Marsh Creek

It's two years (and a bit) since the last blog post here, so let me quote Mark Twain and say
"The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."
But I'M PAINTING AGAIN, finally!
Much has happened in the two years passed, including changing residence to a brand new house and suffering through its construction, and getting our place ready for starting an art school at our almost 20 acre ranch just north of Florence Texas. But as for the most recent painting .... well, lets just say:

I'm lucky enough to have a cousin who's lucky enough to have a girlfriend who's lucky enough to have a really nice camera and she was lucky enough to get a very nice photo at the Marsh Creek recreation area north of Downingtown, PA and she gave me permission to "spin off" from her photo. When I saw her photo I thought ... "limited palette, simple layout, just what I need to ease back into the painting groove again."

Marsh Creek

9 x 12"
Oil on Stretched Canvas
$150 US + $8.00 S&H

Click this button to Purchase "Marsh Creek"

If you're interested in learning more about our art school at Painted Views Ranch, visit the post about our first class that was held in November, 2015, or you can visit the Facebook page for the school. If you're a teaching artist and want to schedule a class in 2016, send an email to paintedviewsranch@gmail.com.

And if you're not already subscribed to this blog, just scroll up and at the top of the right hand column you'll find the place where you can subscribe your email address.

Still Life - The Martyrdom of St. Dunkin'

The Martyrdom of St. Dunkin'
16" x 8" - oil on canvas
SOLD!

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This was a tough painting to do. Not the actual painting part, but staring at that doughnut! Who would have thought that one little cinnamon doughnut would make my whole studio smell like a bakery??? I kept wanting to rip it off the string and gobble it up!!! The set up in my shadowbox was looking quite boring until I added the napkin. Once I'd hit upon the title, picking the color of the napkin was a slam dunk. Ooooh. Bad pun, sorry.

A gallery owner told me about a collector looking for artwork with coffee related themes. I suppose I could have painted a quick cuppa coffee, but you know me. "If it's easy, anybody could do it." So I had to think for a while to come up with something really unique. There's even some symbolism included here, like the red for the martyr and the 13 coils of "rope" in the hangman's noose.

So, what do you think?
Did I succeed in creating something unusual?

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Visit Kirk Witmer Fine Art

Email the artist at: khwitmer@juno.com

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If you'd like to get advance notice of my upcoming works before they're even listed at auction, click here to submit your email.

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From Italy

A trip to Birmingham Alabama in the spring of 2010 found me at the Birmingham Art Museum where I took a picture of a very large landscape that was painted a long time ago. I've removed the figures that were bathing in the pool at the bottom. I'm just not ready to show the world my efforts at figure painting yet. Unfortunately I can't remember the title or the artist and I can't find it on the B-ham Museum's website. So I can't give you any names for the inspiration for what I've done here. If any of my artist friends might know ... HELP!!! :)

Oil on Canvas - 9 x 12"
Next time I paint something with this many details I'll choose a larger canvas!!!
I pulled out a lot of stops on this one to get better effects. Including the use of glazing to correct the values of the architecture to make them recede visually and to add in the mists rising from the waters. That was the fun part! :)

Click the button to buy this painting
US$160 + $8 s+h

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Visit Kirk Witmer Fine Art

Email the artist at: khwitmer@juno.com

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If you'd like to get advance notice of my upcoming works before
they're even listed at auction, click here to submit your email.

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The Barley Harvest, landscape w/ figures by Kirk Witmer

18 x 24" - oil on stretched canvas
This is the third in my Dorchester series. Like the first two, I've relied on lighting to set the mood and figures to tell a story. This one is obviously in bright sunlight across the landscape, which explains why, before the days of sunblocking lotions, the ladies are wearing clothes that will protect them from the sun as they work.

Click the button to buy
US$ 495 + $ 35 s&h

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Visit Kirk Witmer Fine Art

Email the artist at: khwitmer@juno.com

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If you'd like to get advance notice of my upcoming works before
they're even listed at auction, click here to submit your email.

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Country Lane, landscape by Kirk Witmer

18x24" - oil on stretched canvas

Click the button to buy
US$ 450 + $18 s&h

There is a 6x8" artist's "study" done before this painting was started,
that will be included at no additional cost as part of the purchase of this work.

This is the second in my Dorchester series. It shows us a young lady on the road, going from the sunlight into the darkness of an uncertain future.
Here's the screen capture that became my source photo for this painting. It's easy to see I've made a lot of changes, starting with the widesecreen format! But overall I think the changes have improved the composition and provided for more excitement in the finished work.

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Visit Kirk Witmer Fine Art

Email the artist at: khwitmer@juno.com

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If you'd like to get advance notice of my upcoming works before
they're even listed at auction, click here to submit your email.

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The Turnip Harvesters, landscape painting by Kirk Witmer

You may recall my Study for a Future Landscape, posted back in April. Well this is the finished piece and the study will be included at no extra charge for the collector who purchases this work.
Imagine Dorchester, England during The Long Depression of the late 1800's. This is the first in a series of paintings, all of which are inspired by a movie set in that time and place. I've made some changes from what I saw in the movie to improve the composition and enhance the mood.

18x24" - Oil on canvas
Click the button to buy - US$480 + $35 s&h

And here's the screen capture upon which The Turnip Harvesters is based.

I'll be posting more info on the series soon. Stay tuned.
Hopefully what I've done here is a little more interesting visually than what you would see when watching the movie. What do you think?

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Visit Kirk Witmer Fine Art

Email the artist at: khwitmer@juno.com

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If you'd like to get advance notice of my upcoming works before
they're even listed at auction, click here to submit your email.

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What Lies Ahead?

6x8" - Oil on Archival canvas panel

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This was done from a black and white photo, so those were the only two colors I used, black and white. I believe the photo was taken back during the Great Depression of the 1930's. I'd guess the man here would probably be thinking about how he's going to find some work. Maybe this image isn't as untimely as we might think.

Click the button to buy - US$39 + $5 s&h

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Visit Kirk Witmer Fine Art

Email the artist at: khwitmer@juno.com

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If you'd like to get advance notice of my upcoming works before they're even listed at auction, click here to submit your email.

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A Promise of Spring

6 x 8" - Oil on archival canvas panel
The last of winter melts away to reveal the onset of spring. This was especially difficult to paint because the drop of water kept falling off and I had to wait for it to drip again since I painted this "en plein air". If you buy that, then maybe you're interested in buying the flea circus I have up for sale. :))

Click the button to buy - US$79 + $5 s&h

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Visit Kirk Witmer Fine Art

Email the artist at: khwitmer@juno.com

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If you'd like to get advance notice of my upcoming works before
they're even listed at auction, click here to submit your email.

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V-I-P (Vanitas in Progress) Day 6

It's progressing nicely, but slowly. I've taken WIP pics every day, but I didn't want to bore you all with them. (I know. "Don't tell me about the labor pains, just give me a healthy baby.") but this is showing some significant progress so I thought it worthwhile to post.

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Visit Kirk Witmer Fine Art

Email the artist at: khwitmer@juno.com

Restive Lake, landscape painting by Kirk Witmer

Oil on canvas panel - 6" x 8"

Click the button to buy - US$39 + $5 s&h

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Visit Kirk Witmer Fine Art

Email the artist at: khwitmer@juno.com

If you'd like to get advance notice of my upcoming works before
they're even listed at auction, click here to submit your email.

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