Broken Wrist Surgery Update - And I'm Starting to Paint Again!

Post-surgery x-ray of my wrist from Monday. Holding together with plates and screws. Those squiggly lines are the 30 staples I had removed, along with some stitches. You can see how I shattered the top of my forearm bone in the wrist area. I actually didn't know how bad the break was until after the surgery, nor did I realize that I had 30 staples in my arm until Monday. No wonder I was in so much pain!

If you read my last post, you know I took a bad, albeit quick, fall on the ice in my driveway in February, and broke my wrist, which required surgery. It was my left wrist, which is not my painting wrist, but it has been pretty painful, on top of a bad case of the flu. In other words, it's been a rough month.

But today I'm happy to report that my surgery sutures came out on Monday, and I'm now wearing a removeable brace instead of a cast, which enables me to do the necessary stretching exercises four times a day on my wrist, plus finger exercises, to try to get my range of motion back in place.

So even though I'm still very much in recovery, the pain is much less, and I have been able to start painting again. Here's a quick photo of a painting I'm not almost finished with, "Balance," 30"x20", which I had started and titled ironically before my fall.

Biggest lesson: Be grateful for the things you have, the people who love and support you, and for the days when everything is going okay. I'm excited to be getting back to being me again. Thanks for your positive thoughts as I heal!

In-progress, Balance, 30"x20", acrylic. Being able to paint again just makes me feel more like me.

Fell on the Ice, Shattered My Wrist & Caught the Flu - When Making Happy Art Goes Wrong

 

Shattered my left wrist, which has had to be surgically repaired. At least I'm right-handed for most things, like painting.

Warning: This post is about my recent injury and may gross people out. Please feel free to skip it and return when I start posting my happy paintings again!

Two Saturdays ago, our driveway was quite icy, so I thought I should put something down to help melt it before starting my day. It was two steps, not even two steps, more like one and a half. My left hand was in my jacket pocket, both my feet slipped out on the glassy ice surface, and crack, straight down on my left wrist. Ow, I said out loud. It hurt but I almost continued on with my task until I looked down at my wrist and knew something was very wrong. Maybe it’s dislocated, I thought, so I pushed on it and heard crunch crunch crunch. 

If there’s any big blessing in this, it is that I broke the left wrist, but I am right-handed. Thank God!

Two hours at urgent care, but they said it was too bad to set. I got sent to the trauma ward at city hospital. About 9 hours later, including 30 minutes in a makeshift traction unit, I was told I’d need surgery. 

At the ER with my fingers suspended from a makeshift traction unit, in an attempt to bring my long bone back into alignment. 30 minutes, really painful, but it did move the bone quite a bit in the right direction.  There is a weight attached to my arm, pulling things downward, while two of my fingers are looped into tight gauze. 

I hadn’t initially realized the extent of injury, but let’s just say it was very bad. Broke the long bone, which became severely out of place and was manually pushed back with the help of an ER doctor and the makeshift traction unit; then shattered the piece at the top of the wrist into a bunch of shards. Now, two weeks later, I have been stabilized, the surgery seemed to go well, and I’ve been stitched back together by a talented surgeon and a lot of plates, pins and screws.

Not gonna lie, it’s been painful most of the time and incredibly uncomfortable the rest. And somewhere in the process I caught a bad case of the flu, which I also gave to my husband. It severely sapped our energy among other symptoms. We’re on the mend, but it’s been rough.

I’m sharing this not because I want anyone to feel bad for me (although if I can save someone else with a cautionary tale of being overzealous on the ice, that’s good enough for me), but because I want to share what’s been important to me in the process: the help and support of my husband, without whom I cannot open a tuna can among other things; the love of my two elderly cats, one of whom lovingly tried to lick my cast and has kept watch over me every night since my accident, the support of my family, and my desire to start painting again. 

When things get taken away from you, when you can’t function at the same level you used to, when everything, even very simple things, becomes harder (like the fact that I can only type with one hand right now), you see more clearly. I’m not well enough yet, but I am trying to rest, eat right and strengthen myself enough to get back to my painting. I don’t make happy art because everything in my life is always perfect. I make happy art because it’s not, but the art brings me joy and lifts me up when I need it. I hope the pieces I’ll be putting out in 2025 do the same for you! That's the biggest thing I'm dreaming of right now.

Be back soon! 

Remember to check out my latest painting, Bee Dancing with Daisies, 12"x12", acrylic on panel, on view as part of the 2025 Richeson75 Small Works Show at the Richeson School of Art & Gallery in Kimberly, Wisconsin, through April 2. See all of the finalists online here. It's my first finished trompe l'oeil cookiescape, but I'm excited to do more!

Watch my process video here. Feel free to share!

Time to Release the Bee - First Look at My New Cookie Landscape Painting Series

 

Bee Dancing with Daisies (Cookie Landscape Number 2), 12”x12”, was just announced as a finalist for the Richeson75 Small Works 2025 Exhibition at the Richeson School of Art & Gallery in Kimberly, Wisconsin. It will be on view February 21 through April 2. The original will ultimately be made available through Hidell Brooks Gallery. Limited prints available now.

Please check out my painting process video on Tiktok. 

Work in progress...Here Comes the Sun, acrylic, 20" x 30...Can't wait to get the colors on this one!

This year, I’m launching a magical new trompe l’oeil painting series I’m calling Cookie Landscapes, or Cookiescapes. It consists of cheerful imaginary landscapes painted in a flat but illusionary style, and based on a strategic assortment of sugar cookies, gingerbread, frosting and sometimes candy that I make and assemble in my kitchen. Any appearance of texture or depth is create solely by layering the paint in a convincing way.

If you’ve been following my work for a while, you may know that I’ve painted a number of small trompe l’oeil pieces in the past, including many custom recipe cards, but this Cookiescape series is something special for me, straight from my dreams and imagination, pulling on a sense of joy and wonder and a desperate hope to see magic in the world.

Why Cookies? Well, I could talk about how baking has been a part of my life since I was about 3, I could tell you about all the wonderful bakers in my family, or I could talk about my past experiences decorating cookies or learning to build gingerbread houses. But I think it’s more about cookies and frosting being tools that I can comfortably craft and manipulate to bring the visions I have in my head to life — much like a sculptor, I suppose, except my goal is to paint the final vision in such a convincing way that a viewer will get happily lost in the landscape before them.

These paintings are time-consuming and require a great deal of technical painting expertise, but I love making them, and I really hope they can incite a bit of magic and child-like optimism in those who see them.

I hope you’ll join me this year as I develop this body of work, and I ask that you help me share some happy art with others. As always, thanks for visiting! I hope my paintings make you smile!

New Prints of Old Paintings - Toy Cars and Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich

Toy Cars, new 8" x 8" limited-edition print now available. Based on a 2016 painting.

 

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich, new 12" x 16" limited-edition print now available. Based on a 2020 painting.

Happy weekend, everyone! I'm happy to announce that I'm releasing prints of a couple of old-school paintings I did - Toy Cars (from 2016) and Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich (from 2020). Both of these limited-edition prints are now available on my website.

Hope they make you smile! Thanks for looking!
 

Why I Paint Sugary Treats But Don't Eat Much Sugar - and a Tease for My New Project

 

Raspberry Sorbet, acrylic on panel, 16" x 12". Prints available on my website.

I recently donated a print of my Raspberry Sorbet to my old hometown as part of an art auction fundraiser. My mom said people were very complimentary (which is always nice to hear!), but that one of her friends said, "She must really like ice cream!" I don't think this is an uncommon reaction, but the truth is the three things I like most about working with sugary foods for my paintings the most are: 1. the sculptural quality, 2. the nostalgic quality, and 3. the colorful nature of it. The reality is I don't eat much sugar, but I find beauty in the foods that connect us to our past and incite a bit of imagination. 

Years ago, around 2012, when I began painting, I painted a body of work based on the concession areas of the baseball spring training stadiums my husband and I frequented. I made six very detailed, very complex oil paintings in all, featuring concession stand workers essentially doing their jobs or lost in a moment of thought. A couple were of stadium attendees. The paintings were good, some even won some prizes at local art shows. One was reprinted as a 20-foot-tall banner that hung at the exterior entry of an art organization's gallery for a year! I really enjoyed the work, and I still have all of the paintings in my personal collection (at my husband's request). I sold some prints (I may make them available again this spring), and I progressed a lot as a painter. But the thing I struggled with the most was taking photos of people for the references. 

Photographing places and people just wasn't pleasant for me. It made me feel like people were staring at me, wondering why this crazy lady was taking photos out in public. Occasionally, I got yelled at. I also couldn't control the lighting, or the crowds. So what I gradually ended up doing was moving to still life painting, and eventually I learned that I could control every aspect of the painting in my kitchen (and never fear getting yelled at!). 

One of my early paintings, around 2013, 24" x 12", oil on panel. Featuring a half-empty crowd shot of attendees to a Yankees spring training game in Tampa, Florida. Still in my personal collection.

Very soon, I'll begin sharing images of the new body of work I'm working on. And while it, too, is sugar-based, like the ice creams I'll continue to paint, the work is primarily about having something I can sculpt in my kitchen and create a bit of magic with on my painting panel. I really feel like it's the culmination of my work, from the baseball stadium paintings up through now. I'm building a world, the world in my head, the beautiful, happy, crazy thoughts that blend my visions from childhood to the state of things today. 

I'll begin by sharing these new pieces to my email list first. If you'd like to get the first previews, please feel free to sign up for my VIP list. Help me make some magic this year, and share a little happiness with the world. 

The 2025 Annual Art Mailer from Hidell Brooks Gallery

Such a nice way to start off the new year! I just received the annual mailer from Hidell Brooks Gallery in Charlotte, North Carolina. So pleased to see one of my ice cream paintings right in the middle, among so many wonderful works by other represented artists. Thank you to the ladies at Hidell Brooks! It will be a good year, with a lot of new stuff coming...

 

My Three Favorite Weird But Inspiring Holiday Movies

A number of years ago, I made a little recipe book (left) for members of my family that featured our traditional holiday cookie and dessert recipes. To illustrate the book, I photographed some of my old Christmas ornaments, like this little stained glass snowman, which I colored on with a pen when I was about 3 (he needed rosy cheeks, I thought). The other book is a well-worn gingerbread house book that belonged to my aunt. She helped me make my first holiday gingerbread house.

I love Christmas. I love just about everything about it. I experienced many beautiful, magical Christmases throughout my lifetime. But let's be honest. As adults, sometimes we can lose a little of our holiday spirit here and there. We're busy or stressed. Maybe something sad happened in the past year or something that just seemed to take the wind out of our sails. I'm an optimist, and I say that doesn't mean you can't right the ship a bit for the holidays. 

When I paint, I watch a lot of movies (as well as TV shows, youtube videos, etc.). Well, mostly, I listen to them, but I find myself coming back to certain ones over and over again that help to keep me in a positive mindset. After all, I am making happy art!

This month, I've enjoyed watching/listening to many holiday classics. From the cheesy Santa Claus movies to those that tug at the heartstrings, I've seen just about all of them. But there are three that stick out in my mind, that I'll watch multiple times each holiday season, and they help me to keep all the challenges of life in perspective, so I feel more in the holiday spirit and more appreciative of what I've been blessed with. 

My Three Favorite Weird Holiday Movies

1. The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017). Who doesn't love A Christmas Carol? I've read the original and seen just about every imaginative film retelling the tale. But The Man Who Invented Christmas is by far my favorite because it's about how A Christmas Carol was written by Charles Dickens way back in 1843. While I'm sure the film takes many creative liberties in presenting the story, the spirit of Charles Dickens and how he both developed the story and struggled with it deeply connects with the artist in me. I sent a DVD of this to my mom a few years ago, and she responded with, "Hmm, it's pretty dark..." True, I suppose, but for me, this is a film about overcoming both exterior and interior adversity to make something beautiful and meaningful. If you are a creative person, or a fan of other creators, I think you'll appreciate it. 

2. Last Holiday (2006). Starring Queen Latifah, this is not a traditional holiday film, but it takes place during the holiday season, and it is a funny and beautiful reflection on life and how we spend our time, facing the things we are afraid of, and choosing the make the most of each day. The main character discovers she only has three weeks to live and decides what she is going to do and who she is going to be in that time. It's a comedy, but it's also rooted in sincerity. It always holds me accountable and makes me choose to live each day better than the last. 

3. One Magic Christmas (1985). Okay, so this one is certainly one of the most obscure but perhaps most poignant holiday films out there. Starring Mary Steenburgen, it's about a struggling woman who learns about what is most important in life with the help of an angel. I don't want to spoil too much of it, but I'd encourage you to go in with an open mind and check it out. It's got some weirdness and some flaws, but the message of the film is important enough that I don't care about the flaws. So yeah, I'll watch it every year. You can stream it on Disney+.

And that's my list. Now, artistically, I've started a magical new group of paintings that I'll be presenting in 2025, something I'm really excited for and I am hoping will be seen as both an evolution in my work and a culmination of everything I've been doing for the last decade. But for now, that's a secret (though there is a little clue somewhere in this post!). Today, I'm just sharing these three weird holiday movies in the hopes that they will lift your spirits and give you a little bit of a new, more positive perspective on life. I sincerely hope you'll enjoy them! Happy Holidays! See you in 2025!

Six New Mini Original Ice Cream Paintings

 

Mini Strawberry Sauce, 7" x 5", acrylic on panel.

Happy Thursday! I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season! I've just finished six mini ice cream paintings that were just delivered to Hidell Brooks Gallery in Charlotte, North Carolina, and I thought I'd share them here. It was really nice to go back to painting some small pieces after spending months painting big ones. 

Check the Hidell Brooks website for availability. I hope they make you smile!

Mini Birthday Cake Cone, 7" x 5", acrylic on panel.

Mini Cookies and Cream, 7" x 5", acrylic on panel.

Mini Twist, 7" x 5", acrylic on panel.

Mini French Vanilla, 7" x 5", acrylic on panel.

Mini Cherry and Chocolate, 7"x 5", acrylic on panel.

It's Giving Tuesday - 10% off prints for you & 10% donated to the ASPCA

 

Happy Giving Tuesday! Just a reminder that 10% of all of my print sales goes directly to the ASCPA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). And through the end of the month, you can save 10% on prints on either my website or my Etsy store. Just use the code HAPPY10.

One more thing: For any original art sales this month, I'll make a personal donation of 5% of what I make to the ASPCA. 

I hope you'll also consider donating directly to the ASPCA or your favorite animal charity this Giving Tuesday! Thanks so much!

- KIM 

Special Announcement: 10% of Art Print Sales Will Be Donated to the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)

 

My two cats, ages 19 and 17-1/2.

Happy Friday after Thanksgiving, everyone! I have a special announcement. I've given myself a Christmas gift of sorts. It's been a dream of mine to make my art not only bring smiles to people's faces, but to also have a more measurable impact on some of the causes I care about. I've decided that from this point forward, 10% of all of my print sales will be directly donated to charity, and right now, that charity is the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). 

For me and my husband, our cats have been such a huge part of our lives. Both of our girls, shown above, were diagnosed with kidney disease in the last year and a half. They require a great deal of love and care, and we are happy to provide it for them. I am so grateful to everyone who has supported my art, especially now, as it has helped to pay for prescription food, medical bills and other expenses associated with keeping our kitties healthy and happy, enjoying their long and peaceful lives. 

Not every animal is loved and care for, though, and that is why the ASPCA has a special place in my heart, acting as a voice for the voiceless. I encourage you to visit their site and discover more about what they do, and consider donating directly to them. And, if you buy any prints from me through my website, you'll see a message indicating that 10% of the sales will be donated to the ASPCA. If you buy anything through my Etsy store instead, I'll make a donation directly based on the sale. 

ALSO, THROUGH THE END OF DECEMBER: If anyone buys an original painting of mine through Hidell Brooks Gallery, where all of my originals are carried, I'll personally donate 5% of my proceeds to the ASPCA.  

AND FINALLY, AS A SPECIAL END-OF-YEAR THANKS TO YOU: You can save an extra 10% on the prints, on top of the 10% that will be donated to the ASPCA. Just use the code HAPPY10, through December 9th. You can use this on my website or in my Etsy store.

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, that you take a few moments this busy weekend to appreciate what you have, and that you consider giving back in some way to those who need it and aren't able to stand up for themselves. 

Thank you again for your continued support as I keep making happy art! I've got some new things in the works, and I'm pretty excited to be able to bring them to you. Happy Holidays!

- KIM 

19 different Limited-Edition Prints available on my website.
10% of all sales will be donated to the ASPCA.

New Print Available - Chocolate Vanilla Fudge Ripple Triple Scoop Ice Cream Cone

 

Chocolate Vanilla Fudge Ripple Limited-edition Ice Cream Cone Print.
Size: 19" x 9.5". Printed on heavy-weight museum quality paper with archival inks. 

I'm happy to announce the release of my latest print: the Chocolate Vanilla Fudge Ripple Triple Scoop Ice Cream Cone, based on one of my original 2024 paintings. You can see me paint the original piece on my youtube channel here. Please note that the print itself is slightly smaller than the original painting. But it's still the tallest print I've ever made!

If you've followed my work and seen me talk about my prints before, you may remember that I'm very very particular about my prints. They aren't exact replicas of the original paintings, in part because I remove the original painted signature to better showcase the pencil signature, and I make sure the background is a super-clean white. So none of these are scan-and-go prints. I spend many hours editing them to perfection, trying to make each look as close to the feeling of the original painting as I can. I want them to look great on your walls, and so I treat each as their own work of art. I cut the paper by hand (which is super-tricky!), and ensure the colors are as close as possible to my original vision. It isn't easy. But that's the way I want things to be!

As for the original painting, I really loved working on this piece, in particular the fudge ripple, which was complicated but worth the time. Again, check out the video to see if you can figure out how I did it! Keep in mind that, as usual, I sculpted the original cone for the reference photo by hand in my kitchen. No stock imagery! It's always a bit of a mess, with a lot of trial-and-error and a lot of drips on my floor, but a few hundred photos later, and I find something I can work with. 

So for all of the chocolate lovers out there, this print is for you! Thanks for visiting!

Available on my website.