Tag: New Blog

“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

Distractions

Mental distractions could be crippling at times especially when time is limited. Referring to my last blog about finding balance in the time allotted as well as taking mental breaks to keep creation alive, there is also the presence of interrupted time. When this takes place during day to day scenarios it is often difficult to push through these blocks in order to finish a project. Sometimes I crave a movie or television series to spark my creative aspirations and help me to relax my mind. Unfortunately, this also allows me to sit far longer than I would hope for at times, and can cause an interruption of my flow instead of motivating me. So, in order to help prevent distractions from happening, setting a timer may be an idea I should try.

Here is the link for my limited edition print, “Autumn is Here.”

Luckily, meeting deadlines is not an issue but losing sleep is. I wonder what other ideas I can try to stay focused when the mind wanders. Having several sketchbooks filled with ideas and writings is also a joy, yet I can get lost in those various thoughts for weeks. This is an example of something I could not set a timer for. Inspiration, in any form, cannot be boxed into a segment of time. The best realization is to leave the television off and possibly do some yoga to recenter my thoughts. There are however, many, many great movies that inspire my creations. Another distraction is books yet I will leave this for another time. Please let me know what distracts you and how you deal with it. You can contact me via my website. Have a wonderful Wednesday and thank you for reading!

-Karen Hilliard

Tags New Blog, red rock canyon

Stretching

Ever since I was little, I would be in the stands watching my sibling’s games and I would be stretching. It seems odd to me how much I knew the importance of this as a small child and forget as an adult how necessary it is to have complete movement of my body. Now that I am older and wake up a little stiff, I am finding the need to stretch more and more. Why I am writing about this in my art blog may make no sense but if you read any of the previous blogs about hiking then a parallel is formed. Hiking, running, climbing, walking or any activity makes demands on my body and stretching becomes a major necessity. I must remember to wake up earlier and start the day off right. Life humors me by the mere fact that I can climb mountains and be fine, yet tweak my back picking up a pen. Sitting in a chair and painting for hours on end is no easy task. I must remember to get up and stretch or move my limbs regularly. Breaks are so important.

Oftentimes, I can get so enthralled on a project that I forget to eat or go to the bathroom. Sitting hunched over for what feels like minutes, yet turns into hours, may not be the best course of action. Getting a nice reminder to use the facilities when I stand up is not always a joyous thing. Having to run to the bathroom when one’s body is locked up can be quite challenging. So remembering to wake up early and stretch, take breaks while painting, and move at a tortoise pace in life are a few things I have learned in my time on this planet. Hope this post helps someone else today. Hoping you are out, enjoying yoga, a book, time with loved ones, or just doing something to relax. Take care and have a wonderful Wednesday. Also, thank you for reading these thoughts on self care and maintenance.

-Karen Hilliard

Tags New Blog

Finding Time

Time may be a construct in our everyday lives that we create and intertwine to needs, demands, and wants. However, making time for what matters to us has to be the most important. I find it difficult to find time to draw or paint and my ideas run rampant in my head slowly driving me mad. Not really insane per se, but constantly whispering…”draw me, paint me, or I will slip away and you won’t remember me.” So here I sit, in the dark, on a Wednesday morning…sketching and barely being able to see what I am doing. Why is the light not on you ask? My daughter slumbers next to me with her sweet innocence and I choose not to disturb her. Yet, I find time for myself to draw and that is an amazing feeling. I am so thankful and grateful everyday to be a mother and have this passion for creation inside me as well. Ideas may come and go, or often slip away, but I will always try to sketch some of them before the fleeting moments happen.

Work in Progress…

This flower cactus series has consumed my mind in all the good ways. My brain is active like the pollinators bringing ideas to every stem of my neurons and my fingers want to dance them out onto the pages of my sketchbooks. So again, here is sit, in the dark, feeling alive and excited with every stroke. Also, it is nice to see how they turn out in the daylight when she wakes. I do consider my eyes often and make sure to take breaks or stop if any strain is happening. The blogs get written during the wee hours as well and I have computer glasses for that since my screen is set on dim. Once in a while, I point the tiny light at the sketch to see if it is coming out decent. Here are the Cactus blooms I have been creating. I hope you are enjoying this series. Spring is a magical time of year with so many possibilities!

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

Have a wonderful Wednesday and thank you for reading.

-Karen Hilliard

Tags New Blog

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.

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

Daylight Savings Time

The start of earlier days means the possibility of waking up and going hiking and catching the sunrise. Driving to hiking spots in the dark is pretty awesome for my family because the dog can sleep, the baby can sleep and the husband and I can just talk and drive. When we look out the window we are blanketed beneath the stars and encompassed by the earth. We love getting to the trail super early, especially on what we think is going to be an overcast day or cloudy day, because the sunrises are even more breathtaking here in the southwest. Now, all of this being said, keep in mind we leave at 4 AM, which for most people is not the morning. We like to get to trails super early just to see the sun crest over the mountains. We also love living in the central location to where the state and national parks are super close to us. We’re very fortunate to live where we do, it is an outdoors man and woman’s dream. I also feel blessed knowing we will be happy anywhere we live since happiness is a state of being.

Do any of you have a favorite time of day to go on your adventures? Is there a special place in the world you love visiting? My large family’s special place has been Disneyland for a very long time where as my little family and I prefer the outdoors. Everyone has their own way and I love how different we all are. Nature awakens all my senses which I am sure you already know from previous blogs or following my work. My goal is to bring the beauty and magic of the outdoors into your homes. I think it is because I am a huge Disney fan for the artwork and storyline that I see whimsy everywhere. The magic I experienced as a young child has been carried over into how I see all aspects of this world. The most magical time for my imagination is in the early hours of the morning, when everyone seems to be sleeping. This is when my creations run wild. The sun rising to welcome a new day also opens my mind. Therefore, I love longer days and more time to create!

Thank you for reading and have a wonderful Tuesday! I wrote this blog last week and forgot to post it. Since motherhood, days and dates are a blur! Can anyone else relate?

-Karen Hilliard

Tags New Blog

Living in the Moment

The concept of living in the moment should be an easy one to maintain on a daily basis, yet, it is not. There are so many beautiful events to experience, natural wonders to see, places to explore, and somehow life goes so fast then time slips away. I try to always find time to go outside and play. On days when I am unable to, I go back into my memories through pictures I have taken, sketches I have drawn, or just sit with my mind about what I can remember. For me, life is a constant balance of emotions, reality, and perspective. We all see and feel each experience in a different way and this is why living in the moment can be challenging sometimes. There are facts and history, yet our Interpretations of everything are where things can get wonky. Art has a way of bringing perspective into the light. Everyone can interpret a painting, a writing piece, or a song how they want to for how it fits into their moment.

So live in your moment! If your day is hard, challenging, or fearful, then I hope you find strength. If an experience of sorrow overwhelms you, then I hope you find peace. I wish in all of these moments, everyone can remember how far they have come and how much they can handle. If your day is filled with joy, then I hope you can radiate and spread it to as many others that you come in contact with. My intention with my artwork is to have others view it in whichever moment they are in. I hope each day of looking at one of my paintings brings new ideas or a new perspective to the viewer. With these thoughts in mind, I would love for each of you to find one painting on my website that speaks to you today. However it makes you feel, I hope you’re in your moment! Thank you for reading and have a marvelous Monday.

-Karen Hilliard

Tags New Blog, watercolor painting

Resolute Protector

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

Tags New Blog, watercolor painting

Zenning Out in Nature

Some meditate, some write, some think or ponder, I do it all and zen out while in nature. I am one of those people who thrive outside in solitude or with a close friend who can do the same. I have been lucky in life and found someone who zens right along with me. This post also aligns with my previous one on huecos, or holes in rock formations. While on another trail at Valley of Fire, long before our daughter came on the scene, we found this beautiful hueco to zen out in. After a long time of relaxing in the small space, we took some photographs to document this moment in time. We don’t always do this because we also like to just be in the present. The spot was very lovely, however, and we wanted to remember it for future hiking adventures. The hueco can be found in the wash after the Fire Wave Trail. It is recommended to do this trail in cooler months as people have gotten lost on it and ran out of water. We found it most enjoyable in the early morning as the sun rises over the valley. The colors are remarkable!

Have any of you been to Valley of Fire in Nevada? If so, what is your favorite trial or one of your favorites? Another hike we love to relax on is White Domes. This trail is very populated but my husband and I often find gems to hide and relax in. This hike has a lovely slot canyon as well and the sandstone is very picturesque compared to our hike in Owl Canyon at Lake Mead. We loved the color variations and the flow of the canyon at Valley of Fire as it weaves and tuned in wondrous ways. We had our dog on leash for this trail as there is a lot of human foot traffic. The sand is very nice and inviting when the trail starts and a huge workout on the way back. This trail is not only beautiful but a muscular infused heat sensation in the legs! Thank you for reading and happy hiking! Have a wonderful Wednesday.

-Karen Hilliard

Tags New Blog