Top 10 List

Being New Years Eve and all, many people find themselves reflecting on the past year's successes and failures (read: "learning opportunities!"). I reviewed my blog since its inception June 8th and compiled my favourites in a Top 10 list. Here they are!

When I am feeling frustrated and down-in-the-dumps with my ability, I will look to this list for encouragement. And I take strength in knowing that the majority of pieces were painted in the last couple of months, which I take as proof that practice pays off!

Happy New Years to each and every one of you. May 2010 be a year of health, kindness and creativity : )

Kalanchoe revisited

So I guess it's like when you reread a passage in a difficult novel - to understand the nuances etc... I was thinking a lot about the painting I had done yesterday, and what it might look like if I had done this or that. So today I painted it again. I'm happier with the handling of it in this version. Thoughts?

6" x 6" / oil on panel / $65

Grocery store kalanchoe

My husband picked this up for me to paint when he was out buying lunch. They always look so fresh, bright and springy. I hope I can keep it looking that way!

6" x 6" / oil on panel / $65

One down...

I bought these soft green egg cups years ago thinking it would be a lovely way to serve the kids eggs for breakfast - kind of a romantic nod to the past. Yeah - that never happened. But I do enjoy looking at them on my shelf.

6" x 6" / oil on panel / NFS

De stijl van Santa

St. Nicholas Painting #8 .

And who do you think was the inspiration for this painting?

Ceci n'est pas Père Noël

St. Nicholas Painting #7 .

Can you guess which artist inspired this piece?

Merry Christmas!

Nicholas in Vienna

St. Nicholas Painting #6 . I've been running these images on Sundays in December, and now as I take a few days off, I will post some more. This painting is taken from a series I did imagining how various modern masters would have portrayed St. Nick had they been commissioned to paint his portrait (the titles hold a clue). To see the entire series, go to www.kimrempel.com, click on "Artwork", click on "The St. Nicholas Collection". Can you guess who inspired this piece?

Last Sundays piece was Frida Kahlo.

I just want to take this time to thank everyone who has stopped by my blog. It has truly meant a lot. Cheers everyone!

Frosty carnation

Well, this is the flower that keeps on giving. There it sits in my studio, still looking good! I put it on a piece of frosted glass for this arrangement. I will be taking the next couple of days off but will continue to post images from my St. Nicholas series. To all my readers, I send wishes for a warm and relaxing next few days. Cheers!

6" x 6" / oil on panel

Citrus splash

So the grapefruit from yesterday made it into today's painting. I thought some sliced kiwi would look good with the yellow. Afterward I ate them and they were delicious. Picking kiwi is kind of iffy sometimes, but this was a good, tangy basket!

6" x 6" / oil on panel

Little apple

I had two pieces of fruit in my studio: this little apple and a grapefruit. I played with stacking them but it looked like I was trying to create some kind of weird, fruit snowman. So I just stuck with the little apple. Once I threw the bowl in there the composition got a bit more interesting.

6" x 6" / oil on panel / $65

Santa's feminine side?

St. Nicholas Painting Quiz #5 (I've been running these images on Sundays in December). This painting is taken from a series I did imagining how various modern masters would have portrayed St. Nick had they been commissioned to paint his portrait (the titles hold a clue). To see the entire series, go to www.kimrempel.com, click on "Artwork", click on "The St. Nicholas Collection". Can you guess who inspired this piece?

As for a clue, I'll say: Mexico!

And last Sunday's artist was Jackson Pollock.

Three's a crowd - SOLD

More juicy oranges. I like them paired up with this blue bowl.

6" x 6" / oil on panel / $65

Bumper boats - SOLD

That's just what came to me. Is there even such a thing? After I'd finished painting these orange wedges I stood back and gave it a good look, and they seemed like orange sail boats bumping into each other. Kind of a fun, whimsical post on a grey, icy day.

6" x 6" / oil on panel

Fruitcake

Ahh...the much aligned fruitcake. But some of us LOVE it : ) A friend gave us this apricot-studded homemade fruitcake yesterday and it is delicious!! Thank you!

6" x 6" / oil on panel / n/a

Win-a-Daily-Painting Winner!

Congratulations to Tammy of Burlington, Ontario. She is the winner of the final draw, Week 5. Tammy chose Sunshine on a grey day.

These draws have been a method to try to increase my blog presence. In return, I've asked that winners would kindly forward my blog address to anyone they think might enjoy it, post it on their Facebook account or whatever...

To all who entered, thank you!!

Last draw for a free painting is tonight at 9!

See sidebar for further details.

Cannolo - SOLD

Wikipedia tells me that the correct term for one of these pastries is "cannolo". I thought "cannoli" was singular and plural. Any readers who are Italian or foodies-in-the-know, set me straight if I'm wrong : ) Regardless of the name, they sure looked delicious sitting on the pastry shelf this morning!

6" x 6" / oil on panel / $65 / SOLD

Chocolate raspberry mousse

I've said it before and I'll say it again. One of the nicest things that has happened since I began this blog is meeting all these wonderful people. This morning I met with a new blog reader (and draw winner) and we had a good chat over coffee. After that, I met with friends who have been great supporters and were picking up some purchases. We didn't have coffee but we've shared many lovely conversations over drinks in the past : ). I love my job!

Today I picked up a chocolate raspberry mousse at the deli I painted this piece from in summer. Yum!

6" x 6" / oil on panel /n/a

This Wednesday at 9pm...

is the last Win-a-Daily-Painting draw (for now. See side bar). Don't forget to enter - a new painting would make a nice gift for someone! : )

Vineyard in autumn

Today I am posting a piece I have just finished for a client. It is of a nearby vineyard. This is the painting I posted about in November. It was a lot of fun to paint and I was hoping to catch that fall feel (top two are details).

24" x 48" / acrylic on canvas

Nick in drip

St. Nicholas Painting Quiz #4 (a Sunday thing for the month of December). Can you guess which artist inspired this piece?

Note to readers: this painting is taken from a series I did imagining how various modern masters would have portrayed St. Nick had they been commissioned to paint his portrait (the titles hold a clue). To see the entire series, go to www.kimrempel.com, click on "Artwork", click on "The St. Nicholas Collection".

Other than the clue in the title, I'll say "action painting".

And last Sunday's artist was indeed Chagall! : ) Send in your answers!

Show-off

This time with a red back-drop. Looks quite festive don't you think? Happy weekend everyone!

4" x 6" / oil on panel / $50

Carnation redux

An overlooked, humble flower. I enjoyed painting the carnation so much yesterday I did it again.

6" x 6" / oil on panel  / SOLD

Innocence - SOLD

Victorians used flowers as a symbol to express their feelings. One of the meanings of white carnations was innocence. Perfect : )

6" x 6" / oil on panel 

Win-a-Daily-Painting Winner!

Congratulations to Elisabeth of Grimsby, Ontario. She is the winner for Week 4. Elisabeth chose Pond in scrubby field. The next and final draw will be Wednesday, December 16th at 9pm.

These draws are a method I am using to try to increase my blog presence. All you have to do is email me at: krempel123@gmail.com telling me which painting you'd like to win should your name be drawn. If your name is pulled, I'll send it out to you! In return, I ask that you would kindly forward my blog address to anyone you think might enjoy it, post it on your Facebook account or whatever...

Thank you!!

Salt

A salt shaker on a yellow cloth. Not quite up to par on this one. I worked most of the day on a large vineyard piece and by the time I settled in to do my daily, my concentration had left the building ; )

6" x 6" / oil on panel / n/a

Cyclamen - SOLD

I received this cyclamen from my mother-in-law on the weekend, and since I'd done flowers the past couple of days I decided to keep going with the theme. I looked up cyclamens online and found that historically they were used for many purposes. My favourite entries are:

- "Taken with wine, it makes one drunk" (can't you say that about anything? LOL)

- "The juice of the root can be absorbed through the nose to purge the head" (not a good visual)

- "Somebody says that mashed into a paste it can be used as a love potion" (offhand I can think of 50 things that would top that ; )

6" x 6" / oil on panel / SOLD

Just a reminder...

the 2nd last draw is tomorrow night (Wednesday) at 9pm. It's open to every reader in any country. Good luck! (see sidebar for details)

Yellow daisies - SOLD

More rejects (see Saturday's post). Must be pretty tough standards! ; )

6" x 6" / oil on panel / $65 / SOLD

Christmas dream

St. Nicholas Painting Quiz #3 (a Sunday thing for the month of December). Can you guess which artist inspired this piece?

Note to new readers: this painting is taken from a series I did imagining how various modern masters would have portrayed St. Nick had they been commissioned to paint his portrait (the titles hold a clue).

Okay, this will probably be a tough one unless you're into art, so I'll give you a few hints. He was a Russian-French painter, born in Russia in 1887 . He painted the ceiling of the Paris Opera House. Words to describe his work would be folklore, fantasy, dreams and religion.

And yes, last Sunday's artist was Vincent van Gogh : ) Send in your answers!

Begonias

These are some begonias my sister-in-law received. They were rejects at the greenhouse she is working at because there was something wrong with the leaves. I sure couldn't tell! They were lush and beautiful. I painted this arrangement looking down onto the plant.

6" x 6" / oil on panel / $65 / SOLD

Artichoke on red

Another stab at my beloved artichoke. I placed it on red paper thinking it would be a snappy colour combo. Alas, it is now so wilted I think it's next destination will be the compost bin!

6" x 6" / oil on panel / $65

Artichoke in cup

We had artichokes last week for supper and I bought an extra to paint. Simple to prepare, fun to eat, heck to paint!

6" x 8" / oil on panel / $65

Win-a-Daily-Painting Winner!

Congrats go out tonight to Allison of Grimsby, Ontario. She is the winner for Week 3. Allison chose Alien Blooms. The next draw will be Wednesday, December 9th at 9pm.

These draws are a method I am using to try to increase my blog presence. All you have to do is email me at: krempel123@gmail.com telling me which painting you'd like to win should your name be drawn. If your name is pulled, I'll send it out to you! In return, I ask that you would kindly forward my blog address to anyone you think might enjoy it, post it on your Facebook account or whatever...

Thanks everyone for your support!!

Cedarbrook Farm

Today I was painting at the lovely Cedarbrook Farm. It's the same place I painted the horses that I posted yesterday. I wish I could paint there for a week because every where you look you see something great. This little building was apparently built for a movie set though it looks like it's been there a hundred years.

6" x 8" / oil on panel / SOLD

Just a reminder...

the next draw is Wednesday at 9:00pm.

Horses on a misty day

This was a piece I painted last week but didn't get around to posting because of the Santa series. But what do you know - it's overcast today as well. This is the first time I've ever drawn and painted a horse. In all these years! Surprising, really. How did I get away with that?

oil on panel / 6" x 8" / $65

Nick at Auvers (interactive quiz)

St. Nicholas Painting Quiz #2 (a Sunday thing for the month of December). So can you guess which artist inspired this piece?

Note to new readers: this painting is taken from a series I did imagining how various modern masters would have portrayed St. Nick had they been commissioned to paint his portrait (the titles hold a clue).

And yes, last week's answer was Andy Warhol. This one is fairly easy too I think. They'll get harder from here on in. Send in your answers!

Santa string - SOLD

This is my last day for the Santa series, although I will still be posting the St. Nicholas quiz on Sundays. These figures are made from what looks to be a type of pipe cleaner, with plastic heads and they're holding trees or wreaths. They are 4" high.

Notes from the collector: Definitely European. Probably vintage 30s. I love browsing antique shops. In December everything is overpriced. The rest of the year, it's in storage and it's fun to ask if they have anything. The friendly types of shop keepers will go back to their stock rooms and invariably come up with something.

6" x 8" / oil on panel / $65 / SOLD

1950s Santa - SOLD

This is my favourite from the week so far. Technically, I'm really happy with how it turned out. When I grabbed this one to paint, there was a hole in the back that made me assume it had been a piggy bank. I was wrong (you'll see what it was for a few sentences further). This Santa is also holding a cup in his left hand, maybe for small candies?

Notes from the collector: This guy came to me via a garage sale in front of a little house in Naramata B.C. If you turn him around, you'll see a hole that most people assume indicates a piggy bank. Actually it's a port for a small Christmas tree light. These were the mainstay of my youth. Most homes had them. Plastic was cutting edge technology and inexpensive.

6" x 6" / oil on panel / $65 / SOLD

Pensive St. Nick - SOLD

=

I was drawn to the world-weary look in his eyes. Or maybe he has that look just because it's darn tiring handing out all those gifts in one night. Ray Rempel, the collector, said: I've always kept my eye open for diversity in the collection. Namely, diversity in it's broadest sense-one of which would include ethnic diversity. Black Santa's aren't that easily found. I came across this guy on vacation and liked him as soon as I spied him. This figure is 11" high.

6" x 6" / oil on panel / $65

Win-a-Daily-Painting Winner!

Congratulations to Lauren of Grimsby, Ontario who is the winner for Week 2! Lauren chose Wild Dandelions. I will send it right away. Thanks for entering!

Also, thank you to Mike, last weeks winner, who talked about Eat Drink Paint on his blog (and that was before he had even won). Mike writes about his experiences of being a stay-at-home-dad on his blog Trophy Husband and his wit and rants are perfect to enjoy over a cup of coffee. (BTW - I cut up all the names, fold them, toss in a bowl and have another family member pick, so it's all fair and square : )

The next draw will be held Wednesday, December 2 at 9pm. If you didn't win today, please send an email to be entered for next weeks draw. And tell your friends/relatives/parents/kids!

Avon Santa and a little buddy

Does anyone remember these old Avon perfume bottles? I don't know - maybe they still exist. I painted this one along with a tiny little wooden carving. It looks like a stacking doll but is a solid piece. The Avon bottle stands 3 1/2" high, the figure to the left, 1 3/4".

Notes from the collector: The Avon bottle is one of my satisfying finds. I feel that complete collections should depict all that is good about their subject matter. They should show an historical progression and development of the subject. And a part of that evolution is to represent what Father Christmas has endured throughout his history.

Like God, people have tried to put their face on him and to interpret him to their benefit and to commercialize the God of all good elves. I recall the Avon Santa of my youth sitting on a dressing table. Avon wasn't too far behind Coca Cola. Definitely one of the early interlopers.

6" x 6" / oil on canvas / $65

Watering can St. Nick - SOLD

I guess this one would fall under kitchy ; ) I asked for the background on this figure and this is what the collector said: Collections, if left to their own ends, will follow the interests of the collector. Does this guy give you any clues about one of my favourite outdoor activities?

This figure is 4" high.

6"x6" / oil on panel / $65