Category: New Painting

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! 🙂

Thank you again for all of your support!

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

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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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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Thank you again for all of your support!

Tags Inca Trail, 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

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

Karen Hilliard Art Blog | Sunflower Series 1 | Tiny Paintings | 4x6 | Original Watercolors — 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

Flora of Red Rock Canyon

I am fascinated by desert plants and their amazing persistence to survive. On my hikes I have seen plants and trees growing out of crevices on rock walls. The tiniest amount of water can sustain a desert plant. Barrel Cactuses are unique with beautiful yellow flowers on top. In my last blog I wrote about the First Red Rock Canyon small works series. I decided for the third painting in the series to create a detailed perspective of a Barrel Cactus flower.

Red Rock Canyon/Karen Hilliard Art/Blog — AVAILABLE CLICK HERE

I went through many versions in my mind of how I wanted this painting to look. I thought the landscape of the cactus with a yucca behind it would be gorgeous for texture contrast. As I looked through the photos on my phone, I kept zooming in and saving screenshots. I settled on the top of the barrel cactus and its flowers for the composition of this Tiny Painting. The red, yellow, and green combination along with light and dark variants were pleasing to paint.

Barrel Cactuses are beautiful and intertwined. The flowers are embedded in the needles and then bloom upward. Another plant I find interesting are the Juniper Trees. Number 4 in the series is a darker version of a different Juniper Tree than Number 2. This Juniper had more reddish and purple cones than the other painting. I enjoy painting the different perspectives of each tree and changed my color palette for the second painting. I focused on brown and blue for the shadows and then used a layer of green over the darkness.

It is a true joy to talk, or write, about these paintings and my process. I am happy to share my love of the desert and the environment with all of you. I would love to know what you think about the paintings. Just click on the link and you will be able to review them on the website, or you can send me an email! You can also send me an email about a favorite hike you like to venture on, or where you wish to travel to next. Thank you for reading this blog, I hope you enjoyed our walk through Red Rock Canyon, Nevada.

-Karen Hilliard

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Tags New Blog, red rock canyon, watercolor painting

Valley of Fire Wild Flowers

The palette of colors in the desert is every artist’s dream. The yellow flowers are joined by their complimentary color, purple. The blue primary color can be found throughout the rocks and is matched by it’s companion orange in every piece of sandstone. The red stone of the earth is complemented by the luscious green plants and cacti growing next to it. The first series I created for my Tiny Paintings were the flowers of this park. I wanted to express the beauty I saw surrounding me in a series of small paintings. I love receiving flowers, yet they do not last, so I wanted to represent the love of flowers as something that could hang on a person’s wall forever.

Valley of Fire Series 2 - #10|Karen Hilliard Art|Watercolor|4x6 — AVAILABLE CLICK HERE

The first painting shown below was of the cactus flowers including the plant. I am fascinated by the contrast in colors and how the light and dark dance together. The second and third pieces were close up representations of one cactus flower to show the pollen and life inside the petals. I further wanted to add another species that is prominent in the desert during the spring. Desert Marigolds are the sunshine of the desert. Clumps of yellow set along sandstone paths to brighten up anyone’s day.

Valley of Fire Flowers Series 1 #6 • Tiny Painting • Karen Hilliard Art — SOLD

Valley of Fire Flowers Series 1 #2 • Tiny Painting • Karen Hilliard Art — SOLD

Number 8 was a beautiful white flower with paper thin petals and dark green leaves. The center of the flower had a glorious pollen stem shooting up to the sky. I ended the series with two more cactus flowers because I love the purple and pink in the petals. These colors burst out against the green cactus paddles and intrigues the eyes of anyone looking upon them.

Valley of Fire Flowers Series 1 #8 • Tiny Painting • Karen Hilliard Art — SOLD

As I made this series, I sold eight of the paintings soon after. Knowing that each piece of artwork was bringing a person joy gave me such happiness. I also took 5 of the images and made a greeting card set so people could send each other flowers that would last. I picture these paintings on the customer’s walls, cards up in their homes, and feel like they bring a smile to the person’s face. Sharing my paintings with the world is the best gift I can receive. I am very thankful for everyone’s support and hope these works of art bring you all joy. Thank you for reading and have a Wonderful Wednesday!

-Karen Hilliard

A Couple of Sketches Before the Paintings Were Created.

SPRING GREETING CARDS PICTURED ABOVE 5″ x 7″ CLICK HERE

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Tags New Blog, watercolor painting

Snow Days Part Two

So, hiking up the mountain pass to get to the trail was no easy feat. I realized about 100 feet in that I was on an incline. Prior to backpacking another human, I had no recollection that it was that intense. We parked pretty far away from the entrance to Fletcher Trail. I am laughing right now because I thought we parked a lot closer and was super happy with our spot. While walking I got in my head and counted my breaths to keep my mind steady. Luckily, there were children sledding to the left of us right off the road so it was a joyous walk. I imagined our daughter doing the same and it brought a smile to my face. Her and I pointed out people and animals we saw all the while my husband and dog were behind us. Eventually, I asked him to go ahead and I took my time. He definitely walked at a slow pace and stayed with us the whole time. Our dog tends to pull on the leash as if he is a sled dog in Alaska so I figured if he was the “lead dog” he may not pull as hard to get in the front. He ended up relaxing and it was a nice, slow, meandering hike to the trailhead.

Sled Dog — **ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR…AVAILABLE…CLICK HERE!**

Once we arrived there was some slippery packed down snow almost in the form of ice. We navigated around it nicely and then it got a lot more slushy in the sun spots. It was not until we trekked a little higher up the trail that the snow started to be crunchy and deep. We were so thankful and excited it turned into an awesome hike that the dog, and toddler, got to experience a wonderful winter wonderland. I mentioned in the previous blog about her building a “snow..ma” and walking around carefully through the snow. Watching her hunt for sticks for the arms, hair, and nose was also a precious moment. Our dog needed to be entertained with flying snowballs so he would leave her alone and not try to eat her sticks. My husband threw the snow one way and the dog went the other. He eventually paid attention and ran in the right direction but it was hilarious to watch. I think he was just overstimulated by all the amazing smells and sights. Were any of you able to go to the snow this year? Leave a comment below if you want to share! Thank you for reading and have a marvelous Monday…night!

-Karen Hilliard

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Tags Fairbanks, New Blog, watercolor painting

Snow Days

While writing this blog in my mind for the last week and not knowing where to begin, I found a lovely song on Instagram available for reels. As I looked over my videos to inspire this post and decided on tapping into certain moments of the hike…the song choice flowed with our daughter walking around in the snow. The band is Inland Sky and the song is linked here, “Little Hands.” Have a listen if you will. This song is heartfelt and sums up not only the hiking expeditions or her joy, but motherhood along with hopes and dreams for all children. I immediately thought of her tiny hands finally touching snow and building her snowman, person, woman, yet she calls it “snow..ma.” I can close my eyes and remember the smells from the trail and how different the butterscotch of the ponderosa pines drifts up my nostrils compared to the heat of summer. Not as strong of a scent. All three of us pressed our noses up to the trees to see if one was stronger than the last. They all pretty much smelled mild.

Hearing the snow crunch beneath our feet was another sensation and it was interesting to feel myself sink further into the snow due to the tiny human on my back. She could not wait to get out of the backpack this time. Adventuring is about to change and a transition is coming for sure. As she grows, so do we as parents, and our trekking takes interesting turns. The dog was running around in certain sections where there were no travelers around and he had the time of his life. My husband and I both looked at each other and said, “well, he will sleep for about three days after this!” Um…nope, it was about a day and a half. This is the deal anyone signs up for if they get a herding dog. He is high energy and keeps us on our toes at all times…perfect for a toddler running around. I posted two videos on social media. One video of our dog running up the mountain chasing snowballs and the other of our daughter carefully navigating her movements around rocks through the snow. This week’s blogs will be all about this family excursion. Thank you for reading and I hope you had a Marvelous Monday!

-Karen Hilliard

We hiked Fletcher Canyon again. Although a completely different time of year, it reminded me of hiking with our daughter when I created the tiny paintings below.