Artists' Panel Discussion for 'Four Million Angels'

DATE AND TIME

Sat, February 17, 2018

3:00 PM – 5:00 PM PST

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LOCATION

Annenberg Community Beach House

415 Pacific Coast Hwy at Beach Coast Way

Santa Monica

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Please join us for a panel discussion featuring artists of Four Million Angels. This exhibition examines the people who fill the streets of Santa Monica on a sunny day. Whether they are visiting the Santa Monica Pier, the 3rd Street Promenade, Angels’ Attic, Bergamot Arts Center, a concert at McCabe’s Guitar Shop or Santa Monica State Beach, a diverse cross section of Angelenos will be in the crowd. Given the dramatic presence of the ocean, the four million people that live in the City of Los Angeles find Santa Monica to be one of our greatest magnets. The artists in this exhibit make work that reflects a passionate interest in the people of Los Angeles and speaks of our universal experiences. Four Million Angels investigates the City’s history, environment, lifestyle, psychological range, architecture, and geography. We hope to trigger a dialogue about the essence of our unique population and elicit a better understanding of who is beside us in line at Pacific Park.

Featuring artworks by Mark Steven Greenfield, J. Michael Walker, Kathi Flood, Michael Massenburg, and Katherine Kean.

Register here: Beach=Culture: Artists' Panel Discussion for 'Four Million Angels'

The exhibition will be on view from January 18 through April 30, 2018.

Four Million Angels

Width of a Wave   Katherine Kean
oil on linen, tryptych   18 x 72 inches

I am pleased to be part of Four Million Angels at Santa Monica's Annenberg Community Beach House, featuring artworks by Mark Steven Greenfield, J. Michael Walker, Kathi Flood, Michael Massenburg, and me.

Opening Reception: Thursday, January 25, 2018 at 6 PM - 8 PM
Annenberg Community Beach House
415 Pacific Coast Hwy, Santa Monica, CA 90402

Tickets are free but space is limited and reservations are required. Tickets are  available at Eventbrite.

This exhibition examines the people who fill the streets of Santa Monica on a sunny day. Whether they are visiting the Santa Monica Pier, the 3rd Street Promenade, Angels' Attic, Bergamot Station, a concert at McCabe's Guitar Shop or Santa Monica State Beach, a diverse cross section of Angelenos will be in the crowd. Given the dramatic presence of the ocean, the four million people that live in the City of Los Angeles find Santa Monica to be one of our greatest magnets. The artists in this exhibit make work that reflects a passionate interest in the people of Los Angeles and speaks of our universal experiences. Four Million Angels investigates the City's history, environment, lifestyle, psychological range, architecture, and geography. We hope to trigger a dialogue about the essence of our unique population and elicit a better understanding of who is beside us in line at Pacific Park.

The exhibition will be on view from January 18 through April 30, 2018.

Beach Day's End

Beach Day's End 2014 Katherine Kean
graphite 8 x 10 inches

"The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach - waiting for a gift from the sea." - Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Gift From the Sea

I don't spend nearly enough time visiting beaches, but when I do, I relish the feeling of being sun drenched, wind touched, and a little bit salty and sandy at the end of the day, don't you?

Have a wonderful Fourth of July weekend!

Hazy Skies With a Touch of Green

Hazy Before Thunder Chatham Beach © 2014 Katherine Kean
oil on linen 12 x 12 inches

This painting is about the feeling of when the beach is the only place to escape the heat and humidity mere minutes before the thunderstorm breaks. 

Have you ever noticed how the sky sometimes takes on a greenish cast right before a storm? People have noted this phenomena for centuries and modern scientists don't deny it, although there is no consensus on what the cause is. It could be the mixing of yellow sunlight scattered by particles in the air that makes the blue sky a greenish color., but who knows?

Tranquil Art, Healing Art

Fog Lifting ©2014 Katherine Kean
oil on linen 30 x 40 inches

This past week I learned that Fog Lifting has been awarded a Featured Artist Award and included as one of 50 artworks in an international juried competition presented by Manhattan Arts International. Celebrate the Healing Power of Art 2014 runs online from May 17 - July 17, 2014.

The guest juror is Lilly Wei, a New York-based art critic, writer and independent curator focusing on contemporary art. She's a contributor to many art publications including Art In America since 1984 and Art News.

I am also included in an article written by  Renée Phillips, an internationally known author and arts writer, published on the Manhattan Arts International blog: Four Artists Who Express Tranquility, which can be read in full here:  http://www.manhattanartsblog.com/artists-express-tranquility/

Chasing Clouds

Cloud Chasing ©2014 Katherine Kean
oil on linen 30 x 40 inches

 "Your hopes, dreams and aspirations are legitimate. They are trying to take you airborne, above the clouds, above the storms, if you only let them." -William James

This is one more of the selection of paintings going to Palm Springs this week for the 3rd annual Palm Springs Fine Art Fair, taking place this coming Presidents' Day weekend. There is still time to email me for a free pass, if you act today.

Fog Lifting

Fog Lifting ©2014 Katherine Kean
oil on linen 30 x 40 inches

“Under the thinning fog the surf curled and creamed, almost without sound, like a thought trying to form itself on the edge of consciousness.” ― Raymond Chandler, The Big Sleep

Here's another of the paintings going to Palm Springs next week for the Palm Springs Fine Art Fair. Come see the work in person if you'd like. The 3rd annual Palm Springs Fine Art Fair is this Presidents' Day weekend. For a free pass. email me, or sign up for my newsletter.

Traveling Art Returns

Vent ©2012 Katherine Kean
oil on linen 10 x 10 inches

Maine Tides and Rocks  ©2012 Katherine Kean
oil on linen   8 x 10 inches

Rapidly Changing Conditions  ©2012 Katherine Kean
oil on linen   20 x 30 inches.

These three paintings recently returned from exhibiting with Paint America. As part of their Paint the Parks exhibition they went to the Jefferson National Expansion Monument, a 91 acre memorial that is part of the National Park System and receives approximately 2,500,000 visitors annually.

For the exhibition the paintings hung in the Old Courthouse, afterward traveling to the Coutts Museum before returning home.

All of the paintings in this exhibition depict one of our nation's 390 areas supervised by the National Park Service. Rapidly Changing Conditions and Vent are portrayals of Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park, and Maine: Tides, Rocks represents Acadia National Park.

All three paintings returned unscathed, safe and secure, each in it's individual strong box and in probably the most pristine condition I've ever received work back in, no doubt owing to the expertise and professionaliam of the National Park and the Museum staff.

What Can Be - Marsh Labyrinth 3 in progress

Marsh Labyrinth 3 (work in progress) ©2013 Katherine Kean
oil on linen 10 x 10 inches

“Show not what has been done, but what can be. How beautiful the world would be if there were a procedure for moving through labyrinths.”

Umberto Eco, The Name of the Rose

Bear is feeling better, perhaps temporarily and perhaps because he's not doing any chemotherapy, at least for the time being. The procedures have put his lymphoma into remission, yet the last two rounds have been too much for him - either because of his age or maybe he's just a sensitive dog. The idea of chemotherapy for dogs is to make them feel better with any side effects expected to be minimal or non existent. I have certainly met dogs who have sailed through chemotherapy, but unfortunately Bear is not one of them.

Another aspect to his current well being is the improvement in his spine. He only has another two to four weeks of crate rest left and the activity restriction has served him well. He's off pain killers and not hurting and his energy levels are starting to rise. I've been gradually extending his restricted area from crate, to crate plus pen, to crate plus pen, plus office, to crate plus pen plus office plus hallway. Hopefully by the end of the rest period I'll have figured out how he can enjoy most of the house without having access to the hazards of furniture he can jump on, while also providing traction over these slippery hardwood floors.

In the Making: Marsh Labyrinth 2

Marsh Labyrinth 2 (work in progress) ©2013 Katherine Kean
oil on linen 10 x 10 inches

“Is it a world in the making 

that turns as it whistles to the depths of my being 

It is burning 

Suppose it were to appear 

A bleeding rosary at the window 

a sun setting on the marshlands" 

 Paul Dermée, Silver Clasp, The Cubist Poets in Paris: An Anthology

Getting Back to Work

"Try to end a day's work on a picture knowing how to proceed the next day." Irwin Greenberg

Marsh House ©2013 Katherine Kean
oil on linen 6x6 inches

As much as I like the idea of having all things complete and squared away before a break, it seems there is wisdom in coming back to work on something already in progress, especially if it’s something that you know exactly how to proceed with. Then it’s as simple as picking up right where you left off without fuss or hesitation or over-thinking. It’s a way to keep the flow going between starts and stops. I find this helpful on a day to day basis as well as for longer breaks.

Sky, Rocks, Beach work in progress ©2013 Katherine Kean
oil on linen 30x40 inches

 
 Before I leave the studio for the day I know what I’m going to start on the next day, whether it’s new drawings, a fresh under-painting, additional glazes - or sanding down and re-painting.

The paintings above are at a mid point. I can see where they're going, yet they will still have surprises along the way.

Top 5 Posts in 2012

 Of the 42 posts published here in 2012 these are the most searched, visited, and read:

5. Back to Go A painting inspired by El Matador State Beach in Malibu and about the potential California State Park closures that we managed to avert - yay!

4. Creation is Subtraction “Creation is not capricious or random addition; it is intelligent and selective subtraction.” The God Theory: Universes, Zero-Point Fields, and What's Behind It All, Bernard Haisch

3. Can Artwork Make You Cry?  The answer is yes. It can also make you feel angry, seasick, energized, elated, and more.

2. Thinking About the Third Thing D.H. Lawrence's non rhyming quote. What is the 'Third Thing'? I'm still wondering....

1. Art.sy Experience A browsing session on Artsy's enormous art genome website. Have you visited yet?

Reserving Space

Sky, Rocks, Beach sketch Katherine Kean
graphite

Have you ever experienced 'the Gap', the space between thoughts when the mind is still?They say that when no thoughts distract you, you can experience present moment awareness, and from cultivating present moment awareness, inner wisdom and joy arise.

Clouds Over Water sketch Katherine Kean
graphite

 There is a Japanese word, "Ma," which translated means "gap", "space", "pause" or "the space between two structural parts" and is experienced through progressive intervals of spatial designation. It is an awareness of place as the simultaneous awareness of form and non-form and happens in the mind of the viewer.

"Poetry and Progress Are Like..."

"....two ambitious men who hate one another with an instinctive hatred, and when they meet upon the same road, one of them has to give place."  Charles Baudelaire

Do you ever feel like that?

Here's the progress of two Chatham Beach paintings starting with the underpainting and the first layers of color:

 



More color added and some detail:



Almost finished, waiting to dry for the final glazes:

Two Drawings From Cape Cod

Cape Cod, Chatham Beach sketch Katherine Kean

Here are a couple of drawings inspired by a recent trip to Cape Cod. The sky was very hazy and soft, but through the haze I could barely make out massive cloud shapes. There is something about the soft shapes and scant beach grasses and the people looking so tiny in the distance that I like to paint.

Cape Cod, Chatham Beach sketch Katherine Kean

I was not imagining the clouds. Later on a thunderstorm blew in. Everything darkened and then it poured. The temperature up until then had been in the 90s and it dropped about 30 degrees. Ah, thank you rain!

Back to Go

Center Panel Triptych work in progress ©2012 Katherine Kean    

I've worked my way back around to this triptych. I started this several months ago and had to put it aside to focus on other work. You can see parts of the under painting in this post, and the triptych in progress below.

Triptych work in progress  ©2012 Katherine Kean

This painting is inspired by El Matador State Beach - one of those places that I've been motivated to paint again and again. It's a beautiful beach, as are many on the California coast, and unique in character, as they all are. This one seems to have that golden light set off by the drama of the rock formations, very different from the coastline further north.

Although El Matador is not on the list for closure, 70 or so other state parks are. This represents about 1/4 of all of our state parks and will affect residents and tourists alike, as well as many local businesses that serve park visitors. If you are planning to visit any California State Parks this summer you may want to check this map of planned closures or click here to learn more about it.

Buy Local, Think International: Group Exhibition

Marsh Labyrinth  © 2011 Katherine Kean
oil on linen 30 x 24"

I'll have one painting in a group exhibition, starting today at TAG Gallery, Bergamot Station:

Buy Local, Think International
January 3 - 28, 2012
Opening Reception: Saturday, January 7, 2012, 5-8 PM

TAG Gallery, Bergamot Station
2525 Michigan Ave. D-3
Santa Monica, California 90404

Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 11am - 5pm
Sundays: noon - 4pm
310-829-9556

In the Top 100: Paint the Parks 2011

Rapidly Changing Conditions  © 2010 Katherine Kean 

oil on linen 20 x 30"

Three of my paintings have been chosen to be included in the Top 100 picks of Paint America's 2011 Paint the Parks competition. Rapidly Changing Conditions, above is included in the Top 100 main category and the two paintings below, Maine: Tides, Rocks and Vent are both in the Top 100 mini category for paintings that are 180 square inches or less.

PaintAmerica’s “Paint the Parks” is an open international artists’ juried competition with proceeds to help fund the PaintAmerica mission of supporting the visual arts and artists across the country. A portion of proceeds from “Paint the Parks” will be contributed to the National Parks Foundation and the PaintAmerica Scholarship Fund.


Paintings in this competition must depict one of our nation's 390 areas supervised by the National Park Service.Rapidly Changing Conditions and Vent portray Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park, while Maine: Tides, Rocks represents Acadia National Park.

Maine: Tides, Rocks   © 2010 Katherine Kean 

oil on linen 8 x 10"

Vent  © 2010 Katherine Kean 

oil on linen 10 x 10" 

El Matador: Silhouette, Shadow, Reflection

 El Matador: Silhouette, Shadow, Reflection  ©2011 Katherine Kean

oil on linen 8 x 10"

I worked hard to keep this simple, if that makes any sense. What I mean is it would have been easy for me to become obsessed with defining the many fascinating intricacies of the craggy boulder and overlapping wave forms. However, I resisted, instead mostly allowing the main silhouettes and shadow shapes and the strong blood orange color to carry the mood. Could I go further with the simplification? Probably, yes. Next time.

Now, as August and the summer heat arrives,  would be an excellent time to visit this beach. 

Sold: Coastal Pines Overlook I

Coastal Pines Overlook I  ©2011 Katherine Kean
oil on linen 6 x 6"

I spent all of yesterday afternoon at the emergency vet with my dog Bear. Somehow he got a foxtail in his ear, even though he was indoors at the time. There was quite a wait with lots of pets coming in needing immediate care. The wait was so long that Bear fell asleep under my chair. I've never seen him so relaxed in a vet's office before. What's more, I looked up to see someone I know coming through the door - a lovely woman that I've worked with over the years. She and her dog were experiencing their own canine medical emergency. We used the long wait to catch up. 

Our turn finally came. The vet got the foxtail out we went happily on our way. Once home, I found a message on the phone from the gallery saying that Coastal Pines Overlook I had sold.