BlogCatalog

Each day a Keck abstract art painting is featured here at a special sale price good only for the day it is listed. To receive the special pricing on Keck's featured Abstract Art Painting of the Day you must phone into Keck Fine Art Gallery toll free at 1-888-969-KECK (5325), direct 1.219.306.9474. PLEASE NOTE: specials offered on all Keck original paintings will be offered one time only and only for the 24 hour period of its listing time.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

all or nothing - latest abstract painting & cuneo art festival vernon hills Illinois

hi boys and girls!! few days off from blogging as i've been busy painting for some upcoming art festivals. i'll be at the Cuneo art festival in vernon hills, illinois this weekend - and one of my latest original abstract paintings (titled: all or nothing --- shown below) will be exhibiting publically with some other new works.





CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE


title: all or nothing

size: 60" x 48" x 1.5"

oil pastel, acrylic & graphite on canvas


CLOSE UP IMAGES BELOW...







CLOSE UP IMAGES BELOW...







Cuneo Gardens Art Festival


Saturday and Sunday, May 24th and May 25th from 10:00am to 5:00pm. Admission is free.
Browse beautiful objects in a beautiful setting. Artists and artisans display their work on the South Lawn of the Cuneo Mansion. Artists will be present to discuss and offer their work for sale. Live music will set the tone, and food and drink will be available for purchase.


This takes place in the Cuneo Gardens (more info here) - 1350 N. Milwaukee Ave. Vernon Hills, Ill. -- hope you can make it!


ORIGINAL ABSTRACT PAINTINGS & GICLEE PRINTS

ART AUCTIONS - ARTIST DIRECT


RAW FOOD TESTIMONIALS, RECIPES, COACHING & MORE

MY ART BOOKS (and moosey & stoneys books!)<

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

LOVE MY BOYS!!! Moosey & Stoneys Books

okay... i told you they were coming!! JUST FINISHED TODAY - HOT OFF THE PRESS!!
Stoney & Moosey's books!

LOVE MY GERMAN SHEPHERD BOOK AND LOVE MY GREYHOUND BOOK

I LOVE MY GREYHOUND






I LOVE MY GERMAN SHEPHERD



new art book KECK abstract paintings -- THE BOYS

hi boys and girls!! quick post to let you know my open edition book on my abstract paintings is now available through blurb

2006-2008
By by Michel Keck


and to show off some recent pics of my little baby boys.... (tooooo cute!!)




title: (moosey) just me and my shadow




title: (stoney) just me and my shadow










and YES in case you are wondering these gorgeous boys are coming out with their own books too!! check for moosey's book and stoney's book by the end of the month :-)
(yeah ok... i'm addicted to blurb).


ORIGINAL ABSTRACT PAINTINGS & GICLEE PRINTS
ART AUCTIONS - ARTIST DIRECT
CONTEMPORARY ART BOOKS
RAW FOOD TESTIMONIALS, RECIPES, COACHING & MORE

Saturday, May 10, 2008

meeting steve, the cubs - fukudome, karyns, bowling & a photo booth





okay so for the first day in FOREVER i took a day off during the week... honestly i don't know when the last time myself or hubby did that was... too long. so one of my best girlfriends came in from atlanta with her NEW BOYFRIEND to take us to the cubs game. --- now i don't care or know a thing about baseball... but pass up the chance to met her new man, grill him and find out if he is the ONE -HELL NO!!

a few days ago it was like 80.. yesterday like 40 or something ridiculous it was FREEZING. i had on a long sleeve shirt and a lined spring coat and thought i'd be okay - W R O N G . my girlfriend coming from atlanta brought no socks with her no coats, nothing. thankfully her dad gave her a coat and some gloves and told her she'd need these for the game. so we get to the game and i am dyyyyyyyyyyying -- i am cold blooded anyway i LOVE the heat and sun - hubby bought us a cubs blanket which helped considerably.

i liked her boyfriend immediately (so did hubby!) (and yes i do think he is the ONE though it is a bit premature as they've only been seeing each other since nov. last year -- still... we really like him!!) besides the horrible weather we had an absolute BLAST. my girlfriend who knows EVERYTHING about baseball was trying her best to fill me in what the hell was going on.. i think i picked up a few things but lost control over the player FUKUDOME --- DOES ANYONE ELSE READ THIS FUCK U DO ME???? i mean i laughed over this for like 20 minutes straight --- uncontrollably so did her boyfriend (and anyone who laughs at my jokes has got to be a keeper) -- so my girlfriend is like i don't get it. but i can't stop laughing... like uncontrollably laughing at this name which seems completely made up. ---- so like things calm down and like AN HOUR later she is like........... OH and starts laughing and FINALLY gets it.




so everyone (even hubby) is great and offers to go to karyns out to eat with me. steve had never tried raw food before and was intriqued and so off we went -- with a stop at whole foods to pick up some no sulfite added wine because karyns is byob.

so i had the ravioli, scott had the pizza, lorie had the pasta, and steve had the seaweed wraps (which i normally love but there is one type there i do not... i think they are a walnut base ???? still not bad but it was my least favorite dish) -- we had a side of guacamole and chips (which everyone loved the chips so i have to find out what they were made of... didn't look like they had any flax or seeds in them so ??? not sure - but they were delish!!) -- and the garlic breadsticks - which everyone liked by hubby.








so at dinner we are talking about how competitive my girlfriend is.. (and well how all of us are) and her soon to be husband is like OH I KNOW! so we get to talking about bowling... i don't know how or why - long story short -- we are in chicago where we can do anything - AND WE END UP GOING BOWLING on diversey and western or something to the rock and bowl. -- VERY CHEESY!!!! but we had all had a bit to drink and steve was sure if he took lorie bowling after she had a few he could beat her - and he didn't... but we played boy girl teams - and we lost horribly -- not by lories fault but honestly in my life i've never been so pathetic. though in my defense i can not drink and bowl and having had two glasses of wine at karyns it was pretty much a sure loss from the start. i was also a little picture happy during our trip to rock and bowl so i just couldn't focus...


hubby throwing the ball at like 200 miles per hour -- HONESTLY the pins fall in FEAR before the ball even reaches them...



--- lorie very upset at a less than perfect throw ---



steve after he broke the machine!!!!! (and we had to call to have it fixed.. notice ball hit guard in background)


and the last pic should teach all photographers out there to NEVER SURRENDER YOUR CAMERA (especially if you've clearly had too much to drink!!) --- WTF AM I DOING - giving a gene a run for his money?????????????



and i can NOT pass a photo booth without forcing everyone to get their pics taken -- they are always the WORST pics which makes them the BEST pics!!





so having to let our babysitter go home and having to get home to the boys we called it a night and are meeting them sunday for a b-day party for more in depth q & a with my girlfriends maybe soon to be hubby. lol!


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CONTEMPORARY ART AUCTIONS

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

hot off the press - Mixed Media Works - Keck art book

2006-2008
By Michel Keck





hi boys and girls!! the first issue of my second art book - Mixed Media Works (2006-2008) is hot off the press! Mixed Media Works (2006-2008) is a soft-cover (will also be available as hard-cover), open edition, 26 page art book that is a compilation of my favorite mixed media works from 2006-2008.

you can preview or purchase my contemporary art book - Mixed Media Works (2006-2008) through blurb. please keep in mind that blurb's book preview is LOW RES - translation the version you purchase will be HIGH res, with sharp pictures and text.

i have other contemporary art books in the works as well -- i am working on a similar small open edition art book of my favorite abstract works from (2006-2008), a small open edition art book of my contemporary abstract art paintings from my Wish List series, and also a large, limited edition art book that is a compilation of my favorite abstracts, mixed medias, photographs, and collage works from 2005 to present. the limited edition book i do not expect to be complete until the end of July.

thanks to all of my collectors for your continued support throughout the years!!

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Monday, May 5, 2008

cinco de mayo commission bye bye o - mexican raw food recipes

i've just finished whipping up a batch of my popular sweet salsa, guacamole, (hummus aka my short cut raw refried beans) and my corn tortillas are in the deyhdrator. while i was whipping up my dinner for tonight i was talking to one of my girlfriends on the phone who was saying... "i could never make food like that it would take too much time" - and i am like YES you could and NO it doesn't.

since it is cinco de mayo (sorry can't say that without thinking of elaine in the Cinco de Mayo / Putumayo episode --- cinco de mayo commission bye bye o) --- fox news was showing amazing mexican recipes that made me crave mexican for dinner tonight so for all of you out there who think you can't eat delicious foods like mexican when eating live foods i have to say that mexican food is probably one that is the easiest to duplicate with raw living foods - mostly because of the salsa, sauces and guacamole that are such a huge part of mexican dishes.

okay so even if you don't want to be high raw or 100% raw if nothing else hopefully this post will get you to stop buying store bought salsa --- WHAT??? come on... there is NOTHING better than fresh salsa and it is so quick and easy and a MILLION different ways to make it, sweet, spicy, fruity, etc., etc.

everyone that comes to my house when we have a party LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVES my salsas. because hubby and i have NOTHING in common there are almost always at least two varietys - a sweet salsa -- 100% raw and a spicy salsa 100% raw (i don't know how to make a non raw salsa actually) -- but stop buying that store bought stuff because it is filled with preservatives.. and honestly once you get use to making your own salsa you can't go back to the junk found in the supermarket.

okay so i measure NOTHING... so bear with me and you may have to add and taste along the way.

MEXICAN RAW FOOD RECIPES



SWEET LIVE SALSA

(in the portion below would be about enough for two people for a meal - so if you are having a party just multiply)

1 large tomato diced
onion diced (add as much as you want)
cilantro diced very finely - USE FRESH CILANTRO NOT DRIED - (i use a lot!)
1 tablespoon of braggs apple cider vinegar
1 squeeze of lemon (fresh lemon)
1 dash of maple syrup
celtic sea salt to taste

SPICY LIVE SALSA

for hubby's spicy salsa i omit the maple syrup and add peppers such as jalapeno (you can use other peppers as well such as serrano or hot hot habanero)

you can do so much with your salsa's -- add different spices, add mango (which i love in my salsa but many don't), you can add corn (fresh off the cob!!) - get creative!! it takes no time at all.

LIVE / RAW CORN TORTILLAS

this is super easy too - and can be customized to your taste by the spicing you use. we make super simple corn tortillas -- all we use is corn fresh off the cob --- this morning i used five ears. ground flax (just take your flax seed and grind in a coffee grinder) -- i just use enough to make the mixture thicker (sorry i will start measuring) -- then season to taste.. we use cumin and chili powder and a dash of celtic sea salt. (DO NOT USE TABLE SALT FOR ANYTHING --- YES THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE!!!!! --- and there is also a difference in sea salt labels - read this in depth article on sea salt vs table salt. -- honestly i could go on about the difference between NATURAL SODIUM and SALT - huge difference basically one is able to be broken down by the body the other is not -- for your own benefit study up on the topic if you do not know or believe there is a difference).

after you put that all in a vitamix (or food processor or blender if you don't have a vitamix) spoon it out of your processor with a spatula onto your dehydrator sheets - stick in the dehydrator i have an excalibur which shows live foods at 105 - so put it at 105 and let it go. a few hours later and they will be done!


RAW FOOD REFRIED BEANS


i've both had and made raw refried beans from both chick peas and sunflower seeds. i've never made a raw refried bean recipe i really liked with chick peas (garbanzo beans) as well as the recipes with refried beans. this morning i had NO sunflower seeds (ate them all -- btw they are a great source of iron, vitamin c and zinc. -- okay so no sunflower seeds and the organic ones i buy are about 45 minutes away and my day is swamped so what's a girl to do --- i keep on hand a dried hummus food which is a product of the company matter of flax. -- their hummus is made with sprouted sunflower seeds and raw tahini as the main base - then the different flavors are seasoned different ways. the product is a dried product (so all you do is just add water). NORMALLY i would make it fresh with soaked sunflower seeds, HOWEVER their sun dried tomato no bean hummus tastes very much like refried beans (you can even mix it up and throw it in the dehydrator for a couple of minutes to warm it up). so if you are like me living in BFE and can't always run to the grocery store at the drop of a hat you will learn the products you can use that will get you buy in a pinch.

i see they have a new flavor jalapeno/cilantro which i have not tried and that would probably taste even closer to 'raw refried beans'. -- the absolute best RAW REFRIED BEANS i've ever had came from the raw food restaurant in las vegas - go raw cafe (maybe i'll email them and see if they are willing to share their recipe - their food is honestly to die for!)

okay so you got your refried beans, your fresh salsa, your fresh guacamole, your corn tortillas - you are ready to chow down!

so that's it for now.. off to the studio to paint -- adios!!

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Sunday, May 4, 2008

my latest abstract painting - worth a shot - original by keck

below is my latest original abstract painting titled worth a shot.

it is listing tonight at auction on my new auction site abstractartauctions.com - every month i list a select number of original paintings on my art auction site - always with $1.00 opens, reserves set at dealer pricing or below and guaranteed to list at auction one time only. (if this painting, worth a shot, does not sell at auction it will be exhibiting at a juried art fest i am participating later in the year in chicago - and will be available at full gallery retail).



CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

title: worth a shot
size: 36" x 56" x 1.5"
oil pastels, acrylic, graphite

WORTH A SHOT - CLOSE UP VIEW 1

WORTH A SHOT - CLOSE UP VIEW 2


my news and events page will be updated shortly with my summer and fall/winter upcoming exhibitions please check back often.


spent most of the week working on commissions but took some time off the other day with the baby boys while they had company over for a playdate. while the boys played i supervised from the deck and read from the book i am currently reading --- witness to roswell unmasking the 60 year cover-up --- SHUT UP it's really good!!! --- don't make fun... it was a gift (along with a pair of alien socks, and alien tee very cute btw) that mom brought home for me from her recent trip to new mexico to visit her girlfriend. roswell was one of their many activities on her vaca and i love my pressys!! and yes i saw a ufo when i was little (shut up again - i swear!!!) anyhoooo the book is AWESOME and when i wasn't snapping pics of the little angels playing i was sucked into the book... OMG u have to read it.. very scary shit.. not the little green men.. but the govt.


okay so here's some pics from moosey & stoneys recent playdate... as you can see from the first pic molly just jumped right in and started checking things out... look at moosey all being a perfect gentlemen and waiting his turn while assuming the position. he's all like... c'mon let's get this over with shall we there's soccer to play (honestly i don't think i've ever seen moosey that close to a soccer ball without it being in his mouth). stoney is all like... we gotta come up with a better way for a meet and greet.. this is humiliating.












awwwwwwwwwwwww too cute! love them! alright... so.. guess that's about it.. i am also currently working on (on and off) my next limited edition art book - hopefully to be finished by the end of the month. i'll keep you posted!


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About Me

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Rensselaer, IN, United States
Self-taught, abstract painter, mixed media artist.. and mommy to moose and stoney.