Kathie Wheeler

2011-11-03T18:20:00.000-07:00

My Blog is now directly connected to my Website. I will no longer be making posts to this blog. All the content has been moved to : http://www.kathiewheeler.com/blog/

2011-09-21T12:07:00.000-07:00

Last Race
Oil
7 3/4" x 12"

2011-08-16T08:09:00.000-07:00

Summer Beauties
12" x 12"
Oil

These sunflowers were dancing in the breeze outside my studio window, so I brought them in to perk things up inside. I hadn't intended on painting them, but found myself putting aside the things that needed to get done so I could put them to canvas before they drooped. Now- back to that to-do list...

Richeson Fox Valley Plein Air

2011-08-09T18:55:00.000-07:00

Blue Sailor
8" x 10"
Oil

I had the opportunity to join up with my friend Kate Mueller this past weekend and paint in Neenah, WI at the inaugural Richeson Fox Valley Plein Air event. Painting can be such a solitary sport, so these events are a wonderful chance for artists to get together, inspire each other and enjoy some artistic comradery . This little boat was in the marina near the Bergstom-Mahler museum in Neenah, Wisconsin, where the show was held.

Richeson 75 Wisconsin Plein Air

2011-07-13T14:32:00.000-07:00

Home Farm
14"x18"
Oil

I am honored to have this painting chosen as "Best In Show" at the Richeson75 Wisconsin Plein Air Exhibit hosted by the Bergstrom Mahler Museum in Neenah, Wisconsin. The show will hang through September 18th, 2011. The painting was done on our farm. I tossed out some kitchen scraps to get the chickens to hang around for a bit.

2011-04-27T15:51:00.000-07:00

Carnations and Copper
11" x 14"
Oil

I am honored to have this painting accepted into the Oil Painter's of America Eastern Regional show at the Addison Art Gallery in Orleans, Massachusetts. The show runs from September 17th - October 15th, 2011.

Spring Winds

2011-04-13T14:26:00.001-07:00

Spring Winds
9" x 12"
Oil

It was a beautiful morning to be out painting with friends. Soft winds, a chorus of birds and the subtle colors of early spring.

Wednesday Morning sketch

2011-02-18T17:46:00.001-08:00

A little 7" x 7" study I did with some painting friends of mine the other day. Tom gave us some of his old tools and some wood shavings for a set up. It was such a beautiful day, we probably should have heading outside, but there will be plenty of warm weather for that. Painting can be a pretty solitary sport, so I look forward to these mornings.

2011-02-08T17:03:00.000-08:00

Two little sketches done on location. The first one is just down the road from our place. It was pretty cold both days ( just below zero degrees) with a steady breeze so I had to paint fast. Cold as it is, the sun is getting higher and the birds are starting to sound more like spring. I'm sure it's just around the corner...

2011-01-28T16:50:00.000-08:00

January Garden
11" x 14"
Oil

I usually get the bulbs I force in the winter into the ground in the spring, but this last spring was a busy one with Dan's graduation and with being on the road for painting events. So the pot was forgotten in a corner by the back door. After nine months of neglect and no water, the bulbs started to sprout again on their own! I gave them some water and put then in a dark cool spot in the basement and here they are. The fragrance and color warms up a January day.

2011-01-24T15:12:00.000-08:00

Out For Lunch
11" x 14"
Oil

2011-01-21T23:39:00.000-08:00

Grandma's Creamer
9" x 12"
Oil

Dreams of Summer

2011-01-15T14:37:00.001-08:00

I think I must be getting tired of winter already. I've been drawn to painting images of summer. I've sat at ball games before and painted the scene at home plate. There are those few seconds during the pitch when the ump and the catcher fall into their pose and they return to it exactly throughout the game. It's a fun challenge to study them when they are down and then pop in a few strokes in between each pitch. This is the beginning of a larger studio piece, but I can still feel the energy and anticipation of each as the ball comes in. The small town ball game is something that everybody turns out for. The younger kids hang out at the backstop ready to chase the foul balls so they can turn them in at the concession stand for a freezy-pop, the smell of popcorn and the cool evening air, the crack of the ball on the bat, the sounds of the radio announcers in the booth and the parents calling out encouragement to their boys in the game, and the girls walking around hoping to be noticed...

This is another start of a studio painting from summer memories. It's a scene on a back road heading home to our farm. A storm lit by the sunset is passing to the south. Our kids avoid this road since their school bus went off the side of the hill and dropped almost 20 feet to land on its roof some years back. Not fond memories for any of us, but I find myself heading home that way just for the view.

I think I'd better get myself outside to paint this week. We've had some beautiful flops of snow and the best way to beat off the winter blues is to get out in it and take in some of the fresh muffled stillness that comes with the snow.

2011-01-15T13:47:00.000-08:00

I've been spending quite a bit more time in the studio lately. Not sure if it's because I'm loving my new space so much, or that it's been so cold that I'm not really wanting to head outside with my paints. Probably a little bit of both. These are a few still lifes that I've recently done. It's great to have the space to set one up again. I've always shied away from using the same elements in different paintings, but when visiting the Caravaggio exhibit at the Art Institute in Chicago, I saw certain props used over and over again in his paintings. Rather than be turned off by that, I was struck that it is a little window into his studio.

This first painting is the most recent one that I have done. The teacup, oranges and place mat is actually a set up of my friend Deb Conlon, a fellow painter who joined me for a morning in my studio. Her work is filled with light and color, and this still life was much more keyed up than I usually work, with light from the window and from the overhead lights bouncing around the bright colors of the objects. It was a great exercise to push myself outside of my comfort zone- or almost push myself outside of it. In the end I added the hydrangea sprig and the spoon. I really felt it needed a mass of another color and value to set off the teacup.

2011-01-15T13:12:00.000-08:00

Farm House at Chester Hills
22" x 28"
Oil on canvas

This house portrait was a commission that I received at the end of the summer. It's a beautifully renovated farm house with an addition built of brick from an old school house down the road. It sits on a ridge with incredible views in every direction. I went out twice to do some studies and to understand what it was that they wanted in their painting. While commissions can be a great source of angst for many artists, I really love being a part of something that really means something to someone else.

Trip West

2010-10-02T09:07:00.000-07:00

Just back from a great week of camping and sketching in the mountains of Colorado. Visited with some wonderful artists, saw some nice art shows, and went to sleep listening to the elk bugling in the mountains.

Childhood

2010-09-11T16:59:00.000-07:00

Heaven
9"x12"
oil

Childhood

2010-09-11T16:38:00.000-07:00

After the Big One
9"x12'
Oil

Head Study

2010-09-10T20:16:00.001-07:00

Margot
oil
10"x11"

Morning Sketch

2010-09-09T17:33:00.000-07:00

This past summer we had a pair of Brown Thrashers in our burn pile. They are beautiful soft brown birds with speckled bellies, and we watched them a good bit of the summer slipping in and out of the pile where the nest was. They should be heading to a warmer climate for winter soon. This morning one flew itself into our living room window and snapped its neck. I'm trying to get back into the habit of sketching every day again, so today I sketched my poor bird before I laid it under a bush.

2010-08-08T10:06:00.000-07:00

March Mists
16"x20"
Oil

Plein Air Workshop at Full Circle Retreat

2010-08-08T09:21:00.000-07:00

What a great (and courageous) group of artists to come out in the heat and humidity and bugs to paint for three days!

Demo from first afternoon after a morning of working in black and white.

Clustered in a bit of shade down by the river.

It's been so rainy here that Kay's car sank in too far in the grass where she had parked it for three days. It took a tow truck to get it out of the mud!

Door County Plein Air 2010

2010-07-28T06:38:00.001-07:00

I painted one day at Popelka Trenchard Glass in Sturgeon Bay during the festival. What an incredible process glass blowing is. He kept moving between his two furnaces and his bench and the next time I'd look up he'd have a beautiful pitcher or vase coming off the blowpipe.

"Glass Blower"
Oil
11"x14"

Door County Plein Air 2010

2010-07-26T13:47:00.000-07:00

Just back from a great week painting scenic Door County Wisconsin. The event is fabulously run. And what an honor to paint with such wonderful artists! Here is a sampling of some of the paintings that I did last week.

On The Green
Oil
12"x16"

Roof Dwellers
Oil
8"x10"
Sold

Sunlit
Oil
12"x12"

Lakefront Summer
Oil
8"x10"

Afternoon Outing
Oil
8"x10"
Sold

Taking It All In
Oil
12"x12"
Sold

Feeding Her Soul
Oil
14"x11"

Morning At The Beach
Oil
9"x12"
Sold

2010-07-13T06:54:00.000-07:00

Dappled Light
9"x12"
Oil

Red wing Plein Air

2010-06-28T06:39:00.000-07:00

This is just a detail of the Painting I did for the Quick Paint Event in Red Wing. Two hours goes pretty quickly and the photo I took has too much glare. I love these events. It really forces you to focus- and stay focused. My mind can really wander if I know I have all day. I was set up at the Farmer's Market in the park under a tree for shade and a half hour into the painting my scene was completely hidden by new activities in front of me. Had to do a quick wipe off, shift my easel and start a new painting. That's plein air! My morning was topped off by winning the best Quick Paint award

Red Wing Plein Air

2010-06-28T06:33:00.000-07:00

Reflections
11"x14"
Oil
Award of Excellence

Red Wing Plein Air

2010-06-22T11:06:00.001-07:00

Fishing Buddies
8"x10"
Oil

I don't know if it's just my love of the figure or my fond memories of fishing on Lake Superior with my brother as a child, but I find myself drawn to paint fishermen when I see them. Maybe it's the peacefulness that sitting by the water brings. Whatever the case...one more fisherman painting.

Red Wing Plein Air

2010-06-22T10:59:00.001-07:00

Days Gone By

11"x14"
Oil

Today the artists were to paint in the historic downtown of Red Wing. I got out early to try to beat the traffic. This old car drove up as I was painting and the owner slipped into the restaurant for breakfast. Couldn't have set it up better if I had tried!

Beloit Plein Air

2010-06-12T19:33:00.000-07:00

Old Friends
11"x14"
Best of Show

As soon as I saw these two from across the lagoon, I knew what I wanted to paint. The sun was already getting low, so I had to paint fast. They were catching blue gills the whole time that I was painting them and were still fishing after I had packed up to go. There is something I really love about the challenge of painting moving subjects.

Morning Reflection
9"x12"

New studio

2010-06-07T12:05:00.000-07:00

After several months of hacking away at it, my new studio is just about complete. It feels incredible to have this much space.

2010-03-23T12:28:00.000-07:00

A little sketch done at the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. The last of the ice was melting out of the water and the geese and swans were calling overhead as we painted. It's such an incredible experience to stand still for a few hours in one place. You become part of the landscape and begin to blend with the rhythms of nature. You don't get that when you are walking along a path or even through the woods. The frogs and insects start humming around you and muskrats will go about their business as if you belong there.

2010 International Fine Art Painting Competition

2010-03-18T07:51:00.000-07:00

Best of Portrait/Figurative Catagory

My painting "Shelli" was one of five portraits recently accepted into the 2010 International Fine Art Painting Competition at the Artists' Haven Gallery in Ft Lauderdale, FL. The exhibition will be April 19 - may 15.

Door County Plein Air

2010-03-17T19:05:00.000-07:00

I've been invited back to the Door County Plein Air Festival in July. It's a wonderful event. Great to be around other wonderful artists and the Peninsula Art School really goes all out to make it a fantastic week for both the artists and the public. This is the premier Plein Air event in the midwest.

2010-02-25T16:29:00.000-08:00

Keeping Watch
11"x14"
Oil

2010-02-25T16:23:00.000-08:00

Sketch of Nora
8"x10"
Oil

Nora comes to my studio once a week to draw. She sought me out on her own without her parents involvement. It's nice to have some young energy in the studio.

2010-02-08T18:43:00.000-08:00

This little painting has been sitting in my studio since I painted it last fall.I felt like something was missing- like it needed some life to it. So I've added a figure and a dog. I think it helps.

2010-02-03T14:49:00.000-08:00

Afternoon Sun
9"x12"
Oil

Bonnie's farm is one of my favorite places to paint. Her livestock and buildings both have so much character. Shetlands are one of my favorite breeds of sheep and if we ever win our battle with burdock and catch up on fences I will have some of my own. I tried to capture the late afternoon sun that was hitting them and the snow.

2010-01-21T17:33:00.000-08:00

Finally getting outside this week after being cooped up in the studio for too long. My painting companion Sara and I trudged through the snow to get to this little stream to paint. I was wishing I had my snowshoes along for this one. What a treat to be able to stand quietly (or in Sara's case, sit in the snow) for several hours listening to nothing but the sounds of the water trickling past. Have I mentioned that I love my job!

"We must go out and re-ally oursleves to Nature every day. We must make root, send out some little fibre at least, even every winter day."

Henry David Thoreau

2010-01-15T13:20:00.000-08:00

Day's End

16"x20"

It's hard to even attempt a sunset painting without feeling schmaltzy, cliche' or trite, but who hasn't sat in reverenced awe at some point, watching the sun set in all her glory. So here it is- my attempt.

2009-11-11T17:42:00.000-08:00

Whispering Pines
Oil
6"x8"

Another overcast Wednesday morning- but pleasant and nice to be out painting with others.

2009-11-11T17:39:00.000-08:00

Bonnie's Barn 2
Oil
12"x12"

Painting Door County WI

2009-10-24T12:32:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a great painting trip in Door County WI with some wonderful artists, painting companions and fellow foodies. We painted in the cold, the rain and the wind, and tramped through the woods at dawn to catch the sunrise over lake Michigan. Got in some good sketches, and had inspiring conversations over some great meals.

Sandra Davison Sketching in pastels

Sara Lubinski and Sandy checking out the marsh

Joni Finnegan and Sara catching the sunrise

Before the downpour

Sara dreaming of a masterpiece...or was it Joni's pastured, organic, brined and roasted chicken?

Here are three of the sketches from the trip.

Driftless Art festival

2009-09-21T18:47:00.000-07:00

Had a great time at the Driftless Area Art Festival this past weekend. The weather was perfect and Tom and I were able to pull together the display in two and a half days. I guess we work well under pressure!

Milwaukee Plein Air

2009-09-18T22:15:00.000-07:00

Keeping the Sacred Fire-A Prayer for the People

Oil

11"x14"

1st Place Award
Sold

I came across this teepee on the lakefront of Milwaukee during the Indian Summer Festival. These men were keeping the fire for a prayer for the people. I was struck by the contrasting images- the bridge in the background and the teepee in the front, and also the two fires burning- the sacred fire of prayer and the smokestack

2009-09-06T16:24:00.000-07:00

Kawuneeche Valley

11"x14"

Pastel

2009-08-12T16:02:00.000-07:00

Before the Heat of the Day

11"x14"

Oil

These Hmong workers were weeding their way down the field as I painted. I really liked the way the morning light hit their hats and backs. they weren't still for one second while I worked, but I really enjoy the challenge of capturing a moving object.

Plein Air Workshop at Full Circle Retreat

2009-08-03T15:05:00.000-07:00

The workshop building at Full Circle Retreat. We had a great three days with perfect weather. On Wednesday we painted at Vernon Vineyards and ended the day with a glass of wine on the porch and a critic of the day's paintings.

Thursday started early with rain, but by 8:00 things had cleared up and we had another beautiful day.

Door County Plein Air

2009-07-29T16:53:00.000-07:00

Budding Artists

9"x12"

Oil

Sold

I painted these childred for the Quick Paint at the Door County Plein Air Festival. They were so focused on their work and were done before I knew it. I wasn't able to get much more than a gesture of them, but I feel that I captured the moment.

In For Lunch

8"x10"

Oil

sold

The Quiet Side

12"x16"

Oil

Sold

Watching the Rain

12"x16"

Oil

Sold

Door County Plein Air

2009-07-22T09:49:00.003-07:00

En Plein Air

9"x12"

Oil

$750 Framed
sold

Nothing more enticing for me to paint than another painter out painiting. This is fellow artist Kate Mueller. The hats, umbrellas and gear have quite a lure for me.

Summer time and the livin' is easy...

2009-07-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

Waiting

8"x10"

Oil

$650 Framed
sold

I was driving by this little airport...on my way to somewhere else, and I circled around and went in. Little airports have a quietness about them so unlike the bussle of the big airports. Little planes waiting in anticipation as a dog might wait tied up for its owner's return outside of a shop. I have fond memories of picnics with my father at little airports after flying in or getting ready to go up for a spin.

Telluride Plein Air

2009-07-12T09:01:00.001-07:00

Hops and Poppies
11"x14"
Oil
Sold

Sofia

11"x14"

Oil

$950 Framed

I had the good fortune to meet the gentleman who created this lovely bronze sculpture. She stands at the bus stop for the high school in Telluride. She is often is decorated with the kids hats or scarves. On the fourth of July she was decked out with crown of silver, red and blue stars.

After the Rains on Last Dollar

14"x18"

Oil

$1300 Framed

Sold

Bear Creek Pilgrimage

12"x16"
$1100 Framed

Sold

Duet

6"x8"

Oil

$350 Framed

Mountain Camp

9"x12"

Oil

$750 Framed

Wayne Plein Air

2009-05-16T13:33:00.000-07:00

Spring Symphony

12"x16"

Oil

$1100

Sold

Wayne Plein Air

2009-05-15T14:57:00.001-07:00

Riot of Spring

11"x14"

Oil

$950

Honorable Mention

Sold

Forgotten Garden

11"x14"

Oil

$950

Splash of Sun

12"x16"

Oil

$1100

Sold

Tranquility

8"x10"

Oil

$650

Wayne Plein Air

2009-05-15T14:40:00.000-07:00

It takes a lot of gear and planning for a paintout. This is my wet panel carrier for the car. It keeps all my paintings safe and organized as I drive around. It sure beats the carriers designed for air travel.

Wayne Plein Air

2009-05-14T19:15:00.000-07:00

The Road Home

9"x12"

Oil

$750

My first little painting for the week. What a lovely area. Hard to believe this is in the middle of the city sprawl of Philadelphia. Still working on three others. Tomorrow we all paint in downtown Wayne. Hopefully it will be dryer than it was today. Between the wind and the rain it was a tricky day to paint, but I guess that's part of the challenge.

2009-04-23T16:16:00.000-07:00

Painter

6"x8"

Oil on Board

I recently painted out at Fannie's place. She's a delightful older Amish woman who has turned her love of flowers into a business. It's a beautiful farm abounding with her beloved perennials and she graciously lets us paint there. After struggling most of the afternoon on my painting I gave it up and did this quick little sketch of Carla, my painting partner, before we headed back home.

2009-04-16T17:59:00.001-07:00

Shay

14"x16"

Oil on Canvas
sold

2009-04-16T12:19:00.000-07:00

Cabinet Maker

12"x16"

Oil on Canvas

2009-04-04T11:18:00.000-07:00

Shelli

11"x14"

Oil on Canvas

The thing about being an artist is that you can never just have a conversation with someone without noticing colors dancing about their face, or the brushstrokes in their hair. This lovely young lady came to our farm to purchase a horse. It was cold and windy and after spending a few hours convincing the horse that even though the trailer was VERY small, she really would just fit in there, I had to ask Shelli if she would mind if I painted her. She was bundled and cold so I snapped some photos, and this is the result

2009-04-04T11:13:00.000-07:00

Hornby Creek

8"x10"

Oil on linen on panel

2009-03-14T13:05:00.000-07:00

Spring Hives

8"x10"

Oil on Panel

It was a chilly afternoon. It never got above freezing, but with the sun on the hives the bees woke up and got quite busy. The intended painting spot was further down the valley, but these caught our eye and this is where we painted. They looked like busy children in the midst of play with their hats and coats askew that were asked to line up and stand still for a moment to have their picture taken.

2009-03-09T15:31:00.000-07:00

Raspberry Beret

8"x10"

Oil on Canvas

2009-02-25T14:22:00.000-08:00

Frog Hunt
8"x10"

One of the many great pleasures of having children is getting the chance to relive the favorite things from your own childhood. Nothing like loosing yourself in a pond of water for hours on end. When the kids were little we found a toad that we brought in to keep in a terrarium. It was missing one front leg and every hop would land it on it's nose. They named it Mary, and it lived several happy years on the worms and bugs that they provided.

2009-02-13T16:50:00.000-08:00

Red Cap

11"x14"

$850

2009-02-07T11:53:00.000-08:00

After 14 years, Art Vision is closing it's doors. It has been the greatest little store- from framing and art supplies, to toys and gifts, and work by local artisans. It will be missed. Good luck to Chris Larson Noble as she launches into the next phase of her journey as a full time artist.

2009-02-05T08:16:00.000-08:00

A Southern Gentleman

Tillman is the African-American who owns the Oriental Goodies Shop in a Norwegian town of 4000. He raises horses, made his living as a photographer and is full of wonderful stories. I felt honored to have this gracious man sit for us, and hope the depth you can see in his face comes through in my painting.

2009-01-28T15:12:00.000-08:00

Jerome

What a delightful character. We're lucky to have such a colorful array of people willing to sit for us. Jerome worked his Astrological charts as we painted and reported to us his findings. Nothing hopeful really, but we had 2 1/2 hours to enjoy the bliss of painting none the less.

2009-01-27T08:28:00.000-08:00

Basswood Falls
16"x20"
Oil on Canvas
$1760

Basswood Falls is in the beautiful Boundary Waters area of Minnesota, where one lake empties into the next until the waters reach Lake Superior. From there it flows through Sault Sainte Marie to Lake Huron, to Lake Erie, lake Ontario and out the Saint Lawrence river to the Atlantic Ocean.

2009-01-07T16:29:00.000-08:00

Pete

2008-12-11T07:16:00.000-08:00

Gabe

2008-12-06T12:57:00.000-08:00

I found this spiral notebook back in a box of old things. Must have been from a math class I had in high school. I remember that I dropped math one year to add another art class. By the doodle, I'm guessing it must have been around the end of October.

2008-11-13T10:07:00.000-08:00

Eleven year old Luke Nobel was our model today. He stepped up to fill in for us after our scheduled model called in sick. He chose to do three shorter poses rather than one long one. He did a great job, though he and I both got tired as the morning progressed.

2008-11-12T14:43:00.000-08:00

Winter Creek

10"x14"

Oil

850.00-sold

This creek is not far from our farm.This was a beautiful and still January day which made for pleasant painting. In the winter you don't have to be bothered by mosquitos, the key is to stay warm. Not a sound other than the birds and the gurgle of the creek could be heard.

2008-11-11T17:09:00.000-08:00

Kiwishiwi Lake

16"x20"

$1200.00

2008-11-10T19:42:00.000-08:00

Little Painter

8"x10"

Oil on panel

$550.00-sold

I happened upon this little girl while I was at a paintout in Cedarburg WI. She was using her mother's box and was painting happily away. I couldn't resist trying to capture her. I had to work fast- she finished her painting and was off to the swings before I knew it. Her painting hangs in my studio.

2008-11-10T16:05:00.000-08:00

Burro Rider

11"x14"

$850.00-sold

2008-11-03T19:35:00.000-08:00

Java House

8"x10"

$550.00-sold

2008-10-29T19:37:00.000-07:00

Passing Storm

16"x20"

$1200.00-sold