Kate Withers - 'Painting Space'

Getting back to into the studio swing after traveling this Fall.  From that trip .. here is another award winner .. took 2nd Place in the Moab Red Rocks Plein-air Competition! .. the main event with over 100 artists participating. Super surprised  .. I thought this was kind of a weird painting for an entry .. but since the snow ruined a couple previous efforts [left outside to dry .. never expected snow while camping .. oops] .. I was running out of time .. so I set up with the atv and bike rider crowd just outside of Moab to try to capture that slickrock glow.  You never know .. just do it ;) 11x14    oil on canvas panel Purchase Info And here is my late afternoon setup ..

Just got back from camping for 12 days in Moab ..  great place to have outdoor adventures .. so many people everywhere having fun.  Attended the Moab Red Rocks Plein-air Competition .. won two awards here too! Here is one winner .. painted from the rim at Deadhorse State Park .. we had only an afternoon to paint .. then frame .. then turn it in for judging.  The canyons were very smoke-filled from the fires in California .. but I managed to record some muted colors and just a small slice of the vastness.  Received 2nd place in the Deadhorse Paint-out  .. a great honor as there was some really good artwork in this show.  Want to go back and paint again .. love the area. Here it is on the judge's wall ..

Just got back from camping near Escalante - Utah while participating in their Plein-air Competition for the week.  I wasn't having much luck painting rocky landscapes .. so I thought I would try my hand at the lush rabbitbrush lining the roads .. a subject that I had only attempted once before.  Tricky to get the weight of the flowers just right .. a fun challenge. To my surprise .. this small oil won two awards .. the Award of Merit [one step below Best of Show] .. and the Artist's Choice .. an award which I will certainly treasure.  It sold before I could take a better photo .. but this image gives you an idea of the painting in it's rustic frame. Right now I am re-supplying and packing up to head out to Moab .. another big Plein-air Competition .. hope I can find a decent camping spot during their busiest time of year .. will report back in a couple weeks. 8x10    oil on canvas panel    SOLD ..  and another photo .. ...

Another piece from the six series .. framed in satin white .. painted from one of my favorite places in the West .. the Cedar Mesa campground on the east side of Capitol Reef .. glorious landscapes are to be found there in a region of superlatives. 8x8   oil on canvas panel white wood frame Gallery 24 - Torrey Utah

I just finished a series of six 8x8 oils .. inspired by the landscapes found near where I live in Torrey .. framed in satin white wood for a contemporary look.   I debated whether to paint the frames another color .. but then they look 'painted' and not professional .. so it was either black or white in this type frame .. white it is. 8x8    oil on canvas panel Sold

Here is one of the paintings I was working on this past winter .. a 24x24 .. from my imagination and recall of the desert mountains found near Death Valley .. big alluvial fans with Persian patterns .. still working out the design and color.  By comparison .. plein air is much easier :) * Edit update:  This painting project no longer exists .. I wasn't able to take it where I wanted it to go .. headed for the burn pile.  You have to be able to let go and not get too attached even if you worked hours and hours on it [like this one].  I haven't given up on the concept tho .. always loved the patterns made by water .. even in the deep desert. And another imaginary piece that I may try to finish someday .. 

Focusing on transitional light and land forms .. that magic time as dusk starts to fall .. the last colors are darkly saturated.  Tricky to paint the subtle bands of ascending color .. someday I would like to be able to paint that pellucid atmosphere .. where your pupils are open because of the dimness .. but you are able to perceive 'more'.      6x6     oil on canvas panel     SOLD Here is a previous version .. I thought I was finished .. but it kept nagging me to go further :) And an even earlier version .. it has improved quite a bit :)