You Should Have Seen My First Few Attempts.

A portion of my ever-growing hoard.

Random studio shot (my hoard-to-be?)

A Year's End.

Okay, okay. I haven't anything of merit to post about. Other than a recent Christmas commission, my time has been made up of craft-type-things instead of actual art-type-things. That and cleaning. And cooking. And planning. All of those things that usually come down upon you when the holiday season rolls around. We're happy to be hosting Christmas dinner for some family this year which is a first for Sean and I since we've been together. In the past we have either been on our own or cooking for friends, so our first Christmas in the new house + family = extra special. 

(I'm also excited to share the vegan holiday experience!)

I hope everyone has an extra special holiday filled with the love of those dear to you.

Best Wishes,

Kylene

Around The House - Sketches.

Quick little roughs drawn on blank index cards I found in a box of stuff from college.

Not to jinx it, but A:

The weather is still lovely around here. As someone who spent their early childhood years on the west coast, I could do without snow most of the time. The first snow of the year + a white Christmas and I am ready for Spring to roll back around.

And B:

Little by little, the running is getting easier.

Is it time to start thinking about those New Year's resolutions yet?

Food Photos + A Lack of Art.

We were recently able to spend some time with our best friends in a little cabin down in NC. Two days of hot tub soaking and libations were a great way to decompress at the end the holiday week. As it turns out, we were a little too busy eating, drinking, and being merry to take a lot of photos, so you'll just have to trust me that it was a beautiful little getaway.

I can't seem to pin anything down lately when it comes to art. I make lots of notes and scribbles, spend a lot of time daydreaming about projects, but nothing has made it past the conceptual phase. Maybe I need to just buckle down and start something. Maybe I need to at least get a make-shift studio together for now until I get my furniture refinished/chosen/purchased/situated.

./sigh

Maybe I'll try a little organizing tomorrow (both of boxes and thoughts). All I have to offer in the way of visual interest at the moment are, as the title mentioned, food bits. Not particularly glamorous, but tasty.

And of course, it's all vegan, all of the time.

A while back I got on this huge blueberry kick. I never even liked blueberries growing up, but lately, I want to put them in everything. Maybe it's just an excuse to bake.

I grew my own pumpkins this year! They didn't get massive in size, but they were cute and perfectly shaped. I ended up baking them so now I have a good stockpile of homemade puree in my freezer (maybe it's just an excuse to bake). I also got some awesome maple + rooster sauce roasted seeds out of the deal.

 This ^ was my very first time making sushi!

And this was my very first inside-out roll!

I'll work on something to post soon. Something non-food. Promise.

I hope everyone had a great holiday!

Zzzzzzz.

The weather this past weekend was phenomenal. I finally got a start on refinishing my drafting table. I really thought that after a solid month away from my palm sander that I could tackle the project with a positive spirit, but mere minutes passed before I was flashing back to the horrors of home renovation.

I pressed on, but I have a long way to go before I get that thing reassembled.

I spent the rest of my time taking photos, baking, and running (to compensate for the baking). I hope for some consistency in dry days this season so I can make good use of the trail that is our "driveway".

Monday has returned, and with it, the gloomy weather. I would happily spend the rest of my day hiding under blankets in front of the fireplace (and I just might).

Stay warm, folks!

Holiday Gifties.

We're closing in on the holidays, so it's time to get your orders in!

A hand drawn portrait of your loved one is a great gift that becomes an instant family keepsake, so if you're at a loss for what to give that special person this year, you're in the right place. You can find listings for a few standard portrait sizes and options over in my Etsy shop. Easy Peasy!

Interested in something a little more custom? Contact me directly (kb.drawingroom@gmail.com) and let me know what you have in mind.

I look forward to hearing from you!

~K.

Happy Halloween! + A Portrait.

I can't say that I probably won't be tweaking this in the future, but for now, let's call it finished. 

Self Portrait.

Pencil on Rives BFK. 

11" x 14"

I had to scan this in pieces and stitch it back together in photoshop. My scanner makes me want to freak out most days. It's the most unreliable, demonic piece of crap ever. Crappy scan quality aside, I'm almost happy with the way this drawing turned out. If I feel brave, I may attempt to add in some color.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Hello, Winter.

So it seems this big east coast storm sped up our progression into snow season. The flakes have been falling since early this morning, but have yet to add up to much. I believe tomorrow is supposed to be the big day as far as accumulation goes, so I'm holding on to the hope that the power stays on and we stay warm in our little mountain home.

A few photos from the last week:

I have been working on a self-portrait pencil drawing over the last week and I hope to have the first stage of it completed and posted soon.

I wish everyone warmth and safety during this crazy weather!

Autumn Is Here.

There are still so many boxes to unpack/things to organize and I have found myself way behind on the art front. Ideas are still getting jotted down; I just haven't had the time for them. Things will settle down eventually.

Fall is here and it's absolutely beautiful. I hope to at least make some time for photos this week while the weather is still good to us.

Catch Up/"Letterpress - VA".

Moving day finally came and went and we're now in the process of unpacking, sorting, and settling. 

The atmosphere at the new house is quite a bit different than what we're used to; the silence of country life is a happy change after years of living near a busy intersection in town. The traffic and sirens have been replaced by the wind and wildlife. Every morning I wake up in disbelief that this is now our home.

Rooms are coming together steadily, but the studio is still miles from done. So, for now, it looks like I'll be toting my art supplies around the house with me as I steal time away from unpacking.

Here is a little drawing I started working on prior to the move, finally finished:

Marker & colored pencil on marker paper.

Paper Size: 5" x 5"

Image Size: 4" x 4"

"Letterpress - VA" is available for purchase @ my Etsy shop.

Fall Portraits.

I'm teaming up with Anora Crescent Photography for a fall portrait special!

(October 6th & 7th in West Virginia)

Outdoor Wedding - Photography.

I tagged along to an outdoor wedding yesterday with my photographer friend. It was nice getting a new experience under my belt.

More shots over at my Flickr! account.

Pencil/watercolor Sketch.

I bought a pack of precut 5" x 7" watercolor sheets and have been trying to come up with a use for them. Here's a mini portrait of myself with my lovely friend, Beth.

Charcoal Study.

I found this drawing while cleaning out the studio. Circa 2009?

Charcoal and white pastel on toned paper.

While laying in bed last night, unable to sleep, I did the smart thing and grabbed my phone to note an idea I had for a portrait series. I have a bad habit of not writing down thoughts that come to me in the night, inevitably leaving me frustrated the next morning when I no longer remember what my "brilliant" concept was.

Sleepy brains cannot be trusted!

I'm off to work at the house today, but I hope to have a little something (art-related) to share soon.

Back To Work.

We had an amazing time in Chicago. Between the comic con, vegan eats, and a Star Wars burlesque show, how could we not have enjoyed ourselves? Now that we've returned home, it's time to finish up things at the house and get ourselves moved. I hope these last few rooms go speedily!

A few photos from the trip:

Mixed Media Bunnies + An Update.

I've been working on this piece off and on for the last few months and am glad to say that it is finally finished!

Graphite, watercolor, and acrylic paint on 12" x 12" Rives BFK.

I'm also pleased to announce that a local shop/gallery, Otter & Oak, now has several of my pieces on display in their gallery. They are located in a beautiful older building in downtown Hinton, WV. If you're local to this part of the world, it's well worth the trip to see what they have to offer (and maybe spend a little time on the river while you're there!).

"Summer Night - WV" - Mixed Media Drawing.

It has been one grueling summer so far, folks. I can't wait for August to get here so we can take a break from the remodel and nerd it up at the Chicago comic con!

Markers & colored pencil on marker paper.

4" x 4"

A Few Photos.

Pencil Drawings/Sketches.

Busy, busy, busy. Here are a few sketchbook doodles and unfinished drawings in the meantime.

New Etsy Listings.

"Over Dinner - WV" and "Polk - WV" are now available for purchase over at my Etsy Shop.

"Polk - WV" - A Mixed Media Drawing.

Things at the new house are coming along nicely. We finally have ceilings and walls painted so it's finally starting to look like a livable space again. Woot!

Here is a little drawing I've been working on for the last week or so, and was able to finish up last night.

4" x 4" on 5" x 5" marker paper.

"Over Dinner - WV" - Marker & Colored Pencil Drawing.

Marker & colored pencil on marker paper.

Paper Size: 5" x 5"

Image Size: 4" x 4"

Exposure Therapy - Photos & An Update.

Like a lot of people, I'm afraid of spiders. As in, if I were to spot one in the car with me while driving, I'd likely kill myself and who knows who else trying to get away from it. So, we've done what any bug fearin' people would do: we bought a house in the country.

I've seen some things out there...Things that have literally haunted my dreams at night. Spiders shouldn't be allowed to get so big. That being said, after seeing wolf spiders the size of baseballs (I could seriously see the glare off of its eyes from across the shed), the smaller, more delicate fellas are starting to seem pretty harmless. Also, taking some time to do a little research alleviated some of my fears in regards to which ones could actually be a danger.

Renovations are underway and the to-do list is ever-increasing. Two solid weeks of noobish diy'ing has wreaked havoc on my body. I have to give kudos to my dad for being a contractor all of his life and not complaining 24/7 about how bad his back surely hurt. (Side note: Happy Father's Day to my bitchin' dad! I wish you were closer in proximity so that you could teach me to be less of a noob when it comes to home repairs).

Needless to say, I haven't had much time to work on anything; I've barely had time to sleep, let alone paint (unless you count kitchen cabinets). I don't want to torture everyone with photos of countless patched and unfinished walls, so here are a few non-construction photos from the last couple of weeks.

I'll share more over at the Flickr page.

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer!

Mixed media portrait + a bit of news.

Things have been super busy lately, and I've found myself in the midst of several unfinished pieces. I was finally able to wrap up this little portrait last night. I started with graphite to create a fairly refined drawing and then went in with layers of watercolor after spraying with fixative. It is 8" x 10" in size on Rives BFK.

I promise I have a good excuse for the infrequency of posts in the last month and the big news is that we've bought a house! We started renovations last week and hope to be moved out to the country sometime in the next month. In the meantime, everything is in limbo. We're mostly packed up at our current home, but have quite a bit of work ahead of us at the new place, both indoors and out. Maintaining acreage is going to be quite different than the apartment life Sean and I are both used to living.

That being said, we're super excited to be officially starting our lives together in a new home. As things start to settle down and we settle in, I'm sure there will be plenty to post about (I can't wait to set up my new studio space!).