Friday, May 30, 2014

Clara Bow

I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to paint something for the Clara Bo and Gatsby Wine Bar opening in the former Liberty Inn location. It has been great being able to follow progress photos (https://www.facebook.com/ClaraBoandGatsbyWineBar) of the transformation. Our friend Matthew Stalsberg has done such amazing work--great quality craftsmanship. My husband and I were lucky enough to have been invited in and the space literally took our breath away.

In January I did five vintage stocking paintings (http://halliekohn.blogspot.com/2014/01/art-deco-project.html) and was so flattered to be asked to do another piece for the space. This painting was inspired by an artist from the 1920s that the designer loves called Tamara de Lempicka. I was also provided a beautiful black and white photo of Clara Bow, the restaurants namesake, that was extremely inspiring to me. 

24x48" oil on 1-1/2" canvas 

















Thursday, May 15, 2014

Rocky Cliffs

Love the contrasts in this painting of smooth and gentle with dark and rocky. The colors, and the water, speak to me and I just find it so fresh. I thought it would be interesting to paint it on this horizontal format to try and achieve more of a vastness in the scale.

12x24 oil palette knife painting

Friday, May 2, 2014

Sunrise at Playa

My husband and I traveled to Playa del Carmen with my family while I was pregnant with our first son. It was a wonderful pre-children vacation, full of time on the beach reading books and just being still. The view from our balcony faced east and so we saw the sun rise over the ocean each morning.

This painting captures one of those beautiful sunrises--just about the perfect way to begin a day and to calm one's own waters. This was fun to paint and I enjoyed the looseness; it was all done with brush, thickly to provide some texture. The colors are soft, and just seem to glow with warmth.

12x12 oil on 1/8" museum quality panel
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