Category: New Painting

Fletcher Trail Part Two

As we trekked up Fletcher Trail on Mt. Charleston, I was beginning to know how steep the incline really was. My breathing started to become quicker and shorter. In some parts I felt as if I was gasping a bit to get oxygen to my lungs. There was the terrifying thought of the smoke in the air and if it was a problem for the baby or myself. Then, I remembered, this was my first uphill hike in nearly two years and I had a bit more weight to carry than previous hikes. Not only have I gained weight due to pregnancy and delivery…I also had an entirely different being attached to my back. My husband and I are very tall and above the average height for a man or woman so it makes sense that our child is also tall for her age. I am lucky that she already would love to walk the trails with me. This being said…we do stop a lot to pick up rocks and find fascinating wonders of nature. Hiking these days is truly different and I love every minute of it.

The constant reminder to stop and enjoy the moment is wonderful. We never had a problem doing this before, yet now it is even more necessary. The things found by a child are items I would forget to take a second look at normally. I love the decay and decomposition of nature and recently have had the experience to look upon it with a completely new lens. Also on these new hiking excursions I have found sketching to be completely changed. Now, I am content with just a line. A hint of the subject if you will. Then a photograph for background reference just for these blogs, and a little painting upon returning home. This new way of looking at the world is becoming my favorite genre of my life. This is my best chapter yet in the book of life being created. In Friday’s blog, I will write about the rock fascination and the smells of the trail. Stay tuned and have a wonderful Wednesday!

Thank you for reading,

-Karen Hilliard

I created two small 4” x 4” paintings on this hike. More will be written about them in the future blogs as well. If you would like to view or purchase one of these paintings, just click them and you will be directed straight to them on my website.

Tags New Blog, watercolor painting

Fletcher Trail Part One

Driving up the mountain to the trail was an experience. The smoky air created a haze through the valley and I was unsure we would be able to hike. Stopping at the Visitor’s Center to speak with the rangers was a must to check on air quality and conditions. The verdict was that we still had time to hike safely. We were good on water and snacks but I still wanted to choose a quick out and back trail for safety reasons. The original goal was to hike the North Loop Trail, yet I decided on Fletcher. I had no idea the once thought of as a flat trail was actually a bit steep and an incline for the whole start. A lot can change when carrying a tiny human on my back. I am learning a lot in this new era of my life. Some of it, I am about to share with all of you.

Arriving in the parking lot was a feat in itself and we were lucky to have found a space. Then, there is the gathering of items, getting everything together, changing a baby, and getting her situated in the backpack. This is her favorite part of the entire experience. She loves being up in the air and among the trees. The water was ready, the snacks and diapers were packed. Good to go! Leaving the parking lot we ran into two hikers and I mentioned Ponderosa Pines smell like butterscotch if they wanted to smell them on the hike. They scoffed it off and hiked on, yet two really nice people overheard and said, “They do! Isn’t it so cool!” I love random, awesome people!!

After this I began our hike up, yes up, Fletcher Trail!! I will write more about our amazing experience in my blog on Wednesday, and for now I will leave you with these sketches I did. The sketch on the trail was a quick pen line with some circles to represent leaves. I painted the rest upon arriving home. I also created two small 4” x 4” paintings I included below. More will be written about them in the future blogs as well. If you would like to view or purchase one of these paintings, just click them and you will be directed straight to them on my website. I hope you all have a Marvelous Monday. Thank you for reading!

-Karen Hilliard

Tags New Blog, watercolor painting

Fall Watercolor Show

I have posted a blog about this painting before and now it has been accepted into the Nevada Watercolor Society Fall Show! I feel truly blessed to have had this painting be chosen to hang alongside wonderful works of art by various artists nationwide. The show will run for two months and ”Resolute Protector” will be on display for the duration. Below is my previous blog explaining the creation of this painting and how much it means to me.

Resolute Protector | Karen Hilliard Art | Original Watercolor | Redwoods | Watercolor Painting — **Click Here for the Original Watercolor!**

Somewhere in the midst off the California coast, a beautiful tree stump sits covered in moss. I became fascinated with this subject while walking around the woods with my family. After many photographs were taken, I came home and started to see different images in the textures of the tree. This title, along with others, popped into my mind as I painted this watercolor. The vision of a forest protector came to me. One in which is resolute in their purpose to protect the trees. Sitting socially among their friends, quiet, unseen almost, and ready to rumble at the first sign of trouble. This painting is a reminder that we are all connected. It is so lovely when I see photographs of human fingerprints and tree rings side by side. Also, branches and our bronchial patterns inside our lungs. Every time I venture into the forest I feel as if I am entering a different world, yet am reminded we are all of this Earth.

“Resolute Protector” holds many emotions for me and I tried to express them in every detail of this piece. I love the subject and how tree sheddings were collected, then protected by the mighty stump. The beautiful moss surrounding the pine needles gave the dried out old needles a feeling of rebirth into something new. Decomposition at its finest! I also found a lovely little nut or seed, and it turned into an eye of the protector. What do you see when you stare into this painting? Could you look at it forever and still be amazed?

Thank you for reading and have a wonderful weekend!

-Karen Hilliard

“Interconnection” Blog

I have always been fascinated with recognizable patterns seen within tree stumps and the human fingerprint as well as photographs of our bronchial tubes compared alongside tree branches. Trees are the lungs of the world and provide us all with oxygen through photosynthesis while breaking down the carbon dioxide we breathe out. Our fingerprints identify us as individuals while tree rings show the age of the tree, and both can give a glimpse of our history. Keeping these ideas in mind while painting this piece, the title came to me due to the fact that Earth’s organisms are all connected in some beautiful way. “Interconnection,” is my new Original Watercolor painted on Arches Cold Pressed paper. The size of this painting is 9” x 12” painted edge to edge.

Interconnection • Watercolor Small Works • Karen Hilliard Art

For this piece I focused on the contrasts in the fallen tree we found and sketched it on location outside Red Rock State Park. The trees on this trail are large and beautiful. There are many Oak, Joshua, and Pinyon Pines throughout the various paths carved out by the elements and time. We love to hike these trails for the sand at our feet and it is exciting to watch the dog frolick among the foliage. Yet, we are always mindful of wildlife and watch our dog very closely around cholla cactus so he does not have any accidents. The trail we chose on that day was winding in the most beautiful ways and then we stumbled across the fallen trunk near a wash. I found the colors to be breathtaking!

“Interconnection” is NOW AVAILABLE!! There is only one! You can click here to be directed to the painting on my website, click the title, or the painting. I hope this artwork brings many years of wonder and conversation into your home! Thank you for reading this blog and have a Wonderful Wednesday.

-Karen Hilliard

Tags New Blog, red rock canyon, watercolor painting

Cohesive Contrast

Cohesive Contrast is inspired by the colors of Joe’s Valley, Utah. While out there bouldering I noticed the sun hitting the rocks and making the sandstone appear almost white. Deep in the shadows, underneath the rock face, creating caves and caverns, laid beautiful shades of purple, blue, and orange hints accentuating the sandstone. I wanted to show the cohesion of the texture of this rock. I was fascinated by how all the stones were held in place and how the bolder curled around itself. The contrast of this piece came as I added the colors. Trying to show the light where the sun was hitting the rock and its brightness, then comparing it to the dark shadows and shades underneath, brought the word contrast to mind. This small 6 x 6 has been nonstop, layering, adding depth, detailing, then repeating the whole process over and over. I hope you all see something in this painting, as I see many faces, especially when I turn the work.

Karen Hilliard Art — CLICK HERE FOR THE ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR!

I like this piece because it can be turned in all four directions and hung for your viewing pleasure. Each direction creates a totally different composition of the work and a new focal point. For my signature, I decided to show the angle of the original photograph where the white is on top and the shadows are on the bottom. As I turn the work, I do see a shift in vision, and my new focus becomes captivated by an interesting face in the contrast of colors between orange and white. What do you see in this painting? You can contact me via Instagram, Facebook, or my Contact page on my website to tell me what you like about this piece, or anything that interests you. It is now available on my website and it is the first 6 x 6 that I have painted so it is super special. I really enjoyed creating the subtle hues, and color variance of the white sandstone. Each tiny dash and dot created a new layer of wonder for me. This is an original only, One of a Kind. I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend and getting outside! Thank you for reading.

Karen Hilliard

Tags New Blog, watercolor painting

Joe’s Valley, Utah

Just a five and a half hour drive from Las Vegas will find you in a magical, sandstone, forest wonderland. Joe’s Valley is known for its amazing boulders which have attracted climbers for several years. The rocks sit east of the Joe’s Valley Reservoir along with flowing rivers and cool climate conditions. While there, I took several photographs of the topography, trees, and rock formations that were visible. The piece I am currently working on is from a climbing trip I took in 2008 long before I settled in Las Vegas for the second time. Traveling with my dog was one of the best times of my life. We stopped at many famous climbing locations filled with fields of boulders. Joe’s Valley is a wonderful place to visit and has bouldering opportunities scattered throughout the forest.

My dog enjoyed drinking the water while I climbed on the rocks. He was a great scout for awesome trails and always made it to the top of a climb to ensure I found my way back to the ground. The particular boulder I chose to paint was not one I ended up bouldering. I was fascinated with the multiple stones held safely together in this space. The contrasts of the color spectrum were also a joy to behold. I am trying to paint from the memories of the trip as well from many years ago. I wanted to show purple and orange intertwined in every part of this boulder. I will post this painting on my social media platforms when it is finished and it will be available to purchase on my website. No prints will be made so it is one of a kind!

Also, the mug was purchased at a tea shop here in Las Vegas called Sheffield Spice and Tea Company if any of you are interested in gnomes like me. They also have many other mug options available at their store location. Thank you for reading and have a marvelous Monday!

-Karen Hilliard

Cactus Blooms

The desert comes alive in the Spring as we head into the summer months. The pollinators are out in force working hard to collect what they need to survive. Bees are amazing to watch as they work, dive, swim, and play in the pollen of cactus flowers. We are fortunate to have beavertail cactus which produce prickling pears. The flowers that bloom have these beautiful yellow, orange, and green magnificent colors. The center looks like a green button almost. I love sketching them and changing the colors around to see where the art takes me. As I watch the bees work, my mind drifts into a world of whimsy. I end up using all the colors on my watercolor palette to express the emotions I feel from these lovely treasures we find in the desert.

Cactus Bloom 1 | Karen Hilliard Art | Original Watercolor and Ink | Tiny Painting | 4x4 — CLICK HERE FOR THE ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR

Another interesting fact about these flowers is that the petals appear soft, but are protected by a harsh stiffness underneath from the cactus needles. Nature amazes me and how adaptation takes place to help plants survive. Did you know there is only one type of prickly pear flowering cactus plant in the Galápagos Islands because bees only pollinated one over and over. They let the other flowers die out because they preferred the nectar of the yellow flowers. Just Fascinating! We saw this on a documentary on Netflix once upon a time. The Islands are definitely on our list to go and visit. Have any of you been there, or long to go there? Where else have you traveled and seen desert wildlife or flora? I have really been enjoying the comments on my blogs and love getting tips of where to travel to next!

Thank you for reading and have a Marvelous Monday!!

-Karen Hilliard

Tags New Blog, watercolor painting

Perspective

Two very different sections of the park hold beautiful rock formations filled with various hues. Fire Wave Trail in Valley of Fire State park is one of my favorites. The trail starts and leads the hiker through the desert, around rock cliffs, and opens up on to an amazing trail with striped rocks. The mounds, boulders, and hills leading up to the wave are lovely on their own and I could have spent hours photographing or sketching them. The wildflowers and cacti are endless during spring and the colors illuminate their surroundings. My husband, dog, and I like to run this trail and go over the wave and into the wash. Here is where I found this lovely little nook to sit and marvel at. The rocks were huddled in the small space and reminded me of the gold rush when everyone was hustling to find gold. To me, this is my gold. Rocks and nature speak to me and this painting is titled, “Golden.” I tried to capture the colors of the day in the park with high sun and a little overcast. This blog is titled “Perspective” because my newest painting on the Rock Formations from this park is from a totally different area.

Golden | Karen Hilliard Art | Karen Hilliard

Even with both paintings being from different parts of the park, I really love how they go together. They look wonderful side by side. The second one, and newest one, “Rock Formations of Valley of Fire,” is from the Arches campground site. We were amazed at how many huecos and outcroppings there were in such a small camping area. We had always wanted to camp at Arches but these spots are taken most of the time. We lucked out on this recent trip and found a spot overlapped in time. We had one glorious night through high winds and sunshine. This was our first camping trip with the baby and she used the tent like her personal bounce house having the time of her life. Between her enjoyment, laughter, and smiles, there seemed to be nothing close to this amazing experience. Then, we walked around and found beautiful rocks that she also loved with just as much excitement! I hope this blog finds you well and that you have a lovely weekend. What do you think of these two paintings together? Thank you for reading!

-Karen Hilliard

Tags New Blog, watercolor painting

A Day off in Cusco

The city was even more beautiful when we arrived back at the Eco Hostel. The beds were freshly made and the blankets kept us so warm and cozy. It was nice to rest our sore muscles. We asked the staff where they got the blankets and they just said in town, so we decided to go hunt them down. We wanted one for ourselves and a gift for family members. We were allowed to carry on one bag each with Spirit Airlines so we were going to get two blankets only. We asked the person at the front desk of the hostel for directions and headed into town. We walked down the hill and turned right as the directions stated, while the night was looming overhead. Darker and darker the streets were getting due to being in the mountains. We wondered if we would find this magical shop.

We were very tired when we turned on to the shop’s street and it was a ways off. We crossed over intersections and avoided cars. On the street where the blanket would be there was wire protruding off the roof of another shop. Chris and I are tall so I almost cut my eye on it. He saw the wire and pulled me out of the way just in time. I learned at that moment to watch my step way more carefully moving forward. Getting to the shop in the distance was such a reward. The owner was an amazing and honest man. He ran a family business and his son tried to spike the price on us since we were tourists. We said the price said a lot less on the floor model and he kept telling us it was way more. We decided to only get one blanket. As he rang us up, his father came out and got very upset at his son. We ended up getting two blankets for the owner’s original set price, which was less than the price his son wanted to charge us for one. This whole blog is turning into a sales pitch for these blankets but they are worth it!! I would link it here but there is no option to purchase them online. You just have to go to Cusco and ask.

After leaving this shop we had to walk up, up, up the hill back to the hostel. As we walked we saw a store with amazing fabrics and thin ribbon stitching for bags. I wished we found this place earlier because I would have bought some fabric and made my own bag. At this point we were running low on funds and space in our rucksacks to take back home to America. I was happy just window shopping in this wonderful shop brimming with colorful dyes and textiles. Peru is such a lively place filled with various hues that play with the eye and let the imagination run wild. On Friday I will walk you through the other shops in town we went to, our souvenirs, and the flee market shenanigans. Until then, have a wonderful Wednesday. The paintings from Peru are at the bottom and all linked if you are interested. Thank you for reading!

-Karen Hilliard

Here are the paintings in this Inca Trail Series so far…Number 1 is from Blog, “Trekking to Santa Teresa”. Number 2, is a work in progress. Number 3 is from Blog “Delicious Fruit.” Number 4 is from Blog “Hot Springs.” Number 5 is from Blog “Climb to Machu Picchu.”

Inca Trail | Series 1 Number 3 Inca Trail | Delicious Fruit | Passion Fruit | Peru | Karen Hilliard Art Blog

Tags New Blog, Peru, watercolor painting

Trekking back to Cusco

We left Machu Picchu in the afternoon and had to keep a steady pace. We were going to have moments in Aguas Calientes to gather our bags, run around a few shops, and then catch the train back to Cusco. Our first thought was to take our time down the steps leading back to the city. We side stepped the whole way back to save our knees after Papi told us what happened to his. He said he was foolish in his younger years and was living with the consequences now. In order to protect our knees we watched and made sure our knees were not going over our toes and we were not taking giant step as forward. Instead, the side stepping and keeping our hips in a perpendicular line or 90 degree angle was our goal. There were so many steps to navigate. We found some cool stones on the way down set like the “Stairs of Death” and got some great pictures! On we trekked to get to the city.

Down, down, and down we went until we reached the hiking sign and the bridge. It was nice seeing everything in the daylight and we got some great photos to remember those moments. The bridge we walked on in the morning was even nicer than we previous thought and the water flowing beneath it was breathtaking. As we crossed the bridge, we recalled our time on Machu Picchu. It was such a magical place based high in the mountains encamped by morning midst and we will remember it fondly for all time. Saying goodbye to something on our life’s bucket list felt strange because we waited so long to see it, hike the trail to it, and to just be present in Peru. We were both smiling as we walked into the city of Aguas Calientes feeling like something great had been accomplished.

Walking around the shops was wonderful. I really enjoyed all the colors and images throughout the city. We were on the hunt for produce to find a giant avocado. Luckily, we ran into our friends again from Taiwan and ended up finding an amazing market with produce galore. There, in the middle of the hustle and bustle of people and food stood a stand with giant avocados! We were really excited and picked out two that we would eat later at the hostel in Cusco. After saying goodbye again to our friends, we went to a few more shops and proceeded to go find the train. Chris had never ridden on a train so this was really awesome for him. We found a great spot and took some pictures, then our two friends boarded and joined us for our final hang out of this amazing trip. Everyone fell asleep and when the train stopped we were told to hustle off because the next stop was a long stretch away. Chris left his water bottle on the train and we learned to not ever rush, even if we ended up going the wrong way for hours on end. Taking the tortoise cow is our way. I hope you all have a wonderful start to your week and thank you for reading! Wednesday is about our day off in Cusco!!

-Karen Hilliard

ALL ORIGINAL AND ALL AVAILABLE!!

Also this lovely Number 5 closing the Inca Trail Series and the two Llamas are all AVAILABLE!