People's Choice Award!

Whoo - Hoo! 

"Swans" won an honorable mention

at tonight's Central Carolina Community College 22nd Annual 

Chatham Artist Guild's Exhibition!

People's Choice Award! 

Thank you to all who turned out an voted for me!

 Feelin' the love!

Come visit me on the Chatham Artist's Guild Tour 

Tomorrow and Sunday only

Dec. 6 &7 from 10 am - 5 pm

Visit their site for a map at www.ChathamArtistsGuild.org 

See you at my studio!

Kim

www.KimWerfel.com 

Chatham Artist's Studio Tour Dec 6 & 7 2014

We'll it's finally here!  The 22nd Chatham Artist's Studio Tour!

Getting ready for this weekend's Art Studio Tour....Christmas tree and lights, check, Hot spiced apple cider, pumpkin bread and brownies, check, new artwork back from the framer, check, house cleaned, check, music, check, and significant price reductions on selected artwork, cards and prints....check!  and too many other small details to mention.........!

Come check it all out this weekend Sat & Sun Dec 6 & 7th from 10 am - 5 pm, 1st weekend only!  Hope to see you all there! 

(pictured - "Rooster & his Chicks", original pastel, 2" wood frame and AR Glass.)

For more info on the tour, and a printable map see the link here:  
http://www.chathamartistsguild.org/studio-tour-map/


Summer even got her haircut for the occasion :)

See you soon!

Kim

http://www.kimwerfel.com

Work at the Chapel Hill Art Gallery

Want a peak at the art you'll find on the Chatham Artist's Studio Tour? 

Come down to the Chapel Hill Art Gallery tomorrow night (Nov.14th) for our reception from 6-9 pm. Located at 1215 E. Franklin St., Chapel Hill, NC 27514
www.chapelhillartgallery.com

I'll be exhibiting my pastel border collies:

Hope to see you there!

Kim Werfel

kimwerfel.com

Red Lion Amaryllis

My pastel "Red Lion Amaryllis" is now being exhibited at the Pittsboro Public Library's Chatham Artist's Guild Show to entice people to come visit me during the Tour.  

Red Lion Amaryllis, pastel, 5x7"©KimWerfel

This pastel was painted from an amaryllis blooming next to my window, backlit through curtains....giving a nice gauzy glow behind them. I rarely paint flowers, but this spoke to me.  I nurtured it for months and grew attached to these lovely blooms!

Save the dates!  I'm #24 and open the first weekend of the Chatham Artist's Guild Tour....December 6 &7, from 10am - 5pm in Fearrington Village.

Check out our website for the tour for more info a map and directions here:  http://www.chathamartistsguild.org/portfolio-item/kim-werfel/

Hope to see you there!

www.kimwerfel.com 

New Swan painting

Finished the other swan painting I wanted to do from that same day at Apex Park, NC.  This one is a lone swan....looking so elegant.  Thus the title "Elegance", 12"x19", pastel ©KimWerfel.

Painted on the other half of the Salmon Sennelier La Carte pastel paper using many of the same pastels as the previous "Swans" painting.  Hoping to have them both framed and ready for the Chatham Artists Studio Tour that I'm in on Saturday & Sunday, this December 6th & 7th from 10am-5pm.

Visit our website for more info, images and a printable map of the tour at www.ChathamArtistsGuild.org.

Thank you for following my blog :)

Kim

www.kimwerfel.com 

Swans

This piece is from a photo I took at Apex Park, NC a few years ago.  I love that park and used to walk a path around a large man-made pond, about a mile and a half long.  Finally had a free moment to paint something for me instead of a commission (not that I'm complaining!)  The result is this piece....which I'll call Swans for lack of something better...

"Swans" pastel, 19"x12"©KimWerfel

This is painted on La Carte pastel paper...a paper I seldom use, but am finding I really enjoy.  You cannot underpaint on La Carte, but it comes in some really lovely colors.  I pushed the color on this one...something I find myself doing more and more.  I wanted to create that luminous light that glows....to make the swans almost magical.

I plan to do another piece featuring one swan alone.  This may wind up being in a local show, as many are coming up this holiday season.

Thank you for following my blog..

Kim

www.kimwerfel.com

Central Carolina Community College Workshop

I've been behind in my blogging so this week I'm catching up....again, my favorite Egret scored with the CCCC Workshop held Saturday, September 20th from 10-4.  First time giving a college workshop and it was wonderful.  Hope to do it again maybe next Summer.  Here are a few photos from that day!

I really love teaching serious students....especially the elements and principles of design and color.  Tough to do in one day though!  I guess my art teacher days in the school system are still in me :)

Thanks for following my blog!

Kim

www.kimwerfel.com

Seymour Center Class Photos

I didn't realize that I didn't share my Seymour Center (Chapel Hill) Class photos with you.  This was a great new venue for me and the class was full!  Unfortunately a few were out and some left before I took this
photo.

Altogether we had 10 in the class - and yes, we did my Egret again.  It's a favorite and most people can get a wonderful piece of art with it.  Thank you to my brother Ray for letting us use his photo reference.

Of course, I had to get in the act and ask one of the students to take a photo of me with some students.  I always forget to do that!

Thank you for following my blog.

Kim

Website:  www.kimwerfel.com

Golden Retriever Pastel Portrait

Tis the season for pastel portrait gifts!  Another gift pastel dog portrait of late is "Sugar", a lovely Golden Retriever.  She's painted here on Kitty Wallis paper with a variety of pastels including Unisons, Cretacolor, Sennelier among others.

"Sugar", pastel, 11"x14"©KimWerfel

Sugar is to be a surprise present to the client's husband for his birthday.  What better gift than a portrait of Man's Best Friend?  I love painting surprise gifts for people.  Makes the whole experience one of joy!

Thanks for following my blog,

Kim Werfel

Have a custom portrait painted of your special furry companion.  Contact me at k-e@mindspring.com.

See more artwork at www.kimwerfel.com

Jackson - Newest Dog Portrait

Today I sold a dog portrait that is to be a surprise for my client's niece.   The seventeen year old dog is named Jackson, and has been the inseparable companion for this woman.  Her uncle commissioned me a while back, and I'm happy to have it for him to give to her soon, as the dog is ailing.

This portrait is done on an archival suede mat board....a first for me!  It was a risk painting on it for a commission, but it turned out beautifully.  I discovered you couldn't erase on it!  This made me work more carefully and deliberately for sure.  I love the way this surface takes soft pastel...especially my Unisons.  I did use some pastel pencil around the eyes and some harder pastels too.  Exciting experience for me that paid off.  The client loves it and is taking it to be framed.  I can't wait to hear from him how his niece reacts.

This is why I love painting pet portraits....so much love involved!

best regards,

Kim Werfel

Contact me about a pet portrait at k-e@mindspring.com.  See more work at www.kimwerfel.com

Three Border Collies Commissioned Portrait

I've been busy this week working on a big commissioned piece that had to wait for my classes to end.

This is the first "three dog portrait" that I've painted.  Considering this was all done from photos sent to me by e-mail by the client, I think it turned out pretty well!  I usually like to take my own photos and meet the dog to get a take on their energy and personality.

First dog in the portrait is Raine, a smaller darker Border Collie.  I tried to boost the colors in each dog to bring the artwork alive.

Playing up the warm/cool, dark/light, intense/dull contrasts as well as paying attention to soft and hard edges and textures of the eyes, nose and fur are all considered when painting.


The next dog....largest and the alpha is Isabella.....

The sun was bleaching out her color...I helped it out a bit and brought her right side a bit out of the dark.

Then Lily.....

She looks warmer here than in the original..I really liked her eyes and expression.  I turned her around a bit so she was more upright.

The finale'..............

Raine, Isabella and Lily, pastel on Art Spectrum Colourfix in Blue Haze mounted on Gatorboard, cut to 16"x26". ©Kim Werfel

Hope you enjoyed my journey!

For info on your own pastel portrait and upcoming classes & workshops see my website at http://www.kimwerfel.com 

Class Pictures and Seymour Center Class Registration Now Open!

I had such a great time teaching at Carol Woods in Chapel Hill.  We all posed for a group portrait (although a couple were missing)  Thought I'd share them with you.

This is my Tuesday group class (missing Pat)  None had pastel experience....most had little or no art experience.  I tried to teach the elements of design, color theory and values along with just getting used to using both Canson and Sanded paper in 5 classes.  Whew.  But they were wonderful!

Thursday's class (without Margie) were terrific too.  They're all holding their best piece for a small art exhibit from the class to be displayed for a month.  Tuesday's class goes first in August, then Thursday's class in September.

They asked me to teach there again in the Spring 2015 and I couldn't resist.  I look forward to seeing them all again.

Hopefully I'll see some in my new class starting in September at the Seymour Center in Chapel Hill.

This Pastel Class will have students of varying ability and will run Mondays from September 8 - October 6th, from 1 - 3 pm.

Beginners will work doing projects from photos with me while more advanced students will work on independent projects with my guidance.  Located at 2551 Homestead Rd., Chapel Hill, NC  27516. 

Registration is now OPEN!.  Call (919) 968-2070 for more info.  Also click on http://www.co.orange.nc.us/aging/Programs.asp

Hope to see you soon,

Kim Werfel

www.kimwerfel.com

 

Upcoming Pastel Classes

Next week I'll be finishing two beginning Pastel Painting Classes at Carol Woods in Chapel Hill, NC. The students have been great.....I'll miss them!  

We'll be selecting their best pieces for two consecutive art exhibits....Tuesday's class's Art Exhibit will be first running from August 9th - September 5th, followed by Thursday's class for the next four weeks.

In September I'll start a new venue....the Seymour Senior Center in Chapel Hill, NC.  This Pastel Class will have students of varying ability and will run Mondays from September 8 - October 6th, from 1 - 3 pm.

Beginners will work doing projects from photos with me while more advanced students will work on independent projects with my guidance.  Located at 2551 Homestead Rd., Chapel Hill, NC  27516. 

Registration begins around August 15th.  Call (919) 968-2070 for more info.  Also click on http://www.co.orange.nc.us/aging/Programs.asp 

 I will also be teaching again at the ArtsCenter in Carrboro, NC, for five Thursdays from October 9th -November 6th, from 10 am - 12:30pm.  They are located at 300-G East Main Street, Carrboro, NC  27510.

This will be a Continuing Pastel Painting Studio course for the intermediate to advanced pastel student. 

(not a beginner class) Elements and principles of design are kept in mind as students learn to apply compositional rules to their work.  Class critiques and working outside of class help students grow faster.

Call (919)929-2787, or register on their Website http://www.artscenterlive.org/classes/1036-continuing-pastel-painting/

Don't have time for a 5 week commitment?  Well, I'll be teaching a one day workshop at Central Carolina Community College in Chatham County, Pittsboro Campus Bldg 042 MPR on Saturday, September 20th, 2014 from 10 am - 4:30 pm.  Look for Pastel Workshop (Beginning) Course #3716

We'll explore soft pastels in this workshop for new or seasoned students.  A review of materials will follow a step by step class demo to help you create your own pastel painting.  Some knowledge of drawing and painting is helpful.  Ask for a supply list when you register.

Register here:  http://www.cccc.edu/ecd 

Ask you can see, I have a lot going on.....!

Hope you can join me in one, some or all of my workshops :)  

Thank you for following my blog.

Happy Painting!

Kim Werfel

www.kimwerfel.com

Baby Girl Pastel Portrait Commission

After painting lots of pets I had the wonderful opportunity to paint a lovely baby girl....my client's 20 month old granddaughter.

In this digital age, I've never met the sweet baby, but had her photo e-mailed to me as a jpeg attachment in a high resolution to my in-box.

I was taken at how beautiful she was...and how fair!  The dark desk behind her really brought out how light her skin was, and brought your attention to her face.

First I cropped the photo in photoshop.

I was concerned about the hand under her lace, but later thought it was a sweet baby gesture and left it in.

I wanted to see the values better, so I put it in photoshop elements and broke the photo into 5 values.

I now thought the dark background was too harsh and decided to keep the painting high key...as this child is so light-filled.  I would keep everything soft and chose a light beige sanded paper (U-Art) that would go with her light warm complexion.  

Here is the result!

I really am happy with the way this came out.  The photo didn't capture the colors exactly, but close enough to give you an idea of what I was going for .

Baby portraits are very sensitive...they have such soft, smooth skin...no wrinkles!  And a glow that I think pastel captures wonderfully!

Hope you enjoyed my process.  Thank you for following my blog.

For information about a portrait or classes, please see my website here.

Kim Werfel

FREE Pastel Pet Portrait Contest!!!

i

Starting today through August 25th 2014 I'm running a Sweepstakes contest on my facebook page Kim Werfel Portraits and Fine Art. 

To enter, just "like" my page, enter your name and e-mail so I can contact you and hit enter.  Read the Sweepstakes Rules and Privacy Policy.

I will want to announce the winner on my page and this blog, and the artwork too when it's done.

I'm running this to increase awareness of my business.  There is a box to enter to sign up for a newsletter that I'd like to get started too.

It's also a way to give back to all the
people who have supported me all these years!

So if you've always thought you'd like a portrait of your dog, cat or even guinea pig :)  go ahead and enter.
I will not sell or share your e-mail with anyone else.

To see more of my pet portrait work, just click here.

Have a wonderful day!

Kim Werfel
www.kimwerfel.com

Collies!

Collies are just beautiful and a delight to paint.  These two lived together in Massachusetts, where Mollie (on the right) passed away.   I met Skipper and his Dad after they migrated south here to North Carolina.  Dad wanted to remember them together, so I worked from his photo to capture a moment in time forever.

Skipper and Mollie, pastel, 16"x20"©2014

He had it framed at my favorite framer...Frame Warehouse in Cary, NC....with my friend who manages the store Sheena McLean.  They did a magnificent job framing them with a linen mat, burnished gold filet, AR glass and the perfect wood frame that picked up the warm tones in the trees.  I usually don't get to see my commissions framed, so this was a real treat.  He was originally going to hang this in the hallway, but instead gave it a place of honor in his living room.  Love it!

I've completed another commission.....will tell you about it soon, so stay tuned!   

Interested in having a custom artwork of your own?  E-mail me at k-e@mindspring.com.  Take a look at my website for more portrait commissions and ideas at KimWerfel.com. 

Thank you for following my blog and have a great day!

Kim

Craving Art Studio Exhibition & Workshop

Here are some snapshots from my Pastel Workshop at the Craving Art Studio in Beaufort, May 3rd...and my reception Friday, May 2nd. Craving Art Studio is a beautiful new Gallery a block away from the water in lovely historic Beaufort, NC, at 121 Craven Street.

I'm showing a real bird's nest to my students....pointing out the texture and randomness of 

nature's organic design for inspiration!

We are all admiring our Egret pastel work

Hard to believe most never touched a pastel before - awesome class!

Me with Heather Sink, co-owner of the Craving Art Studio, at my reception

Ford Heath, a neighbor from Fearrington Village who relocated to Beaufort, surprised me at the reception

Checking out my Pet Portrait Brochures

Wonderful new friends from the reception

My friends/clients from Chapel Hill came and took my workshop too!

A good time was had by all.

My exhibit includes 26 paintings (sold one already!) and will be there until May 27th.  It's a lovely place to visit this time of year, so do take a trip and check it out!

Thanks for following me on my blog and have a great day!

Kim

http://www.kimwerfel.com

Marsh Paintings

Two new 6"x8" pastel paintings of the South Carolina marshland will be part of my exhibit at the Craving Art Studio, 121 Craven St., Beaufort, NC 28516 next month.  Reception is Friday, May 2nd from 6-8pm.

SC Marsh I, pastel, 6x8", ©KimWerfel

These paintings were painted from photos outside of Hilton Head Island a few years ago.  One of my students was painting a small cloud painting and it inspired me to try a painting of a large vista in a small 6"x8" format.  A nice change from painting pet portraits!

                                                                       SC Marsh II, pastel, 6"x 8", ©KimWerfel

My Pastel Workshop:  Explore Pastels!  follows the reception on Saturday, May 3rd from 10am-4pm.  

If you've always wanted to explore pastels, but were afraid to try, this is the workshop for you! 

Beginners to Intermediate.  $100 + $30 materials fee.  

Contact Heather Sink or Lisa Tuchek to register:  252-728-0243 or e-mail cravingsartstudio@ec.rr.com  

Questions?  E-mail me at k-e@mindspring.com

More info at my website page here 

Wouldn't a weekend by the sea in beautiful historic downtown Beaufort, NC and 

a Pastel Workshop be divine?

See you there!

Kim

Commissioned Pastel Dog Portrait

Meet "Yogi", a chow-mix that recently passed on, my new commissioned pastel portrait.  I never met him or his owner, one of the latest portraits whose business has been handled exclusively on-line.   Lucky for me she had many lovely photos to work from.

"Yogi", 11x14", pastel ©KimWerfel

This one was elusively challenging as he was a brown dog with very subtle shifts of value and temperature defining his face and fur.  A haunting sad and strong look in his eyes arrested me when I saw the photo and knew this was the one to work from.  

There was a photo of him in the snow and I wanted to put the cool colors in the background to bring the warmth of his fur forward.

Challenging, but rewarding. My favorite type of commission.  I'm pleased with the results.

Have a great weekend!

Kim 

http://www.kimwerfel.com

Yorkshire Terrier portrait commission

While at a local pub with my friends, I met a woman and started chatting.  Before long she had her iphone out, showing me photos of her recently passed Yorkshire Terrier named Bailey.  As tears filled her eyes she asked if I could possibly paint him from a not so very good photograph.

This is often an artist's nightmare...but I am a pushover for someone who really wants my art and is heartfelt about loving their pet.  So I said yes, and she e-mailed me the photo.  I struggled with enlarging it many times in photoshop, of course lessening the quality of the photo.  Various photos had different values and colors in the fur...so I did a composite.

The dog sat on a white blanket that did nothing for the composition.  I thought with all the warm golds, a purple background would help.  So I took out a 9x12" ampersand pastel board and sketched him out on it, giving the purple an underpainting with pastel washed with alcohol.

"Bailey", pastel, 9x12" ©Kim Werfel

Normally, I like to meet the pets....(if I can) and take my own photos.  But I realized that the owners are more interested in having something to remember their 4-legged friend, rather than nothing.  So sometimes a work of art is more of a work of "heart".

This was shipped to Ohio.  So now my work is finding homes in new States.  I find that kinda exciting too.

Thanks for following my blog and have a great day!

Kim

http://www.kimwerfel.com 

Pastel Workshop!

Let's Paint At the Beach!!!  My two favorite things in one place - painting in pastels and being near the beach in Beaufort, my favorite little town :)

I'm kicking off Spring by teaching a new pastel workshop coming up Saturday, May 3rd, 2014 from 10 am - 4 pm at the Craving Art Studio, 121 Craven St., Beaufort, NC  28516.  $100 + $30 materials fee.

There'll be an Art Reception there the night before, Friday May 2nd, from 5 - 7 pm.

*Beginners: $30 materials fee for a set of 24 mungyo pastes, 9x12 pad of multi-colored Canson pastel paper,  kneaded eraser, two 8 x 10" sanded foam core boards, foam core backing board and tracing paper.

*Experienced students can opt out of the materials fee by bringing their own pastels, paper, etc.

Please bring your own masking tape, latex gloves, baby wipes, paper towels, a small rag, a smock and a smile!

Contact Heather Sink to register:  252-728-0243, e-mail at cravingartstudio@ec.rr.com

Let's have fun this Spring....it's been a long, cold, Winter!

Hope to see you there!

Kim

www.kimwerfel.com







This one day workshop is for both beginners and intermediate students.  I'll warm-up with exercises and lead you through two pastel paintings....the Bird's Nest pictured above is a great one for Spring!

Blue-Eyed Himalyan Seal Point Cat

Pretty sure I'm finished with "Tuskie", a new pastel pet portrait commission of a blue-eyed Himalayan seal-point kitty cat.  He's 15 years old and wasn't very interested in having his photo taken....but after 60 photos, we agreed on this pose.

Of course, I had to crop out the lovely owner that was holding him.....as he glared at me as cats will do when you force them to do anything!

I decided to use a new paper...a German velour paper called Hannemuhle.  It comes in different colors and I chose Ochre as I thought it would play well against his coat.  I've seen other pet pastel artists use it quite successfully.  It's great for depicting fur.  The paper is archival and acid-free as well.

I used this photo as a reference to show his paws, which I wasn't going to include originally, but thought it added a necessary grounding to the portrait.  This photo shows more warm colors in his fur too.

The result:  "Tuskie", pastel on velour paper, 12x16"©KimWerfel.

Thanks for following my blog :)

Kim

http://www.kimwerfel.com

New Continuing Pastel Class Starts March 6th

Time is flying....I can't believe that my Continuing Pastel Painting Studio Class begins in a month!

(a student with work from a previous continuing class)

Course #2043 at the ArtsCenter of Carrboro, Thursday Mornings from 10am-12:30pm, March 6 - April 3rd.  (5 wks) $125 public, $113 friends of the ArtsCenter.

Register online here

To quote the ArtsCenter's description:

This course is for the intermediate to advanced pastel student who wants critiques as they work on their own subject matter. Students will explore different techniques in finding their own style with guidance from the instructor. Elements and principles of design are kept in mind as students learn to apply compositional rules to their work for maximum results. Classes start with group critiques and discussions with the rest of the class time working with individual help through class. Spending time working outside of class will be necessary.

• Basic understanding of pastels or Intro to Pastel Painting is required. This class is not for beginners.

Click here for my materials list 

Let's all come out of Winter hibernation and create together this Spring!
Would love to see you there!

Happy Painting!

Kim