A dreamy powder room

How do I get the power room I want? I ask myself this almost daily.

I need gloss black paint and a marble sink  with brass hardware and a modern toilet. The toilet is important. It must not have any sides that I'd have to lean over in about three inches of space to clean.

I'd top it off with a tiny chandelier like this one.

Then I'd add a painting with feeling like this one called Black Palm.

It's pretty moody but in a tiny little powder room I think it works.

My art in 2016

I don't really make new year resolutions but, going forward, I want a renewed commitment to a clear artistic "voice". A continuity in style and feel to my work.

I have not abandoned the neutral palette or color. Lately color has been seeing use in my studio though. I feel like this "voice" is clearer than in the past.

In other news...We had hoped to move to Charleston last Fall but the renovations to our house took so much more time than we thought. We have scaled back the plans. The new plan is for us to do the master bath reno and the kitchen floor and leave. In fact I may leave as early as March leaving my husband behind to finish up. I had a very exciting opportunity pop up and I can't let it pass but I will share details when things are more concrete.

New artwork at Gregg Irby Gallery

Today I am in Atlanta to bring a new body of work to Gregg Irby Gallery.

Here is a sampling of the 8 large canvases I will be delivering.

"The unraveling" 30 x 40 mixed media

"Sleeping in the midday sun" 48 x 48 mixed media

"Mechanical music" 60 x 48 oil on canvas

Mr. Designdumonde even built me a custom two-tier rack to transport the paintings carefully.

This will be my first visit to the new gallery and I am so excited.

Stop by the gallery if you are in Atlanta!

New work at Anne Neilson Fine Art

"Melting reason" 48 x 48 mixed media

I am on the road this week taking new work to galleries.

My first stop is Anne Neilson Fine Art in Charlotte NC.

 I will be taking 7 pieces to her this week. These are just a few.

"Speranza" 36 x 36 oil on canvas

"Escape velocity" 30 x 40 oil on canvas

Stop by the gallery if you are in town this week!

A personal word about my art

Long ago, another artist clearly and obviously used the same title as a painting of mine. The copying of others went far beyond just titles but it still rubbed me wrong because the painting was intensely personal.

This painting, "11 Julys" came from an intensely personal experience, just like the one from several years ago. Some of my work is about the experience of making it and that alone. Some is about my emotions while I am making it and this is one. My original title was Eleven Requiems but I thought it was too sad.

This quote articulates a fraction of what my painting is meant to tell.

Do titles of art intrigue you, bore you or turn you off to a piece???

New artwork

"Intermezzo" 36x 36 oil on canvas

I have been hard at work on a new body of work that is heavy on neutrals. It is intended to head off to galleries in August.

"Speranza" 36 x 36 oil on canvas

Some have watery, turquoise colors and warm greens too.

It feels like I am busiest with new work in the summer which is the worst time for it. My 6 year-old wants to be outside and even as I write this we are both in our PJs far later than we should be.

"Guide us" 60 x 48 mixed media on canvas

It has, however, been a joy to watch the different grays and browns relate to and change each other as I go through the process.

You can see all of the new work thus far on my website or follow along on Instagram or Facebook to see them as I post them.

All play and no work

Over the Christmas/New Year holiday I had the fun of the flu (all of us in turn) and houseguests and the usual flurry of activity of the season. I did not get one bit of "work" done. By work I mean paintings for galleries or my website. I just did not have the energy but like most artists, I gotta paint something. Out came the acrylics and some paper and I relaxed by painting flowers.

I just sat at my kitchen table and made these while my family buzzed around me or slept. The latter worked better.

 

 

 I even worked on these while sipping champagne with Mr. Designdumonde on New Year's eve so I was surely playing, right?

They were popular on Instagram and are listed on Etsy

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and wish you a wonderful year ahead!!

New house dreaming

I have been doing more "new house dreaming" than one person should. "New house dreaming" is when you decorate the rooms of houses that you do not own but actually have plans to move. I have no idea what our new house will involve at this point, so I just fantasize.

I am a big fan of mixing traditional pieces with modern pieces and I hope to take my decor a bit more to the traditional side this time. 

I chose a Chesterfield sofa with a burled walnut chest and some blue and white pieces from the Pink Pagoda for the traditional part of this living room. I threw in a Dana Gibson pillow, lamp from Wisteria and the White cocktail table from Aerin.com to add some zing.

I also used my painting "Smolder" which is being offered by Gregg Irby Fine Art in Atlanta to make the whole thing a bit edgier.

Do you decorate houses that you don't own just for fun?

A cool collaboration

Several months ago, Lisa Mende contacted me about a painting for the room that she and Traci Zeller were designing for the Ronald McDonald House Long Island, I was thrilled.

First Lisa sent me an inspiration board.

and Traci sent me a memo sample of the fabric.

They added that this office was intended to be a quiet place for the parent's of sick children to take care of personal business. Lisa used the word "focus" to help guide me on what they were after. Something pretty but not too energetic.

Having this much visual information about a room with a clear purpose made my job easier and really enjoyable.

I took many of the colors directly from the fabric, a rare luxury to have a sample in my hands.

The result was "Cocoon".

Traci and Lisa even dubbed the room the cocoon after my painting.

Its a wonderful, cozy space and I am so honored that they asked for my help.

New artwork

Hotel Majestic 30 x 30 mixed media

It dawned on me the other day that I have not posted any artwork in a long time. I have spent as much time in my studio as I can without being a neglectful parent and completely sleep deprived so I have quite a lot of work but I will only show a selection at the moment.

Truth be told, every time I take a photo of a painting I want to cry because my camera darkens things beyond belief and editing can only do so much. Only the sunniest days allow me a decent photo and that just won't do. I just ordered a new Nikon DSLR and a lighting kit so I can manage better photos.

Komorebi 30x30 oil on cnavas

Smolder 48 x 60 oil on canvas

99 miles an hour 48 x 48 oil on canvas

The only bee in your bonnet 24 x 30 oil on canvas

Choux-choux 30 x 40 oil on canvas

I have lots of forthcoming news about my work to share in the coming weeks, so stop back soon.

About a painting

"Prayed for" oil and charcoal on linen by Kerry Steele

Sometimes I like to "cleanse my palette"  (pun intended) with a figural painting. Last week I did just that and my results or rather the response was surprising to me.

I looked for photos with an interesting pose to sketch  and then paint as I reimagined it and came across this...

I only wanted the figure and pose for this as opposed to painting the same thing as in the photo.

My surprise was the number of people on my personal Facebook page and my art Facebook page that liked and commented on the painting. It was far more than usual and I can't help but wonder what aspect of the painting so moved people to tell me how much they liked it.

I will continue with these figural pieces but abstracts will continue to be my main focus. Which do you prefer?

Like Kerry Steele Art on Facebook to see my latest artwork

Follow me on Instagram to see paintings in progress

New art series

 

"Moonlit reverie"20 x 24

I began a new series of paintings last week.  maybe you saw a few on Instagram or Facebook. I usually work on 3 to 5 at a time so they come together quickly. I work a bit on one and then sideline it to work on another, all the while keeping each in view so that I can see "what it needs next".

The series is titled "My side of the arbor" mainly as a tool to help me keep my focus but also as a theme.
I am introducing the series here because it is the direction I want my art to take. I have painted many different types of abstracts and never really developed my "look". Painting authentically and for myself looks like this and I plan to continue exploring this style and theme.

"Folly" 18 x 24 oil on canvas by Kerry Steele

"Lysie's wisteria" 30 x 48 oil on canvas

"Kissing Puck"

"Crocus" 20 x 24

"Sylphid" 20 x 20 oil on canvas

I plan to continue painting figures also while limiting my abstract work to this theme.
Keep an eye on my "abstracts"  and "new work" pages to see the latest.

More girls in the studio

"Figure 6"

I am playing hooky from my normal "Room of the week" post today but I will be back with it next week.

A month or so ago, I painted "Figure 6", a 30 x 40 oil and charcoal on linen. It was really popular and is on consignment in a penthouse staged for sale at the Ritz in Baltimore. Ever since I have been really hooked on figural paintings.

"Figure 9"

I had fun with "Figure 9" last weekend. My sketching was much looser than normal and I let that show by adding less paint too.

"Figure 8"

I have never claimed to be a patient girl and I posted this one as finished when it was incomplete and flawed. I finally satisfied myself yesterday and posted it with confidence.

I worked on "Figure 8" alongside a commissioned nude over the weekend and had an "Aha" moment when working on the commission. I discovered that I love the short, squarish strokes gave the figure the edgy quality I was looking for without looking like an outline or sacrificing curves.

That said, I still love flowy brushstrokes.

Small series figural nudes on linen

My small series are built around flowy brushstrokes and those lines are necessary to portray the human figure but I am liking a balance between the two.

This is a classic subject in Western art but not everyone likes it as a subject. I grew up with nudes in my house that were painted by grandmother, like the one below. We are very comfortable with them and I find them very beautiful.

Nude by Elisabeth B. Iddings (my grandmother)

Are you drawn to figural art or other subjects?

Where is this going?

Today I answer the question, "Where is this painting going?"

I am very excited to say that it will be a part of the room design for co-chair, George Oliphant, at the Design on a Dime Housing Works benefit.

 All profits from Design on a Dime help Housing Works “Get A Room” for homeless and low-income New Yorkers living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Founded in 1990, Housing Works provides lifesaving services to homeless and low-income New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS. Since 2005, Design on a Dime has raised more than $7 million in support of Housing Works.

The co-chairs are:

• Michael Boodro (Editor in chief of ELLE DECOR)
• Kevin Harter (VP for Fashion Direction, Fashion Office-Men’s, Home and Bloomingdales.com)
• George Oliphant (George to the Rescue)
• Sabrina Soto (HGTV’s High Low Project)

The list of designers that are creating rooms is thrilling. I saw Barclay Butera and Miles Redd on the list.

The event takes place April 24, 25, and 26 in NYC.

I should have photos of the room and the event at the end of April.

Read more HERE