Back to our regularly (revised) scheduled program

May 15, 2020 by, Kate Joiner

Getting back in the groove for me has been slightly challenging. I'm a pretty prolific painter and was cranking out artwork in 2019 like wildfire, as well as January and February of 2020. I knew come March I was going to take a little hiatus and breathe, refresh, and focus on continuing my "Secluded and Convenient" series. We all kind of know what happened next.  For most people who were staying home this was the time to pick up a craft or brush and find their long lost love for the arts and try to create something they've always wanted to do. And with the help of online classes this was a great time to see art flourish. 

As for me, I decided to do two things. Focus on things I had procrastinated on because I was always painting. And believe me for the first month, my floors never looked cleaner, all the dust and surfaces were spotless, and plans were made to redecorate the house. This article from Lydia Smith of Yahoo Finance helped me feel that I wasn't alone. 

But again I knew I wasn't the only one stuck creatively because I think almost everyone started redecorating and my Etsy shop exploded with orders. So that had me going.

I also got distracted by the Design Home app. Well not distracted, addicted. And after making a long to do list around the house I realized nothing was getting checked off because I was always playing that damn Design Home game. To the extent I was playing other games to get fake currency to buy virtual furniture from places like Apt2B. You know what I learned? That poufs are essential in decorating all rooms. At least they were in the game. Although I think if you are redecorating and buying artwork these might look good with some of the California Coastal  looks.

I ended up deleting the app on principal. It was a blast playing but almost all the winning designs showed players putting two pieces of identical art next to each other. I would NEVER EVER EVER do that in real life and being an artist I felt it was a cardinal sin of design. OK. Maybe the truth is I deleted it because I wasn't getting anything done but that's another story.    

After deleting Design Home App:

With distractions out of the way I decided to focus on the long term future of art and FINALLY got another shopping cart working that was integrated with Instagram. (www.Sunnycreekstudios.com) It took a long time to finish but now, as it is still "Work in Progress", I am able to share it with everyone.  

Here's a rundown of what I have painted chronologically: 

First painting of COVID-19

 Finished in late March, 2020

I stole my son's photoshopped self-portrait off his instagram and painted him with covid-19 colors (what ever they are..)  This is a personal painting for me that is probably one of the only pieces I have that is NOT FOR SALE. 

 2nd piece of Covid-19

Untitled (for now)

This piece was a beast to work on. But my intent was come back to my "Secluded and Convenient" series yet use colors that would pop which mimicked some of the explosion in our lives. The difficult of giving depth to negative space images was the most challenging (nerd art jargon). The gold paint is amazing in person and it flows with your eyes as you walk by. I actually found that bolt and chain where I took the original photo about 2 years ago and knew it HAD to be attached. Its getting a frame right now but measures approximately 20 x 30" and is on a heavy board. 

3rd piece of Covid-19

OK. To be honest this was on my procrastination to-do list. I had been wanting to make this painting for almost 2 years. So why not do it now!!!  It is HUGE. Almost 5 x 7 feet. Let me know what you think. A lot of my ideas get started on canvas and then I sleep on it to see what other ideas I come up with that make sense for the painting. I honestly am thrilled with the outcome. 

People often ask what products I use and I think this is very important. One of the paints I used for this piece is Black Gesso by Golden.   

Traditionally this is used as a base paint but I loved the contrast it provided with some of the more shiny and sparkle that the piece also had.  For almost all of my work I use professional grade paints like Golden Acrylics. The quality is unmatched and the rich colors will be long lasting which is what you want in an original piece of art. This might be a good future blog. 

4th piece of Covid-19

(Work In progress, May 2020) if you want to see the evolution of this piece follow my @KateJoinerart Instagram account as I have been posting videos in my stories.

As promised to myself I am back in the swing of continuing "Secluded and Convenient" series. This series is becoming more and more relevant to me because I often scan the news about the development of the area. And just last week another article came out  in the Union Tribune, about the eventual future road extension that will change the landscape of the entire area that I am painting.

We will see inevitable clash of the environmentalist and developers, as I watch with baited breath how long it will take. 5 years? 20 years? Who knows. This is the start of the painting, but I expect it will be similar to this my piece "Out to Pasture"  But who knows, its still be developed on the canvas and in my head. 

  So the good news is: I am back. Back to painting and back making art to share with everyone. 

Updates on Finished work:

Get a chance to get original art at a steal of a deal. ... And help our local Museum. !! Win / Win. I will post about this as soon as I get the bidding link so please sign up to get the newsletter to be informed when that happens. 

Up for Auction: The Art auction originally scheduled for March 28th, 2020 at The Oceanside Museum of art will be online very soon. Please contact info@sunnycreekstudios.com for a signin link if you'd like to bid. 


Above: "Happy Ending", Kate Joiner 36 x 36 in: Bidding starts at roughly $ 550




 "Remains to be Seen" 50 x 60", Kate Joiner Bidding starts roughly at $ 800.

 Looking back this is such an ominous piece the was about abandonment with an unforeseen future.

Updates from February:

"Observe from Afar" by Kate Joiner is being taken down from OMA this week. If you are interested in purchasing and shipping options of this award winning piece please contact info@sunnycreekstudios.com

Here is alink to see this piece in the show via a virtual tour: https://oma-online.org/aa2019/  It was a remarkable show. at Oceanside Museum of Art (OMA) fourth biennial juried Artist Alliance members’ exhibition. This exhibition featured a cross-section of the most noteworthy artwork from the museum’s talented Artist Alliance members. An integral part of OMA’s mission is supporting local and regional artists.

What: ARTIST ALLIANCE 2019 BIENNIAL
Juried By: Bob Pincus and Maria Mingalone
When: DECEMBER 21, 2019–MAY 31, 2020
Where: OMA Oceanside Museum of Art, 704 Pier View Way, Oceanside

Seahive will be reopening soon: Lots of Kate Joiner originals available. So stay tuned.


What: Seahive Marketplace:
Where: 1555 SOUTH COAST HIGHWAY OCEANSIDE, CA, 92054
Phone: 760.547.5706
https://www.seahivemarketplace.com/