Art Blog - Mary Ann Kitchell

Tudor is my favorite style of house and this is a great example. It's a beautiful property evoking the feeling that you can walk right up to the front door and feel welcome to enter. I also did pet portraits for this family, using the gate area as a background, which were later turned into postage stamps. This watercolor is another from my TOP TEN FAVORITES GALLERY… Continue reading… 0 comments

For the past few years I've been creating house and pet portraits for customers of COLOR ME MINE, a ceramic studio in Summit, New Jersey. The customer picks out the ceramic plate or platter and submits pictures for me to use to create the portrait. I prep and paint the chosen ceramic item and return it to COLOR ME MINE for firing The image shown here was taken before the piece was fired; the color of the finished piece is much deeper. My challenge with each project is to visualize what the finished color will look like. I do have a tile of fired colors for reference and my knowledge of mixing watercolors to guide me. All ceramics are food safe, so the finished piece is practical as well as decorative… Continue reading… 0 comments

Working from great photographs can make all the difference in a painting's outcome. This colored pencil portrait is one of my all-time favorites. Rolf has a very regal look about him ( ... he's handsome and he knows it!). A great example of the German Shepherd… Continue reading… 0 comments

Built over 100 years ago, this building was originally the Madison Public Library. Today the museum holds over 8,000 artifacts telling the story of how tools were made and used as people made the transition from farming to specialized trades. The stonework is impressive and I plan to create another version in pencil; I think that should bring out the textures better than pen & ink… Continue reading… 0 comments

I appreciate the solid look of this home and the many details that make this house unique. I especially love the florets integrated into the slate roof, and the huge front porch… Continue reading… 0 comments

The client provided good reference photographs, one for the pose and one for the coloring. (Printed images are not always accurate depictions of color.) I kept the background as requested but rendered it simply so that it wouldn't detract from the subject. Not sure what the dog thinks, but the artist and client are pleased with the finished portrait… Continue reading… 0 comments

This watercolor proved to be my most challenging house portrait ever. I had never painted a night sky portrait before, only sunsets. It took a while to get the sky dark, yet not too dark. The lights in the photographs I worked with were the most dominant feature. I had to make sure they were toned down enough to create the glowing effect needed and yet not overwhelm the painting. The client was pleased with the result and note cards made from the painting are on the agenda… Continue reading… 0 comments

The appeal of this courtyard was the peaceful feeling I got when looking at it. I've been exploring the structures people use as worship spaces and this seemed a perfect place to talk to God or take time out during a busy day. The sunlight streaming down was a definite plus. I'm not sure where my church project will take me. All I know for sure is there's always something more to do and learn… Continue reading… 0 comments

What I love most about this house is its color: very cheerful in a world of beige and gray homes. Picket fences usually make me pause as to whether or not they should be included, but so far those house portraits containing fences have had a successful result. The fences turned out to be part of the home's personality and the portrait would have looked "wrong" without them. Speaking of house colors, I recently had my home painted a dark gray. I love the way it looks with the white trim. In looking at it the other day, I realized it's an artist's color. While titled "outerspace" the color reminds me of Payne's gray watercolor paint… Continue reading… 0 comments

This is the finished page for a child's book which I illustrated. Some of you may recall I worked on the drawing in our local library due to loss of power from Sandy. The story was written by a friend with her granddaughter's input and will be printed and given as Christmas gifts. It's the story of a mouse on vacation in Puerto Rico, based on the child's vacation exeriences this year. It's cold here today and I just saw a few snow flurries… Continue reading… 0 comments

Much in life is taken for granted. We go about our day, not thinking twice about the way things work ... until loss of power and heat make everyday things a challenge. This storm has been devastating to millions of people; loss of life, home, and property. At this point, I feel very fortunate to have lost power for four days. A week after the storm many of my fellow New Jerseyans are still without power. I am also thankful my property did not flood as it did with Irene, and the basement stayed dry. The day after the storm I started thinking of how we create art. I use a light table to correct sketches and transfer drawings to watercolor paper. No electric, no light table. I used daylight coming through the window; workable, but cumbersome… Continue reading… 0 comments

In starting a series of paintings and drawings on churches and church architecture, I decided to explore various media and rediscovered my love of pencil work. I enjoy the process of shading and showing texture; my favorite pencil for this is 2B. A 2H pencil remains top of the list for transferring drawings to watercolor paper. Pencil drawings were the first works I offered for sale, so the use of pencils has felt like finding an old friend… Continue reading… 1 comment

"Sugar and spice and everything nice; that's what little girls are made of ..." Do people say that any more? I've updated my approach to girls' names by including sports or other activities not typically considered "girly". These names are all original art, created when the order is placed. They may be personalized with activities particular to the child and colored to match room decor… Continue reading… 0 comments

While there are many dog lovers in the world, this is the first cat portrait I've done in quite a while. Are dogs better at being part of the family than cats ....… Continue reading… 1 comment

I grew up in a home with a large front porch which served as a play area as well as an outdoor sitting space on those very hot, humid New Jersey nights. Older homes are special. The large porch on this one and the construction detail make a very interesting subject for a house portrait… Continue reading… 0 comments

This house with its three-car garage is representative of the style homes built in New Jersey in the last two decades: large homes built in larger developments. Not so bad, because the structures are all similar. I've even seen one house with a four-car garage. My personal preference? Small house (with space dedicated for an art studio, of course!) on a large piece of property. What's harder for me to understand is the tearing down of an existing home in a neighborhood and putting up a much larger one among the remaining small homes, usually with not much property left for enjoying the outdoors. The view is then "jarring" to the senses and, honestly, I'd prefer to see the larger homes on a large piece of land. All things in proportion… Continue reading… 0 comments

I took the reference photo's for this ink drawing myself. While not difficult, it gave me an idea of what it's like to capture detail on film, especially if the building is long. There are times when the image must be photographed in sections then pieced together to provide an accurate image… Continue reading… 0 comments

This watercolor was commissioned by a client whose daughter was very enchanted with fairies. I kept the colors soft and it fit beautifully with the decor of the child's room. This name would be considered a custom design for which there would be an additional design fee. See my CHILDREN 'S NAMES GALLERY on my ArtId website for all details… Continue reading… 0 comments

One of the cutest little dogs I've ever painted, this watercolor was done for the winner of a prize I donated to a local pet fair. I loved painting her and the winner was very pleased with the result. Donations are a good way to keep your name visible ...… Continue reading… 0 comments

Summit, New Jersey has some fascinating older architecture in the downtown business district. This is another drawing created for the Summit Centennial. Unfortunately common in recent years, storefronts have changed as businesses move or close, and this drawing simply captures a moment in time: a record of the history of Summit. One of my memories of visits downtown during my younger years was the delightful aroma of baking bread coming from Trost's Bakery. If the wind was right you could smell the baked goods for a block or more… Continue reading… 0 comments