Author: Karen Hilliard Art

Black Canyon, AZ

Part 1

The sun was shining, water still, and the breeze was mild. We decided to go on a kayaking trip and camp overnight. This spot is amazing with many little coves to dock the kayaks or canoes and set up a tent. Our dog loved being able to get out, stretch his legs, and play with the frisbee we brought. The trip is from a few years ago, our dog has since passed, and this memory lives in infamy. I wanted to share this experience with all of you and hopefully inspire you to get outdoors or do something outside your comfort zone. Our big achievement on this day was kayaking all the way to the dam. Which was not exactly all the way, keep reading as to why.

The three of us were on the water for 3 days. My husband in his kayak with all the gear between his legs and myself in mine with our wonder dog. The water was nice and smooth yet we paddled up the river against the current for 2 days. We decided the first day we would stop and make camp. A beautiful spot on the river and super quiet while secluded. The dog enjoyed swimming around with his life vest because water safety is always very important. After many hours, we fell asleep to the stars overhead and an incredibly pitch black night around us. It gets very dark in the canyon. We awoke to a rumbling outside the tent that sounded like a large animal and ended up being a mouse eating our peanut butter sandwich. We had securely hid our food inside the kayak, or so we thought. Creatures have their very talented ways, be careful. We are lucky it was only a mouse.

The next morning we ventured further up the river and came across a gathering of people on the right side of the canyon. They spotted a bighorn and their dogs were barking at the animal. We decided to float on by and leave peace to the bighorn as everyone else had other ideas. Luckily, our dog did not bark at other dogs or the Sheep minding it’s own business eating it’s breakfast on the side of a rock face. As we paddled further up, we realized it was afternoon and we were not going to make it to the dam. The water from Lake Mead is released in the afternoon and the current is unmanageable by paddling. They do this to spin the turbines and increase power to the valley. I will write more about the rest of the journey in my post on Friday and hopefully have a Tiny painting for all of you to enjoy. Until then, thank you for reading and have a great day!

-Karen Hilliard

Tags black canyon AZ, kayaking

What? A Bighorn!!

Sometimes I just have to stop and stare in awe with pure amazement at what I see. In the morning with the brisk air upon our faces and the sun rising over the mountains, we looked up to see a magnificent beast of a bighorn in front of us. When out in nature it is so very important to respect the habitat of wild animals. No picture was taken at this time. The bighorn sheep was walking and wandering around solo looking for food. He saw us, and ran up the mountain face bounding with such strength and agility. We were forever impressed by the speed of this animal. Our dog just sat and watched marveling at this creature before us. One day I will paint this experience and may add another blog about the emotions, as there were many, and I still will not be able to describe the feelings of wonder.

Bighorn in Zion | Original Watercolor | Karen Hilliard Art | Small works

We have seen bighorn before and photographed herds of them. We saw some in Zion, UT, while kayaking Black Canyon, AZ, and in Valley of Fire here in Nevada. Still, wow, this one was special. The way our dog reacted with such calmness and the still of the air was amazing. The colors of the morning sky were breathtaking and my husband holding my hand gave me all the feels. This was truly a special and spectacular event in my life. I was able to take some photographs of the wash with the perfect light of day. I created a few paintings and kept some solely as photographs. Finding a branch from a bush sitting staring at the sky was my favorite picture. The temperature that day was a perfect cool desert morning.

Walking along the trail after seeing this profound animal, we just kept smiling. Have you ever had a day like this, where everything goes right, and magical things keep happening? It was interesting that the air was cool in the middle of July. These months are usually filled with heat warnings and severe dry weather. We were able to stay out longer than we thought due to such wonderful conditions. We explored further on the trail than we had gone before and were able to observe a cluster of rocks coming up from the earth. We tried to get a photograph close up to the rocks in the hopes of making them look like a canyon even though they were at the level of our feet. We felt like giants in a wonderland. I look forward to painting these pictures for you and adding them to my Lake Mead series. Stay tuned and look for them on the website soon!

Thank you for reading and have a great Monday!

-Karen Hilliard

Tags bighorn sheep, blue heeler, lake mead recreation area

Fall in Red Rock

The fall colors have always made me smile with warmth and glee. They remind me of many happy childhood memories. Now as an adult I enjoy a cup of coffee with a dash of pumpkin spice and the smell brings me back to the fall. I can be anywhere, in any season, and the smell of nutmeg makes my heart sing. In a previous post titled “Sketchbook” I started writing about the hiking experience in Red Rock Canyon where we found beautiful fall leaves. They covered the ground like a warm blanket on a cold morning. The different colors made us feel as if we were sitting in front of a fireplace drinking hot chocolate. I tried to emphasize all of the emotions of this in my recent sketchbook painting.

The contrast of light, dark, cool, and warm colors really drew me into a special world. I loved creating this piece and am still working on it. I remember watching our dog find the perfect spot to lay down among the leaves and take a rest after a long hike. We still had a ways to go so we decided to honor his request and let him take a breather. He ended up cuddling in my lap and inspired me to just sit and listen to the quiet calmness all around me. Animals are so amazing in this way, truly appreciating their surroundings. All my senses were alive so I closed my eyes and just enjoyed the moment with him. I did not want to think about painting so we just took some photographs before we left the spot.

Red Rock Canyon Series 1 Number 8|Pine Cone|Karen Hilliard Art|Watercolor|4x6|Original — **CLICK HERE FOR THESE PAINTINGS (RED ROCK CANYON SERIES 1)**

This sketch is very special to me because it captures the captivation of the moment. The quiet calm. The much needed break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life back in the city. Red Rock Canyon is a special place for those who want to get away from the fast pace of life. It is nice to even get away from mundane thoughts as the canyon sparks brand new creative ideas. This hike cleans my palette, washes away my brushes, and presents me with a new sheet of blank paper telling me anything is possible. It opens my mind to new opportunities, wondrous images, and relaxing feelings of peace. Getting outside regularly is a must for my family and I. We are very thankful for where we live and our ability to share this world with all of you over the internet. I also added some paintings of the pinecones that covered the ground all around us. Thank you for reading and we hope you have a lovely weekend!

-Karen Hilliard

Exploring the Desert

The desert is all around us and the canyons are in our backyard. We may have to drive a distance to be in their presence but it is always worth it! My advice today is to always carry toilet paper because you never know when you are going to need it. A doggy bag is also a good idea. Pack it in and pack it out is a very important phrase to remember while hiking out in nature. The desert, although seemingly prickly and fierce, is very fragile and it takes years for certain plants to reproduce. Tread lightly, carry water, and be careful in these harsh surroundings. This being said, let me take you on an adventure! Out into the wilderness we go, through the wash, and then who knows…Are you ready?

When our puppy was a wee little one we took him on a mini backpacking trip. We found a lovely water source for him in the spring runoff coming from the mountains. Taking many breaks to rest his puppy legs, I found some wonderful spots to stop and sketch. The flowers were blooming in patches everywhere we looked and gave the desert an artistic vibe. We felt as if we were walking in a painting. Being a visitor of such an amazing place creates a feeling of awe. Red Rock Canyon really made us feel small compared to the giant canyons before us. Our minds drifted to how we are such a small part of this giant rock we live on floating around in space. Earth is really a vast place and this feeling of it was here before us, will be here after us, was truly humbling. I try to always represent this in my work and emphasize the beauty of whichever place I am in.

Red Rock Canyon Series 1 #6|Karen Hilliard Art|Watercolor|Tiny Paintings|4x6 — Click Here for the Link to the Tiny Paintings!

The mountains surrounding us were large and comforting. They kept us shielded from the chilly winds and made us feel as if they were hugging us with their warmth. An immense sensation of protection swept over me as I sat there sketching our dog enjoying his drink from the stream. I also took many photographs and completed some paintings upon arriving home. The painting of the dog in the previous post is from this hike as well. These pictures were taken out in the desert on the backside of the Red Rock Canyon Loop. There is a wonderful hiking area where one can see wild burros romping in the desert and playing with their herd. On this day we did not see any large wildlife. We look forward to many more hikes in the future in this amazing spot. Hope to encourage you all to get outside and look at this big beautiful world with a new perspective! Happy Wednesday.

-Karen Hilliard

The Wash

In the hot summer months the water in the valley dries up and the wash becomes available to walk through. The path is riddled with beautiful sandstone and limestone rocks, pebbles, and boulders. It is an amazing workout on the ankles and legs which helps with dexterity. Balance with oneself and nature is necessary while exploring topography such as this. The heat of the desert settles in and the wash appears vast, hot, and completely sparse of life. There we are, walking, trudging along into the abyss wondering what treasures we will find. I love watching our dog bound endlessly from boulder to boulder like a billy goat on the side of a cliff. He has so much energy and it is nice to watch him in his element exploring every ounce of wonder.

His exercise in the summer months is limited due to the heat so we have to take the dog out hiking in the very early hours of the day. The fall months are a much nicer experience for the three of us and the exploration we love to do. The leaves change color, the wash is dry, and the breeze is cool if not cold. The mountains are starting to get ready for snow so they can supply the wash with water in the spring. The colors in the desert are glorious during the fall. The rocks on the path we trail on are wondrous shades of blue, purple, red, orange, yellow, white, and cream. We love feeling the smoothness of the rock faces whittled down by wind and rain in the wash. Sitting down on a nice surface area and enjoying a cup of hot chocolate or tea is a nice treat for the humans on this journey.

I used the Fall colors from the desert for inspiration on this little sketch.

The boundless energy of our dog keeps us entertained and moving forward under any circumstance. Sometimes we end up butt scooting down cliff faces and carrying the dog on our laps or handing him to and fro between one another. He is not a small or light animal but we manage. Through all this, we have a backpack that one of us carries with a sketchbook, watercolors, and a pen. Oftentimes we will find a spot where my husband and dog sit, relax, explore, or do whatever their hearts want to do at that moment. I sit and sketch, paint, or draw. I like to just look, observe, and think about what I see or notice as well. Writing down my thoughts is a must because of the vast beauty and endless ideas in front of me. I enclosed a few pictures of our hike in the wash. More to come!

Thank you for reading and have a happy Monday!

-Karen Hilliard

Tags blue heeler, red rock canyon

Red Rock Canyon

Most of my inspiration for my paintings comes from hiking, climbing, and camping adventures. Red Rock Canyon is a place that holds a special spot in my heart. My husband and I go hiking in this area frequently. We love the sandstone for its rich orange, yellow, red, blue, and purple hues. Each rock face takes us on a trip into our imaginations and we have endless conversations about what we notice. The springs that run through the valley into the wash are breathtaking and when the river runs from the mountain run off it is magical. We see spadefoot toads in their tadpole state all the way to their evolution into mature toads. Beautiful Oak and Pinion trees surround us with their jovial leaves in the Springtime and send us into a colorful wonderland in the Fall.

Click Here to see Reels (Videos) on Instagram of the Painting Process!

On a recent exploration we happened upon a wondrous tree shedding its leaves into the wash. The water had since dried up and the rocks were cool from the morning air. A hint of blue color adorned the facade of these rocks in the early light. The leaves were a gorgeous combination of yellow, brown, orange, red, and many variations of these colors. I took many photographs and decided I would paint these images upon arriving at home. We were on a long hike that day and just wanted to keep moving forward to see what else we could find. I was very pleased with the angles I took and confident the photos would turn out well enough to not need to sketch as well. Out of the several photographs taken, I came up with a menagerie of images to use.

The hike through the canyon was amazing and cold. We loved wearing hats and jackets especially after surviving the hot Summer months here in the desert. We brought hot chocolates with us to enjoy and our sweet pup loved romping about. Always, always, always clean up after your pets. PLEASE! The only way to be able to have our furry friends on these hiking experiences is if we all Leave No Trace behind. That side note being mentioned, the dog had a glorious time. I got many awesome pictures of him as well which I will share in future blogs. I hope you all enjoyed walking around the canyon with me and I will be writing more about this place and sharing which hikes we love. I can mention trailheads as well if you would like. Leave me a comment about anything that interests you or a place in Red Rock Canyon you also love.

Thank you for reading! Have a safe and happy weekend friends.

-Karen Hilliard

Tags New Blog

Blotting

Always Carry a Paper Towel

One of the lines from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy that my husband and I love is “Always Carry a Towel.” We discuss this at length to the point where he actually packs a towel for any of our adventures because we never know when we will need one. It actually comes in handy with the dog and any water source quite often! Speaking of water and needing a quick way to clean things up; I usually use a paper towel when blotting watercolor paint. I use a regular reusable rag when working with acrylics. The fine details and intricate lines I create with watercolor require a gentle hand with the aid of a small surface area especially with my 4″ x 6″ Originals. Paper towels are easy to fold into tiny spaces in order to collect excess water or fix runaway paint.

Canopies of California Number 1 | Karen Hilliard Art | Tiny Paintings — Click here for Tiny Paintings

Canopies of California Number 2 | Karen Hilliard Art | Tiny Paintings — Click here for Tiny Paintings

The joy of watercolor is to let the paint flow and interact with each color differently. In my large pieces I do need some control to keep my fine lines from trickling into nothingness. So I suggest always carrying a paper towel and yes, I reuse them. One paper towel will last me about 2 to 3 months if my dog does not get a hold of it and chew it up. I have to hide these beauties as if they were buried treasure he cannot sniff out. Keeping these paper towels safe for multiple months can be a challenge but I love reusing them so it is necessary. Blotting is super important in my technique so the paper does not buckle. I work in a wet on dry technique and control the minute wet on wet interactions specifically. Some of my recent work was wet on wet with a wet on dry technique to complete it and it was very enjoyable. The Daisy Way series was fascinating and fun to create. I used a paper towel with both styles and prefer the wet on dry for my larger works.

Daisy Way Spring | Karen Hilliard Art | Watercolor — Click Here For: Original Daisy Paintings Link or Dolphin Smiles Print Link

Dolphin Smiles | Original | Karen Hilliard Art | Watercolor — Click Here For: Original Daisy Paintings Link or Dolphin Smiles Print Link

The wet on dry allows me to work for several hours, days, months on a piece. I can let it sit, focus on the lines, and challenge myself with determination to finish these. Each large painting takes many layers and many hours of work. Dolphin Smiles was painted using a wet on dry technique. My gallery focuses on the natural world and includes portraits interacting with nature. Recently I have been working in my sketchbook and posting videos on social media platforms. Each video, if you focus, you can see me use a paper towel to blot a section of the painting. These timelapse videos move quicker than I could ever paint in real life so you have to watch very closely to see a paper towel on one of these “reels.” Please drop a comment on what you use to blot your surface area, excess water problems, etc. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment and I will respond in 24-48 hours Monday-Friday. You can also send me a private message at khilliardart.com/contact

Thank you for reading and have a wonderful Wednesday!

-Karen Hilliard

Tags California Redwoods, daisies painting, Daisy

Sketchbook

Sometimes just throwing ideas down on paper is so liberating. When thoughts are circling around in my head I have to get them down or they may leave my mind forever. I have journals for writing, sketchbooks for drawing, and tiny pieces of paper all over the house for whatever pops into my head at the time. These recent sketches I have been posting on social media are from photographs I have taken on several hikes over the years. The current one is from the fall season in Red Rock Canyon State Park, Nevada.

My husband, dog, and I stumbled upon these beautiful rocks and trees in the wash one day. The morning sun lit up the canyon with beautiful hues of cool to warm pigments. Each leaf seemed to have multiple colors running throughout their surface area. It was like looking at time itself in such a small subject. I tried to portray this by using multiple colors in my palette for the atmosphere I was attempting to create. The reference photo is breathtaking and also overwhelming with the amount of color on a 4” x 6” sheet of paper which is such a small space to work from. The sketchbook chosen to execute this painting idea is an 11” x 14” so taking a micro subject and enlarging it into something else entirely.

Here is my Instagram Link for the Timelapse Videos!

The painting ended up becoming macro compared to the reference photo. I honed in on the rock face structure and a few of the leaves surrounding it. I wanted to show the texture of the rock, the lichen present, and the leaves laid upon the rock in a whimsical way. I love this piece for the details it allowed me to create and the intricate lines that were formed. Watching the watercolor flow and the ink mold was truly magical. These two mediums used together are becoming favorites of mine. I used the size S from my ink pen set again. I described the pens I use in the blog titled “Reference Photos” when I painted the cactus flowers. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at khilliardart.com/contact and I will respond within 24 hours Monday through Friday. Thank you for reading and have a lovely holiday tomorrow if you are in the USA. If you are anywhere else on this beautiful rock, enjoy the day floating in space!

-Karen Hilliard

True Renaissance

In my last blog I mentioned the importance of having a close group of friends to critique work and bounce ideas off of as something I find helpful. One friend in particular, one of my main sources of confidant for my art projects is such a person. They are the true embodiment of a person who writes, paints, creates in many mediums, and is a philosopher, an inventor, etc. In my mind, they can literally do anything they set their mind to. The reason I chose to write about them in this blog is to motivate others. Anytime I am confused, scared, or nervous about entering a competition, figuring things out on social media, you name it, they are there. A positive force in my life that builds me up and adds the word “and” instead of “but” when bouncing ideas off of them. They are considered a family member to me in so many ways and one of my husband and my closest friends. They watched our dog for us once and we came home to this beautiful painting of a tree from Mt. Charleston as a wonderful gift just because.

This person is a rare entity who is so intelligent but does not boast, well not to many. People who meet them would not even fathom their level of brilliance. It takes them a good while to show their true self and I am so fortunate they opened up to become part of my family. Anytime I have a problem or question, they are who I communicate with to figure out my next steps art wise. They are a digital creator as well as a phenomenal writer. I am putting the link to their website and I highly recommend checking out their artwork. If you like any of their paintings and wanted to purchase anything, you would be helping out an amazing person. Currently this person is working many jobs and their main one is at a hospital cooking food for patients. They are just fantastic and I hope you like their style of artwork as it always lifts me up. I personally enjoy their humor, intelligence, and whimsy in every piece of artwork they create. Their writing may be my favorite. I am leaving their name off of this post as they are very humble and want their art to speak for itself. Please enjoy viewing their work at hagabaudr8.art

Their writing is under “Stories,” Blog is under “Logbook,” and their artwork is under the “Portfolio” link at the bottom of every page on the website.

Thank you for reading my blog and have a happy weekend!

-Karen Hilliard

Finish Line

The finishing of a sketch always creates different emotions for me. I love drawing and painting preliminary ideas for composition, however, it is rare for the sketch to represent the final painting completely. This sketch of the cactus flowers sparked an interest in me for several paintings, a combined painting, and new possibilities for color schemes altogether. As a painter I try to show my emotions and feelings at the time of execution on a piece or when the photograph was taken. Feelings and emotions change day to day or at various times of the day. My paintings, especially the larger ones, take days or months to finish. Colors change during these days and times so having a color swatch to the left or right of an idea in my sketchbook really helps me looking back. I need to remember to mix the colors and write both colors used for the swatch.

Also, I think writing where the colors were used on the actual sketch is a great idea. I did not do this in the painting you see in this blog but I think I will in future sketchbooks. What are some things you do to remember the colors you used during your processing time? I would love to read about it in the comments below. Having a community of artists to talk to is also nice if you feed off others ideas, like to critique, get critiqued, or just share with others in order to gain new perspectives. I really like to get my ideas together and share with very few trusted artists I call friends. I have come to find that art is a very personal experience for the person creating the work. In my experience, I am an artist that is very in my own head and live with my creations. This being said, it is normal to have a difficult time communicating thoughts to others. Writing these blogs have been a challenge for me yet I am learning and growing.

Thank you all for reading and your continued support. Please follow me on Instagram, TikTok, or my Etsy Shop at khilliardart which is the same name as my website khilliardart.com

My Facebook is at Karen Hilliard Art if you would like to follow me there as well. On these platforms I create reels which show me painting these sketches in a timelapse form. I speed up all the videos because I paint really slow and concentrated and am sure that would not render to most people’s attention span or desires. I hope this blog is found helpful and I hope to read awesome comments about how you remember the colors you want to use in a painting or a style you want to recreate.

-Karen Hilliard