No 12 - Twisted Vine Gum Tree

12x24cm

Oil Painting on Canvas
"Twisted Vine Gum Tree "
To bid on Painting Click HERE

All my work is original and I use quality materials.
This painting is on primed cotton artist quality canvas.

See my about me page or visit my Blog at www.kayleenwest.blogspot .com for more reading



I was bursting to get out and paint this morning. the sun was out and the light perfect. I packed the car and got within meters of home when i spotted a tree in beautiful light. The sun was hitting the dry grass and giving a strong contrast to the shadows on the tree trunk.

I wasn't too far into the painting when the light hid from me and i had to struggle with my memory from there. I took a photo when i realized this was going to be one of those days with evasive light. I used the camera screen in the end to recapture the light on the tree and grass.

The day ended up dull and rainy however I got the little painting finished and i am happy. It is called Twisted Vine Gum Tree as this tree stands outside the Restaurant "Twisted Vine" in Silvan Victoria.

Now it needs a home.
All paintings are unframed however I do have a suitable frame that fits this painting should a buyer wish to purchase the frame and I am happy to frame it for them for free. The winning bidder amy email me for further details if they wish.

This painting is fresh off the easel (actually from behind a steering wheel to be precise) and will be signed by myself - Kayleen West

No 11 - Silvan Vista

"Silvan Vista"
Oil on canvas
25x20cm
To Bid on this painting Click HERE

No 10 - By The River - Oil Painting

"By the River"
25x35cm
Oil on Canvas

To bid on this painting click Here

No 9 - The Reader

When our kids bring books home for reading they known here as readers.
This is a painting dipicting this daily activity for mums or dads with little kids.
For more information see my main blog HERE

No 8 - Autumn Falling

Oil on stretched canvas
"Autumn Falling"

I hope it is ok to include this one in my challenge of eight by 1st March.
Although I strated this a while back it has been bugging me and so I completed it today.
I have 3/4 painted another painting over the past couple of days but it is not quite finished but I will post the progress here.

Work in progress - Oil on stretched canvas

No 7 - Descending before Flight

Stage One

A small painting started in watercolour with some acrylic (gold paint). Just letting the work dictate the subject. I tried for a butterfly but the painting refused the request. I wasn’t happy with the composition so I turned it upside down and then I saw the potential. I looked at it and thought how the lines sugested an incline so I decided to illustrate flight after an incline.
A possitive message about lifting the spirits after a low. How sometimes we have to experience sadness before we can experience greater things.

Stage Two

24 x30 cm
Title: Descending before flight

As a continuation from my work the other day (sprout) I completed this mixed media painting today while chatting on the phone. This is the second time I have done this and strangely enough the work turned out better than if I had had to think too hard. I guess it is more relaxed and expressive being distracted from the “seriousness” of art.

I looked at these two pieces and decided that to paint them larger in oils would be a great idea. They really lend themselves to a large canvas where I can be even more expressive and free with my application and have fun with it.

It really was pleasurable doing such wonderfully colourful and dream-like works. I would like to extend this theme with its movement and playfulness into a series of works in the near future.

No 6 - Happy In Nature

Sprout
Mixed Media
Watercolour,Acrylic and Pastel
All Artwork is for sale - contact the srtist for details.

This week’s Illustration Friday’s theme was Sprout.
I had sketched up quite a complex painting concept demonstrating spiritual growth; a new being sprouting from the Spirit, however there is no way I would get it finished in time so I put that on the back burner and decided to have a bit of fun with this. Inspired by the delightful images at yesterday’s exhibition I came up with this.

I wanted to do something positive so I did a fun illustration that reflects happiness.
My idea was to express happiness sprouting from our experiences with God’s creative beauty – the great outdoors. Kind of how you feel when you take the time to go for a walk on a lovely day or in the evening. There is something special about being under the sky and amongst the trees and flowers

No 5 - Painting at Wallace Hut

This one is a full sheet watercolour.
A difficult subject - well it was for me and I havn't painted watercolour for some months now.

The hero through pain - No 4

"The hero through pain"
Click on image for larger illustration and text!

This week’s theme for Illustration Friday is Super Hero.

Few of us escape trauma in our lives and through these times we have to cope with our pain and anger. How do we deal with it at that time? If we are tempted to lash out the result is simply relocating your pain onto others often multiplying in the process?

We are forced into a position where we have to be over and above what we feel. We have to be bigger than our hurt, bigger than the person who has hurt us and bigger than our thoughts. We truly have to act like a hero. We fight for truth and righteousness while being under attack from pain and human reactions. I aslo turn to the real hero who always brings me through these times.

As a reborn Christian I have discovered the power of prayer. Prayer can bring healing faster than anything I have ever experienced before. Pain and anger is extinguished and replaced with forgiveness and love by simple asking for help.

When someone hurts you enough, we to want that person to know what he or she have done and we may even want to hurt them back to show them this hurt. Anger can be a vehicle to do just that. Pain can be so unbearable and difficult to see through. Impulsively I try to avoid hurting others at all costs regardless of my pain. My illustration shows my experience of pain and suffering and how I now deal with it. I ask God for help and Jesus to diffuse my resentment, reactions and to heal my heart replacing it with love. When he softens my heart enough I forgive the person who has hurt me and then pray for complete healing. This is a far quicker way to heal than carrying the hurt around trying to ignore it and trying not to be resentful.

The darkness in this illustration is the weight and helplessness we experience around us at the time. Through that darkness Jesus is watching and already pressing through to lift the pain.

Below I am buckled over with pain and clinging to my Lord for His understanding and help. God is to the left above the hand hearing all my prayers and very much on call for these times.

Thankfully my God is a faithful God and answers my prayers. I kid you not!


I am not that happy with the illustration technically but it tells a story I guess.

Illustration Buzz No 3

see here for details

Self Portriat in Pastel - No2

I had to create a portrait in a hurry for an art completion, as the one I was going to submit could not be framed in time. My only option was to paint to the size of a frame I already had ready.
I had one day to do this and no model so I decided on a self-portrait.

I find it very difficult to paint myself. It is hard to avoid the look of concentration and to add to the challenge I move a great deal while painting at the easel.

Summer Painting Challenge 2007 - No 1

"Woman Pheonix"
Sketch & Digital

The theme this week for Illustration Friday was Phoenix.

I was going to do the desert, and then I had a satirical image of a little girl about to play make believe with a box of matches and her pet budgie (careful what you believe in ha).

Then I rethought the idea again.

Being a somewhat serious bunny, I came up with this.

I took the myth of a phoenix (a vein bird that kept setting itself on fire in the attempt to resurrect itself). It seems to me that this little stunt was not working too well for the bird because it had to do this over and over.

I thought about a women’s struggle for acceptance and how looks can be a consuming occupation for some or most.

Women try so hard to be accepted through their exterior appearance and in vain attempts to be perfect they turn on them selves with negative thoughts and self-loathing.

My illustration shows a woman in flames. Burning her self up with self-loathing and trying to reinvent her appearance so she can be a beautiful bird. She is trying to be something she can never be. It is out of her reach but she keeps pursuing this unattainable dream. I chose the peacock because it is a stunning bird and symbolically represents wholeness, authority of self, and the expression of one’s own beauty

In the background is what appears to be a manmade object, like a jail. This is representational of our own self-limiting thoughts and views of one self.

The hearts represent love and they are in the distance as they are illusive and she thinks they are dependant on the woman becoming this beautiful bird.

I see how young girls struggle with this more than my generation and it breaks my heart that they are not focusing on being beautiful inside instead of being so obsessive about their looks and weight. Yes we should take pride in our appearance but when does it become unhealthy.

As woman in a sex motivated media world I have struggled with this myself. I have had so much more peace with it since my life with Christ. Thank goodness. He made me a peacock inside.

I think I might do this one on canvas also.

Summer Painting Challenge 2007

I frequent and help moderate a fantastic art forum called the Australian Art Form.
A very friendly lot who love to talk about their art.
Recently the Artist & Administrator Lauren Perkins set up a Summer painting Challenge for any member wishing to join in.

The Challenge runs from December 26th to March 1st
I chose to set up a separate blog for my painting challenges and this is it.
2006 was a busy and eventful year for me, setting up my web design business and other personal commitments and so the result was less time to paint.

As I expect to be busy with work, I have committed to 8 finishes works by 1st March 2007.
Most members have committed to 15 and I will keep that in mind if I find myself with more time this year (2007)
I am apposed to “knocking up” work for the sake of numbers and want each piece I create to be of some creative value.
I have two events I wish to submit paintings for early this year and these require nothing but the best I can produce.
I have a portfolio to produce by early January that contains a Still life, portrait and landscape. These are to be done in two to three different mediums. I also want to produce a couple of works for the Camberwell show this year.
As I have changed my name recently, and reverted to my maiden name, it is important that my work be strong enough to gain entry to this show.
I hope to start in the next week or two, when my daughter is off on holidays with friends.