The Degas Project

I am so happy to be part of York Art Association's "Degas Project". The group has teamed up with the Greater York Dance for a special opportunity. 30 artists will meet at the dance school where there will be five dance stations set up. We will be grouped and move from station to station doing a fantastic photo shoot of these dancers. We will then have 3 1/2 weeks to complete a painting from our photographs (or sketches). In May there will be an opening celebration where are work will go up for show and sell. Dancers will perform and we will have the opportunity to meet with the families of these young dancers. This is such a wonderful opportunity for the artists and dancers. I can't wait!

Newest Watercolor "Mommy and the Girls"

My newest watercolor painting of my pregnant mommy and her little daughter is complete.
They were such adorable models. Some paintings are so relaxing and such fun to do it is almost kind of sad to finish them. I am finishing up the drawing for my next painting and will be ready to start this week. I really hate having a day when I have nothing ready to paint. I love putting in about four hours each day on painting.

As a lupus patient, it is so nice to have something I am so passionate about doing. I am so limited at times at where I can go and what I can do. The day to day challenges can be overwhelming. Having the art to concentrate on makes the world a brighter place. One of my goals for 2011 is to get together lupus patients for photo shoots. It is so important with this disease to have some outlet. Once we get this underway I plan to get the group into some social networking sites to display our work. Hopefully in the coming year we will have a great local show so people can see the world through the eyes of us lupies. They might be surprised. Hopefully our networking will encourage lupies and others with illnesses to get creative and enjoy life. I will be updating here in the months ahead.

Watercolor in Progress

This year I am going to try and take more time for my blogging. I am having such a great time painting that sometimes it is hard to pull myself away to sit down and type. This painting has been such a joy to do. Since the little one was actually the daughter of my pregnant model there was just that genuine love there. It really comes across in the photographs. I couldn't help but paint these two.

Drawing for the next painting

I am working on a drawing of these two little friends. This will be a fun one to paint. These children all seem to love this dance school. They are just so attentive and happy which just added to the fun.

Watercolor Painting by Kathy Michels

Happy New Year - 2011

As we start the new year I plan to be on here doing updates much more frequently. It is so much fun to share tips, ideas and thoughts with others. This is another little ballerina I

began working on at the start of the new year. I plan to have her done at the end of the week and will post the updated photo then. I wanted to do her as she is so fair skinned it presents a bit of a challenge. Yet there seemed to be so many colors reflecting off her little face that it was just intriguing. With watercolors you have that ability to keep the paintings real yet add these beautiful mix of colors. I will

have to get a photo in better lighting so you can see the purples and greens. I am getting ready to add some pinks and bring this little thing to life.

Watercolor Portrait by Kathy Michels

Another little cutie. This photo does not do justice to the colors in her hair. Her hair glistens

with reds, blues and lavenders. Once I get the good quality photos done I will repost. I am

still working on the portraits of these little ballerinas.

Watercolor Portrait by Kathy Michels

This is another little ballerina in my series. These little ones are so fun to paint.
They are just so into their dancing and waiting for their turns that they seem to
remain focused.

Next Portrait in Progress

This is another one of my little four year old ballerinas. That age is just so much fun to work with. They present so many different emotions in such a short time. They go from happy to sad at the blink of an eye. They can be so focused into whatever they are learning at that very moment. Then as all mothers know that curiousity becomes agitation and frustration.

Needless to say that age is just a blast to work with -especially for an artist. I have a ton of photos from my ballerina photo shoot and my only problem is deciding which one to paint next.

Once I finish the drawing this little girl will be my next watercolor painting.

"I Wanna Learn To Dance" Watercolor by Kathy Michels

Last Spring I had the opportunity to do a photo shoot with some little four year old ballerinas at a local studio. They were adorable. As is life with that age group you had some of the children who were just bouncing around, having a blast. Then there were the little ones who were so totally focused on dance they were oblivious to the camera. They had dreams and those dreams were so real to them. They were so into the moment and into the movement. The more I paint these children - the more I dream of going back there every few years and follow the progress of these kids and see how far they go in their dance. It makes you really think - when does someone truly know in their heart what they want in their life. Is the gift so strong that even these little ones know what they want to do?

"Time to Go? Please??" Watercolor by Kathy Michels

These little ballerinas were such a joy. One little girl always seemed to have her own agenda going on. It's not hard to tell which one that is. Another of the little four year olds was just so mesmerized by it all. She tried so hard to put that little foot exactly where it should be. It was adorable. She would always be looking around totally studying her feet and everyone else's making sure hers were exact. As I reviewed my pictures from the photo shoot I noticed one little four year always in prayer. It was precious. She looked up to God with her hands gently pressed together. She was totally involved in her conversation with God appearing to ask for help before each and every pose. I have several of her in prayer but one in particular I love. I will eventually do a piece with that very special photo.

More Good News

I was just juried into the "Daily Painters of Pennsylvania" group.
Check out their site at www.dailypaintersofpennsylvania.blogspot.com
You'll see lots of wonderful artwork and announcements of upcoming shows.

Announcement

I will be the featured artist at Cygnet Studios in Elizabethtown during the month of November. I will have about 40 watercolor paintings on display. A reception will be held on Sunday, November 14th, from 3-5 p.m. If you are in the area, please stop by and say hi.