Plein Aire Painting in Five Islands
About kim
In 1980, I received a BA in Photography and Visual Design from Southeastern Massachusetts University. I have been a self employed graphic designer and photographer for 30 years. My business, Jumpstart Creative, helps Midcoast Maine businesses with design, photography and marketing strategies.
In my career as a graphic designer and photographer, my
toolbox has evolved from creating things by hand and
developing images in the darkroom, to creating on the
computer. As much as technology has opened a whole new world of creative tools, I still love working with my hands.
I started painting with soft pastels in 2011. I love the
intensity of the color, the ability to layer, and the feel of the medium as I work the pastels with my fingers.
In 2024, I decided to challenge myself to learn oils. A totally different language for me, learning to mix colors and which brushes would give me the effect I was looking for.
My expressions in all of my art, pastels oils and photography are about capturing a feeling, a quality of light, a sense of spirituality and the essence of a person or a moment in time.
Making art is soul food for me - being outdoors,
connecting with nature, creating in my studio, losing all sense of time and place.
Art, like life, is a work in progress, each piece I create is a study for the next, building intuition and opening to trust.
If I’m not painting “en plein-aire,” I start with a photograph
I have taken, but the end result is always it’s own story.
I hang my pieces in my studio for months, picking them up to add a color, or change a shape until the story that wants to be told is complete.
Painting keeps me connected and focused,
living in the moment, reminding me I have a choice in how I view the world around me.
As an artist, it is my hope to ignite a spark,
stimulate a response, and convey my passion
for this beautiful place I call home.
KIMBERLY SKILLIN TRAINA
All work is for sale. Please email for availability and pricing:
Original pastels are custom matted and framed with glass.
Matted prints available of most pastels and photography.
207.380.5676
What I Love About Painting with Pastels
I love the spontaneity afforded by the medium as there is no need to wait for drying time. I love using my fingers to blend the colors and create shapes. To begin, I paint a wash of color on the paper. The paper has a toothed, ground surface that holds the pastel and allows me to lay down many layers of color. Sometimes, I use a brush to take away color, to reveal layers beneath, or add more detail.
About the Pastel Medium
Pastel is pure pigment, the same pigment used in all art media. When properly framed, it is the most permanent of all when applied to archival ground. Pastel has no liquid binder that may cause the surface to darken, fade, yellow, crack or blister with time. The name “pastel” comes from the French word “pastiche,” because the pure, powdered pigment is ground into a paste with a binder and then rolled into sticks. A particle of pastel pigment seen under a microscope looks like a diamond with many facets; therefore, pastel paintings reflect light like a prism. (Ref: Pastel Society of America)