Fifty Self Portraits

There Is No Model. 2016. Pastel, Graphite & Dry Ground. 10.5" x 8.4." Casey Klahn.


Fifty Self Portraits.

Next Facebook Challenge Posted

Individual Tree

Nikon D80 Photo by: Lorie Klahn.

The Paint The Barn In Winter Group is here.  This is an open challenge to enjoy creating a new artwork in response to this photo.  Last month we did the barn image, and there were dozens of submissions.

Painting Challenge Group at Facebook

The idea behind the Paint The Barn in Winter group is to render an image with a particular photo as the genesis.  An artist may produce an entirely non-representational piece, or a colorist piece, or what have you.  This past month we have been working on this iPhone photo of my barn in a snowy landscape. In a few days, I will post a second challenge photo.

Not my idea, by the way.  More than one person was interested in having my permission to paint from the barn photo, and so I opened it up to the whole world to participate.  The results have been great, with about 40 artists participating so far.  

Here are some of my favorite images from the Paint The Barn In Winter group.

Arlene Richman

Cindy Crawford Day

David Wang

iPhone Photo - Casey Klahn

Artists in Pastel and Events Around the Web

Niall O'Neill, at Artists in Pastel, writes a blog that fills a very unique niche.  It proposes to review the websites of artists who work in pastel.  I like the global reach of his blog, and the eclectic manner that he ticks one pastellist at a time off his list.  If you think you know all the active pastellists in the world, think again!  You will discover much to keep you inspired at this wonderful blog.  Hint:  if you don't have a blog or a website, how will reviewers find you and expose your art? See the post on my websites, art, and bio here.

More grand benefits of exposing your art on a blog are contests and events. In that vein, Katherine Tyrrell has been busy with the Making a Mark award series which offers readers the chance to nominate and vote for the best artwork posted that year in several categories, such as landscape or nature.  Other awards are also given, such as the best book published by an art blogger and one for "stickability," which highlights consistency in posting art.

In the realm of art events, my page at Facebook, Paint The Barn In Winter, has been a popular place where many artists have rendered a scene based on an iPhone photo I took while skiing out to recover our stuck van. When the event concludes on January 15th., or perhaps a little before, I will post some of the artworks that I want to highlight. 

You never know what will happen next around the interwebs!

The Barn in Winter

iPhone Photo, Casey Klahn

Christmas is Upon Us

For those who didn't see this holiday greeting card a few weeks ago, here it is again.  I offer you warm wishes, and I pray you have good health and hope you will take time to rest and reflect.

The image in the card is an interior scene of my barn.  Speaking of which, I have started a Facebook page painting challenge and have offered a photo of the barn in winter snow as the subject.  It has taken off and looks to be very fun.  You are all invited to give it a go, and I think the deadline will be Jan. 15th, 2013. Paint the Barn in Winter.

This was my review of my art year in the form of my favorite 12 works of 2012.

I always enjoy examples of courage, and the soloist in the video below is a youngster whose poise and talent burn strong.  Gives me hope for a better world.

  

Sky, Field, and Deep Woods

Click on the image for the full view

All the Colors Field

5.5" x 10.5"

Pastel

Casey Klahn 

Here at The Colorist, and also on Facebook, I am offering framed works in many sizes, and unframed works, for sale.  Price List.  How to Purchase.

Landscape With Nothing In It

Field Colors

6" x 7"

Pastel

Casey Klahn


This pastel is sold, but I am planning an online flat file sale for the near future.  Be sure to subscribe here or find me on Facebook to participate.  There will be dozens of unframed, and a few framed works, for you to look at.

Facebook.

The Art of the Landscape

Screenshot of TAOTL blog by Katherine Tyrrell

It is lovely to get one's artwork shown at various websites outside of the blog.  Here is my pastel, Remnant Snow, at Katherine Tyrrell's The Art of the Landscape.  Recently, she gave exposure to various artist bloggers who have done autumn images, and now is making a showcase for winter images.  I rarely do snow scenes, so felt pleased to submit Remnant Snow.


Katherine's well-known blog is Making a Mark.


We now inhabit a cyberspace where your artist blog is not the only way to get your artwork out.  There is a constellation of online venues, and it pays, I think, to spread your cyber bits around.  My advice is to study and discern which internet venues will provide the most appealing space for your art.


Remnant Snow also appears on Facebook, here, and on Tumblr.

Why Write?

"Artspeak" is a bewildering mess of verbiage and mental calisthenics.  Kathy Cartwright asks: why write essays about art at all?   It's good to think about why we write. Someone once said that if you don't state your artistic direction then others will do it for you.  That's why I like to write about art and my own direction.  


One reward for writing about art is that on occasion you get some recognition.  Over the weekend, ArtSlant posted my article on Matisse on their Facebook page.


I think that someone who spoke about one's art direction was Alyson B. Stanfield.