Autumn Tempus – Whimsical watercolour painting of swirly autumn trees in red and green
In case you can’t already tell, I love painting trees! I especially love painting trees in a whimsical, rather than true-to-life, way. Sometimes this manifests as swirling branches:
At other times, the leaves themselves seem to swirl:
My newer paintings feature a variety of patterns in the foliage of the trees:
I love painting in lots of different ways – it means I never get bored. Which style is your favourite?
You can purchase my original painting Autumn Tempus from my Etsy store. Prints and products like the ones featured below are available from Redbubble.
Blue Reef – Intuitive abstract watercolour painting inspired by coral reefs in blue and purple by Kirsten Bailey
I love painting in this intuitive style – it’s so calming and peaceful. I started with just some shapes on the page and as I was painting, a theme began to emerge.
You can purchase this original painting in my Etsy store. Prints and other products like the ones featured below are available through Redbubble.
‘Subterranean 2’ – Abstract watercolour painting inspired by sedimentary rock and soil layers by Kirsten Bailey
“Subterranean 2” is an original abstract watercolour painting, inspired by layers of sedimentary rock and earth. It is a larger version of a much smaller painting I did a few years ago. The original painting is now SOLD – but you can find prints and products like the ones below at Redbubble. Or, if you’re interested in something similar, please get in touch for a commission!
Memories of spring – watercolour painting of gold and purple flowers by Kirsten Bailey
The inspiration for this painting was a posy of wildflowers, picked in the spring and beginning to dry and wilt as spring moves in to summer. Painted in shimmery gold paint, this painting is prettier in person than it is on the screen!
You can purchase this original painting from my Etsy store. Prints and other products like the ones below can be found at Redbubble.
Contemplation – intuitive abstract watercolour painting on paper in coral, yellow and turquoise by klbaileyart
I called this painting ‘contemplation’ because this style of painting is very meditative to me. I never know what the finished painting is going to be like when I begin – I just go with the flow, and see where the paint takes me. I love this combination of colours!
You can purchase this original painting in my Etsy store. Prints and other products like the ones featured below are available on Redbubble.
Fire and water – original intuitive abstract watercolour painting in red and blue by klbaileyartFrost and fire – original intuitive abstract painting in red and blue by KLBaileyart
You can purchase these original paintings from my Etsy store. You can find prints and other products like the ones below on Redbubble.
This week’s prompt over at Illustration Friday is ‘Hair’. This is the perfect opportunity to show you two of my newest paintings! Both of these paintings include figures with long, flowing hair – at least, that’s what I see!
As I explained on a previous blog post, I’ve been experimenting with a new abstract painting technique. I start with an image that is purely abstract – I work wet-on-wet on the paper, use lots of paint and water and allow the paint to ‘flow’ in the direction it wants to go (sometimes I help it along). I add textural elements such as gauze, and then I allow the first layer to dry. After it has dried, I start adding more layers, and then an image begins to form – almost like a Rorschach test! As the image begins to form, I help it along by adding in details with a fine brush. In the end, I find the painting isn’t so abstract anymore.
“Sea Goddess”
In this first painting, I saw a female figure, floating on her back in the water. I imagined her as some kind of sea goddess, and gave her long, flowing hair. My 3-year-old son still says it looks like a jellyfish though, and points out the ‘tentacles’! I like that about abstract art – people can see in it what they want to. We all bring something of ourselves to the art we view.
“Drifting Together”
In the second image, I also saw figures in the water. This time, I saw two figures and imagined them having tails – so they became mermaids. I added some scales, and like the sea goddess, long flowing hair.
What do you see in the images? Do you see the figures that I see? Do you see a jellyfish like my son does, or do you see something else?
The original paintings Sea Goddess and Drifting Together are available for purchase in my Etsy store. Prints and other products including clothing and accessories are available at Redbubble and Society6. Interested in receiving a little bit of art in your mailbox every month? Become a supporter of KL Bailey Art on Patreon!
This is the first time I’ve been involved in an exhibition since before my daughter was born, and I think the theme fits perfectly with my painting style. Many of my paintings, especially my ‘family tree portraits’, feature hearts and convey feelings of belonging, love and connectedness.
“Hope Within”
I really enjoy being involved in exhibitions. Not only do they give me an opportunity to showcase my work, but they also allow me to see the work of others. My husband is staying home with the kids on Friday night for the opening, so this exhibition will also an opportunity for a kid-free night out!
If you enjoy my work, I really hope you’ll take this opportunity to come and see it in person. I do my best to scan or photograph artwork carefully, but seeing it in person really brings it to life. There are also 6 other artists showcasing their work, and from what I’ve seen of their work so far, I’m extremely honoured (and maybe a little intimidated!) to be showing my work alongside theirs.
“Heart Felt” opens at 6pm on Friday 4th August at :the mezzanine: @ Entangle – Living Art, 38 Williams St, Dayboro. The exhibition runs through until August 27.
This week’s topic over at Illustration Friday is ‘love’. I haven’t participated in one of these prompts in a really long time – I think the last one was back in January 2011 (and ironically, that post is all about how my new year’s resolution was to participate in prompts more often. Whoops.) I decided to participate this week because the topic is one that really suits my painting style.
One of my favourite things to do is represent people as trees, showing the relationships between the people using colour, size, spacing and other elements.
“Night Romance”
In one of my most recent paintings, I used two trees to represent the love of a couple. I represented the theme of ‘love’ in a variety of ways. Firstly, the trees themselves are shaped like hearts. You will also notice many hearts in the swirls of the leaves if you look closely. I painted the trees very close together, overlapping. I also deliberately allowed the paint to run and mix at the point where the trees touched – I wanted to convey the way that in a close relationship, people become part of one another. I used the a mix of the red and blue in the colours of the sky to also show this connection.
Many people are looking for interesting art for their walls to represent their families. I myself have grand plans for a family feature wall in our next house.
I can create a work of art for you that represents your family in a unique way. In my family tree portraits, I represent the family using a number of my signature swirly trees.
“Little Family”
In the portrait, I represent each parent in a different primary colour. I then represent the children as a secondary colour that is a blend of the two parents’ colours, to represent that the children are a blending of the two parents. I also use hearts to represent the love the family shares. I can do any variation on this theme you like, including creating a portrait for blended families with stepchildren. It is a great way to have an artwork on your wall that uniquely represents your family. These paintings can be created as anything from small watercolours on paper to large acrylic paintings on canvas.
Another way your family can be uniquely represented on your wall is in a painting like this:
In this painting, only a couple are represented – however, smaller birds could be added to represent children. Once again, a painting like this can be commissioned as anything from a small watercolour to a large canvas. I have plans to create a painting like this for my own family – but I think I might make the background more like this one:
Under the Milky Way
If you’d like to commission a painting that represents your family in a unique way, please contact me!
