Newsletter Launch

I’m pleased to announce that we have finally launched our first Kevin Courter Fine Art Newsletter.  In this news letter you’ll find information on recent events, photo’s from painting excursions, workshops & demos, new paintings, paintings exclusively available through Kevin Courter Fine Art and more.  If you’d like to receive this monthly newsletter please go to my website to sign-up, or you can view the first newsletter here.

These two paintings,and more, are exclusively available through Kevin Courter Fine Art.  If you’re interested in receiving more information and pricing on these paintings, or others, just send me an email.

 

Pumpkins & Cornstalks, 12 x 16

 

Moonlit Surf, 13 x 9

Something’s Not Quite Right

Finally a new post here on the blog, it’s been a while since my last.

A few days ago I completed a painting titled “Sweeping Light”. After posting it on Facebook and allowing the piece to sit around the studio for a few days (in full view) I realized that something was bothering me about the painting. After thinking about I realized that the painting was very stark, both in design and in execution and lacked mystery. The long sweeping shadows on the hillside were way to dark and their edges were very hard, not sharp, but not soft either. It needed softness as well as some additional light and, most of all, the mountain in the background need to be simplified.

I put the canvas back on easel this morning and immediately began repainting the hillside.  First by removing most of the horizontal shadows then lightening the values of the shadows themselves while adding softness to the edges. I added light to the top portion of the tress to created more interest and warmth to the foreground.  I also added the grove of trees a little further in the background on the right side of the painting to create balance, this also kept the viewers eye in the painting.  The last thing was to have the transition of shadow and light at the base of the hillside more gradual which creates the mystery it was missing.

Making changes like this requires taking a risk.  The painting was OK before, but that was the problem – it was just OK.  I wanted something better.  Taking the risk was the only option.  I think it was worth taking, I hope you agree.  I plan on making a larger version of the revised painting sometime in the near future.

Thomas Kinkade: He Deserves Some Respect

As I find myself writing this post I’m deeply saddened at not only the death of Thomas Kinkade but even more so at the lack of respect shown him on Facebook over the past couple of days.  Though I haven’t read any blogs about his death I’m sure there’s some pretty distasteful blog posts as well.

I worked for Thom’s company for 10 years.  I’m not here to comment on the work he became known for, I can’t say that I’m a fan of that particular genre. I believe Thom spent much of his time wanting the respect of other artists.  He spent a lot of time in art rich Carmel, he even owned a home there.  I know for a fact he visited many galleries in town to see what was new, perhaps even be inspired, he appreciated good art.  He even took the time to visit my gallery, New Masters, to see my work and comment on it to the people working there, he always had good things to say. I’m sure it anguished him to know that so many painters had little to no respect for him, for what ever reason. Many people disliked him for what they would consider the commercialization of his work, or maybe they just didn’t like the quiant little cottages with all the lights on or maybe, dare I say, envious of a man who got to paint for a living and make a very good living doing so.  Isn’t that what many of us want, to make a living doing what we love, doing what we dreamed of since we first had a crayon in our hands? Who gets to the draw the line and say when something has become “commercialized”?  I certainly don’t want to.  I feel very blessed doing what I get do for a living, am I commercial simply because I’m making a living selling my art? Are you?

I’ve had the chance to visit Thom’s studio in Monte Sereno, CA on a number of occasions. I can tell you, again, that the man appreciated good art.  He had an original Thomas Hill and Albert Bierstadt along with many others hanging in his studio.  It was like walking into a museum.  He appreciated good art.  He was also a very good painter.  Some of you might find that surprising, I did. Most of us are only familiar with what made him famous; cute cottages, lighthouses and idyllic scenes that seemed to capture a simpler time. I had the chance to see another side of Thom the artist, a side very few have seen.  There were paintings around his studio, his paintings, that were beautifully painted.  They were “painterly”.  His plein air work was very well done, big juicy stokes of paint layed down with confidence. Studio paintings that anyone would enjoy just sitting in front of for awhile. Thom was a very good painter and he simply wanted his fellow artists to see that.  But we were too blind. We couldn’t see past the cute cottages, past the corporation, past his sins, or maybe past our own envy, to see a man and an artist that simply wanted respect.

For years I was very careful about how people found out that I worked for Thomas Kinkade. What would they think of me? Would they think less of my work? For that I’m truly sorry. Thom supported my family for 10 years and many other families as well. I can’t say that all my years there were good, they weren’t.  The last 5 years I was miserable.  God used those years to get me to where I am today. I am very appreciative to Thom for giving me the chance to work for his company. To  visit his Studio. I even had the opportunity to paint with him at Point Lobos near Carmel many years ago.

I guess what I want to say the most is that Thom was a human being, a son, a father, a husband, a friend.  I’m not here to say he did any of those things perfectly, he didn’t.  He was simply another broken human being just like the rest of us, just like me. I’m very grateful that my mistakes, my sins aren’t written up in all the newspapers for all to read, aren’t you?  His were. Lets remember this before we write some snide or “funny” remark on Facebook or our blogs.  Let’s remember a human being lost his life. A mother lost a son, a wife lost her husband, a few kids lost their dad and many people people lost a friend. You may not like his art, you have that right but lets respect the life of another human being, let’s take the high road.

I hope and pray that Thom gets the respect he so longed for one day, he has mine.

Thom painting at Point Lobos

Painting with my friends Raffi Minasian, Andre Baylon and Thomas Kinkade.

The Love of My Life & My Best Friend

Today marks 25 years of being married to my best friend, Janice. I love many things about her, these are just a few.

The love of my lfe

I love her faith.

I love how she dreams…big. And I love how those dreams include me.

I love how she continues to love me when I can’t always fulfill those dreams…at least not yet

I love how she loves our kids, she is an amazing mother who gives so much.

I love how brave she is, she had open heart surgery a few years ago to repair a very large hole in heart. (the size of a quarter!)

I love riding bikes with her

I love how she’s willing to laugh at herself.

I love how she was willing to hold my hand when I quit my job to pursue a life long dream off painting.  It was like walking off the rim of the Grand Canyon and she was willing to come with me. And, by the way, she continues to hold my hand.

I love how we witnessed the sunset on the Grand Canyon together for the first time.

I love how we stood atop Half Dome in Yosemite to celebrate her 40th Birthday.

I love her slighty deformed left hand fingers that makes her uniquely her.

I love her sexyness ( That’s right, I said it)

I love how she loves Jesus; with all her heart and brokeness.

I love the cute grin on her face when she sneaks a bowl of ice cream. It’s the same cute grin she has when she wants something from me.

I love how she’s willing to push past her fears and race downhill on her bike going over 40 miles an hour.

I love how she loves good wine, good food and even better friends.

I love how she supports me and my wild dreams.

I love how she can calm my soul when it most needs calming.

I love how much she likes chick flicks and likes them even more when I watch them with her. We’re watching one as I write this post, Notting Hill. I love that movie.

I love her loving patience, and kind heart.

I love how much she loves this wildly unpredictable life that God and has given us, even though it can be very hard.

Speaking of unpredictable.  I love how she’s willing to go skydiving next week to celebrate our daughters 21st birthday.

Most of all I love how God brought her into my life 27 years ago and that she found it possible to love me as she does.

Happy Anniversary to my best friend, lover and love of my life.

Trespass Vineyard & Winery

I’m very proud to announce that my painting “Moonlit Rendezvous” will be used on the label for Trespass Vineyard and Winery.  The small boutique winery is located in beautiful St. Helena in the Napa Valley.

Trespass Vineyard & Winery are known for their red wines which include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and a blend called “Rendezvous”.  Their wines are only available through the winery and at select restaurants.  They’ve even been carried in one of the finest restaurants in the world, The French Laundry in Napa Valley.

My painting “Moonlit Rendezvous” is a painting of the vineyard itself which is where their very cool tasting “patio” is located. (Tasting are by appointment only)

I’ll let you know when the wines with my art are available to purchase once they become available later this year.

"Moonlit Rendezvous" 24 x 18, Oil on Linen

A Great Time was had by All

I’m back at work in the studio after a great weekend in Petaluma teaching my “Nocturne” workshop at the very cool L’Atelier aux Couleurs in Petaluma, CA.

Over the course of the 3 days I spent the first part of the morning working on a demo painting and the rest of the day helping the students on their paintings.  We had a very committed group of painters who would often paint till 6 in the evening, the workshop officially ended at 4 in the afternoon, like I said, “committed”. It’s great to see people so eager to learn something that can be very overwhelming.  Their commitment to improving over the 3 days really showed. All of the students made great strides in their work by the end of the workshop on Sunday afternoon. We also spent the evenings just hanging out eating good food, drinking good wine and talking about art and life.

Thank you to Carole Gray-Weihman and Al Tofanelli for being wonderful hosts and thank you to all the students who attended for making it a pleasure to share.

Not sure when my next workshop will be but we’re in the planning stage now, we might even throw in a couple of “Demo Days” to change things up.  We’ll have more information on future workshops and demo days on my website, my blog and at latelieraux couleursofpetaluma.com.

Here’s a sample of one of my demos from the workshop.  3 of the other demos found homes.

Whispers in the Moonlight, 10 x 12, oil on linen.

Painting the Nocturne Workshop

After much preparation my nocturne workshop is just around the corner. The workshop will be held at L’Atelier aux Couleurs in Petaluma, CA.  There is still a little room in the class so feel free to contact L’Atlelier aux Couleurs if you’re interested in attending

In the future I’ll be promoting my workshops both on my website and here on my blog.  Never got the chance to post this workshop on either webiste this time around, my apologies.

I’ll post some pictures from the workshop sometime next week.

Here are a couple of examples of nocturnes that I’ll have at the workshop.

Country Moon, 10 x 12, Oil on Linen

Moon Whispers, 12 x 10, Oil on Linen

Fleeting Beauty

Janice and I had the opportunity to visit some friends in North Carolina this past October. What an amazing time.

Janice and I had never seen the fall colors back east. We tried once a few years ago when we visited New York City in the hopes of seeing Central Park in all her fall glory. It wasn’t meant to be. That year fall had been very mild so we missed the peak of the colors by at least a couple of weeks. We saw glimpses here and there and it was certainly enough to come home and do some paintings, but it wasn’t what we came for. We would have to wait.

The few days we spent in western North Carolina was a different story. The colors were at peak, or at least very close. Our days were spent in the car just driving from town to town seeing the colors in all their glory. If you’ve never witnessed fall colors it’s really quite hard to describe. Bright displays of yellow, red and orange. Whole mountain ranges in the distance had a rosey hue. Rivers and creeks parading through canyons and valleys lined with color not unlike the piles of paint on my palette. It was truly a gift, a gift that was fleeting.

The fall colors, like all things beautiful, are fleeting. Beauty doesn’t last very long. It’s there for a few weeks or even a few moments and then it’s gone. I think that’s the way it’s meant to be. Beauty can be appreciated much more when it lasts but a moment. Take a sunset; can you imagine if sunsets actually lasted all day? They would become boring, ho-hum, just another sunset. How about a dozen roses? what if they never died. Would they still be as special as they are?, as beautiful?  I remember when Janice and I had the chance to visit the Grand Canyon for the first time about a year and half ago. We arrived at sunset. Wow, sunset on the rim doesn’t get much better. What made it even more amazing was the fact that it didn’t last very long. 20 minutes after we arrived it was only a memory, but what a memory, what a gift. We couldn’t wait for sunrise the next morning, which again, only lasted a few minutes.

Even during our short visit to North Carolina, the fall colors were changing. The “winds of change” were sweeping through the valleys taking back the beauty that autumn brought. The trees were being stripped of their “bling”. Soon it would all be gone and we would be left with memories… and a whole lot of photo reference to paint from when I got home 🙂

Someday we look forward to going back to see the fall beauty return. I think the northeast might be in order for our next fall adventure.

Here are a couple of paintings from this trip. There will be many more to come in the coming weeks and months. Check in on my website to see more as they’re completed.

Woodland Glory, Highlands, North Carolina. 14 x 18

Autumn Whispers, North Carolina

It Wasn’t a Dream…or Was It?

Ever have one of the moments when you have an image of a memory come to mind but you can’t remember whether it was real or a dream?  I’ve had one of those reoccurring memories for the past few years.

I remember so strongly the imagery; tall stands of eucalyptus, cattle in the fields, barns dotting the landscape, a fence along the side of the road, that smell of summer in the early evening air, (you know the smell). It was late afternoon and the sun was going down for the evening, creating long shadows rich in-depth and that golden light so unique to California. The imagery was not unlike many areas in California, but there was something different about this place, about this memory. Why was this memory of this place always coming to mind?   The only thing I couldn’t remember was where this place was.  I had no idea. I even had thoughts that it didn’t actually exist, that perhaps it was a place I dreamt about.  This memory haunted me for years.  I wanted badly to go see and experience it again.

Flash forward to a few weeks ago.  Janice and I planned a bike ride along the California coast just south of Half Moon Bay. It would be a 58 mile day that would take us just inland on a few side roads. I had been on most of these roads before so I knew what to expect. However there was one road on our map that I had no recollection of, no memory I can recall to remind me of what to expect. I love roads like that. I love not know what’s around the corner, what beauty lay around the next bend? Will there be something I just need to come back and paint, or not? or would there be a long uphill climb not knowing where the summit was.

Not knowing what’s around the corner happens in life all the time. We come to crossroads in our life that cause us to make a decision, we must act if we want to move forward. Faith in God plays a big role in my life when it comes to making these decisions.  Knowing that God is for me and not against me allows me to make some pretty risky turns, perhaps even go down some pretty dark roads. But I know He’s with me and for me. It doesn’t mean it’s always easy but I know there’s hope if things get rough, that any hard times I face, we face, are not the end of the story.  Taking these risky roads can also lead to some amazing panoramic vistas or simple scenes that remind us that we live in a beautifully created world, a world that was designed for us to discover. These roads can also lead to some long uphill climbs that never seem to cease. None of this can be experienced camped out along the side of the road waiting for a sign of certainty that the road we take will be trouble free.  That sign doesn’t exist, although, I must admit that at times I wish it did.

Ok, back to the memory/dream thing.

A few miles into our ride we make a left turn off of the coast highway and start making our way inland.  The road was lined with massive eucalyptus tress with dappled light leading the way on the street ahead of us.  Janice is riding a little ahead, which gives me the opportunity to take a picture of her riding through this canyon of trees. As you can see in the photo it was beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We continued a little further up a short climb and we came to the summit and a great view is in front of us. I began to sense that memory coming to mind again, not fully though, just a taste. As we descended into this beautiful valley I realized that this was indeed where the memory originated.  Everything came back and seemed almost surreal. I even remember slowing the pace just so I can take it all in. The tall stands of eucalyptus, the roadside fence, the fields and the cattle, barns dotting the landscape. I never mentioned this memory to Janice in the past. I did, however, share it with her on this ride. I told her of the memory and how it felt like a dream and that this short road was that dream, that memory. I’m still not quite sure why this memory always came to mind, I still haven’t painted anything from that little valley south of Half Moon Bay.  But I will, someday. For now it’s a place that remains in my memory, but one I know how to return to, and I will.

I look forward to getting back on the bike, in the car, or on foot to discover what’s around the next corner or down the next road. It’s always a good lesson for life. I hope you feel the same when faced with your own crossroads.

Here are a few shots from the day, including a painting I completed a week or so after the ride and a view of the valley that was in my memory for so long.

A view of the valley

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leaving the Barn, 17 x 18

Art of the West Misquote/Typo

In the March/April issue of Art of the West magazine there is a glaring misquote that I need to correct.  The writer states that on my blog I state the following “Courter explains how a particular grove of eucalyptus trees remind him of an elephant woman draped in a gown…”  an Elephant women, seriously?!  My blog actually refers to a grove of eucalyptus trees as an elegant woman draped in a flowing gown.

As you can imagine, I’m quite embarrassed by the misquote and wanted to clear things up.  The actual quote can be read on my blog at the following link: https://kevincourter.wordpress.com/2011/06/01/picking-and-choosing/

Thanks for taking the time to read.