Kaethe Bealer

Modern resources

Iwould describe my style as contemporary realism. It is representational art. I paint the world around me. I am inspired by light, shadow, color and shapes. I get bored painting the same subject matter so you will find that my work is varied. I love painting animals, interiors, figures, seascapes and more. I work in oil and acrylic, but my primary medium is acrylics because I live and paint on our boat. They make for easy clean up and are less harmful to my air quality. Periodically, I paint from life

or plein air, but mostly I paint from photographic references. The rules I have learned from painting from life are part of my inner dialogue. Painting from life teaches me that shadows are not black and highlights are not pure white. I believe digital tools have helped me progress as an artist— a never-ending process! I use my phone and tablet to crop photos, change lighting and grid out my drawing/composition. I believe if the masters were using the camera lucida, they would use the apps we have available today. I use an app to grid out my composition, an app for putting my reference and my painting side by side to compare and an app to make studies of a painting I am planning for the future. When I start a painting, I make a grid on my surface and do a rough drawing with my paintbrush. Drawing is one the most important skills in developing a painting. When I am disciplined, I will do blind contour drawings. Another exercise in training the eye. Often my panel or canvas is toned but not always. I mass my shadows first and then try to cover the surface with a local color to the subject and background. This is what I consider “first pass.” I build up my painting in layers. I have to work in layers when I use slow drying acrylics. These paints are thinner in viscosity and require additional layers to become opaque. I like the aesthetic when you layer this way. Varied colors forming a shadow or defining the subject makes it more interesting to look at. The design and composition of a painting is very important. Most of the time I follow “the rules.” An example is to have my focus be off center and keep values separated. Everything in light will be lighter than everything in shadow. I think a painting is dynamic when you can have abstract shapes defined by light and shadow. If you look at a painting and squint your eyes, you may notice the shape of what’s in light versus the shape of what’s in shadow. Most of my work incorporates this idea.

City Street, acrylic on panel, 16 x 16" (41 x 41 cm) San Francisco is a beautiful city with an abundance of subject matter. This was inspired by one of my photo safaris. The big shape of this bus overrides everything else. It’s the first thing your eye goes to but then you begin to see the other elements that vary in size, shape and color. As your eye travels around, you are led back into the bus by the lines of the track and wires. I tried keeping the details in the background simplified to enhance the focus.

Reading, acrylic on panel, 18 x 24" (46 x 61 cm) At least once a year for the past 12 years, I study with artist Peggi Kroll Roberts. This is a painting of her daughter Ali, who has often modeled for workshops. I took advantage and used her image to do this painting on my own. The sense of a bright light and shadow help define the shape of her body, cloth and sofa. Sometimes I am reminded how fun it is to paint and this was so much fun!