Fineart America

ON THE GO!

4 x 8 Mixed Media On Canvas

I finally assembled a page where prints are available online!

Please check out my profile page on

http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/kristin-osterman.html

I have also uploaded a variety of photography shots that I have been working on.

So many mediums and so little time!!!

What's that saying?

"Jack of all trades, master of none!"

Well, at least artistically I will never be bored.

I welcome all mediums and subjects, but continue to hone my fine art skills!

Check it out!!!

PUP PAINTINGS

PUP PAINTINGS!

Inspired by the research we have been doing to adopt a dog of our own!

I created a series of

DOGGIE ART!

The following have been created in a variety of mediums...

I've challenged myself to take each one on from traditional to contemporary!

Acrylic

Watercolor

Pastel

Pencil / Charcoal

Mixed Media

Streets outside of Rome

Streets Outside of Rome

24 x 24

Mixed Media on Canvas

Inspired by some photos I took on a trip to Italy

This street cafe was located in a small town just outside Rome.

The quaint picturesque streets were something I wanted to remember

I created this piece for our kitchen nook....

letting go of the typical traditional style italian earth tone colors

I was more interested to create something for the space that had some bold pop

Creating a loose and colorful paint strokes

not worried about realistic details I applied paint in a variety of brush sizes and

used a palette knife to be sure I couldn't control every detail.

However, I still can look down the street and can feel the same as when I was there.

We sat out on the small tables on the cobblestone street for dinner.

We looked up at the laundry hanging on the line,

the small villa at the end of the street is the

actual space where we spent the last night.

I can look at the piece and it can take me right back to

laughing with family,

eating homemade bread

while sipping a glass of the local vino.

What's better?

The sides of the gallery wrapped canvas although not shown above

is wrapped with a variety of photos I had taken on the trip

The cobblestone street is applied with the texture of torn paper with

printed lyrics of my favorite Dean Martin Song... an Evening in Roma!!

What fun!

Although not the typical realistic version, I created a fun memorable piece,

and when I look at it in my kitchen it reminds me of the great time we had on our trip!

Sisters

FAITH

4 X 12

ACRYLIC AND PAPER ON CANVAS

This work is inspired by women of all ages

at various stages in their life

of all cultures and lifestyles.

Our journey through life and hands us daily struggles or blessings.

Sometimes we just need to pray

Sometimes we need to find faith.

Sometimes prayer is all we have.

-kristin osterman-



Chilren's Art

Jillian's Mixed Media

4 x 12

Paint and Paper on Canvas

Child's Prayer

Dear God most high, hear and bless
Thy beasts and singing birds:
And guard with tenderness
Small things that have no words.

I have really enjoyed doing some pieces for friends

and their children's rooms

This was a gift for a new baby's room.

I don't have a girl, so what fun to work in pink!!!

Inspired by patterns and colors that are used in her quilt.

Keeping it simple and cute was the goal

and adding the initials for a personal touch!



USF Women's Baskeball

Porche Grant

14 x 17

Pencil and Charcoal Drawing

As a former collegiate basketball player,

I am always excited to render athletes.

Doesn't everyone have some sort of

competitive drive and

know's what it feels like

to want to be successful?

What it's like to practice day in and day out

What it takes to do it on the days you don't feel like it

What it means to want to be the best

What it means to compete.

What it feels like to win

and to want that feeling again and again.

I have been drawing for years

And there is always something special

about taking a

blank piece of paper,

and a pencil,

and

making

something

happen.

Reference Photo USF Athletics

Be all you are meant to be

Be all you are meant to be

4 x 12

Karen Raven quote

Mixed Media Collage

Something about creating these little collage pieces

brings me great joy.

The colors, the ideas,

the design process,

and also the thought

someone is going to receive it

and in their heart

they will feel good.

I love this quote

by Karen Raven

and have used it in another piece.

"Only as high as i reach can i grow,

Only as far as i seek can i go.

Only as deep as i look can i see,

Only as much as i dream can i be."

What is your joy?

Do you ever have that feeling or voice inside say 

"I am meant to do this".

That's what I feel when I come up with an idea

or I create a new piece of art.

I continue to learn and practice

and try new mediums.

And I may not necessarily create a masterpiece...

but deep down,

I know I'm moving in the right direction.

My wish is you find that voice inside that tells you

what your meant to do

and it is from a higher sense of spirit.

I know that my best pieces of artwork

comes from that place deep inside...

it is a driving force beyond 

my mere existence... 

I'm simply here to bring it into the world.

Hopefully you are also doing the same!



The Garden at Giverny

The Garden at Giverny

9 x 12

Acrylic and Pastel

Pastel Paper

Ok, well, not what I had intended...

Found a photo my mom took at Monet's actual garden.

My parents went there on a trip to France a few years ago.

How awesome to find those photos now!

The idea was to render a likeness of the photo in pastel.

I started. Got frustrated.

Ready to scrape it...

Didn't want to start all over again,

waste the pastel paper

or time I had already put in it.

So I sprayed what I had done.

Now I really didn't like it,

but thought it had a decent fundamental base

for an underpainting.

I don't even know if you can or should do it.

But I did anyway.

I painted over the drawing.

I'm sorry Mr. Monet...

lol

He would be shaking his head, I'm sure.

We can only get better when we keep practicing!

As the master himself said:

"It's on the strength of observation and reflection

that one finds a way.

So we must dig and delve unceasingly."

-Claude Monet-

Disaster or not...

it's all part of the process.

Monet painted in his garden in the same spot sometimes

4-6 times...

No master go there overnight...

they had amazing work ethic.

One day,

I hope,

it will all come together!

Home on the Range

Pastel

14 x 18

140lb Cold Press Watercolor

Asked to tackle this piece as a retirement gift...

I worked from two reference photos.

One was of the property and one was of the subjects

headed back from a hunting trip.

I tore edges of a large piece of watercolor paper

stretched it on a board.

Started sketching the landscape and figured out

how I could get the figures worked in as though they fit naturally.

Once I liked the composition

I layed in an underpainting in watercolor.

Then began to apply the layers of pasel,

starting with hard nupastel

and working up to soft sennelier and rembrant.

"Enjoying success requires the ability to adapt. 

Only being open to change

will you have a true opportunity

to get the most from your talent."

-Nolan Ryan-

Thanks for stopping in... more to come!!

Sunshine

Sunshine

6 x 8

Mixed Media Collage

Believe it or not,

spring is just around the corner.

Inspired to create that spring feeling today...

my favorite time of the year.

Everything is pretty in the spring.

Flowers bloom, the sun shines

and there is that fresh smell in the air

summer coming.

When I think of spring cleaning,

I don't really think of washing windows.

I think of a renewal of spirit.

A time to wake from winter with a new vibrance for life.

Get out and ride a bike,

take a walk,

go on a picnic...

appreciate the simplicity

of enjoying a sunny day.

When spring and flowers come to mind

so does

kindness

harmony

compassion

patience

and

love.

Hope the sun is peeking out for you today!

Number 9

Number 9

9 x 12

Mixed Media

Newsprint, Acrylic, Ink, Pastel

"How many a man has thrown up his hands

at a time when a little more effort,

a little more patience

would have achieved success"

-Elbert Hubbard-

Patience... waiting... seeking...

When walking through a small town

I saw from a distance a buisness man waiting

for a street car on the corner.

Most people may not find this facinating.

I did.

I was compelled and inspired to do something with that scene

How many times in life we wait.

We wait in line at the grocery store,

for the plane to take off,

or to simply use the restroom.

On a bigger scale

We wait for job offers,

for lab results,

the right person to come along,

our bank account to fill up to a certain number.

Terminally ill to pass,

expecting mothers to give life.

We wait.

Sometimes patiently,

sometimes not.

Waiting is a part of what we do.

Sometimes we don't wait when we should,

sometimes we wait too long.

Sometimes we need to take an initiative, not to wait.

We know that success can mean doing the small things

everyday we are given a chance to work at reaching our potential.

Where is your happiness?

Are you still waiting for it...

or are you making it happen?

How can you best serve the world today.

What are meant to be?

Are you waiting for the answer...

seek, find, do.

I chose to title this piece Number 9

Waiting on street car 9.

9 happens to be a number that symbolizes patience.

It also represents inspiration and the perfection of ideas

it is the number of achievement and harmony.

"if people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery,

it wouldn't seem so wonderful at all."
Michelangelo

Human Spirit

Human Spirit

14 x 17

Charcoal Figure Drawing

 In Nakedness lies the

 truth of the Human Spirit...

what is your truth?

Today I am reflecting on drawings

i found in my art studio from

a figure drawing class i took in Italy years ago.

What is more romantic than to think of Italy today!

The food, the wine, what's not to love??!!

The gestural drawings where done in a swift 60 seconds

The purpose is too look only at the outside (contour of the figure)

and draw as quick as you can in less than a minute

before the model changes positions.

Talk about stress for a portrait artist!!!

You have to leave out all details and only worry about big shapes.

But as I look at them now years later...

I see so much more than an outline.

I can see the big picture.

I think we can all relate to a figure drawing to some degree.

It represents a raw human appeal and spirit...

it's not about naked body parts, it's about human form

"We are not human beings on a spiritual journey. 

We are spiritual beings on a human journey."

-stephen R. covey

When succombed to outside pressures we put on ourselves...

Let's take a look internally to our heart and find our purpose

to best serve those around us.

"The divine spirit does not reside in any except the joyful heart."

-talmud quotes-

Hope everyones heart is full of joy on this valentine's day.

Where is your naked truth

and what is it

that you have

to offer

the

world?



Outdoor Market

Outdoor Market

9 x 12

Mixed Media

"Kind hearts are the gardens,

Kind thoughts are the roots,

Kind words are the flowers.

Kind deeds are the fruits,

Take care of your garden and keep out the weeds,

Fill it with sunshine, kind words and kind deeds"

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow-

Found a photo my mom took on her last trip to Poland.

Edited down to what I thought could work in the composition.

Painted very quickly... just to get subjects in.

Really just wanted to play around with some vibrant colors.

Mixing colors and finding combinations will be a lifelong journey...

but i'm learning something new each time i sit to paint.

Thanks for stopping in!!

Road Ahead

Road Ahead

8 x 10

Mixed Media

"Dare to live the life you have

dreamed for yourself.

Go

forward

and

make you dreams

come

true."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson-

From Small beginnings come great things

-Proverb-

All that I can, I will

-French Proverb-

Anyone with a child can probrably remember a time you have seen this image...

There they go...

riding their big wheel down the street

as fast as they can possibly get their legs to go.

Wouldn't  it be great if we all enjoyed life with

the same type of enthusiasm and drive!

We are blessed to have one of those

kids who likes to

do it all

see it all

and everyday takin on life

with fire and passion,

his heart on his sleeve

and

with reckless abandonement!!

(he'd drive that big wheel cross country

if I let him off our culd de sac!! lol)

I'm sure life with him will be at times exhausting,

 never a dull moment...

but hopefully

his spirit will light up the world along the way!

This piece is a mix of everything!!...

Completely inspired by his personality:

Watercolor base

Newsprint

Pastel highlights

Acrylic Palette Knife strokes

and

Ink Text Throughout

Put yourself out there and

make those dreams come true!!

Till next time...

Coffee Break

Coffee Break

8 x 10

Mixed Media

"A tree is know by it's fruit,

A man by his deeds.

A good deed is never lost;

He who sows courtesy reaps friendship,

and he who

plants kindness

gathers love."

-Basil-

Completely open to anything today, I found an old photo

I had snapped one day in St. Petersburg of an outdoor cafe/coffee shop.

There were other people in the photo...

 but I really liked focusing in on the one woman in a

thoughtful spot under the tree. 

She was enjoying a book and having a cup of joe.

Without spending lots of time

I did a quick sketch of what I wanted with Ink

on a small piece of pastel paper.

I added a  bit of color with hard and soft pastels.

Sprayed the drawing, but felt like I could do more with it.

I applied adhesive and mounted the paper onto a piece of old canvas.

I then applied some layers of acrylic paint in different directions and green values.

I liked what was coming out,

but wanted to add a quote or text to tie

more ink into the piece.

I found this quote I loved and painted it in.

What are we really without kindness we give and

recieve to our family, friends and even complete strangers?

All good things are rooted in kindness.

And when you have this in your soul,

you can completely savor 

every moment

of life...

and you can truly feel content in those quiet moments,

like the feeling you get from a sunny morning

with a good book and cup of coffee!

Be Yourself



Be Yourself

4 x 12

Mixed Media Collage

"Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken."

-Oscar Wilde-

I love this quote, especially for young girls...

It's great to have role models,

but more importantly to have the self confidence to know who you are,

where your going and

 to be who you were meant to be!

Still inspired by collage work and finding ways to

play with color with paint and papers

as well as incorporating

composition and design techniques!

I am so grateful for all of those who continue to check out

my work and support my journey!!!

Good things lie ahead!!!

:)

Dare to Dream Big

Dare to Dream Big

4 x 12

Collage

"Only high as i reach

can i grow,

only as far as i seek

can i go,

only as deep as i look

can i see,

only as much as i dream

can

i

be."

-Karen Ravn-

(quote included in collage)

Always seeking inspiration... i picked up the Somerset Studio

magazine... the art of paper and mixed media...

Such fabulous artists featured.

I decided to do come up with my own version.

A mix of painting, written text, papers and paint!
First I found some colorful papers and cut out shapes
Firgured out composition and design elements
Painted the canvas background colors,
added paper with medium
then added written text
and strokes of paint over paper
Framed the sides of the canvas
 with pieces of ripped paper
It's ready to hang without a frame!!!

Through the committment to this blog,

I am working and exploring mediums and techniques

I would not normally have tried.

I'm excited.

Driven by endless possiblilties,

excited to do more...
and
daring
to
dream
as i go!!!