of the South of France. OMG.... I have never been... but am so ready to go more than I have ever been.

Texas Longhorn - Black and White

2009-06-24T14:54:00.004-05:00

I have been in a serious painter's block the last month or so. I am feeling better, but am still looking for exercises to strengthen my creativity. Hopefully, the worse is over. This 8 x 8 oil painting is an exercise I did to try to break out of the block. It did help.

This Black and White Texas Longhorn is painted from a photo from a trip I took this spring to with my favorite painting buddies in and around Columbus, Texas. This was an unusual Longhorn in that he allowed me to take his picture. It seemed the Longhorns in the part of central Texas are very shy and really don't like to have their pictures taken.

Amsterdam Headshop - Google Street Scene

2009-04-29T14:25:00.007-05:00

This painting is one I have been working on to post to the Virtual Paintout blog. It has been a great exercise for me. What fun I have been having. First, trying to find the perfect google street scene, then to accomplish the painting.

Now that I have taken the photo of the painting I can see all the mistakes. MOSTLY... I left the "D" off of HEADSHOP. Well.. either I will fix it or just call it "Heashop".

My good friend and studio partner Carol Morgan also finished her painting and submitted it this morning. What a great job she did on it. I admire her painting style and skill.

I can't wait until the new city is announced.

Thanks to Bill Guffey for organizing the Virtual Paintout.

Taos Watering Hole

2009-04-08T16:06:00.005-05:00

These were two magpies that landed in the courtyard of a Taos house I rented with several artists. The magpies were very cooperative to let us take photos... (unlike the crows of Taos).

Click Here to Buy

Carol Marine's Panel Holder

2009-03-25T07:21:00.005-05:00

This is the Carol Marine panel holder and it is now available for sale. It allows you to paint small canvas panels from edge to edge without the interference of the lips of an easel.

Buy it now.

Tagged

2009-03-19T06:40:00.011-05:00

I was tagged by Austin Artist, Deborah Thomas, I am so flattered. By tagging me, she is saying she thinks my blog is fabulous. I always enjoy looking for Deborah's newest painting. I wish I lived in Austin so I could be one of her regular painting buddies. Visit her blog.

This tag asks me to list five favorite blogs, tell five things about myself and list the rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you
2. Post the rules in your blog
3. Write five random things about yourself
4. Tag random people at the end of your post, with links
5. Let each person know they've been tagged

Five random things about me:

1. I have 2 grown daughters, Ashley and Kiki, and a fabulous husband who is my biggest supporter.
2. In the 90's I owned a gallery in the Uptown Dallas neighborhood (K. Rike Gallery).
3. I'm an "Aramco Brat" having lived in Saudi Arabia in the 50's.
4. I sometimes think it would be fun to be certified sommelier.
5. I dream of being healthy and fit, but seem to have a hard time do my part to make that happen.

My five tag picks:

2009-03-18T15:55:00.006-05:00

This is from a photo I took while in Taos at a workshop. We were told to go out in the morning and find shadows. The painting took a little more than a day. I've tried painting her several times, each being a wipe off until this time. It was fun.

12 x 12 oil on gallery wrap canvas unframed - $95.00 + Shipping
Click Here to Buy

Taos Magpie #2

2009-03-02T21:20:00.016-06:00

This Magpie landed in the courtyard of a house I was renting with several other artist. The magpie was accompanied by several other magpies. Fortunately, they were very receptive to having their pictures taken (unlike the crows of Taos).

What character these beautiful birds have.

Today, I finished painting this study. Just so I could feel that I had accomplish a "Painting a day".

Buy this painting from my shopping cart using your PayPal account.

$50.00 Buy now

Crow

2009-02-12T19:54:00.009-06:00

This crow was spotted last spring around Dallas' Whiterock Lake. One of several that I have painted, but the first time to paint one this fast. I love the way the light hits the feathers revealing their blue color. I haven't attempted plein air painting yet... but since this is from a photograph.... is it called digital plein air?

6x8 unframed - $50.00 + Shipping
Click Here to Buy

One Stroke Mango

2009-02-10T08:43:00.002-06:00

This a painting I did while attending a Carol Marine workshop. It was and exercise of loading your brush one time to make one stroke. We were instructed to not mix on the canvas. After each stroke was laid on the canvas we took our brushed back to the palette to either grab more paint or mix more paint. It was terribly hard to not go with my natural tendancy to blend.

Three Mangoes

2009-02-08T21:50:00.008-06:00

The mango fruit is one of my favorite fruit to eat. As well, I enjoy looking at them whether in a painting or on my kitchen table. Each mango seems to be unique with its color variations. You can expect many more mango paintings on this blog.

6x8 unframed - $50.00 + Shipping
Click Here to Buy

New Mexico Sage

2009-02-06T07:47:00.002-06:00

The photo I painted from was taken out from Taos in November. The sage bushes are beautiful at the time.

Study - Lemons and Limes

2009-02-05T08:18:00.004-06:00

I painted this while attending the Carol Marine workshop in Salado. It was a quick study I painted before class started. There are a lot of things wrong with it, but for some reason I really like it.

Peppers

2009-02-05T08:00:00.006-06:00

This painting of jalapenos was one that I did during Carol Marine's workshop at Andreeva Portrait Academy.

6x8 unframed - $50.00 + Shipping
Click Here to Buy

Arroyo Seco Mercantile Truck - Taos, NM

2009-02-01T12:24:00.007-06:00

This painting was done from a photograph I had taken while in Arroyo Seco, NM. The truck is a landmark at the Mercantile Store. If you have visited Arroyo Seco, you have seen this truck.