JOE KIEFER ART
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Kids Stamped Hearts

2/6/2021

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Are you looking for a fun art project to create with your kids or grandkids? How about a fun stamped heart with watercolor paints! The kids will love it! Watch the video to learn how and order supplies from my links below!
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Click on underlined words to take you to Blick Art Supplies!
Watercolor Paint Set
     Yasutomo Authentic Chines Watercolor Set of 12 colors
Blick Stretched Canvas    Blick Studio Traditional Canvas 16x20 or Smaller
Black Acylic Paint     Blick Artist Acrylic Ivory Black 4.65 oz Tube
(In the video, we use black tempera paint, but I recommend acrylic paint so it doesn’t bleed as much.)
Paint Brush Set     Royal Langnickel Soft Grip Golden Taklon Brush Set

​Additional Supplies: Paper towel or toilet paper tubes, pencil, paper towels and water cup with clean water
Remember to try your best and have fun!
Blessings,
​Joe
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Start Oil Painting for Under $100!

6/4/2020

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Do You Want to Learn How to Oil Paint?

Have you ever dreamed of making your own masterpieces in oil paint? Often considered the elite form of art making, oil painting can be both rewarding and challenging. I will walk you through the process of how to get started oil painting. When ordering your supplies, please start with this link www.dickblick.com where I am an affiliate partner. This will allow me to create lessons for free or at a low cost to you. You can begin painting for just $100!

The Oil Paints You Need to Start

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What do you really need for oil paints? It can be overwhelming when looking over all the color choices of paints and brands online or in catalogs. My choice of paint brands has been the Utrecht for over 28 years. It is an affordable choice, has good consistency of paint, and outstanding color brilliance. From the colors listed below, you can mix most other colors. As your confidence grows as a painter, you can add more colors to your palette.
Oil Paints List:
  • Utrecht Artists' Oil Paint - Titanium White, 37 ml tube                  Item#: 02122-1013
  • Utrecht Artists' Oil Paint - Cadmium Yellow Hue, 37 ml tube     Item#: 02122-4253
  • Utrecht Artists' Oil Paint - Yellow Ochre, 37 ml tube                       Item#: 02122-4253
  • Utrecht Artists' Oil Paint - Cadmium Red Hue, 37 ml tube          Item#: 02122-4253
  • Utrecht Artists' Oil Paint - Alizarin Crimson, 37 ml tube               Item#: 02122-3063
  • Utrecht Artists' Oil Paint - Ultramarine Blue, 37 ml tube              Item#: 02122-5133
  • Utrecht Artists' Oil Paint - Phthalo Blue Green shade, 37 ml tube    Item#: 02122-5163
  • Utrecht Artists' Oil Paint - Burnt Sienna, 37 ml tube                         Item#: 02122-8043

Brushes and Palette Knife to Start

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The quality of your brushes can make a big difference in the quality of painting created. Brushes come in all kinds of shapes, sizes, material, and quality. I own about 100 different brushes that I use in different situations. These brushes have been collected over the course of 28 years of painting. I only throw away brushes that are completely hardened or have lost all their hair. If you follow my teaching, you will learn when and where to used different brushes in different situations. Here are a few brushes to begin with.
 

  • Royal Soft Grip Golden Taklon Brush - Round, Long Handle, Size 4     Item#: 06006-1004
  • SZ4 FILBERT                                                                                                                          Item#: 04627-2004
  • Utrecht Natural Chungking Pure Bristle Brush - Filbert, Size 6, Long Handle      Item#: 04616-2006
  • Blick Painting Knife - Style 46                                                                                      Item#: 03117-1046

Paint Cleaner and Thinner

To clean your brushes, you need some kind of paint thinner like turpentine. I highly recommend Weber Oderless Turpenoid. Regular turpentine gives off a strong oder and will cause headaches. You also need something to thin your paints when painting details or glazing. For this, I recommend Windsor & Newton Liquin. You will need some kind of jar for your Weber Oderless Turpenoid paint cleaner. I save all my used glass jars from things like pasta sauce and salsa. I clean the jars, remove the labels, and relabel with the contents of the jar. For cleaning my brushes, I use paper towels, but some people use toilet paper or newspaper pieces.

  • Weber Turpenoid - 8 oz Plastic Bottle                     Item#: 00442-1005
  • Winsor & Newton Liquin - Original, 75 ml bottle             Item#: 00445-2104
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Weber Oderless Turpenoid
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Windsor & Newton Liquin

What to Paint on? Canvas and Boards

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Another area that can become overwhelming to the beginning painter is what to paint on. Canvas comes in all kinds of quality and sizes but sometimes other surfaces can be a good choice. Fredrix Canvas Pads can be a good way to begin painting and practice. I know many beginning painters like stretched canvas to allow easily hanging and displaying their art. I prefer the Blick brand canvas for the quality of price. I recommend starting on medium sized canvas like 11”x14” to have a good sized painting without being overwhelmed.


Blick Academic 5/8'' Profile Cotton Canvas - 11'' x 14'', Pkg of 2 
Item#: 07167-1114

Palette for Your Paint

You will need something to put your paints on and mix colors. For beginning artists, you can use disposable palettes, wax paper, or parchment paper. These all can be disposed of when finished painting.
You will need a few other miscellaneous supplies to begin painting. Sometimes I use a pencil or charcoal to sketch out my painting idea before applying paint. I also recommend some newspaper on any surfaces you don’t want paint and maybe an old rug or drop cloth under your painting area. Along with that, some old clothes to wear while painting. Oil paints are very difficult to clean off surfaces, clothing, and carpet.

Additional Materials You Can Buy Later!

As a beginning painter, you might want to skip an easel. You can place your canvas or painting surface on a table to work. Easels are nice to have your painting upright while you paint but not necessary. I use a Blick French Easel by Jullian - Half Box that can be set up any where and packed up when you are done painting. A less expensive option is a table top easel like Blick Tabletop Easel - H-Frame, Black. A more professional choice for a palette is a wood palette such as the 12”x16” Wooden Richeson Palette .
  • 12”x16” Wooden Richeson Palette 
  • Utrecht Oil Paint Titanium White, 200 ML Tube ​
              Item#: 02121-1015 
  • Blick French Easel by Jullian - Half Box or full box                     Item#: 51588-1002
Or 
  • Blick Tabletop Easel - H-Frame, Black                                                Item#: 50391-1006​
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Blick French Easel by Jullian - Half Box
I also like to use an acrylic paint to cover the white surface of my canvas before I start painting. I like the Utrecht Studio Series Acrylic Paint - Yellow Ochre, 237 ml tube. The warm color of the yellow ochre provides a good color to paint on top of. You will also need something to draw with such as a pencil or charcoal.
  • Utrecht Studio Series Acrylic Paint - Yellow Ochre, 237 ml tube    Item#: 01655-4048
  • Dixon Ticonderoga Pencils - Pre-Sharpened, Box of 10                         Item#: 20305-1010
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I also recommend the following paints at some point. You can start with the listed colors above, but these colors will make mixing certain colors easier. I also recommend that you eventually buy the larger 200 ML tube of Titanium White, since you will use a lot of white when mixing colors.
  • Utrecht Artists' Oil Paint - Phthalo Green Blue Shade, 37 ml tube  Item#: 02122-7803
  • Utrecht Artists' Oil Paint - Cadmium Orange Hue, 37 ml tube          Item#: 02122-4543
  • Utrecht Oil Paint Titanium White, 200 ML Tube                                        Item#: 02121-1015 ​

Conclusion

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I know that this list can be overwhelming, but we all need to take a first step to begin something new. Start with my basic list and you can always add more supplies as you gain confidence. Signup for my email list and watch for online painting classes. Get started painting with $100 in supplies and completely change your life forever!
Happy Painting!
Joe Kiefer 
www.joekieferart.com

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"Risen" Easter Sunday

4/12/2020

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Matthew 28:5-6 (NIV)
5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.

Easter is obviously a very exciting time in Christianity. I created the painting, “Risen” this week to express my ideas on Easter in general and especially during our trying times of Covid-19. 

The painting, “Risen,” has the three crosses to represent Jesus being crucified on the middle cross with the two thieves on his left and right. The sunrise in the background shows the hope in Jesus in his resurrection on Easter Sunday. The sunrise symbolism gives so much beauty behind the darkness of the awful death of crucification. This juxtaposition of death and life, mourning and celebration has always intrigued me. The contrast between hopelessness at the Messiah’s death to overjoyed relief and sense of security really makes me think about the times that have quickly had drastic changes in emotions. 


I can recall when I was about 8 years old and I was traveling across Wisconsin with my Dad and younger brother. We were driving from our home in northern Wisconsin to visit my uncle and his family in the Milwaukee suburbs. Growing up very poor, we never had nice vehicles that would be considered reliable . In this trip, an old four door Chevy was our trusty ride that was our hope of making the long drive. Even in that old car, I will never forget the feeling of safety I had with my Dad behind the wheel.


I think that in times of uncertainty, like we are living now, we need to have that same sense of safety and hope for our trip in life. We need to trust our Father to guide us on our path no many how many speed bumps and breakdowns may happen.


On that journey to Milwaukee as a boy, our trusty Chevy had engine problems and overheated just north of Madison near the small town of Lodi. With our car being out of service, we were stranded. Fortunately, my dad had a good friend living in Lodi who was available to pick us up and generously offered us a place to stay that evening. My dad and his friend had a great time visiting and the next day, we were able to finish our journey to Milwaukee as planned with a new thermostat being installed in our trusty Chevy. 

As Americans, we have survived stock market crashes, wars, terrorist attacks, polar vortexes, and many natural disasters. Today, it seems we need this hope in our Father more than ever. Our plans may change, but through generous friends and faith, we will finish our journeys as God planned. As Covid-19 rips across the US, please keep or find your faith in God and you will come out of this stronger than you ever thought possible. 


Blessings!
Joe Kiefer
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Dealing with Anxiety during Covid-19

4/10/2020

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Philippians 4:6-7 
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.


​Hello,

I am going to be the first one to admit that Covid-19 has not been easy on me. I would consider myself an introvert by nature, so social distancing in the beginning was okay. The longer social distancing happens, the more I realize we all need other people. I have struggled over the past couple weeks with the uncertainty we are all facing. My mind weighs heavy with an illness bulldozing its way across the world threatening to take as many lives as it can. My mind weighs heavy with the massive change to the world economy due to Covid-19’s bulldozing path. No one knows how long all of this uncertainty will last and that is scary to me.

A song that I can’t get out of my head these days is “Sparrows” by Jason Gray. 
“You can't add a single day by worrying
You'll worry your life away
Oh don't worry your life away
You can't change a single thing by freaking out
It's just gonna close you in
Oh don't let the trouble win
You may feel alone
But you're not on your own
If He can hold the world He can hold this moment
Not a field or flower escapes His notice
Oh even the sparrow
Knows He holds tomorrow”

When I think what Paul wrote in Phillippians 4:6-7 and Jason Gray’s song, I try to put my worries at ease. I know that is often easier said than done, but worry will get you no where, sort of…

​I recently listened to a podcast that was talking about worry in the business world. It seems that having some worry about the future could be a genetic trait that was passed down over time to help our ancestors survive. It seems that worrying about the future can be a good thing if you are thinking of the future of your family in terms of making sure you have enough food and protection from the elements. Just think about early cavemen survival rates based on their planning for basic needs. If they had enough food and didn’t get eaten, it was because they were prepared by having some worry and thought to the future and those characteristics were passed on to the future generations. 

When I think about this in modern times, yes, planning for the future is a good thing with maybe a little worry behind it. We all should be thinking and planning for the future to a certain extent. It’s why we study in school and go to work to earn a pay check to provide for our families. But what do we do when a pandemic sweeps across the world providing so much unpredictability to the health of our loved ones and the global economy?

It really is when these worries take over our lives that we need to take a deep breath and look to God and others around us for help. When you put your faith in God, we can be a little less anxious for all the uncertainty around us right now. Give thanks to God what you do have. You might think there is not be much thankful for, but I have seen so many great things. I have noticed my own family have more time together and slowing down our lives. I have been able to take on some new learning both in my work and personal growth. I have heard and seen many acts of kindness across my community. Take a look around for some good and create good some where you can.

Blessings!
Joe


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My Story

4/9/2020

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Colossians 3:23
“23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”


Hello!
Welcome to my blog! My goal is to give you inspiration in your life through my art, teaching, and words.  My passion is oil painting and the goal of creating art to address the human need for hope and love giving you inspiration in your daily life. With a deep passion for God, I enjoy painting a variety of scenes that evoke emotion through dramatic lighting, sunsets, atmospheric effects, and Christian symbolism.  

 
​I was raised in a small northern Wisconsin town of Glidden. I learned to appreciate nature through my father and relatives who worked as lumberjacks and farmers. My grandmother encouraged my faith in God, strong work ethic, and love for art. I began oil painting at the age of 14 and was an outstanding art student, but my first oil painting was a complete failure in my eyes leaving me frustrated; and literally breaking the painting in half! At that point, I realized that I was going to have to accept not being an oil painter or learn how to do it well. This frustrating beginning and strong work ethic fueled my fire to learn how to be the best painter I could be!



I began my education in the field of wildlife biology at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. During that time, I worked for the Forest Service in the Chequamegon National Forest and the Elk Reintroduction Project in Clam Lake, Wisconsin. The desire to make art became overwhelming for me and lead me to pursue a career in art. I transferred to UW-Madison to study art and learned painting techniques to express my ideas.


My story of becoming an artist is filled with many hardships. Beginning in my early childhood, my mother suffered from debilitating depression and agoraphobia. I looked to art to find ways to bring happiness to my mother’s condition and joy to my own heart. As an adult, I battled my own demons. As a recovering alcoholic, I look to God and art for peace and positivity. I strive to use my gifts and abilities to share God’s love and beauty with others. In a world filled with anxiety and sadness, my art transcends the viewer to a place of calm bringing peacefulness to their mind and souls. These qualities make my art sought after by art collectors and enjoyed by thousands of people across the world.

If you are looking for inspiration in your life, follow my blog, other social media, or sign up for my emails. You will receive updates on my art, learn how to create your own art, and inspirational messages!


Blessings!

Joe Kiefer




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    I am an artist and teacher from Lake Mills, Wisconsin. 
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