K.Hitt Out And About: Is it possible to achieve as a professional artist, while not competing?

Is it possible to achieve as a Professional Artist, while not competing? "Airing The Laundry" for the good clean all of it, for a season.

Airing The Laundry - Plein Air Oil - K. Hitt

What is different after 21K+ miles, 15K+ images, viewing over 500 Master Original Works of Art in our countries Best Museums and Exhibits Coast to Coast, Artist like Zorn, Sargent, Sorrolla, Fetchin, Rembrandt, to literally only name a few, painting en plein air across all of these miles in every type of condition… and the influences from the workshops and demos attended by some of today’s leading representational artist of our time…. What is different after these 21k+ miles? …a LOT! To say it has all made a profound impact on my painting going forward is an understatement. To say the 21K+ miles covered a lot…yes that is literally true, and it is still doing so as I take the plein air field studies into the studio, along with some of the people and characters that played a roll along the way too, onto the canvas. In many ways the work has just begun as prepare for what’s next: the Exhibit: “At That Moment…”! And the other part of the work ahead is yes, to share the ‘story’ of all experienced…

K.Hitt at N. Rim of the Grand Canyon on the GLF tour

It all obviously is not going to fit into one blog post… and as work today continues too, this is where I am beginning the incorporating of these two in a manor to share with you as best that I can. Combining the Pioneer Experiences of a single women, 50ish years young Not competing… by one of my students becoming a patron with the idea to help take my single parent artist life pressure off, so that is exactly what it did. It helped me grow, and paint, and build inventory… The “Grace Love Fellowship” Tour, all culminating to a lot of “At That Moment(s)…” The Exhibit, which they are graciously sponsoring. Is the sharing of this detail a sharing of too much? Can I be taken serious in the art world today in the manor am pursuing? It was funny, when we visited the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum together to view the Zorn exhibit, I shared with them that they were my Isabella. I do believe a picture paints a thousand words, and that picture resounded with them. Is it possible to achieve as a professional artist, while not competing? Well – that is left to be decided… can only do so much. Simply doing the best that I can all along the way. I took their gift as far as I knew how to do, and am still doing so. Working hard, and so thankful for the opportunity to do so. AND it’s good to know the work done and am still doing is reaching across the country still. I am very honored “Gabriel’s’ Farm” debuts at the

Gabriel's Farm- K. Hitt- Plein Air debuts at the Howard Mandville Gallery Small Works Exhibit

HowardMandville Gallery in Kirkland Washington as a part of the 23rdannual Invitational Small Works Show. Preview begins Oct. 11th on line and in the gallery. This painting painted at the Publisher Invitational hosted by Eric Rhoads, as I brought it home with me to Venice, after several offers to purchase it on the road, kept it for the reference it was painted for in the studio, and yes to learn from. It now has traveled to Washington State and is available there. I look forward to seeing where it will journey to next. A fun poetic justice for the first shipped; for I still remember fondly my going away party they gave me when I moved to Florida from their gallery back in 1995. I loved chocolate way back then too, and they even had a basket made out of chocolate for me! A series of paintings from Washington will be a part of my exhibit, including a studio of this first painting from the GLF tour shipped out last to be a part of the 23rd annual Small Works Show at the Howard Mandville Gallery in Kirkland Washington. Along with this Adirondacks Paint Camp painting debuting in Washington State, there are two more from the GLF tour debuting here in Venice at the Venice Art Centers Fall Members Exhibit, also on Oct. 11; the reception is 5-7pm. One from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, and One from the Adirondacks Publishers Invitational.

Full Moon Room May- K. Hitt- Plein Air Oil at VAC

High Falls - K. Hitt - Plein Air Oil at VAC

As was given a once in a lifetime opportunity, I pondered how to 'put this to work' the best. Determined for myself that traveling to plein air exhibits and paint out competitions would not afford me the time to paint for an exhibit which was also a main purpose behind the gift. So the route that I took? As before mentioned 21k+. Learn/Grow, build inventory, and do so nationally… little ole Miss Venice -Hitt the road! Not to compete, to learn, grow and build paintings inventory. The two big red dots on the road map that propelled me onto this journey, Eric Rhoads sponsored through Streamline Publishing: Plein Air Convention in Monterrey CA and Publishers Invitational in the Adirondacks. I met Eric in my slippers (main driving gear) at both, and will again at these same events next year. I am already signed up again for both. Exactly how I will journey to them, to be determined, but will definitely be in my slippers again.

So, for now there is a lot of ground and experiences to cover…

traveling solo cross country back and forth in five months literally covering west, north, east and south, sea level to 12,000+ feet, camping, B&B’s, bartering paintings too as hiked,
four wheel drove, and simply set out to grow as an artist, build up an inventory, and to do so nationally, painting all the way.

Today will share Some of the literal changes, Pallet, Ponchade box, to name two and while doing so share a couple of the paintings with you too. Also my first workshop here back in Florida is another perfect place to begin

“FUNdamentals of Drawing- Seeing Like An Artist” mini session two day workshop

click on any image to enlarge

10/29,30/2013 back at where all of this began- the Venice Art Center for more on drawing examples, here is a step by step drawing previous post.

I have to be honest, where to begin with the sharing has been a bigger challenge than realized it would be. There are hundreds of tales to tell from the Grace Love Fellowship Tour. Frankly, I was made aware by others that i pioneered my way further than the Appalachian trail, across the continental divide, basically hitting every mountain chain of this land, and… did it on my own with my trusty stead… that I fondly started calling my 4 room Tahoe. Hadn’t camped sense my children were in girl scouts and boy scouts, and um, well… now that my youngest turned 22- momma took a road trip. He and 82 year old dad house sat... couldn't have done it without them,

so each in charge of the other, trusted them with the home front, and i started out, first due west. Finished up my last competition "Paint The Town" in Bradenton, turned my paintings in, and only had four days to get to Monterrey CA from Bradenton FL. Scroll down through previous post to see how that went. Yes- it was grand...

Beginning from Venice Florida, Then Bradenton Florida, bee-lining to Monterrey CA to attend the Plein Air Convention, that in itself a life changing in my life as an artist event, and that was just the beginning of the big red dots on my USA road map. (Plein Air Convention a Post of its own to come)

From there, I bee-lined to the Skagit Valley of Washington State to be in the tulip fields painting when they peaked. The timing turned out perfect. The fields were a favorite memory from Washington when our family was transferred to Florida from there, this time instead of having three children under the age of five in hand, I head out with Rosemary & Co. Brushes in hand and my new STRADA easel made by Bryan Mark Taylor that picked up at the Expo at the Plein Air Convention. I had been waiting for the expo, to decide what new supplies to acquire. Learned so much! After seeing Bryan's demo, paintings, and literally his genius in creating

K.Hitt STRADA easel set up N. Rim

this 'indestructible' pochade box, it was my first major plein air supply purchase on the journey. I must say it proved its 'indestructible' all along the way! I took it on a 15K test drive and it survived with flying colors! Its first demo, the tulip fields in Washington State! Sharing here a few more pictures of places my trusty STRADA easel served me well at:

K.Hitt Moon Room N.Rim

plein air painting set up at High Falls Adirondacks

and my trusty Stead... 4 room Tahoe. This just a smidgen, next post will share more of the specifics of my Rosemary & Co. Brushes, and my 'Palette Garage', two other tools that are my only way to go... when going en plein air. I will get into the specifics of my palette colors and why with color theory, More paintings... and places... as try to share with you in the today's the steps and pieces of the story all along the way of the Grace Love Fellowship tour. We have only just begun... with three paintings debuting this Friday Oct. 11th... from Venice Florida, to Kirkland Washington... still covering the cross country. First Workshop of the season starts at the foundation of every good work of art, DRAWING, and learning to see like an Artist. Thank you all for being a part of this Artists journey... An Original Hitt, Hitts the road en plein air to begin all culminating to the "At That Moment" Exhibit. Next stop... Pacific Coast??? check back in to see...