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Sunday, July 8, 2012

Back from my Hiatus

Hello again!
       After a long hiatus, my online portfolio is now back in order. My situation has not been ideal for the last year for producing new artwork. Since my last post in December of 2010, I have graduated from  Minnesota State University Moorhead with my Bachelor of Arts in the Spring of 2011, we bought a home here in Fargo, and have changed my hair about four times. I have completed several commissioned portraits since then, but haven't had the right energy to create new original works, or dedicate myself to my artistic career. Starting with my new website http://kinstlerart.com I am looking forward to getting back into the art scene and producing new work for you! Stay tuned :)

Thanks for visiting!


Friday, December 10, 2010

New Series: Edgy Girls

Sorry for the long gap between updates, but I have been drawing and painting a lot! I actually have a painting that I am finishing up this weekend :) I have been working on a new mini portrait series, focusing on the edgy, alternative lifestyle ladies of the Fargo, ND area. My first seven portraits have been experimental, and now I think I have a solid idea for the direction I want to head in now. I want a more serious, abrasive mood in each portrait. These small 5"x7" portraits will be matted in oval mats, and framed in large decadent, ornate frames. It will be a juxtaposition between the hardcore subjects and the elegant and innocent frames, in order to create an awkward tension between the two. Maybe a nice series for a small gallery show in the future?

 Interested in being a model?

-If you would like to be a model for this series, please send me a note! Go ahead and let me know what photo of you would work best for these edgy portraits. Style such as dark makeup, piercings, or a bad ass expression will work great! I am hoping to exhibit these also, so let me know if it is alright to use your portrait in a future show. I'll see how much time I have, but I hope to do everyone.

-The portraits will be available for $50 including the framing.

-Also, if you have any old 8"x10" frames that you were thinking of getting rid of, I will take them off your hands! Please send me a note if you do.

Fall 2010 Portrait Series

New drawings! These are large works that I have completed since my last update!
Each are 22"x28", done with 3B, 7B, and 8B graphite pencils and graphite powder, on a heavy drawing paper. This is by far my favorite brand of graphite pencils. Staedtler lumograph pencils are just so rich and thick, and never break, to be expected from a German made art material. The 7B and 8B pencils are almost an oily graphite that produce an excellent black that doesn't shine like other soft graphite pencils.

I have completed three large scale drawings since I last posted. Visit http://kinstler.110mb.com to see the  large versions.

'Jerica' 22"x28"


'Mandala' 28"x22"

'Autumn' 22"x28"

Friday, October 29, 2010

New Painting: 'Candle Light'

       'Candle Light' is the newest completed painting! You may click the image below to see a high resolution image of it. It is a self portrait, 24"x30",  oil on canvas, and took approximately 15hrs I suppose. It can also be viewed in my painting gallery of The Art of Mary Kinstler. The photo never does a painting justice, and I assure you that there is much more depth to the dark background than the photo shows. I learned a lot about the depth that 'black' can really have, based on the colors mixed to create that black, ie a red black or a blue black. Very interesting!
Finished 24"x30" oil painting titled 'Candle Light'


   Here are a few more photos taken during the paintings creation.
Almost done

Oh no! I'm green!
         I'm looking forward to my next painting. I'm planning on it being of a surreal nature. Keep your eyes peeled! I am also working on a large drawing.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Steven Assael MSUM Demonstration

        As I mentioned in previous posts, Minnesota State University hosted an Artist Symposium this week, October 18th-20th. There were many visiting artists that are known nationally. The artist of interest for me was figurative artist Steven Assael. He is a New York native artist that is represented at the Forum Gallery in New York city, and has exhibitions in many other national galleries. He was here from 10am on the 19th, to 2pm on the 20th, so he didn't stay long! But in that time he graciously gave two 3-hour long demonstrations, and a 2 hour lecture for us to enjoy and learn from. In his time he completed 2 portraits. The first portrait he probably spent 4 hours, the second 2 hours. He explained that he worked differently for us during the demo than he does on his large personal work. He worked fast and painted wet on wet for the demo.

         After the demo today I brought him to the MSUM Roland Dille Center for the Arts Gallery to show him my work that was on exhibit for the Faculty/Student show. He said he was impressed with the skill in my paintings, and hoped I would come to study at the New York Academy of Arts, where he teaches, for graduate school. We will see I guess!! :D You can see how excited I was in my picture.

Assael and I while viewing my work at the MSUM Gallery

I was checking out a small piece Assael brought in during the demo


 Portrait of Anna by Steven Assael done for the MSUM demonstration October 19th & 20th 2010. 4 Hours






 Portrait of Sonia by Steven Assael done for the MSUM demonstration October 20th 2010. 2 Hours


The painting studio was silent as he worked masterfully on his work. He shared insightful information about pallet management, brushes, painting surfaces, and mediums. But the most important knowledge to me was gathered just by watching him work. I better get to painting! I have a lot to try out!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

The Fun has Begun

Hello everyone!
This week is the artist symposium here at MSUM. It is Monday-Wednesday, with many lectures, and demonstrations. So far I have watched the portrait painting demo from my teacher Zhimin Guan. It felt a lot like class, but it was great to simply watch him paint and develop a painting.Today are the lectures and demonstrations by Steven Assael that I have been so excited about! I was chosen to be a part of the MSUM Faculty/Student show during the symposium. Each teacher chose one student to exhibit along side them! Very exciting! I've got to get going, but here are some pictures from the journey so far. Yesterday I even had a little bit of a following after students started seeing my work displayed :) Thank you everyone!

Me with my paintings, along side Zhimin Guan's work
Portrait painting demo with Guan (seen on the right). My work in progress (front center). Guan's painting can be seen in the background.

here are the updates on my self portrait. it is coming along slowly overall, but I have to paint rushed when I do have time to paint :(

Black and White under painting
First layers of color (I'm not painted yet :)

More to come!

Saturday, October 9, 2010

New Painting on the Way

I have started working on a new self portrait. It will be 24"x30", oil on canvas. It will be for my portrait painting class, but I have been hoping to do a self portrait in this style for some time now.
Drawing on top of toned 24"x30" canvas for new self portrait


It will be a very dark painting, as there is only candle light lighting the scene. I love dramatic chiaroscuro, and want to emphasize that technique in this painting. I hope to get better and better at it. This painting is inspired by the work of Caravaggio, and Vermeer (two of my favorite painters). The reference picture for this painting can be seen as my current profile picture here on my blog. I am keeping the full composition a surprise :) I have done the underpainting in grisaille (shades of gray), and will update with my progress with a photo when it is dry.


I had the opportunity to enjoy the unveiling of the John Rosenquist 'Mural of North Dakota' on Thursday. The first mural commissioned was tragically burned in a house fire in 2009. Rosenquist's home was burned to the ground. This mural that we have now is the second mural that he has completes for North Dakota. it is 13'x24' in size. It was very unfortunate that the artist was not able to attend (he is now 77yo and caught pneumonia right before the unveiling and couldn't travel). He will instead be coming back on October 20th to enjoy a second event for the mural.
Unveiling of the 'North Dakota Mural' at the Fargo Plains Art Museum


My Current Projects:
as of 10/9/10

  • Self portrait in Oil (Portrait Painting Studio) 20% done
  • Portrait of Taylor Kearns in Graphite (Drawing Studio) 10% done
  • Medusa Tattoo Design (Commission) 50% done
  • Possible Commissioned Painting (no details yet) 0% done