K. Miller WatercolorsSpring 2011
     

K. Miller Reflections  .   .   .

                                      a watercolor newsletter

Hello and Happy Spring from K. Miller Watercolors!

 

The calendar has been telling us for quite some time now that it's spring, but just stepping outdoors and feeling the brisk wind and chilly temperatures make one think otherwise!  The inevitable must happen, however, and as warmer temperatures loom around the corner, telltale signs are beginning to emerge in my backyard . . . robins scurrying over melting snow piles and the slender green fronds of my crocuses pushing their way into the light of day.

 

In this issue of my K. Miller Watercolor newsletter I am featuring the life and works of Winslow Homer, a 20th century American artist whose paintings capture his love for nature in all seasons of the year.  No matter what time of year, he was a man who exhibited great contentment with his life, even "gratitude in the dark, cold solitude of winter months  . . . I thank the Lord for this opportunity for reflection."  Homer's passion for nature is most apparent in his ability to capture the spell of the sea as seen in the hundreds of paintings depicting the ocean, whether near his home in coastal Maine, or on the numerous vacation trips he took to the wilderness of Canada and the tropical climates of the Caribbean.  As you read you'll find out just how valuable, both financially and aesthetically, these paintings have become over the years.  Read on and you can compare the prices received for some of his watercolor paintings to those of the world's most valuable paintings, as listed in the article "The top 10 most expensive paintings ever sold."

In addition this spring newletter will also include information on some of the upcoming events happening here in Northfield, as well as specific events for K. Miller Watercolors.  And, finally, I will highlight a few of my latest paintings from 2011. 

Enjoy the warmer days ahead . . . and the beauty and magic

of this season of rebirth and renewal as it unfolds before us. 

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Kathy Miller

kmillerwatercolors.com.

 


       "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new  

landscapes but in having new eyes."                  

- Marcel Proust (1871-1922)
French novelist

   
,

Winslow Homer, a pioneer in 20th century American  art

 

Winslow Homer is considered to be one of the most intelligent and thoughtful painters of his generation,  having earned international respect for his mastery of the medium of watercolors.  Born in Boston in 1836 to a middle-class family, Homer showed a love and aptitude for drawing at an early age.  While his older brother Charles went on to study at Harvard College, Winslow avoided higher education because as Charles said, "Win wanted only to draw."   

 

Nurtured by his artistic mother, Homer's pursuit of drawing experiences led him to a two-year apprenticeship at a lithography workshop wherein, day in and day out from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., he copied pictures for sheet music, cards and posters.  Distressed with this early training, Winslow concluded that "what they call talent is nothing but the capacity for doing continuous hard work in the right way," and that the only way for him to pursue his dreams was to set out on his own.  And thus at age 21 he became a freelance illustrator and a regular contributor to New York's Harper's Weekly.  His first major assignment was as an artist-correspondent during the Civil War, and this led him to his first oil paintings, which when exhibited in 1866, 

Homer working in 1872 on his oil painting,

Snap the Whip

turned him into an overnight success.  Unlike most of the Romantic painters of this time period, Homer portrayed the horrors of the war with matter-of-fact realism.  Around this time he began to see some financial success with his paintings, selling an occasional oil, usually for about $200.  Though the subject matter varied, they all had a very "illustrative" look to them, much like the work he did on his magazine assignments.  This can be seen in the painting  to the right from 1872.   

  

It was not until 1873 at age 37, while on a summer vacation in Gloucester, Massachusetts, that Winslow began to do serious watercolor work.  Within a few years his paintings displayed a style that changed from charming and delicately expressive to distinctive and powerful.  From the very beginning his paintings showed a mastery of the use of washes to evoke light and shadows with an 

Early watercolor. Gloucester Harbor, 187

economy of brushstrokes.  It is during this time when we first see Homer's deep connection to nature.  He was a rigorous observer of his surroundings, as evidenced by his statement, "The sun will not rise or set without my notice and thanks."  In 1883, after returning from a two year painting trip to England, New York critics noticed a significant change in his painting and claimed his watercolors "touch a far higher plane . . . they are works of High Art." 

 

At this point in his life, Homer vowed to survive on his paintings alone, never again having to work for someone else and stating, "You will see, in the future I will live by my watercolors."  Unfortunately, if would be quite some time before Winslow was able to secure financial stability through his art.  Many of his sea pictures took years to sell and then at only $400.  Finally in 1900, at age 64, more and more of the public purchased his work, and he began to get good prices from museums as well.  

   

All of Homer's most noteworthy paintings were his watercolors done after the age of 50, when the compositions took on an almost abstract quality based on his careful and vigorous observation of nature, especially the sea.  He was passionate about capturing the many moods of the ocean - its wildness, as well as its serenity.  Through his works we see the drama of fast approaching storms, and the threats of shifting shoals and very dangerous waters. He loved to portray a "snapshot" effect of nature's marvels, painting honestly and boldly without sentimentality.   In 1888, George Eastman put his first Kodak box camera on the market for $25.00, and this seems to have greatly influenced Homer (as well as other artists).  It evoked in him a new way of looking at and seeing the world - as if freezing a movement and capturing a fleeting instant - and It enabled him to use these photos as reference material for his works.  

 

Watercolor continued to be Homer's favored medium for the last 25 years of his life.  Unlike the rather subdued, sentimental works of other prominent watercolorists of this time,  

Winslow's paintings exhibited bold,  

Sloop, Nassau.

watercolor, 1899

spontaneous brushwork, and deep, clean washes that allowed the sparkle of the white paper to show through. This can be seen in the painting to the right, painted on a Caribbean vacation.  At age 48, Winslow "retired" to Prout's Neck, Maine, to family property along the coast.  It is here where he was the happiest and felt "the life I have chosen gives me full hours of enjoyment."  His contentment is evident as he states, "All is lovely outside my house and inside my house and myself."  And it is this very contentment that, no doubt, enabled him to reach his prime and continue full power to the end of his life in 1910 at age 74.

 

Winslow Homer often has been called the father of modern day watercolor painting.  His direct and honest approach came as a result of astute observations that impassioned him to flood the paper with a unique and bold style quite revolutionary for its time, both in the United States and Europe.  Homer stated it simply when he said, "Artists should never look at pictures but should stutter in a language of their own."  Perhaps this is what made his impact on artists so revolutionary as well, paving the way for future artists to work with spontaneity and freedom, and to break from tradition and convention.

 

The Red Canoe, 1889, sold for $4,842,500 in 1999.

 

 

It's wonderful to know that, at last, Homer's watercolors have reached the financial success worthy of their tremendous artistic merit . . . His painting The Red Canoe sold at the Sotheby's Auction House in 1999, 110 years after it was painted, for the price of $4,842,500 - a rather unheard of price for a watercolor painting!!


 


"Look at nature, work independently, and solve your own problems.

- Winslow Homer 



Top 10 most expensive paintings ever sold

Have you ever fantasized about owning a truly magnificent

piece of valuable artwork?  Having it hang in the front foyer of your grand mansion or above your sofa for all to enjoy . . . and covet?  Well, if you have you (or even if you haven't!) you may

be interested in reading this list of the top ten most expensive paintings ever sold  - and you might be rather surprised at the names of some of the artists.  Perhaps you should be seated as you read since you may experience some serious sticker price shock!!  

 

   

   # 1.  Jackson Pollock - "Number 5" (1948)                      

            purchased in 2006 for
            $140 million  
 


              (private sale)






# 2.  Willem de Koonig - "Woman III" (1952-53)

         purchased in 2006 for
         $137.5 million

        
(private sale)




# 3.  Gustav Klimt - "Adele Bloch-bauer I " (1907)  
       
         purchased in 2006 for        
         $135 million

          

           (private sale)




  # 4.  Pablo Picasso - "Nude, Green Leaves & Bust" 

           (1932)

             

         purchased in 2010 for

         $106.5 million 

 

           (Christie's Auction House; highest auction price ever

           



  # 5.  Pablo Picasso - "Garcon a la pipe"  (1904)

         
          purchased in 2004 for

        $104.1 million

         (Sotheby's Auction House)






  # 6.  Andy Warhol - "Eight Elves" (1963)

       
         purchased in 2008 for        
         $100 million


         Private sale)



 

  # 7.  Pablo Picasso -"Dora Maar au chat" (1941)

           

          purchased in 2006 for

          $95.2 million 

 

 

            (Sotheby's Auction House)

 

 

 

 

 

# 8.  Titian - "Diana & Actaeon"   (1556-1559)

          

         purchased in 2009 for

         $91 million

 

           (Private sale)

 

 

 

 

# 9.  Gustav Klimt - "Adele Bloch-bauer II"  (1912)

          

         purchased in 2006 for

         $87.9 million

 

           (Private sale)

 

 

 

 

 

# 10.  Francis Bacon - "Tryptich 1976"

           

        purchased in 2008 for

        $86.3 million

 

                                                     (Sotheby's Auction House)

 

 

 

Next top-priced painters: Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet,

Jasper Johns, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Peter Paul Rubens, and Mark Rothko.   

 

 

   

 



""Art teaches nothing but the significance of life."
       - Henry Miller


  


My latest paintings of 2011 depict the chill of winter and the warmth of spring 


  

Spring Melt in the Arb, 2011 

 Winter scenes are among my favorite subjects to paint.  There's something about the gorgeous colors that emanate from the piles of snow that follow the contour of the land.   I see various shades of blues, purples and even pinks in the shadows that spill across the ups and downs of the white covering. I came across this particular scene on an unusually warm March day as I walked along the path that parallels the Cannon River in Carleton's Arboretum in Northfield.  Not only was I attracted to the beautiful shadows that fell across the snow mounds, but also the tree reflections that cast an intricate pattern upon the still blue water. It was an immediate "must paint" experience for me.

  

So often as the long months of winter drag on, I eventually feel the need to paint something very spring-like.  This was the case for both the Geraniums and Daffodils paintings done these past few months. . .  it was all about trying to capture the intensity of the colors and the warmth of the sunlight in each floral arrangement. 

Daffodils, 2011 

 
My challenge when painting Daffodils was to capture the dramatic contrast between the radiance emitted from the front flowers that were bathed in light, and the mystery of those that were cloaked in shadow. I also wanted to portray the sparkle and transparency of the glass vase.

  

 

Geraniums, 2011 

My approach to the next painting, Geraniums, was quite different from any I've done before, not having a very specific "plan" in mind before beginning the work.  I knew that I wanted the two large flower heads to be quite distinct and prominently displayed, and the background to be more ambiguous and rather diffused. Beyond that, I wasn't certain what my approach would be, only hoping it would intuitively evolve as I proceeded.   

 

To begin with, I laid in an initial underpainting of greens and blue for the background, then focused on the details of the two major flowers.  Once these were completed, I went back to the background again and did extensive "negative painting" on the green color.  By this I mean that I used the color blue to paint various leaf patterns "around the green" which caused the geranium leaves to "emerge."  The same technique was done to give the suggestion of geranium buds.  I did several layers of painting in this manner, each time adding a darker shade of blue; by doing this one is able to create a sense of depth in a painting.  I really enjoyed this method of painting and would like to do more this way!!!

 

 

 


" Look at light and admire its beauty."
  - Leonardo de Vinci



  Two paintings displayed at the Minnetonka Center
  for the Arts exhibition 

          
Cones in the Breeze, 2010 
   As part of the Minnesota Watercolor
   Society's 2011 Juried Spring Show, two
   of my paintings will be on display at the
   Minnetonka Center for the Arts.  The
   show runs from April 7 to May 5 and will
   feature the works of dozens watercolor
   artists from all over Minnesota.  An
   Opening Reception will be held on
   Thursday, April 14th from
   6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. with an awards
   ceremony at 7 p.m.  It is free and open
   to the public.
                     .

Spring Creek, 2011



  
   The Center is located at 2240 North
   Shore Drive in Wayzata, Minnesota.






    For more on Minnetonka Center
    for the Arts




 

 

"Art!  Who comprehends her?  With whom can one consult concerning this great goddess?"
- Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
German composer 
 


New Art Gallery Launched at Senior Center

Senior Center Gallery Opens

Inaugural Show of the Senior Center

Art Gallery

   

  A new art gallery has been    

  created at the Northfield Senior

  Center with an inaugural showing

  in January that featured work by

  22 area senior artists (age 50

  and up).  

   

  Throughout the year the gallery  

  will be used to show a variety of

  art work done by artists of all

  ages.  Some of the shows will  

  feature work being done by

students taking art classes held at the Center; some shows will feature particular artists in the community; the gallery will be available to emerging artists who need a community space for their capstone event.  Exhibits will change every 4 - 6 weeks.  

 

The gallery is currently showing a 20 painting collection of my watercolors, which can be viewed until April 14th.  Immediately following my show, there will be an exhibit featuring the watercolor paintings done by students in the beginner and intermediate classes that I have taught at the Center. Please stop by to view their work - they've done a fabulous job and have been a joy to work with each Thursday for the past two months.  

 

Read more about the Senior Center 

 

 


 

"Art is a harmony parallel with nature."

- Paul Cezanne

19th century French Impressionist

 

 

I hope you've enjoyed reading about Winslow Homer and have learned something new about his life and works. 

And now it's time to go out and enjoy SPRING in all its glory!!!


Kathy Miller

To view all past newsletters click here

K. Miller Watercolors
website:  www.kmillerwatercolors.com email:  [email protected]  
In This Issue
Winslow Homer, a pioneer in 20th century American watercolor art
Top 10 most expensive paintings ever sold
My latest paintings of 2011
Two paintings displayed at the Minnetonka Center for the Arts
Upcoming Events
DID YOU KNOW?
 

UPCOMING
EVENTS:



Northfield Senior Center Art Gallery Show


Northfield, Minnesota

March 14  -  April  14



______________



Watercolor Painting Classes

Thursdays, March 3 - April 7

Intermediate Class from
9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Beginner Class from 
12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Northfield Sr. Center,
1651 Jefferson Parkway



______________



Minnesota Watercolor Society Spring Show

Thursday, April 7 - Thursday, May 5


Minnetonka Center for the Arts

 

2240 North Shore Drive

Wayzata, MN


___________

 

 

 

Riverwalk Market Fair

 

Every Saturday

9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

 

June 4 - October 15

 

Along the Cannon River in

Northfield, MN 





DID YOU KNOW? 

Winslow Homer . . .

* lived from 1836 - 1910


* had a father who was a hardware merchant and a mother who was a professional flower painter


* was basically a self-taught painter, never having received any formal training
 
- was somewhat of a loner who disliked being disturbed

*  once put a "coal bin" sign on his studio door to put visitors off track

*  loved going on hunting and fishing expeditions to the Adirondacks, Canada, Cuba, and the Bahamas

* remained a bachelor his entire life

*  was very private about his personal life and his methods of painting

*  denied his first biographer any personal information or commentary

*  never taught in a school, unlike most esteemed artists of this time

* painted most of his monumental sea scenes from his remodeled carriage house located 75 feet from the ocean in Maine

* has had other watercolors that recently have sold in the millions:
 
- "Fishergirls Coiling Tackle" (1881) sold at auction for $4,521,000 in 2007

Fishergirls Coiling Tackle

watercolor, 1881 





- "Herring Fishing" (1894) sold at auction for $3,065,000 in 2007

Herring Fishing,

watercolor, 1894 




*  died at age 74 in his Prout's Neck studio while working on the painting "Shooting the Raids, Saguenay River" - which remains unfinished.