Category: Karen Hilliard Art Blog

Summer

In the hot desert months of Summer, traveling is limited. I remember living on the coast of California and being in love with Summer. The warm sun was welcomed on cool days and swimming was wonderful. Spending these months in better temperatures is ideal especially if it is by a lake! The mornings here in Nevada are 80 to 90 degrees at 4 am. Getting up and out to a trail super early is a must or the dog will be wrecked due to his fur coat. Severe heat warnings are in place and multiple water bottles are a necessity even driving around just in case the car were to break down. Being out in nature and finding a cool spot among the rocks is a must! Usually, our desert family likes to take off and explore over the hotter months and it helps that teachers get so much time off. We love traveling across the United States and visiting loved ones.

While traveling in the hot part of the year we tend to try and find water sources. We love kayaking or canoeing down rivers or around lakes. Wakeboarding is also great fun when we get the opportunity. Chris and I took a trip around Lake Superior once and that was one of the best times we have ever had. This will definitely be a new series of work coming soon. For now, enjoy some of these pictures. The Circle Tour was amazing through Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Canada. We drove by ourselves with our dog for about 10 days just camping in the wilderness. The whole experience was wonderful. Jumping and wading in Lake Superior, then Lake Huron, and Lake Michigan was worth it. Minnesota has the nicest people and Canada does as well. Michigan had beautiful waterfalls and every place had awesome breweries. The people were nice everywhere, just especially nice in Minnesota and Canada.

While in Canada our favorite spot was Pancake Bay. This was a quiet cove where we were able to camp right on the beach. We ended up staying for 2 nights because it was so beautiful and relaxing for the dog. I will definitely be writing a blog about this place because there is so much to share, but for now enjoy these photos of the best days with my pup. The water was so flat and clear that the pebbles in the sand were very defined. The sand itself was beautiful to photograph. If you ever get the opportunity to visit any of the Great Lakes, DO IT!!! There is something magical about each one. I just want to take a moment to say Thank You to the Canadians on this trip. They were truly wonderful and hospitable. The girl at the desk got us to take this amazing spot right on the beach, again, I will write more about it in a future blog. Stay tuned for Fall….one of my most favorite times of the year. Thank you for reading!

-Karen Hilliard

Ah Spring…

Spring is a beautiful time of year. The pollinators are hard at work on flowers to get a taste of their nectar. Here in the desert the bees work tirelessly on pollinating the cactus flowers on beaver tails and this leaves behind new opportunities for cactus pears. These are delicious morsels and very colorful to behold. In our garden right outside our kitchen door, we have lovely sunflowers that chase the rays of the sun all day. The bees also pollinate these and the flower goes to seed for the many birds who frequent our backyard. The desert tortoises are also out eating anything they can find and loving the water in the cactus. This is what goes on in our tiny spot on the planet, what blooms where you live?

Valley of Fire Flowers Series 1 #9 • Tiny Painting • Karen Hilliard Art

Valley Of Fire Series Greetings Cards • Watercolor Painting • Karen Hilliard Art

In other parts of the country roses, wildflowers, and tulips abound. Color is booming and blooming everywhere. Yellow tulips are one of my favorite flowers and I have yet to paint them. I have longed to get a bouquet of them with a variety of colors. Fields of tulips in another country would be an ideal painting situation for me, or a vast area of lavender fields. Where is somewhere you would love to travel to for the pure experience of flowers? I think France would be an ideal place for lavender and Japan for the cherry blossoms on trees. While in Tuscany I had the pleasure of traveling by train and viewing fields of sunflowers. They were everywhere and I was eternally happy. This was in the summertime and may be put in my next blog on Friday. Roses are one of my husband’s favorite flowers. What are some of yours?

Sunflower Series 2 Number 1 | Karen Hilliard Art | Watercolor | Tiny Paintings

Mine would be sunflowers and tulips. Another friend from Barcelona mentioned the exact flowers that bring me joy are the ones that bring them happiness. I wonder how a painting of tulips and sunflowers would look and what I would place as a filler? Do you have any thoughts on this? For now, desert bound, I paint my surroundings. Luckily, I am inspired anywhere I go and wherever my eyes gaze. The pure enjoyment of being an artist and feeling motivation from all of nature is my deepest passion. I feel truly blessed. So, in conclusion, Spring brings so many wonderful feelings to the surface. The color and fragrance alone are amazing and the season also brings new hope with possibilities. Have a happy Wednesday, and thank you for reading!

-Karen Hilliard

Tags bees, spring, sunflowers, watercolor painting

All Weather is Good Weather

Winter

“All weather is good weather,” is a phrase we use in our household. No matter the circumstances, we try to be outside. Luckily, we do not have hurricanes or tornadoes in the desert here, or severe blizzards. All of this being said, the rain, snow, sleet, hail, heat, etc. keeps us on our toes and we try to keep a positive mindset. I recently posted a question on Facebook asking what season was a person’s favorite and why. The responses received were awesome. One person in particular wrote, all, for their individual reasons. I am going to take the next four posts and write about each season and what I like about them because I was inspired by this person’s comment.

Soulful Wanderer• Watercolor Portrait • Karen Hilliard Art — Hiking with our dog in the winter snow.

Let’s start with winter because January starts the year off. I love the winter and the cooler temperatures. Snow is beautiful, before it gets brown and mushy. The white calm of a winter morning when no one is out, and the fresh powder rests on the ground in the quiet dawn, is an amazing sight. I love the feeling of winter and the chill on my face, down my esophagus as I breathe in, and the midst out of my mouth as I exhale. A warm cup of cocoa in hand and I am the happiest of people. One of my favorite things to do is knit and this makes the colder months quite enjoyable for me. I love handmade gifts and making gifts for others. Sweaters, hats, scarves, and mittens, etc. are all items filling up our closet at home. Luckily, because we go outside often, we are able to get a good use out of these treasures.

CLICK HERE FOR THE ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR-> “SLED DOG”

Another reason I and my husband love winter is for the activities in the outdoors. We love snowshoeing through the woods for hours on end discussing everything we see and just relaxing. I know for many this is strange, but we also love to shovel snow! It is an amazing workout and very calming. I also love watching winter sports like hockey, figure skating, snowboarding, skiing etc. I had the pleasure of dogsledding in Alaska some years ago and it was glorious. Being out in the wilderness running and riding with dogs, and watching their excitement was awesome. I loved looking at the trees covered in a magical white dusting and the sunlight coming through the pine needles. This thought leads me to Christmas which is my most loved holiday. All my happiest memories are tied into this time of year. You can read about some of the reasons in my previous blog titled Christmas Ornaments. Please go ahead and leave your favorite weather or season in the comments below. I would love to keep this conversation going! Have a happy Monday and look for Spring on Wednesday!

-Karen Hilliard

Tags New Blog, seasons, weather, winter

Blog 100

Wow, this is my 100th blog. I just want to take a moment to thank all of you for reading these and tell you it means a lot to me. I have received text messages, private messages, emails, and comments on the actual blogs. It is amazing to meet with you all here on my little spot online. For those of you following from the beginning, thank you so much! For those of you recently reading, I am overjoyed to write for you Monday, Wednesday, and Friday every week. Here you will find posts about my artwork, hiking/climbing adventures, camping trips, and so on. This blog is meant to inspire everyone to go for their dreams and believe in the possibilities of life. My artwork will hopefully create new perspectives of the outside world and encourage others to see the world a little differently.

Fall in Red Rock | Original Watercolor | Karen Hilliard Art | Tiny Painting | Starting Bid | Auction

Fall in Red Rock Canyon | Tiny Painting | Karen Hilliard Art | Small Works | 4x6

The newest series in my portfolio has been ink and watercolor Tiny Paintings. These are 4” x 6” paintings created on Mixed Media paper. They can fit into a 5×7 inch frame with a mat opening for a 4×6 inch image. Please mat the artwork before framing so the watercolor does not stick to the glass. This is for those of you who would like to purchase my artwork. The direct link to the Tiny Paintings is here…click here! “Fall in Red Rock” is the newest series and the focus is on contrast of colors. I am using a lot of different variants of warm orange and cool blue hues. I hope you like these pieces. Numbers one, two, and three have sold. Number three was very exciting to create. The intricate details were created with ink and then watercolor was applied after for shadows and texture.

Each leaf was painted individually and the wash work was done with great intention. I chose a few spots to do a watercolor wash in and then ended up layering over it several times. Basically, the whole entire piece is very detailed. The top right corner is a little bit more loose to give the viewer a little bit of play with their imagination. I like how this painting was of a tree and ended up looking like the desert floor with leaves scattered around twigs, or a root system. This was a truly enjoyable piece to paint and I hope you look forward to the rest of this series. Numbers 4, 5, and 6 are now up on the website for your enjoyment. They can be found in the Small Works link or on my Home Page under Small Works. Thank you for reading 100 blogs and I am happy to continue writing more for all of you. Have a great weekend and stay safe!

-Karen Hilliard

Tags 100th Blog, red rock canyon, tiny paintings, watercolor painting

Fall Leaves

Creating the colors for fall leaves is wonderful. I use about four to five layers of paint on these little beauties. Watching the water flow and form together to create a new color is my favorite part. Winsor and Newton Professional Watercolours are my favorite medium so far. If anyone would like to know the colors I use, please leave a comment and I will post them within 24-48 hours. Also, if anyone has any questions regarding watercolor, I am happy to help in any way I can. Now, back to the fall!

CLICK HERE FOR “FALL IN RED ROCK SERIES 1 NUMBER 2”

“Fall in Red Rock Canyon Series 1 Number 2” was a joy to create. I say this a lot because painting is something I enjoy very much. I love creating these worlds for all of you viewers to enjoy and always hope my paintings are looked upon with love for many years. Number 2 in the series has deep yellow, orange, red, and golden hues throughout the leaves. The focus of this Tiny Painting is the contrast of cools and warms. I used ink to get deep dark shadows and a combination of layering watercolor on top of the ink for darker effects as well as subtle shadows. The tree branches were fun to ink out with their rough bark appearance. Then, I used the watercolor to bring depth into the bark.

Do you have a certain part of this piece you like more than the rest? This painting really reminds me of the fall season. Any time I travel during the cooler months I look for changing colors throughout the land. Pine trees are beautiful and keep their green pigment in the pine needles and I enjoy how they are dispersed between deciduous trees. It intrigues me that trees in a Deciduous Forest can produce such beautiful leaves to protect them from heat, then they change color when the cold weather comes, and disperse or shed their leaves when they are no longer needed. As spring comes, so do more leaves and the cycle repeats the following year. This may be where my fascination with trees was formed. These giant beautiful protectors are also very intelligent survivors that will outlive us, if we let them be.

Thank you for reading and have a happy Wednesday!

-Karen Hilliard

Something to Blog About

Accidently dipping a paintbrush into my hot chocolate, coffee, or tea is an occasional occurrence. How many of my artist friends out there have this problem? No matter how many times I watch my surroundings or place my mug far away from my paints, it happens. While creating this last painting of the “Fall in Red Rock Series,” I did this many times. On the last day of the painting, while filling in all the final details, I must have dipped my paintbrush into my hot chocolate 20 times at least. Of course, I stopped drinking it after the first one and washed my paint brush every time it happened. The reason I am writing about this is because it was the last cup of hot chocolate and grocery day was still three days away.

Buying groceries has gotten expensive recently due to inflation of product and gas prices. I try to be really conscious of certain items in the house. I have only been drinking hot cocoa instead of coffee and tea. One simple cup a day is a nice treat and helps get me into the mindset of Fall. While painting I love to place myself back into a memory. The painting series I am currently working on is about being outdoors during the Fall season. I am remembering the crisp air of the morning, the cool colors surrounding me, and the smell of leaves on the ground. So you can imagine how sad I was when drinking this magical cup of cocoa was no longer an option. I was able to finish the painting but waited a few days to start the next one.

CLICK HERE FOR THE TINY PAINTING -> FALL IN RED ROCK SERIES 1- #1

I love activating all the senses and making my painting experience just as wonderful as the actual day I took the reference photos. By awakening other senses I am able to tap into a new creative spark and amazing things happen. The paintbrush has a mind of it’s own, then lines, shapes, and details start to form. I created a sketch before this painting series and the Tiny Paintings are all turning out a little different, than not only the photograph, but the sketch itself. I do love this about art. The feeling that I never truly know what I will create until it happens. Living in the moment. Even on a large piece that takes many months to create, each day is a new beginning and takes me into a fresh mindset. What is your process?

This is titled with my husband’s words after I said, “oh no, I dipped my paintbrush in my hot chocolate again!” His reply was, “That gives you something to blog about.”

Thank you for reading, and happy Monday!

-Karen Hilliard

Tags red rock canyon, watercolor painting

Black Canyon, AZ

Part 2

We were battling ferocious currents and paddling harder and harder until it felt as if our arms were going to fall off. My kayak was spinning in circles with my dog shaking between my legs. At this point in the trip my mind was racing with thoughts such as, “This was not a good idea,” “I hope the dog is not traumatized because he loves the water,” and “Is this kayak ever going to stop spinning?” As these thoughts raced through my mind, my primal instinct of survival took over and I got out of the circling situation. The dog and I ended up on one side of the river by the canyon and my husband on the other on the low graveley beach. My only thought, I had to get safely across the river and dock the kayak to rest.

I took a deep breath and before I could attempt to try to make it across the river my husband was in the water coming to our aid. He is amazing! He paddled hard and got to us, then tried to tie the kayaks together which worked for a short while. After this he just paddled in front of us which cut a path in the water for me and I did not have to paddle as hard. We both landed on the beach, pet the dog until he stopped shaking, and hugged each other. Our desire to paddle to the base of the dam was done and we were proud we got as far as we did. Others on the water told us we could do it if we went super early in the morning, but a mutual decision was made that we made it the whole way. We took a picture and then got back in the kayaks only to float down the river with no effort needed.

The water was flowing with us this time and the dog was super relaxed. I was thankful that my best kayaking buddy would still love the water as much as I did. My husband and I were able to relax and take some pictures. On the way back we stopped at other outcoves and went exploring with the dog. We wanted to make sure the overall trip was a good experience for him. We camped out one more night before paddling home the next day. Setting up camp with shaking hands and sore limbs was an amazing experience of will. This whole excursion was an inspiration for creativity. The next day, as we floated downriver, my husband and I wrote a song about the whole experience and started singing it as we drifted. A lot was written on this night in our journal and many smiles were made on this day.

Have a great weekend and stay safe out there!

-Karen Hilliard

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