SheeBeen Busy Studio

January 2021 Newsletter

The company that makes Strada Easels has issued a challenge to artists around the world to post a piece of new observational art every day in January. At the end of the month the remaining artists who did so will be entered in a raffle to win a Strada easel. Since January is a slow month for classes, and a bit cold for outdoor painting adventures, this was just the motivation I needed to keep painting every day. I have been posting the results on Instagram on @artdoc2020 and my public art Facebook page KFarrellArt. Over 800 other artists are doing likewise and they continue to post daily drawings and paintings. I’ve discovered some excellent work as they post but there is no judging and the only qualification is dedication and following the rules.

Here are the first nine studies, not necessarily in the order they were done.  Although they are not “finished,” I think I learned a lot from them and they do have a certain charm.

These are mostly small one day paintings and are done on heavy stock specially prepared paper.  Because I wanted to explore and practice reflections, I made use of a silvery tray to place various objects on. I chose mostly single objects at first but then added others to explore how light bounces from one to another. I used natural light for the daytime studies and ambient available light for the nighttime work.

More than half way through, I’m not running out of subject matter, and it is so much fun that I may continue to do quick studies like this to warm up before tackling more extended paintings. I’m also challenging myself to make do with minimal manipulation of the environment. Instead of spending a long time on setups and lighting, I force myself to put a time limit and just work quickly to choose a composition and get going. This is what I do when painting outdoors, so it’s good practice.

I have been collecting objects with painting in mind for years, but I can’t resist a nice pretty food setup, so many of the subjects come from the grocery store or the cupboard. The tools I use are pretty standard: brushes and palette knife, and I’ve been using a disposable palette which really helps with easy cleanup. Stored in an airtight box in a cold place, most of the paints remain workable for about a week. I mostly start with a quick charcoal sketch and mix my colors based on what I see, and try them out on a piece of spare paper to see how they work together. Then I block in big shapes and develop it as much as I can in the time I have available.

In the middle of this project I took a virtual class that involved a portrait starting with a mud head. Yes, that’s actually a thing, and it’s a great way to loosen up before tackling the task of creating a portrait. So, my daughter who was scrolling on her phone became my model. I used a bigger panel for that one so it’s different from my collection of small still life subjects. Still it counts toward the challenge because it’s done from direct observation and got posted in its place. I called it “Doom scrolling.” I must admit, she is much prettier in real life but I was trying to capture her intense expression in this study. It would take much longer to get a more realistic painting so maybe in the future.

I hang the studies up to dry in the sunroom, as you can see. For now, that’s my temporary studio anyway and I like to make use of the holiday lights which stay up all year because I like them. My new studio is still in the planning stages, but it already has a name Sheebeen Busy and I intend to make it live up to that name. A Sheebeen is the Irish name for a secret source of distilled liquor but mine will have only totally legal magic to offer to those find me at work in my secret hideout. Since it’s a workplace, not a retail space, visits will be by invitation only except for special events. A visitor to my old studio was heard observing “She Been busy” as they looked around my walls and I thought that was an appropriate name to use. I hope to show you around some day and prove that I have indeed been busy.

So that’s what I’m working on this month. It has been a great way to unwind in these turbulent and scary days, and I look forward to showing you this and other work in person when its safe to do so. After all, we have been looking at the same four walls for a long time. Maybe they need some fresh artwork to brighten them up. My new website KFARRELL.FASO.COM has been populated with a large variety of works completed over the years and you can purchase them directly from there. Not all of these new studies are on my website yet, but let me know if any of them catch your eye and I’ll be sure and put them aside for you. You can message me on Facebook or email me at [email protected].

Warm wishes and virtual hugs to you all,

Katherine Farrell

P.S. This one is on hold for a very special fan of my work and will be heading to California when its dry enough to ship.