Blog

Sixteen all news images sketched and painted from my week on vacation at Waskesiu Lake in northern Saskatchewan. Enjoy and be sure to pass the link along to others who might be interested. Happy summer, Pat!

I've just posted many of the images from my recent South Seas travels to a new Gallery: Cruising The South Seas. Check them out at: http://pat-katz.artistwebsites.com/art/all/cruising+the+south+seas/all

You’ll find the Kalapaki Beach Hut roadside, just a short drive north of Nawiliwili Bay and a short walk south of the Kauai Marriott Resort. The vibrant color of the building caught my attention immediately. I had to pull out the paints and give it a go.

Sketched this beauty from the beach at Matira Point in Bora Bora. Sun, sea and sky with the surf crashing on the reef at the far edge of the lagoon. A beautiful sailboat drifts through the idyll. Another day in paradise!

Those of you who are fans of my artwork, will be interested to learn that I have a show and sale coming up next week here in Saskatoon.

I’m joining forces with a group of potter friends who call themselves the Mudslingers.

Together, we’ll be displaying our works in a Garden Gallery setting for one day only, Tuesday, June 19 from 1:00 pm to 7:30 pm in the Gibbon-Revill gardens at 2422 Clarence Avenue South.

The overwater bungalows in French Polynesia are every bit as romantic and picturesque as noted in all the travel brochures. It was from the verandah of our bungalow in Tahiti that I sketched these three sailboats at anchor on the still side of the reef in the calm waters of the lagoon. Just a few moments later the paints were set aside in favor of watching the sun set over Moorea. Mmmmmm!

One of the cool things about the Society Islands in French Polynesian is that most are surrounded by serene lagoons created by the breakwater action of the off shore coral reefs and motus. It’s part of what makes looking out to sea so engaging. There’s more than simply sea and sky to watch. You’ll see the crashing surf breaking across the reef, and also the tropical foliage that has taken root on the motus themselves. I sketched and painted Motu Toopua in Bora Bora from the verandah of our cruise ship after a sunny day of beaching and shopping around Viatape.

Eglise Evangelique was painted from across the lagoon while enjoying grilled tuna and a local Hinano beer for lunch at Restaurant Le St. James in Viatape, Bora Bora. Lunch was delicious and the outdoor table at the edge of the terrace was perfect for an artist in search of a view. French Polynesia – what a beautiful paradise!

For years, our yard (AKA the Pausegarden) has flourished with love and attention. I'm always eager, come spring, to get out there - scratching in the dirt. It's the farm girl in me that springs to life with the melt of the snow and the lengthening of the days.

This lantern hangs in a corner of our garden keeping company with the bright yellow day lilies, and the lemon-lime hostas, shaded by the Green Ash tree above. When lit at night, it's a beacon in the dark.

Each summer we spend a week in one of the Kapasiwin cottages overlooking Waskesiu Lake. What a delight to sip your cup of morning coffee while the world comes alive around you – sun in the east, breeze in the aspens, deer on the move, loons on the lake…and summer in your veins. ‘Laid back’ personified!

I’m a farm girl at heart, and the rolling hills and fields of Iowa speak directly to my rural roots. My first out-of-country experience was on a 4-H exchange trip to Iowa City when I was 16 years of age. A few decades later, my husband and I spent a steaming hot August week in the very same area - on the West Branch, Iowa farm of dear friends, Jolene and Keith Brown. It was fun touring the back roads and byways of rural Iowa; and I’d gladly drive those dusty country roads any day of the week!

I LOVE Venezia. What a fabulous city to wander and explore. Be prepared to be lost more than you are found – and simply toss your map away. Watch for the guide signs at the corners of the buildings. They will lead you in the direction of San Marco, or the Academia, or somewhere else you might like to visit. Don’t worry that you don’t know where you are, just enjoy being where you are. Colors, light, water, history, romance…Venice has it all.

Weathered honeysuckle branches, turned sentinel gate, double as a ladder to the sun for this tenacious violet clematis bent on reaching the light. So delicate. So beautiful.

The best room in the house! The Terra Cotta Room at the Trumbull House Inn near Hanover, New Hampshire, is both cozy and colorful. Tucked up under the eaves on the top floor with views in three directions. I most appreciated the window seat overlooking Mink Brook. On our September visit, it was a special joy to look past the heirloom quilt through the window pane glass to the autumn leaves below.

Check out the Trumbull House Bed and Breakfast yourself at : http://www.trumbullhouse.com/ Hillary and her staff will take great care of you.

Poplar trees backlit by the morning sun. Aspen leaves rustling in the soft lake breeze. Day's start lakeside really is a breath of fresh air. This image inspired by a visit to Lucien Lake near Middle Lake, Saskatchewan.

There's nothing like catching a few rays and strolling the market on a warm summer day. What a bonus to be entertained by two young musicians, sharing their tunes and their energy in the great outdoors. This painting was sketched on location at the Saskatoon Farmer's Market. I can still feel the warmth of the sun on my back, and smell the fresh popped kettle corn wafting on the morning breeze.

After a summer decision to start marketing my artwork on the web, it's taken a bit of searching around to find the right service. I think Fine Art America might just be it. In addition to making originals available for sale directly through the artist (that would be me), it makes reproductions of the images available in all kinds of formats from greeting cards, to paper based prints (on their own or matted and framed) to reproductions on canvas and acrylic. And FAA handles the order fulfillment and delivery, so I can spend more time painting and share my work as I work. Let me know what you think of the service. I look forward to keeping in touch.
Pat Katz - PauseWorks Studio