Category: Karen Hilliard Art Blog

Adventures on the Inca Trail

Part One

The hike along the trail was a stimulus of all our senses. The sun was bright overhead and shining it’s warmth down upon us. We were blessed with cool weather which was nice since we wore long pants, long sleeved mosquito repelling shirts, and hats with a sun brim. REI in the United States is a magical place to shop for any outdoor excursion needs. We found everything we needed there right before we left. We were confident in our hiking boots and they kept us blister free the entire time in Peru and beyond. The brand we chose was Solomon. They were and are very comfortable to hike in. Our feet were very dry in the boots and water did not get in when we hiked through streams or rivers. I was super happy to photograph our boots on the Inca Trail for our memory book.

The hike had many down and uphill gradient changes with steep stairs in certain sections. The trail was carved out nicely through the forest due to many people walking on it. We loved that everyday was a workout and found everything in Peru eventually went up. The stairs to climb had very high steps which I will write more about in my blog on Machu Picchu when we get there. For now, I will stick focus on our hike to the hot springs. Before we could reach the springs, we stopped for extra water and some souvenirs along the mountain pass. These Peruvian People put a little store on the trail for tourists to take a break and it was lovely. We got to see what happens to a Poinsettia Plant when given the opportunity to grow naturally and not trimmed down. They are huge, and look like trees filled with red or pink leaves, depending on the type of Poinsettia. After this sweet little stop, we traveled on to have lunch at a local restaurant right on the river.

Exotic Flower. Peru Series Number 2 — AVAILABLE CLICK HERE

We set our small backpacks down in the restaurant and had some time before food was served. As we walked around the perimeter of the building we came across hammocks the owners hung outside for weary travelers to take a nap in. It was lovely to take a break and listen to the roar of the river alongside the hammocks. We also spied a beautiful green grasshopper bug inside of a brightly pink colored flower. I wanted to share this little guy with you all again! When we were finished walking around the food was also finished being prepared. All of us gathered and sat at the table and were served to eat family style to just grab what we wanted to eat. It was a wonderful middle of the hike and we all just wanted to stay and lay in the hammocks for several hours, but we had to trek on to Santa Teresa.

Have a Wonderful Weekend and thank you for reading!

-Karen Hilliard

Also, if you would like another way to show support, I have a few options. “Buy me a coffee” which is a way for anyone to contribute to the creative process behind the paintings. Fuel the artist so to speak. Here is the link if you are interested. The funds go to supplies and gas to get out to the trails. I truly appreciate the support and the fact that you are liking these blogs, as well as my art posts. I am working hard to bring you all fresh content! Here is the link to my Instagram where I try to post daily. You can also find me on Facebook at my art page Karen Hilliard Art.

If you would like to, please leave your Social Media handle on the “Buy me a Coffee” page so I can thank you in my Instagram/Facebook Stories! 🙂

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Karen Hilliard Art | Blog | Support for the Artist | Art Support — Please leave your Social Media handle on the “Buy me a Coffee” page so I can thank you in my Instagram/Facebook Stories! If you would like to 🙂

Karen Hilliard Art | Watercolor Painting | Inca Trail Number 2 — **AVAILABLE CLICK HERE**

Tags Inca Trail, New Blog, watercolor painting

Eco Hostel in Peru

We stayed at an amazing Eco Hostel in the Mountains on our way to Machu Picchu. Lunch was wonderful and each dish had flavors abound just by incorporating different vegetables. We were fascinated that no spices were used, just the natural palette of a garden variety. As we ate our meal, we were told about the history of the hostel in the mountains. How every item needs to be carried up the long trail as no vehicles can drive on such narrow paths. This hostel was such a lovely experience. We had our own room and a community shower beneath us. We slept high in the mountain range and woke up staring at the most amazing view of the clouds rolling over the mountain. The people at this Eco Hostel were super friendly and had us help make dinner. I got to peel the potatoes while the guinea pigs ran around my feet collecting scraps. Such pleasant sounds were coming out of these tiny creatures while we were making supper. They are also wonderful little garbage disposals. Luckily, there were no guinea pigs on their menu even though it is a delicacy in Peru.

Llama from Peru/Karen Hilliard Art/Machu Picchu/Llama — PRIVATE COLLECTION

Machu Picchu Llamas | llama | Karen Hilliard Art | Watercolor — PRIVATE COLLECTION

Chris and I were served llama so I scraped mine on to his plate while no one was looking. I made sure to do this in segments so it looked like I was eating it. Did not want to be rude. These people walked all this food up the mountain to their hostel just to feed us. The garden items were grown on site. They also made us fresh coffee in the morning from beans they roasted and ground themselves. It was delicious. While we had our morning coffee, our tour guide wanted to decorate our faces with pollen from a local flower. He said it also would deter any biting bugs. I would have been the first in the chair if I had heard him first. Bugs bite me all the time and I did not want any mosquito bites in South America while hiking through the rainforest. I put pictures of my and Chris’s “face paint” here in the blog. After we both got these drawn on us, we were shown some lovely handmade jewelry. This post backtracks a bit but I wanted you to all understand why I could not eat the llamas. They were everywhere and just had the sweetest faces.

The owners brought out their handmade items on boards and explained they made these to help them be able to afford food for their guests. We bought two friendship bracelets and two necklaces we wore the entire trip. Peru happened in the summer of 2017 and I just wiggled my bracelet off in April of 2023. This bracelet still had not fallen off even when my dog ate one of the connecting strings. I did not bring my wedding ring on this trip, so for me, this bracelet symbolized my and Chris’s bond. I am so glad I let the woman tie the bracelet on because I did not want it to fall off, and it never did! After we purchased these very sentimental items, it was time to depart. We reluctantly left the slice of heaven, high in the sky on the Inca Trail, to walk on to Machu Picchu with the understanding there would be more cities and stops on the way.

I hope you all enjoyed this blog. Thank you for reading and have a Wonderful Wednesday!!

-Karen Hilliard

If you would like to, please leave your Social Media handle on the “Buy me a Coffee” page so I can thank you in my Instagram/Facebook Stories! 🙂

Thank you again for all of your support!

Tags New Blog, Peru

Rainbow Mountains of Peru

Oh the Rainbow Mountains!!! Yes, 3 exclamation points and should be more for the excitement we felt walking at 16,000’ to see them. We had an interesting experience to get to these mountains. The tour was booked before we left the USA through a different guide than our Machu Picchu trip. A pick up time of 3:45am at a church turned into us getting left and luckily picked up by a taxi at 6am. The bus had gone to our hostel by mistake and the company sent a taxi for us later when they realized we had been waiting at the church. We had warm clothes and were fine. I am so pleased we waited because seeing the Rainbow Mountains is something I will always remember.

Chris and I had a lovely quick breakfast and then the ride to the top of the mountain. The oxygen was super low and the trees stopped growing at one point as we walked. We saw llamas, sheep, and horses. These people who work on the mountain are amazing! They pick people up at any point on the super hard to breathe trail and then take them by horseback up the mountain. Now, let me explain. The people hold the horse by the reins and run by foot up to the top of the mountain, then drop the rider off and run down the mountain for another fair. These workers do this all day long while tourists struggle to breathe just walking the trail. How impressive to be so adapted to that life.

Rainbow Mountains. Peru Series Number 5 — **AVAILABLE CLICK HERE**

My fifth painting in the series is one of the mountain range. The trail to the top was brown, green, and blue skies. Once on the top the sky opened up, rained, snowed, and was really cold. We got just enough pictures before this happened. The colors of the mountain are breathtaking just as much as the hike to get to them. I did not have time to sketch up there because we arrived late but I am grateful for pictures, and the ability to paint from them later. The runners with the horses offered me a ride many times going up the mountain as I was not doing well. I made it walking thanks to Chris. Again, the best person for me to travel with or do anything in life with. I wish you all have someone fun and amazing to travel with. This place is worth seeing! Thank you for reading and have a Marvelous Monday!!

-Karen Hilliard

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Thank you again for all of your support!

Tags New Blog, Peru, watercolor painting

The Inca Trail

Peru is an interesting destination filled with glorious things to see. My husband and I decided to go ziplining through the jungle on the way to Machu Picchu as part of our package. We had not signed up for it but got talked into it by our wonderful group of travelers we met there. One of the once in a lifetime experiences we didn’t plan on, but oh my goodness, turned out to be amazing. I did not get a picture of this but was able to do a quick sketch in our travel book of Chris with his helmet on which I will share with all of you. After this great time, we continued on the trail to some hot springs where we relaxed and I did a little painting of the mountains.

Inca Trail | Peru | Machu Picchu | Karen Hilliard Art Blog

We continued our hike along the Inca Trail the next day and walked along the railroad tracks. Chris had fun walking on the tracks and counting the rails. We forget what number he got to before he fell off but it was exciting and kept our minds busy while trekking the 19 miles that day. When the trains came, we would get out of the way and head towards the bushes…but we did get a really nice picture of one of them to remember the experience. I decided this would be Number 3 in the series of Peru Tiny Paintings. We continued on this trail all the way to Aguas Calientes…the city that sits at the bottom of Machu Picchu.

Train.Peru Series Number 3 — AVAILABLE CLICK HERE

Number 4 in the series is a llama eating the grass on the tiers of Machu Picchu. The morning is filled with foggy midst and a quiet calm. I loved being in this place so early after hiking up 1,600 steps to the top. Each step is about 2 American stairs put together. We really had to hike our knees up to make the step and Chris is 6’ 4” and I am 6′ 1” and these were high steps for us. Entering the ruins was marvelous and seeing the llamas serenely chewing their breakfast instantly slowed my heart rate. This had to be the 4th painting. I really hope everyone feels calm when looking at it.

Lama. Peru Series Number 4 — UPDATE: SOLD

I hope this post inspires anyone who reads it to travel outside their comfort zone. This world really is filled with kind people. They are in every crevice. Have a fantastic Friday and thank you for reading!

-Karen Hilliard

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Tags Inca Trail, New Blog, Peru, watercolor painting

Love for Peru

I have a deep love for Peru due to the experiences my husband and I shared while there. Being fortunate enough to paint atop Machu Picchu was an unbelievable experience. My sketchbook and watercolor set go with me wherever I travel and remembering this trip with small paintings to look back on has been amazing.

Our honeymoon was spent exploring in Peru. My husband and I both wanted to travel to Machu Picchu and actually talked about this on our first hike together in Nevada. Luckily, after we said I do, we started planning this magical trip. We booked a hike through a travel agency which he and I had never tried before and it was quite enjoyable on all accounts. We came across many plants, animals, and adventures as we walked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.

When we arrived at this wonderful place among the clouds, we decided to hike around and see everything we could in the time allotted. We found a spot to rest and look at the ancient Inca ruins. I took out my watercolor sketchbook and a llama decided to come say hello. The creature was very curious about my paint set and lowered its head to sniff what I was doing. My husband took a picture of this lovely animal a little bit later as it was chewing some grass. I decided this would be my first painting for the Tiny Painting series of Peru. I just love how happy the animal seemed.

The second painting in the series was from the hike to the ruins. Our group stopped at a lovely restaurant in the mountains with hammocks and a river to entice the senses. The owners of the place were wonderful and shared amazing food with us. As my husband and I walked around the building we saw many flowers. Luckily, one had this large grasshopper and I loved the bright colors of the flower and the insect. I was so pleased we were able to capture this on camera and later share with the world through watercolor.

This was one of my most exciting trips I have ever been on and with my best person to travel with. We had so much fun, ate wonderful food, had many laughs, and saw so much of a wondrous place. To say we are grateful would be an understatement. The people in Peru are very kind and a true joy to be around. I hope one day everyone can experience this, just not all at once! If you have any questions, feel free to email me. Thank you all for reading and have a Wonderful Wednesday!

-Karen Hilliard

Please leave your Social Media handle on the “Buy me a Coffee” page so I can thank you in my Instagram/Facebook Stories! If you would like to 🙂

Thank you again for all of your support!

Tags New Blog, Peru, watercolor painting

Obsession with Trees

Two of my favorite places to hike in Las Vegas are Red Rock Canyon and Mt. Charleston. As I hike, fallen trees align the paths of the desert terrain. The trees in the park of Red Rock Canyon blend in with the sandstone. The particles of sand get blown by the wind into the crevices of the wood and soften the sharp edges of the bark. The erosion of the trees create colors of yellow, blue, and orange comparative to the desert surroundings.

The tree I am working on is a root system from Red Rock Canyon Middle Creek Trail. I saw many faces in this formation and sketching my ideas created even more images for me. I love hearing what other people see in my paintings because I see entirely different intricacies. In this piece, I see a fish and very subtle square lines in the wood. There are so many different wonders to see in the desert.

Another place in the desert filled with trees is Mt. Charleston. This magical place sits at a different elevation than Red Rock Canyon and the trees are warped with wind, rain, and snow. Bristlecone Pines are formed into smooth sculptures and have a beautiful yellow, blue, and grey palette. Ponderosa Pines vary from brown, black, to orange, and tan. Along the trails of the mountain, limestone and sandstone riddle the path.

Contrast of color on the mountain is magnificent. The fallen trees are cradled in green forests and vines as well as sitting lonely at the top of trails. Mary Jane falls has many pine trees and switchbacks of shaded areas to rest. Fletcher Canyon Trail is lined with green undergrowth and limestone rocks. This trail also has various plants and trees along the path to the canyon. The painting I am currently working on in my sketchbook is from Fletcher Canyon. I was fascinated with the differences in the light and darks of the photograph. The wood set in a bed of green amazed me.

Thank you for reading! I would love to hear what you see in the wood. Please send an email or contact me. Have a Marvelous Monday!!

Have a great day!

-Karen Hilliard

Please leave your Social Media handle on the “Buy me a Coffee” page so I can thank you in my Instagram/Facebook Stories! If you would like to 🙂

Thank you again for all of your support!

I am very thankful for my friend @jcloud gifting me the book The Hidden Life of Trees. It is one of my must reads if any of you are looking for an excellent book on trees. The author is Peter Wohlleben.

Tags New Blog, watercolor painting

Sunflower Series One

The Sunflower Painting Series is complete. I decided the final 3 paintings would be on bees in flight over the sunflowers. I loved to watch these pollinators in action. Number 8 in the series was interesting to paint, and the main focus was on the bee. The dusting of pollen on the backside was an especially fun addition. At first I left white spots where I wanted the pollen dust and then painted yellow over them. One of the final touches of the painting was to add more yellow dots to emphasize the specs of pollen.

I created a time-lapse of this painting and posted it on Instagram and Youtube. Click on the words and the link will take you to the videos! It is nice to watch hours of work finished in 28 seconds. I hope everyone is enjoying the videos because they are fun to make. After finishing this video, I realized the wings of the bee were not painted on. The photograph I used for my reference did not show the wings because the bee was in flight over the center of the flower. The wings were added at the end of the painting by using a mixture of brown and blue color with a light wash of water to give them a transparent look. I am entranced by the evolution of the wings in this series.

Number 9 shows a different perspective of a bee from another side of the flower. I used the knowledge and style from the previous painting to recreate the transparent look of flight. The dusting of the pollen on the backside was used in the last two paintings to show how hard the bees were working. The photograph I used as a reference for Number 10 had two bees flying over a sunflower and I had to paint them closer together than the photograph in order to have them fit on this Tiny Painting. I am pleased with how these turned out.

I hope you enjoyed reading the blogs on this Sunflower Series and the bees as the subject for the last few paintings. Thank you for taking a walk through my garden with me, studying our pollinators, and reading about my art journey. If you have any comments or stories you would like to share with me, please send me an email, or leave them in the comments below. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and thank you for reading!

-Karen Hilliard

Please leave your Social Media handle on the “Buy me a Coffee” page so I can thank you in my Instagram/Facebook Stories! If you would like to 🙂

Thank you again for all of your support!

Tags New Blog, watercolor painting

Color Variations

I think what I love most about sunflowers, other than how happy they make me feel, is all the different ranges of colors they can have. We were lucky enough to grow a red sunflower with a purple stem and beautiful greenish leaves in our garden. This sunflower blossomed alongside our larger yellow flowers. The bees were just as interactive with this one, however, the dark center showed little contrast with the bees. I decided Number 4 in the Sunflower Series would be our wonderful red flower.

Upon this decision, I had no idea how many different colors would grace my painting palette. I had to bring out another palette case in order to reach the values of color this sunflower demanded. I used 5 variations of red, 2 yellows, 2 greens, brown, blue, and 2 different size paint brushes to complete this 4” x 6” Tiny Painting for my website. I chose to use a larger paintbrush this time to work the preliminary space of the center and the petals. Then, I went back in with a size 2/0 brush for my detailed work. Normally I use small paintbrushes for the whole painting but I wanted to try something new. After many layers, and detailed work, I am pleased with how this painting turned out. I decided my next one would be yellow so the website felt fluid with color transitions. What do you think?

Sunflower Series 1 Number 5 • Watercolor Tiny Painting • Karen Hilliard Art • 4 x 6 — AVAILABLE CLICK HERE

Number 5 in the series is an opened up representation of the Number 3 flower that grew right next to the red one. This sunflower bloomed later and opened halfway. It took a whole day to fully open. I love the change in color from Number 3 to Number 5. I can really see the effects the bees had on the flower when they pollinated it. The seeds changed to a darker brown, almost black, and the paint I used had more contrasts of yellow than the first painting. I tried to show the paint tubes in the video I made that I posted on my YouTube channel if you would like to see it. In the past, I just posted videos 1-4 of the Sunflower Series on my YouTube channel, see them here -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lN8ROdnQZTU

Thank you for wandering through the weeds with me to find these beautiful sunflowers. I hope you enjoyed our adventure and the painting process videos posted on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. Please let me know your thoughts by sending me an email from the Contact Page. Have a great weekend!

-Karen Hilliard

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Thank you again for all of your support!

Sunflower Series 1 Number 7 • Watercolor Tiny Painting • Karen Hilliard Art • 4 x 6 — AVAILABLE CLICK HERE

Sunflowers and Bees

Waking up every morning to the sound of buzzing bees is amazing. These creatures tirelessly do their job of pollinating every ounce of the sunflower. I was lucky enough to get some photographs of them in flight and landing on the flower. They move quickly, so I was very excited to capture such wonderful moments. As I zoomed in on the photographs I could see the fuzziness of the bees. I wanted the first couple of paintings in the Sunflower Series to show this excitement.

Sunflower Series 1 Number 1• Watercolor Tiny Painting • Karen Hilliard Art • 4 x 6 — UPDATE: SOLD

Number 1 in the series is a close up of the bee working and taking care of the plant. The bee dug its head into the shoots and pollinated each one. I love watching them work. I chose to use the same colors in the flower for the bee to show its natural camouflage. The pollen dusted the bee and top part of the flower with a brilliant yellow. I chose Lemon Yellow from Windsor and Newton Professional Watercolors to show the fluffy pollen look. I had so much fun painting this bee and decided the next painting would be an even closer representation of another bee. While working on this series, I sold the first painting and the little creature flew to a new home on the other side of the nation. Our little Nevada bee turned into a Florida bee for eternity. I wonder where the rest of the bee paintings will fly to next? Will they go around the world? Time will tell. For now, here is the next one in the series…still cozy in our Nevada home.

Number 2 in the series focuses on a bee with pollen packets on its legs. I was fascinated that the bee could continue to fly and continue its job while being weighed down with pollen. I painted the object larger than it is to show its cute little face. I was able to zoom in on the subject and see all the tiny hairs on its head. Creating the face of this bee was my favorite part of the painting. I also enjoyed making very thin lines with many different colors to show the texture of the petals. I hope you are entertained by the videos I have been posting on Facebook and Instagram showing the paintings as well as a bit of information behind the blogs. Please contact me and let me know your thoughts on the blogs, paintings, or videos. I appreciate you taking a walk with me through my garden and marveling at the bees. Have a wonderful day!

-Karen Hilliard

Tags New Blog, watercolor painting

Multiple Projects

Currently, I am working on commissions, writing blogs, posting content on social media, entering shows, personal paintings, etc. Everything can become overwhelming if the joy is not honored. I have found the most fulfilling inspiration for me is joyous energy. Being a mother is the most important role I have been blessed with. Making sure the energy to be a present mother brings the most joy. Looking back at the Sunflower Series, I remember how happy these made me while creating them. I would love to share them with you all! Number 3 now represents not only new beginnings of life, but new growth of self. I look at this painting a bit different now. How does it resonate with you?

Karen Hilliard Art Blog | Painting Simultaneously | Original Watercolor — AVAILABLE CLICK HERE

There is a lot of uncertainty going on in the world today. I know, if we look into the past, the cycle of life shows similarities to occurrences that have transpired before. There is fear, doubt, pain, and small glimmers of hope as well. Looking at this painting, I am reminded of so many things. The lifecycle of this flower was short. The bees that pollinated the flower and brought that pollen back to there hive had a short life as well. In the moments both were here on this earth, they brought me joy. They had a tenderness and beauty about them. They grew in adversity and the showed strength in a hot climate. During there brief history, they spread love, happiness, and joy. Sometimes, when we don’t know what to do or where to turn…there is always being kind. Spreading love. I am fortunate to be able to smile and laugh with a childlike wonder. I hope my paintings and these stories bring someone peace. Have a beautiful weekend and try to show someone sunshine who may be walking in a shadow. Thank you for reading!

-Karen Hilliard

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Tags New Blog, watercolor painting