HOME • PAINTINGS • ABOUT • WORKSHOPS • NEWS • EXHIBITIONS • GALLERIES •
Kathleen Elsey’s fauve painting is juried in to the National Association of Women Artists’ New York City Annual Exhibition.
July 11 – August 28, 2013
 Kathleen Elsey's fauve painting, "Mediterranean Beach at Sunset" is on it's way to New York City. As a Fauve, often I make up the colors or exaggerate the colors. This is what I love about painting. I can work fast, spontaneously while I search for colors and shapes. It is this impression of what I see and feel that I want to transform into paint.
I have been a signature artist member of the National Association of Women Artists for fourteen years and always enjoy the opportunities to exhibit paintings with them. N. A. W. A. was founded in 1889 by five innovative painters. At that time they called it the Women’s Art Club. In 1913 they changed the name to the National Association of Women Artists, Inc. Many recognized women artists have been associated with N. A. W. A. including Mary Cassatt, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, Louise Nevelson, Alice Neel, Miriam Shapiro, and many others. The purpose of the Association is to promote culture and education in the visual arts through exhibitions of members’ works, lectures, workshops, art demonstrations, scholarships, awards and other educational programs.
Below are some one-minute videos I have made in my studio discussing my painting process. I am always learning and enjoy sharing my thoughts, tools and techniques with you whether it be studio art or plein air. Select any of the thumbnails below to watch a two or three minute video.
   
May Mountain Meadow by Kathleen Elsey 30” x 24”
To the right you see the 25-stroke color study on paper painted on location before beginning this larger painting.
The color study helps me to see what is important for me to have in the painting.
The Mountain
I remember my first peaceful night during a recent stay on Sonoma Mountain where I lived for many years. That mountain has claimed me. Sometimes I think I AM the mountain. The hooting owls, the croaking frogs sing in surround sound. I bond with them all. The stars are the only sound tonight. I woke up but nothing woke me. No creatures, no whispering trees, no sound, no footsteps, no movement. I guess the stars woke me. Or maybe the darkness woke me. Maybe the comfort woke me. Now the horizon is coming alive with flickering lights and movement. The sky is waking with Prussian blue overhead and cerulean blue over the band of dark purple fog. The stars are fading making room for today. The owl is quieting. Now there is red and a yellow streak in the purple horizon. One last ribbit. No followers answer the lone frog. Today is coming alive. Looking east waiting for the sunrise the air fills with pink light and the owl is in the distance sounding a little timid. This is what it is like just before dawn.
This is what inspires me to make bright and colorful plein air paintings such as Valdez in the Hondo Valley and Peaceful Valley with Cows.
|
|
His & Hers
Open Studio in Santa Barbara, California
Kathleen & Victor Elsey will have open their studio open two weekends June 22 - 23 and June 29 - 30. Victor will be exhibiting his new abstract paintings as wel as his cakes and travel paintings. The couple, retired from the advertising days, have been painting, drawing and exhibiting together for the past fifteen years. Lots of paintings will come out of the closet and be shown for the first time. You will see Kathleen's fauve paintings,  and both artists’ figure drawings. More details here.
Kathleen’s very fauve painting, Parade, is in the twenty-year celebration at Casa Gallery in Santa Barbara, California.
"Parade" As a studio artist, many of my paintings are begun on location with sketches or photos, then painted in my studio. This painting took a few months to complete. Kathleen Elsey
We are celebrating life in paradise and 20 years of arts coverage at CASA Magazine. Join the 20 year birthday party with the CASA team and a whole bunch of Santa Barbara’s most fantastic and fun painters and studio artists. More details about this painting exhibition here.
Four Fellow Fauves
Pierre Mori, a fellow member of the NewFauves.com, recently visited California from his home in Montmorency, France. We had a four fauve reunion in Los Osos with our founder and most generous story-telling fun-loving California fauve host, Ken Christensen. I had the opportunity of touring Ken’s art studio chock full of his newest and most colorful works.
"Windy Day on the Bay," painted plein air in Los Osos, California I have long admired Pierre’s Fauvist paintings, the colors, and the story that they tell. It was an exciting and motivating weekend, getting to know Pierrre and Susan Dunker and Ken as the four of us talked into the wee hours of the morning about inspiration, paint and our love of the early twentieth century Fauves. I painted the above canvas that weekend in Los Osos on an extremely energetic windy Sunday with a heart full of fauve friendship.
”J’ai beaucoup apprécié nos amies new fauves et leurs travaux. En particulier la palette, les couleurs, la poésie des travaux de Kathleen Elsey. En ce qui concerne tes travaux, je t'en ai déjà dit beaucoup de bien, et à la réflexion je persiste. Tes couleurs plus chaudes donnent du mouvement aux scènes, leur donnent de la vie. Bref le talent des new fauves donne plus de force encore à notre amitié.” Pierre Mori
Brain Power
It has been proven scientifically that the brain is improved by listening to music — studying pitch and tone as a musician does. Could it also be true that studying color, value and shapes through sensitive eyes, looking harder and learning to see as an artist does, can improve your brain quality and visual senses? I think so.
I look at the landscape thinking of the colors and values I am about to paint. Will it be dark and moody full of rich reds and browns, or will it be light and bright? I sketch the scene discovering more and more about what is before me. Finally, I pick up the brush and take off with paint. Sometimes I do a 25-stroke painting study. As a Fauve, I allow myself to make up colors or exaggerate colors. This is what I love about painting. It is this impression of what I feel that I want to transform into paint. This is what painting really is.
© 2013 All photos and content of this website are protected by U.S. & International copyright laws. They MAY NOT BE USED for reproduction in any manner without written authorization from Kathleen Elsey. They may NOT be used for Pinterest, blogs or any other social media. Unauthorized usage is stealing, not sharing. Unauthorized reproduction or usage is prohibited by the Copyright law and will be prosecuted. If an infringement is discovered, you will be notified and invoiced the industry-standard fee for unauthorized usage and prosecuted for Copyright Infringement in U S Federal Court which will subject you to a fine of US $100,000.00 statutory damages, court costs and our attorneys' fees.
|
