OIL PAINTINGS : ORIGINAL COMPOSITIONS – Artist, Artwork, Art techniques

Oil Painting of Axel the Red Siberian Husky

Karin — Tue, 19 Dec 2017 18:29:34 +0000

AVAILABLE for sale

“Axel”
Oil on canvas ~ 14″ x 18″

After a 15-year hiatus to raise my adopted son who has high-needs…when I started painting again 3 years ago, I decided that I wanted to do a painting of a red husky. When I was younger, I had a husky who looked very similar to this guy, but he was a bit lighter in color and the markings on his head were a little different. Unfortunately though, I do not have a reference photo that shows how beautiful my dog was that is nearly detailed enough to create a good painting from…so I was very happy to find this one of Axel. I really enjoyed painting this, I searched for a long time to find an image to work from that reminded me this much of my sweet pup and very dear friend and family member, Chukchi.

This painting was a challenge for me because I wanted to have some very detailed areas, such as in Axel’s face; as well as some impressionist areas like the fur on his chest, neck, and shoulder. The colors I decided to go with, were a bit stronger than in the photo I used as a reference. I was able to pull out some turquoise and a more purple-toned blue which were more subtle…plus the background in the photo was originally trees and has green tones, but I wanted to use similar hues as in the reds of Axel’s fur.

Thank you to Lorna Dandy for the use of her beautiful reference photo I found on pmp-art’s website.

Artist Oil Painting : Puffin | “Is This My Best Side”

Karin — Sat, 03 Jun 2017 23:47:40 +0000

Oil painting on canvas of an Atlantic Puffin. Puffins are shorebirds that are known to inhabit rocky ledges on the east coast of the United States and other areas of the North Atlantic. Their colorful bills are actually only present during breeding season, and then they shed them every year, once it is over.

Although appearing stocky and less than agile on land, they are very adept flyers, beating their wings approximately 400 times per minute, and they can actually reach speeds of 55 miles per hour. They are also very good swimmers, since they can dive to depths of 200 feet, although they usually make shorter dives lasting from 20-30 seconds… when they are fishing for food, with their diet consisting of mainly small fish; like herring or sand eels.

I love the colorful, almost clown-like appearance of Puffins, and painting this one gave me the chance to expand my ability to explore color…especially in the white feathers that are in shadow on the face and chest, which as you can see, are really not ‘white’ at all.

Kind permission was given for use of this photo reference, by Gary Jones on Paint My Photo (pmp-art.com).

FOR SALE ~ $225

Oil on canvas ~ 16″ x 20″ © ArtistKarin Press Cohen – 2016

If you would like to purchase this painting, please contact me using the form below.

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Artist Oil Painting : Balance | Ballet Dancer

Karin — Mon, 29 May 2017 16:14:39 +0000

Oil painting of a ballet dancer alone in a studio wearing informal dance attire. I was drawn to the energy in her elegant pose as well as her being drenched in light, but most of all, with the at-one-ness and total focus of her physical expression. I have loved dance and the art of dance ever since I was a very young child, taking ballet lessons in a class of other hopelessly awkward little girls, who also had dreams of being on the stage someday. I was influenced and inspired at that young age by the work of Edgar Degas, and the three ballerina prints that hung on the walls of my bedroom.

Kind permission was given for use of this photo reference, by Lynne A. on Pixabay.

“Balance” received an honorable mention award in Cape Cod Art Association’s Easel Art – Summer 2016.

~ THIS PAINTING HAS SOLD ~

Oil on canvas ~ 18″ x 24″ © ArtistKarin Press Cohen – 2016

If you would like to have a painting done of this ballet dancer, I can create another one very similar to it, in various sizes. With all hand-done artwork, there will of course, be some small differences…no two paintings will ever be exactly alike. Please contact me using the form below.

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Artist Oil Painting | Eagle : Ready to Soar

Karin — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 19:59:23 +0000

Oil painting on canvas of an American bald eagle looking upwards towards the sun. As a subject I was drawn to all the colors that I ‘saw’ in the feathers, which were even more vibrant to me once I began painting. I have done several paintings where I was either using a very dark background, or in this case; the area in the eagle’s deep brown feathers on its back…a color which makes the blues, purples and lighter browns stand out much more intensely.

$225 ($280, before 25% discount)

Oil on canvas ~ 11″ x 14″ © ArtistKarin Press Cohen (unframed)

Reference photo and kind permission for use, by Sarah Dennehy Photography.

Artist Oil Painting of Lobster: “Lobstah”

Karin — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 19:35:01 +0000

Impressionist painting of a lobster, all ready for the lemon and butter. I used many different colors in the lobster itself, in addition to the reddish-orange that is most dominant. Several shades of red layers, including; rose, magenta, crimson, along with orange & yellow were used …as well as turquoise and purple for some of the highlights on the body. The blue background is intended to portray the subject being in full sunlight, with the strong cobalt blue shadow, enhanced by the reddish tones of the reflected light projected onto them.

$325 (Originally $400 before a 25% discount)

Oil on canvas ~ © ArtistKarin Press Cohen

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Artist Oil Painting | Swan : Graceful Malevolence

Karin — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 12:59:36 +0000

This beautiful Mute Swan, is a subject that I had been looking forward to painting for some time. I was totally drawn to all the colors that appeared in the ‘white’ which ranged from shades of turquoise, purple, yellow and ocher. Swans are such beautiful and graceful birds, yet they can become fierce and aggressive if provoked. I saw this contrast in the photo reference by Gary Jones, (Paint My Photo) of graceful beauty versus attitude, which I attempted to interpret and portray in this painting.

FOR SALE ~ $225 USD (Originally $300 USD, before 25% discount) Shipping is INCLUDED

Oil on canvas board ~ 11″ x 15″ © ArtistKarin Press Cohen (includes white wooden frame)

If you would like to purchase this painting, please contact me using the form below.

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Artist Oil Painting | Wait for It

Karin — Wed, 14 Jan 2015 06:45:09 +0000

Painting in oil, of a tabby cat. The dark background gave the subject an incredible amount of contrast against its white and gray color, which allowed me to use many different shades of blues and browns. I loved how the red of the collar really ‘pops’ in the photo, with the bell giving it even more interest in terms of the differences between the softness of the fur and the bell’s metal. I attempted to portray these elements in my painting to give the textures a sense of being realistic vs appearing to be photoreal.

$225 USD (Originally $300 USD, before 25% discount)

Oil on canvas ~ 11″ x 14″ © ArtistKarin Press Cohen

Reference photo – Gretchen97 on Morguefile.

Artist Oil Painting | Bo the Bull

Karin — Wed, 14 Jan 2015 06:44:10 +0000

Oil Painting on canvas, of a bull relaxing in the sunshine. I was treated to his massive presence frequently on my way to or back, along the road leading home. I was struck by how often he seemed to have chosen to be in the exact same spot each time I drove by. When I actually sat down to paint him, I was amazed at the array of colors making up his coat…many of which were much more vibrant than I had originally thought.

$225 (Originally $280, before 25% discount)

If you would like to purchase this painting, please contact me using the form below.

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Artist Oil Painting | Hara the Pit Bull Terrier ~ “I’m No Bully”

Karin — Wed, 14 Jan 2015 06:43:18 +0000

Painted in oils from a gorgeous reference photo by Shirley Davies on Paint My Photo…this is “Hara” the Pit Bull, (she is actually a Staffordshire Bull Terrier…one of several breeds that are often grouped together and called Pit Bulls). All the ‘white’ on Hara’s face, neck, and chest gave me the chance to add lots of cooler blues and purples, against the warmer yellow and reddish tones. The highlights in the deep brown on one side of her face had a bluish hue, which I used a bright pigment called cobalt blue to draw it out…whereas the fur on her shoulders being ‘brindle’, was achieved by using a mix of dark brown with reddish and yellow highlights.

Unfortunately, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, along with several other breeds, such as the American Pit Bull Terrier are being unfairly categorized as dangerous and vicious dogs… BSL (Breed Specific Legislation) has been introduced in some cities and states in this country, such as Denver, CO; where owning and keeping one as a pet is illegal. This is the case in approximately 12 other countries besides the USA. In many cases, family pets like Hara, with absolutely no history of aggression, are being removed from their homes; and taken to shelters. Often, since there are not enough adoptive or foster homes, they are even being euthanized.

There are many recent studies that show that these dogs make extremely loyal pets and companions, and when given temperament testing Pit Bulls score higher than many so-called ‘safer’ breeds. According to the American Temperament Test Society, 804 American Pit Bull Terriers were recently tested and 695 passed. Which means that 86.4% of Pit Bulls tested by the ATTS had a good temperament. The Pit Bull pass rating was above 121 other breeds of dogs, including Golden Retrievers. The only exception was the Labrador Retriever, who scored 92.4%.

I feel that these dogs are absolutely being unfairly targeted and malaligned by those, who out of ignorance that stems from being misinformed…especially by the media who has focused their attention on stories which are exaggerated and out of proportion. Stories about individuals who have raised their dogs to participate in the cruel sport of dog fighting, that many times results in the serious injury of the dogs, at times fatally… instead of reporting what are the much more prevalent stories about how loving, loyal, and heroic family members these dogs really are. I myself am a proud owner of “Bryn”…an American Pit Bull Terrier, our newest furry family member. On a sad note, unfortunately; we just lost our 11 yr. old Pit Bull/Lab mix; “Missy”, to cancer.

FOR SALE ~ $225

If you would like to purchase this painting, please contact me using the form below.

Artist Oil Painting | Summer Daze

Karin — Fri, 26 Sep 2014 02:57:37 +0000

When I saw the reference photo by Lorri Lang on Pixabay, I just knew I needed to paint it! The scene reminded so much of the simpler times of childhood, and although this was not a memory of something I ever experienced myself, I think with that everything our children have these days, being either automated or electronic… seeing a child spending a lazy summer day with just a fishing pole & a pail is something to be treasured.

I felt that the original photograph had a very dramatic look to it, due to the fact that it was quite a bit darker and the colors were a lot less saturated…and that worked very well as a photo. As a painting, I felt that it needed a brighter, more colorful palette, so instead of the camouflage-patterned hat he had on, I decided to have him wearing a plain green baseball cap…which to me added to the ‘simple things’ theme I was trying to portray. I very much enjoyed exploring all the colors I ‘saw’ in the boards of the wooden pier, including the yellow that was in the highlights, and the blues and aqua tones found in the shadows…as well as all the different hues that appear in the metal pail which he had set nearby, for his future catch.

OIL PAINTINGS : ORIGINAL COMPOSITIONS – Artist, Artwork, Art techniques

Oil Painting of Axel the Red Siberian Husky

Artist Oil Painting : Puffin | “Is This My Best Side”

FOR SALE ~ $225

Artist Oil Painting : Balance | Ballet Dancer

~ THIS PAINTING HAS SOLD ~

Artist Oil Painting | Eagle : Ready to Soar

$225 ($280, before 25% discount)

Artist Oil Painting of Lobster: “Lobstah”

Artist Oil Painting | Swan : Graceful Malevolence

FOR SALE ~ $225 USD (Originally $300 USD, before 25% discount) Shipping is INCLUDED

Artist Oil Painting | Wait for It

$225 USD (Originally $300 USD, before 25% discount)

Artist Oil Painting | Bo the Bull

Artist Oil Painting | Hara the Pit Bull Terrier ~ “I’m No Bully”

FOR SALE ~ $225

Artist Oil Painting | Summer Daze

$275