Happy Holidays!

I wish all of you a peaceful and relaxing holiday season, and a prosperous and joyful 2012!

Pomegranate watercolors

Sometimes the freedom of watercolor really results in clear fresh paintings.  The oil painting I posted before this is rich and full feeling, while the watercolor versions are more delicate.

Enjoy!

6x6" each- watercolor on vellum NFS

Pomegranates!

Holiday Pomegranate!  I was commissioned to paint pomegranates and have had such fun doing it!  This is the first of several I produced while the fruit was still fresh.  Watercolors will follow in another post.

oil on canvas 8x10"  NFS

Progress on the needlework!

The first image I am including in this post is of my painting "Red Umbrella" partially stitched!  I am so excited to see it coming to life with linen and floss!  Below the stitched version I have included the painting so you can see how the paintings translate.

More to come- and now that the Somerville Open Studios is over, I will be preparing for the RISD Alumni Sale.  The alumni sale is a great show to come to if you have December 3rd free.  I will be showing many paintings and hopefully have a few of the cross stitch pieces finished and ready to show.  The patterns for the cross stitch pieces will be available to purchase later this winter.

Nine Stones Update

Please take a moment to look at my new website for the cross stitch collection I am creating!
I have added the images of the paintings I am converting into cross stitch patterns. Let me know what you think!
 www.ninestonesneedlework.com

Boulangerie St. Louis

This painting may get a few more tweeks, but I wanted to post it anyhow!  This was one of the bakeries we could walk to on the Ile St. Louis in Paris.  The almond croissants were actually heavy because of all of the almond paste and butter in them!  This painting is the fourth in the Paris series, and will definitely be converted to a cross stitch pattern in the very near future!

$200.00

Stitching a painting

Here are images of the magical transformation of my paintings into needle working patterns- cross stitch to be exact. The painting I am starting with is my snow covered house piece.  I am planning on using tiny glass beads to accentuate the highlights of snow and the red berries in the wreath.  The sage colored linen will help the overall tone of the finished work.

I will post more as I progress!

Flour

I thought I would mix things up a bit and have interrupted my Paris series to start a recipe series.  Each painting will be an ingredient or two of a recipe.  To begin with, I chose to paint the flour!

 oil on canvas
8x8" $200.00

Stitching, blogging and tweeting

I have found that stitching in my free moments is a truly satisfying experience.  I feel a deep need to work with my hands and block out the rest of the world whenever possible.  When I am not stitching, I must admit, I am tweeting and playing on Pinterest!  If you have a visual bone in your body, I would recommend looking at www.pinterest.com.  Good fun- really!
Above is the logo for my needlework business.  More to come on that endeavor soon!

Thank you for following!

Creative Connection

I spent the past 3 days at a conference of sorts.  It was really like camp for artists and makers.  The Creative Connection is a new gathering, only two years old, where successful, interesting and talented women from all over the world gather to share their experiences, give advise and support one another.  It is incredibly helpful to know that you are not the only one out there and that you are not the first woman to try something and stumble along the way.

I am re-energized and believe that I have some new tools which will help me to spread the word about my blog, art and life.  My newest project is very exciting.  I am translating some of my small paintings into cross stitch patterns.  I have researched extensively and found that most of the offerings in the market for stitchers have a very folky feel to them.  I am putting a contemporary spin on them and reaching out to the younger generations who are looking for a way to relax, decompress, and "single task" for a while. The image I have attached is an example of what it might look like to stitch one of my paintings. 
More to come- I will be posting information once the patterns and kits are ready to sell!

Paris Shop Window

I just love this picture.  We did a lot of window shopping that day, as it was Assention Day in Paris which meant that the shops in this particular neighborhood (and many others) were unexpectedly  closed.  But what a blessing because I captured this great photograph!
Tomorrow I hope to post about my weekend at thew Creative Connection.  I am so full with inspiration from amazing women that I need another day to decide how to tell about it.

Red Umbrella

This is the second in the series of Parisian cafe paintings.  I love the play of the lime green against the red in this shot!  And they served wonderful espresso as well!

100.00 

Our window view on the Ile San Louis

This was the one painting I did while in Paris.  Sitting in our living room, I especially enjoyed looking out through the flower boxes and down onto the street at the hustle and bustle of life on the Ile St. Louis.  I decided I had to capture it while I was experiencing it!

watercolor on arches 6x10"

NFS

Paris Catacombs

Paris is sitting on top of miles and miles of underground tunnels known as stone mines.  In the late eighteenth century the bones of approximately 6 million Parisians was moved down into these mines.  The result is astounding.  The bones were carefully arranged, so they almost look like lace patterns.  Quite beautiful.  I have always had a strange love of graveyards and bones- so this was a highlight of our trip for me!

Paris Love!

I am going to post some of my favorite photos from Paris occasionally for fun!  Paris is a truly magical city- inspirational, beautiful, and delicious!  This shot not only captures a nice play of the sun and the Eiffel Tower, but it also shows you the closest I got to the top!  The crowds waiting to go up were amazing- we skipped the trip to the peak and rented bikes to ride along the Seine instead!

French Cafe

This is the first in a series of small paintings I am doing from the photos I took while in Paris this spring.  I was enchanted by the attention given to window boxes in Paris- geraniums being the most popular!

Ginkgo Trees in peak Autumn colors

The other day, a friend said- It doesn't matter how many years I have been alive- I am always amazed at how much color comes out in spring!
With all of the beautiful spring color, I remembered this scene from the fall and decided to paint it.

oil on canvas 8x10" 100.00

Celebration Cupcake!

Today felt like a day to eat a cupcake- and paint it too! This cupcake is so special that it got it's very own clear plastic box!

8x8" SOLD

Thank You

I wanted to take a minute and thank everyone who came to open studios this past weekend. Welcome to all of the new people signed up for my blog too! I apologize for not posting, but we have a virus that we are desperately trying to clear out of our computer. Once that is resolved, regular posts will begin again!

Yellow House

OK- trying to get back into the swing of things.

This painting happened in several stages, and when the yellow color got added, it suddenly sang!I'm very happy with this one.

Don't forget- Open Studios this weekend! Stop by to see some of the work from this blog in person- there will be candy! :)

8x8" oil on canvas 100.00

OPEN STUDIOS!

Please join me for Somerville Open Studios this weekend at my studio at 6 Vernon Street: Saturday and Sunday, April 30 and May 1, from 12-6.

At the Vernon Street studios alone there are over 100 artists in two buildings. I'll have dozens of paintings for sale in the $75.00-125.00 range, as well as a selection of larger architectural paintings.

My studio is on the 3rd floor of 6 Vernon Street, down the hall on the left. The studio building, Rogers Foam, is at the corner of Vernon and Central Streets--Central comes off Highland Ave. halfway between Davis Square and McGrath Highway.

Directions: www.vernonstreet.com/directions.html
Vernon Street website: www.vernonstreet.com.
Somerville Open Studios: www.somervilleopenstudios.org

There is on street parking, and parking in back as well.

You may view my artwork at www.kimberlybecker.comand of course here on this blog as well.

A friend of my, Brian Killeen, who is also a Daily Painter will be showing in my space as well.

Hope to see you this weekend,

Kimberly

Tipped Over

I am using the fruit theme to get things going- slow as it may be! I love pears- the many colors and textures they have- and the fact that one is always tippy!

Oil on canvas
8x8"
100.00

2 Apples

Hey Everyone! Sorry for the long pause between posts, but hopefully I will be back to posting at least a few times a week now!

Two red apples- a nice way to jumpstart my work again.

oil on canvas- 8x8" 100.00

Two Meyer Lemons

Hey all- I am back. Things have been crazy here- snow, snow and more snow! I finally pulled out my watercolors and worked for a bit today between sessions of chiseling ice off of the sidewalk!

Watercolor on arches paper, 6x12"

50.00

Visions of Sugarplums...

I shot this picture with my iphone while walking to pick up my daughter on a snowy evening after 20" of snow blanketed our town. I loved the glow of the lights and the whiteness of the snow against the dark house. I imagine a warm fire burning in the fireplace inside!
I am very proud of this tiny painting!

6x6" oil on panel 100.00 SOLD

More Tomatoes!

These are so summery looking, and with 30 inches of snow outside, a little reminder of summer is helpful!

oil on board, 6x6" 100.00

Cambridge home sketch

I am finally finding a rhythm with my work, and now we have a blizzard coming our way! Shoveling tomorrow, painting after that!
This is the first stage of the next house painting in the tattooing series. I begin with a charcoal drawing to which I then apply a light oil turpentine wash. This step sets the tone for the piece.
I have had several requests for more of these, so here I go! This one is oil on canvas- 8x10".

More to come...

Peeled Tangerine

The skin of this tangerine was as red as the painting indicates- beautiful!
I follow a blog by the artist Jullian Merrow-Smith- www.shiftinglight.com. He never ceases to inspire me. This painting is directly influenced by his recent orange paintings.

8x10" oil on canvas 100.00

Lemons in netted bag

Do you know what kind of bag this is? The netted bag that they put fruit in at the grocery store? I was drawn to the idea of things within something else. I hope it comes across that way to you.

8x8" oil on canvas 100.00

Four Vine Tomatoes

Trying to get back in the swing of things- not so easy! I was excited to put the first '11 with my signature though! And thanks to Whole Foods for coming through with beautiful produce, even in January!

oil on canvas 8x8" 100.00