ART BY KATHY MICHELS

Biker Dude in Progress

2012-01-13T09:35:00.004-05:00

I am working on the motor bike now. It is always fun to see the painting start to take on life and dimension. I love working with realism. There is always such a challenge to create different textures. Here it is working with the metals and the tires. Once I put in the glass window I will probably tone down some of the bike detail.

Biker Dude Progresses in watercolor

2012-01-09T22:14:00.004-05:00

I love watercolors - each painting offers unique challenges. There is so much fun and excitement when you bring a painting to life. It so fun when you get to include local residents, shops and buildings in your art. There are such fascinating items behind the glass window and wonderful reflections on the glass I hope I can do it justice!

Biker Dude - Watercolor in Progress

2012-01-07T19:38:00.003-05:00

This is my first watercolor of 2012 that I have named Biker Dude. Just wanted to update my work as I go along. Each painting is always such an adventure. It's always a joy to be able to paint local people and businesses.

Prepping for the First Painting of 2012 by Kathy Michels

2011-12-30T13:02:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year! Time sure seems to fly when the holidays are here. Now it is time to get back to my art. This is the drawing for my newest big project. This wonderful storefront caught my attention in Middletown. I happened to see a man peering in several windows as he waited for the bus. I had him look at the bikes
and snapped a few pictures. The reflections of the signs across the street were great. Inside the shop you could see all the bikes, picture frames, and various
items. It has been fun and a challenge to draw with so much going on. When I paint and fade out the bikes and put in the glass and reflections you will get a better idea of what is going on. I have just a few more things to finish drawing this weekend. I can't wait to start painting.

Watercolor In Progress

2011-11-10T12:48:00.005-05:00

This week I took advantage of the warm, sunny days to get some photos. Yesterday I started painting this 8" x 10" watercolor for practice. Normally all my paintings have people so this is
definitely out of my comfort zone. But I am having fun adding the layers to bring the wood to life. Tonight I will be detailing that wood grain and plan to finish it tomorrow.

To see more of my work please visit my website at www.artbykathymichels.com

Front Page Feature Story - Kathy Michels

2011-10-11T15:24:00.005-04:00

Photo by Jeremy Long, Lebanon Daily News

www.ldnews.com/ci_19075547

It was a great surprise to find my story on the front page of the Lebanon Daily News.
Telling the story of someone's illness is very personal and intimate. I am so happy
with the way writer, Andrea Gillhoolley told the story. She did a wonderful job.
I am hoping it will inspire others facing lifetime illnesses, to try their hands
at some type of art or craft. It will open up a whole new world and it will give them
peace.

Facial Expression Study Watercolor by Kathy Michels

2011-09-15T20:43:00.003-04:00

Well, we are finally bouncing back from effects of the hurricane here. Fortunately our house did not suffer but many neighbors had problems. We couldn't get out for a couple of days because of all the flooding across the roads. Today our boil order was lifted so finally there is a light at the end of this tunnel. During this down time I worked on some small paintings. I wanted to try and work on facial expressions. This picture was the one. These little girls just couldn't believe their ears! Their teacher was telling them about their next move. They were just so shocked and intrigued. It was so fun being able to capture those expressions first with the camera and then with paint!

Watercolor Hibiscus Flower

2011-08-26T20:47:00.003-04:00

My watercolor hibiscus painting is nearly finished. Normally everything I paint has to have eyes. I love painting people so much. So I was really surprised with how much I enjoyed painting this. . . Though I am trying to bring it to life. If you look close you can see a little bud just starting to peek out in the corner. My big flower is trying to offer encouragement to the little bud! My paintings always have to tell some kind of story. It is such a blessing to be able to create and love every second of doing it!

To see more of my work please visit my site: www.artbykathymichels.com

Flamingo Watercolor by Kathy Michels

2011-08-26T20:38:00.003-04:00

I am so glad to being back on my painting schedule. This summer has been crazy. We moved in June. I got a bad sprain in July which sent me to the emergency room and in a split for a few weeks. It is still putting up a fight. Then to make matters worse I had an anaphylactic reaction to food

two days later. After giving myself a shot it was back to the er and on iv's for four hours. Not much fun when you are trying to unpack. Needless to say it's so nice to get away from everything and back to painting. This is a flamingo that I photographed in Florida. They are so fun to watch when they play in shallow water.

Creepy Crawler Watercolor

2011-08-26T20:34:00.003-04:00

Oh this little bug was so ugly he was cute. Since I paint photo

realism he did look like this and he did look like he was smiling - such a happy little bug.

New Beginnings

2011-07-18T17:48:00.003-04:00

Hello everyone! It has been such a long time since I have been on here - but I have a good excuse. At the beginning of June we moved here to our "new" house - built in 1900. Moving is so fun and so exhausting. Although I have been doing a little painting here and there my main concentration has been getting unpacked. Hopefully I will be finished up in the next few weeks and back to my artwork. Unpacking is always a chore but on top of that I deal with the daily effects of lupus - needless to say I am wiped out. But I am looking so forward to getting back to my art. I have a great new studio here with lots of natural light so I know it is going to be a blast!

Hopefully in the next few weeks I'll have lots of paintings to post.

My adorable model with my "Degas Project" painting

2011-05-11T16:23:00.009-04:00

Sophia taking her original pose - sooo cute!

So much fun! This was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Through the York Art Association, 30 artists went to the Greater York Dance studio for a photo shoot. These students were running back and forth working their little hearts out. They did numerous costume changes, stopped by the make-up station, posed, jumped and had a blast. They were the greatest bunch of children and teens. They were all so polite and just so happy to be there. Shown with my painting is my dear little model. She was a darling girl full of smiles and giggles enjoying each moment. It is so much fun to paint someone who is truly enjoying the occasion. There are moments in your life that you will never forget . . . one is when a mom cries at seeing a piece of art of their child. Just such a precious time. Even her brother thanked me several times for painting her sister saying it made his whole family so happy and they loved it. How sweet is that for that child to take the time to say that. It doesn't get any better than this. I am so blessed to have this wonderful opportunity.

Degas Project Opening Reception

2011-04-25T21:06:00.003-04:00

The last couple of weeks have been intense as we prepare our artwork for the "Degas Project". York Art Association teamed up with Greater York Dance to provide a unique opportunity for 30 artists as well as dancers from the school. With cameras in hand we made our way around five different stations shooting photographs (such as the one I have shown here) of these young dancers. Some of the dancers giggled as they raced back and forth changing out of outfits and being made up in the halls. This was to give the artists as many opportunities as possible for various outfits, colors, movement, etc. The reception will showcase those three weeks of intensity as the artwork goes up for show and sale. The dancers will also be performing. I think we are all waiting to see all the wonderful artwork on display. We each can see the beauty in so many different ways. There is so much grace and emotion with the dancers. While one artist will show the motion through an abstract piece another might show emotions through color and still yet another aims at showing dance through realism.

On Mother's Day, May 8th from 2-4 p.m. will be the opening reception. This will be held at Greater York Dance at 3524 E. Market St., York. There is plenty of parking at the rear of the building.

Juried into Baltimore Watercolor Society's Mid-Atlantic Show

2011-04-03T22:37:00.005-04:00

Baltimore Watercolor Society's Annual Mid-Atlantic Exhibit opens April 9th at the Strathmore Mansion. The reception and awards presentation will take place on April 17th from 2-4 p.m. If you are in the area please stop by. My painting "At Least the Monkey is Happy" was one of 95 pieces selected for the show.

The Degas Project

2011-03-24T23:04:00.002-04:00

I am so happy to be part of York Art Association's "Degas Project". The group has teamed up with the Greater York Dance for a special opportunity. 30 artists will meet at the dance school where there will be five dance stations set up. We will be grouped and move from station to station doing a fantastic photo shoot of these dancers. We will then have 3 1/2 weeks to complete a painting from our photographs (or sketches). In May there will be an opening celebration where are work will go up for show and sell. Dancers will perform and we will have the opportunity to meet with the families of these young dancers. This is such a wonderful opportunity for the artists and dancers. I can't wait!

Newest Watercolor "Mommy and the Girls"

2011-02-23T20:43:00.004-05:00

My newest watercolor painting of my pregnant mommy and her little daughter is complete.
They were such adorable models. Some paintings are so relaxing and such fun to do it is almost kind of sad to finish them. I am finishing up the drawing for my next painting and will be ready to start this week. I really hate having a day when I have nothing ready to paint. I love putting in about four hours each day on painting.

As a lupus patient, it is so nice to have something I am so passionate about doing. I am so limited at times at where I can go and what I can do. The day to day challenges can be overwhelming. Having the art to concentrate on makes the world a brighter place. One of my goals for 2011 is to get together lupus patients for photo shoots. It is so important with this disease to have some outlet. Once we get this underway I plan to get the group into some social networking sites to display our work. Hopefully in the coming year we will have a great local show so people can see the world through the eyes of us lupies. They might be surprised. Hopefully our networking will encourage lupies and others with illnesses to get creative and enjoy life. I will be updating here in the months ahead.

Watercolor in Progress

2011-02-15T19:07:00.003-05:00

This year I am going to try and take more time for my blogging. I am having such a great time painting that sometimes it is hard to pull myself away to sit down and type. This painting has been such a joy to do. Since the little one was actually the daughter of my pregnant model there was just that genuine love there. It really comes across in the photographs. I couldn't help but paint these two.

Drawing for the next painting

2011-01-02T19:49:00.003-05:00

I am working on a drawing of these two little friends. This will be a fun one to paint. These children all seem to love this dance school. They are just so attentive and happy which just added to the fun.

Watercolor Painting by Kathy Michels

2011-01-02T19:38:00.005-05:00

Happy New Year - 2011

As we start the new year I plan to be on here doing updates much more frequently. It is so much fun to share tips, ideas and thoughts with others. This is another little ballerina I

began working on at the start of the new year. I plan to have her done at the end of the week and will post the updated photo then. I wanted to do her as she is so fair skinned it presents a bit of a challenge. Yet there seemed to be so many colors reflecting off her little face that it was just intriguing. With watercolors you have that ability to keep the paintings real yet add these beautiful mix of colors. I will

have to get a photo in better lighting so you can see the purples and greens. I am getting ready to add some pinks and bring this little thing to life.

Watercolor Portrait by Kathy Michels

2011-01-02T19:31:00.003-05:00

Another little cutie. This photo does not do justice to the colors in her hair. Her hair glistens

with reds, blues and lavenders. Once I get the good quality photos done I will repost. I am

still working on the portraits of these little ballerinas.

Watercolor Portrait by Kathy Michels

2011-01-02T19:26:00.003-05:00

This is another little ballerina in my series. These little ones are so fun to paint.
They are just so into their dancing and waiting for their turns that they seem to
remain focused.

Next Portrait in Progress

2010-11-27T21:10:00.005-05:00

This is another one of my little four year old ballerinas. That age is just so much fun to work with. They present so many different emotions in such a short time. They go from happy to sad at the blink of an eye. They can be so focused into whatever they are learning at that very moment. Then as all mothers know that curiousity becomes agitation and frustration.

Needless to say that age is just a blast to work with -especially for an artist. I have a ton of photos from my ballerina photo shoot and my only problem is deciding which one to paint next.

Once I finish the drawing this little girl will be my next watercolor painting.

"I Wanna Learn To Dance" Watercolor by Kathy Michels

2010-11-22T21:24:00.003-05:00

Last Spring I had the opportunity to do a photo shoot with some little four year old ballerinas at a local studio. They were adorable. As is life with that age group you had some of the children who were just bouncing around, having a blast. Then there were the little ones who were so totally focused on dance they were oblivious to the camera. They had dreams and those dreams were so real to them. They were so into the moment and into the movement. The more I paint these children - the more I dream of going back there every few years and follow the progress of these kids and see how far they go in their dance. It makes you really think - when does someone truly know in their heart what they want in their life. Is the gift so strong that even these little ones know what they want to do?

"Time to Go? Please??" Watercolor by Kathy Michels

2010-09-07T21:34:00.004-04:00

These little ballerinas were such a joy. One little girl always seemed to have her own agenda going on. It's not hard to tell which one that is. Another of the little four year olds was just so mesmerized by it all. She tried so hard to put that little foot exactly where it should be. It was adorable. She would always be looking around totally studying her feet and everyone else's making sure hers were exact. As I reviewed my pictures from the photo shoot I noticed one little four year always in prayer. It was precious. She looked up to God with her hands gently pressed together. She was totally involved in her conversation with God appearing to ask for help before each and every pose. I have several of her in prayer but one in particular I love. I will eventually do a piece with that very special photo.

More Good News

2010-07-29T19:24:00.002-04:00

I was just juried into the "Daily Painters of Pennsylvania" group.
Check out their site at www.dailypaintersofpennsylvania.blogspot.com
You'll see lots of wonderful artwork and announcements of upcoming shows.

Announcement

2010-07-28T21:27:00.003-04:00

I will be the featured artist at Cygnet Studios in Elizabethtown during the month of November. I will have about 40 watercolor paintings on display. A reception will be held on Sunday, November 14th, from 3-5 p.m. If you are in the area, please stop by and say hi.

Watercolor Painting "Are We Done Yet?"

2010-05-10T17:06:00.002-04:00

I finally finished this painting. It was so much fun to do. I can't wait to take a print to the ballet studio for the kids to see. It is so much fun to try and bring children to life in watercolors. They were such an adorable little bunch to work with.

The Drawing Begins

2010-05-02T21:21:00.003-04:00

I am finishing the watercolor painting of my teenage ballerina lost in her thoughts. As I

put the finishing touches on her I am beginning the prep work for my next painting. I shot this picture at Hersheypark. The expression on this teen's face is priceless. She seems to be totally ticked with the young man being so focused on his texting. Each painting is so much fun you

just never want it to stop.

2010-05-02T20:56:00.002-04:00

This painting is now finished. I am putting the
finishing touches on these little darlings. It was
such a fun painting to do.

2010-04-18T19:25:00.002-04:00

Newest painting in progress - I am not sure where this beautiful teen was at that moment - but I knew I had to paint her. She was so fun to paint that once I got started I

couldn't stop. I ended putting in about 12 hours on her in one day. Painting seems to take you into a whole new world where you become a part of your painting.

I finished my baby ballerinas and once I have the cd back from the photographer I will post it here.

Painting in Progress - Baby Ballerinas

2010-02-24T20:12:00.000-05:00

My newest painting that I am working on is these adorable little four year old ballerinas. The teacher had them lay on their tummies and well, being four, they were just bored with the whole thing. I still have about two weeks worth of work to go.

The Emotions of Painting . . .

2010-02-24T19:37:00.000-05:00

My first major composition was completed in January. It will always be the one most dear to my heart. It was my first time coming up with a major composition and having someone pose for the photo shoot. It was also a time for choosing clothing colors and textures as well; something that hadn't even entered my mind. It is overwhelming, nerve wracking, flustering, scarey and exciting all at the same time. I never knew painting was so emotional.

This is also the first piece that I will be entering in the watercolor society shows. That is another emotional journey trying to complete the first set of paperwork and meeting deadlines. After the first piece it becomes routine. But that first time you enter a major show it too is a bit overwhelming making sure you meet all the specs and guidelines.

Painting is Addicting

2010-02-24T19:27:00.000-05:00

These are the next group of paintings I finished. They were all so much fun; each offering it's own unique challenge.

The Defining Moment

2010-02-24T18:42:00.000-05:00

The Defining Moment seemed to come with a special assignment. Gather a few items that you like and tell who you are. These would make up a painting that those closest to you would recognize and understand. Not only do you gather those items but now you arrange your composition and start photographing. The funny part is you are so involved in gathering those items it doesn't occur to you that you actually have to paint these things later.

I collect angels and this was a special angel my Mom gave me. I also love books by Beverly Lewis so of course I had to choose the one that started it all "The Shunning". I love country music and Loretta Lynn and have had many opportunities to see her perform in Hurricane Mills. Those who know me would be shocked if I didn't have something Loretta Lynn in there. Then there is my little blue Fenton basket and my tube of cobalt blue watercolor paint. I couldn't forget the paint and of course my favorite color - blue.

I liked my collection and had great time working with the photo shoot. It wasn't until later when I sat down in front of that blank paper that I had realized what I had done. I had put together porcelain, lace, beads, glass, a book and cd (both with people on them) for my very first "self-inflicted" composition. While it was a challenge, it was also about things I loved. As hard as it to do it was a blast.

Making People Come Alive

2010-02-24T18:32:00.000-05:00

Slowly but surely my people are starting to take shape. It still seems to be a struggle to remain consistant with them.

Early Paintings of Children

2010-02-24T17:32:00.000-05:00

"Look What I Found" as the little girl discovers her belly button and "Daddy's Shoes" were two of my earliest paintings of people. They were pictures I found to use for practice. While I thought they were great at the time, I cringe now as I see mistake after mistake.

Early Paintings

2010-02-24T16:50:00.000-05:00

These are watercolor pieces I painted when I first started three years ago. The onions were a still life study in class. The pears were also a class assignment but no pears were available. We relied on our imagination for that one.