Flourish and Crap in 2012

happiness, good fortune, contentment, longevity and love. my wishes for you in the New Year...

In winding down the year and in anticipation of the New Year, throughout the online art community there has been a big 'movement' to choose a word for the year. Though I don't really know all that much about it and have wondered how one tiny word can fill such a tall order, I think I am safe in assuming that it is a word that states what you hope to accomplish or one that represents your frame of mind. Most people, it seems have chosen words like trust, hope, live, love, seek, believe and so on. Hey, those are really nice words. Beautiful words. But really. The sweetness starts to, well, get too sweet. 
So, Me? I chose Crap. I mean, crap is such a useful word. Just think about it. I buy a lot of crap. I make a lot of crap. I take a lot of crap. People give me crap all the time. If I bump my toe, I can yell, "Oh Crap" and it is not all that offensive. You can add fun endings to the word to make other great words too, like, crap-py, crap-ola, crap-tastic! I mean, crap is cussing without sounding to foul. The word crap gives you all the pleasure of cussing with only half the calories ! 
Well, anyway, I just thought crap was a very good word for the year. It was different than all of the rest. It stood out from the crowd. *sigh* But some people thought crap was too cynical. It was suggested that I should have a better word. I think they thought if crap was my word than I would have a crappy year. I began to doubt my choice...and so I officially revoked my word "crap" and chose "flourish" instead. Quite diverse, I know. But I figure if I am gonna make the change, I may as well go all out. And if you think about it, they actually go well together. Because I can FLOURISH even when life hands me a bunch of CRAP!!

And now, in all seriousness, my best wishes to you for the New Year. May you have only happiness, good fortune, contentment, longevity & love (and definitely no crap :)

Thank you so much for all of your friendship, support and   for reading my words and looking at my art this year. I look forward to 2012....

With much love and gratitude,

xokp

Thought-Full

"Thought-Full" by, me, Kae Pea 2011

I think I painted these ladies (Thought-Full and from my last post, Up-Do) because my head is SO VERY FULL of ideas. Sometimes I feel I may burst at the seams! Honestly, I do believe my brain, my heart and soul are brimming over with color and imagery and thoughts of all that I hope to create....

The same goes for here on my blog. Sometimes I have so much I want to share that I often share nothing because I don't know where to begin! But I can no longer hold back.  I  really feel and see changes in my work and feel a shift in my attitude about my art and my business. Little things, little steps. I liken it to watching my children grow....sometimes the changes are subtle, almost imperceivable and then all of a sudden they are taller than you! Well, my art and my work is not yet 'taller than me', however, I can feel it beginning to take real shape and I am gaining my footing. It is an exhilarating time and I am very happy to be able to share these moments with you.

Right now I am working on a new series of paintings, I am getting ready for a little Holiday show at 6 North Cafe, I have been sprucing up my Etsy shop, I am loving working and showing at Wood Icing, I am ecstatic to announce my first stencil design through Stencil Girl Products and to say I have now been published for the first time in Sprout Magazine! Whew! Amazing and I know in my heart of hearts that this is just the tip of the iceberg! I have just begun to put my intentions out into the Universe and be bold and brave enough to speak my hopes and dreams aloud. I am amazed, it not only feels great but it is working!!

As always, I thank you from the bottom of my heART for looking at my art and reading my words.

xokp

Up Do

I wanted to share my latest painting. I have written before about how I find it amazing that what seems to come out on the canvas (or paper) really mirrors what we are feeling. At least I have found this to be true. And it is true here now. I painted this piece intuitively, just going with the flow. No real direction in mind but like so many times, just bits of imagery floating through my brain and it was as if as the images floated past I would reach out and grab one and bring it to the surface. Does that sound crazy? Sometimes, I admit, it feels a little frenetic and I marvel at how I work in fits and starts and the ebb and flow of it all. It is like a dance with an unseen partner. I am unsure of my steps but I follow along anyway....This piece is me, though not a self portrait. It is me because her face says all that I feel... scared but sure, tired but strong, wise but still a bit vulnerable. And the ideas! Oh the ideas piling up in her head! Yes. the painting is me, but the wonderful thing? It just may be you too...

'Up Do' 5 x7 Acrylic on Canvas

xokp

just imagine!!!

Yes. Just Imagine what you can do when you persevere....

About 6 years ago, long before I ever went back to school to get my art degree  (and my husband was in school getting his Bachelors degree), I called him and asked him if they sold canvas at his school bookstore. When he said yes, I asked him to bring me home the biggest canvas they had. He promptly brought home a 30 x 60 canvas. I, for some reason, had the urge to paint. Now keep in mind, I had done a lot of illustration and crafts but never had I painted a thing! I had a small set of acrylic paints and some brushes but no clue what I was doing. I had no art space and we lived in a 900 square foot house. So I hung the blank canvas on our only wall that it would fit on and this is what I painted...

my painting in 2006

Then I got stuck. I changed my mind. I could not decide how to proceed. I didn't know what I was doing. I quit. I left it like this for over 5 years! When we moved to a bigger house, I took it with us and rehung it, in it's pathetic state, and left it unnoticed and unfinished. Various family members, at various times, would ask me when (or if) I was ever going to finish. I said I didn't know but I thought I would someday.

Then last year, we moved again. Back into a smaller place and I was going to ditch the painting. My sister said, "No." and she took the painting home and hung it on her wall in it's pathetic and unfinished state for another year.

Two weeks ago my sister was packing to move. She asked me if I wanted my painting back. I did not have the heart to toss it out. I knew I must take it and finally attempt to finish it. After all, I had more paints and brushes and a bit more technical skill....

So, I brought the painting home and hung it on the wall! It only took me a couple of days of looking at and then I knew I was going to finish. I took it down and worked on it for 3 days. I honestly don't know if I am 100% finished at this blog posting...I want to live with it for a few more days before I declare it complete. But it sure is a whole lot closer and I am very happy. Happy that I did not quit, (only took a long break)! Happy to finish what I started. Looking back on this whole process and what the last five years held, I see now that I REALLY wanted to paint!! Here is to perseverance!!

my painting today

xokp

Girls Rule...

I made this today. I don't know why. I had sketched these three little girls a few weeks ago and they were just sitting on my table waiting for me to 'bring them to life'! I kept looking at them and they just were so sweet. I was compelled to finish. So I guess, that is my reason for making this...although I feel sorta silly knowing I have loads of other work to do, and yet, this still kept calling! I wonder why I do that? Anyway, I have promised myself that I am going to be more focused and try my best not to get sidetracked! I keep telling myself that there is a method to my madness and that all of my making and creating tangents will ultimately serve me well and not to be so hard on myself for following my muse! It is all leading me to something. I just know it! In the meantime, I think this piece is for all of my girlfriends (on line and in person) who 'get' me and support me and are there for me cheering me on! (Yes it's YOU!) Girls DO Rule! xokp

Coffee Happy

I am working on a series of illustrations of the things that make me happy. My first one, you may remember, was art supplies! I liked it so well and it got such a good response that I decided I should do more and so the idea of painted "happy lists" were born.
Though I created my first 'happy list' painting before I began the Creative Courage e-course, the whole idea of writing out and illustrating my goals, dreams and wishes has been strongly encouraged. I figured I would just run with that concept. I have found that getting this type of reinforcement onto paper
has been really good for my spirit and has kept my outlook and attitude positive and optimistic!
I have decided that I like focusing on what makes me happy and saying nice things about myself! Hooray for that!
So far on my "happy list" I have art supplies and coffee, but I have plans for a lot more. My goal is to finish one per week. That should keep me busy for about another ten weeks!! Well, if there are any that YOU would like to see please follow me and leave a comment! Thank you, as always for being here and looking at my art. It makes me happy ! xokp

I wish I may...

...I wish I might....have the wish I wish tonight. 

As you probably have noticed, I have been writing, posting and talking about the e-course I am taking with Stephanie Levy. It is called Creative Courage. We just finished up our first week and WOW what a thought provoking and productive week it has been. We have had amazing interviews with  Susannah Conway  and Jessica Swift both wildly creative, talented and successful women. I have had the opportunity to meet other like minded artistic souls and we have discussed things like, creative visualization and dream overload. We have done exercises to make us more aware of our dreams and goals and help empower us to vocalize, clarify and solidify them. It is a lot of heart-work, but so rewarding. One of the things Stephanie told us in the very beginning of the course was to actually write our answers out and not to just think them in our heads (haha she must know me!) She said, "Your "homework" is to actually answer these questions. It's easy to read through the exercises and imagine answers, but it truly makes a difference if you take the time to write things down. Writing down your dreams, goals and next steps is the first step to making them come true!"

I definitely think it makes a huge difference to take the time to define your thoughts and visualize your answers. I have been having a wonderful time being thoughtful with my answers and illustrating them as I go along.

On Friday (our last 'lesson' for the week) Stephanie assigned us a weekend project. It was to make a 'wish jar'. She said she got the idea from Keri Smith and thought it would be a great project for this course.

All we had to do, was get or make some sort of container. It could be a jar or a box or any vessel to hold scraps of paper in which we would write down our  wishes/goals/dreams. Of course, we could add to our wish container at any time and it would be something we could revisit at any time to remind us of our wishes/goals/dreams.

I, of course, was super excited to have this lovely reason to make something fun and creative.
And I even have a fun story to share with you as a result...

About two months ago I purchased this really cool jar a thrift shop for $3.00. I love this jar. Here is a pic:

I think it is super cool and I thought I would use it for my 'wish jar'. 
Then, on Friday, I stopped at another thrift shop, a thrift shop all the way across town from me (but it is just down the street from my daughter's apartment...) and here I saw another very cute jar/vase. It was a round glass vase and had cute daisies painted on it. It was only $1.99 but I decided not to get it, well, because I didn't need it and I figured I would use the cool jar I already had. Needless to say, when I arrived home on Friday night and began to gather my materials for my wish jar project, I took all of the candy out of the jar pictured above and set it at my art table. I was thinking about my wishes and how I wanted to make my art and fill my jar and suddenly I knew I COULD NOT USE THIS JAR! It had a lid!! I realized I could not have and did not want my wishes to be contained! I did not want to keep a lid on my dreams! My wishes needed to be able to go out into the Universe! They needed air and flow! I called my daughter immediately and asked her to go to that thrift shop and find that vase and bring it to me on Sunday (she was coming over to get a manicure and do laundry, so I figured it was a fair trade!) So Saturday morning she went and found it (I guided her over the phone) and here it is...
I call it my Wish-Full jar! It is Wonder-Full and I am so Great-Full!
                               

I am happy. Just looking at it makes me feel that all my wishes will come true! Silly? Maybe. But I don't think so! Here is a peek at the 'wish-full stones' I made...

It is a great project and exercise. If you are inclined you should try to make one for yourself...as I placed each stone inside, I held it and read it out loud. I could actually visualize each wish coming true. It was a very gratifying feeling. Thank you Stephanie and the 'team' you have put together for the wonderful inspiration, ideas and motivation. Yay for wishing and dreaming!

xokp

in my journal today...

This is my second completed journal page for the Creative Courage e-course I am taking. This has been a good question to answer. It is nice to say nice things about yourself! You should try it! xokp

Creative Courage

Well, in a nutshell, I am on another quest. A quest for more knowledge. Knowledge about myself and just general, all around, I-wanna- know-more knowledge. Going back to school at age 41 (and graduating at 45) was great. But there is still so much more I want to know. Of course, I have ulterior motives too. I want to DO something with all of this stuff I am learning. I feel I am at a definite turning point in my life. I finally feel that I have something to offer. I no longer feel like I am an imposter and that at any moment someone may find out I am not really an artist and turn me in to the art police. After all of these years and experiences and education, I am really figuring out what I want to be when I grow up and what truly makes me happy. I am not all the way there yet but I am on the verge. I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas. I know good times are coming and I know there will be surprises, I get excited when I think about it but it seems like it is still so far away! That's okay though. I am enjoying the anticipation and the process.

I recently signed up to participate in my first e-course. It is called Creative Courage and is being run by the wildly talented Stephanie Levy. I am really excited about this class. when I first heard about it, just the name of the workshop was enough to intrigue me. As many of you may remember, my artist statement had a lot to do with the word 'courage' and that word has held a lot of meaning for me this past year. I intended on getting a tattoo of the word courage on my wrist when i graduated, but so far I have not actually had it inked! Anyway, I do digress! 
The Creative Courage workshop is all about taking your creative business to the next level and working to make these things happen. Just what I need right now. Our first 'exercise' was to do a bit of homework by answering some questions on paper. The first question was, " Why are you here?" Well, I am not sure if the question posed meant, Why are you here? -meaning, here in this workshop or Why are you here? - meaning, here on this planet, living this life. I figured, either way, the answers would pretty much be the same!

More about my Creative Courage endeavors coming soon, for now I will leave you with my answers...

xokp

more kitty paintings...

I hope you are all not too tired of hearing about Arty the Cat.  As many of you know I am doing paintings for everyone who donated toward helping me with his neuter and his vet bill! I still have quite a few to go, because So many people were so kind and generous. Although I did not take 'custom" orders for the paintings, I have asked people to share their likes and preferences so that I could make them something that would be special to them. I did not want to paint a cat picture for a dog lover, ya know? Anyway , I did not need my friend Carrie, to tell me that she loves cats and has a houseful :) she is an advocate for spay and neuter and she rescues many cats and kittens. She is a "kitty angel"! I made this one for her...I hope she likes it. And I hope you do too!

p.s. Art is doing wonderfully and is one very happy house cat!

xokp

* prints of some of my 'kitty fund paintings' are available here http://www.etsy.com/listing/82456982/house-warming-print-from-my-original for just $5.00!

thank you meow-y much

Just want to say thank you again, to all of you for your contributions to my 'kitty fund". Some of you gave a bit of money, some of you gave things, like flea medication and some gave good thoughts and well wishes! I appreciate it all and so does Arty! He is doing well and seems to be very grateful! He is super sweet and loves to be petted and talked to. He especially loves being inside when it is raining and getting regular meals! I am working on getting him fattened up a bit. He is still pretty thin but his coat is much shinier and his eyes are clear. He purrs a lot :)
Here is one of the first paintings to go out as my thank you gift for any financial contribution....I will show more of the paintings as I complete them !

xokp

dream home

We were able to give the "outdoor kitty" a home, thanks to so many of YOU! His name is no longer,
"Outdoor Kitty" but now "Arty".  He is inside now and recuperating nicely. I will see to it that he gets a lot of love and plenty to eat. He is really sweet and seems very content.
I will continue to keep you updated and post photos. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart.

xokp

P.S. Please spay and neuter your animals!!

Outdoor Kitty

This is a picture of the cat that has been visiting my backyard since early this summer. He was so scrawny and sad. He began to visit more and more often...and I , of course, began to feed him. He was (is) awfully skinny and dirty and for the longest time he would run away when he saw me coming. But slowly, slowly, he began to stick around and soon he was coming up to me wanting to be petted and scratched. Now he lives in my back yard all of the time and he waits for me to come and feed him and pet him. He meows constantly and circles my feet and wants to be loved and he wants to come inside....I cannot have him come in yet, as I have two other kitties to consider. I do not know if "O.K." (outdoor kitty) is sick and  I am sure he has fleas and who knows what else? I do know he has not been neutered. I desperately want to take him and have him fixed and checked out and cleaned up. And then I would be so thrilled to give him a loving, safe home. My problem is, that while I can get him neutered for almost free, the other needs will cost a bit of money that I do not have...so I am starting a fund and trying to raise approximately $250.00. I am asking for YOUR donations! If you donate ANY amount, I will make you a 5x7 original painting! Any amount at all. If you can donate $1, $5, or $100 it does not matter. I have added a paypal donate button up at the left corner of this blog. Once you make your donation, just email me your mailing address and let me know if you are a dog or cat lover and I will paint you an original  watercolor painting!  It is win-win! I thank you from the bottom of my heart and so will my outdoor kitty :)

xokp

sunny side up

The weather has been beautiful here the past couple of days. Could not ask for anything better than bright, warm, clear skies during the day and cool, crisp nights. Have had the a/c turned off, which is great! Anyway, I am thankful to have some nice weather and I hope it holds out a while. The one thing that makes me sad about summer's end is, the days get shorter....I want to savor Autumn. I hope it is beautiful wherever YOU are too.

xokp

happiness is...

I decided that while I am trying to figure out where my muse went and exactly what it is I want to be when I grow up, that I would just draw and paint things that make me happy. Happiness is...new art supplies. Tomorrow maybe I will paint chocolate ;)

xokp

note to self.

I am still going with the flow. Even when I feel that I am in a huge creative funk and have lost my mojo, I still manage to find a way to channel my spirit and have fun with paper, ink and paint! I may not be creating the masterpieces that I envision. But honestly, it is okay. I am thankful everyday for the gifts in my life...but sometimes I need to remind myself that I am on the right track and if I get derailed, well, just get back on and keep chugging along! 

xokp

a plentiful crop

I was thinking a lot about love when I painted this. The thing about love is, the more you give the more you get and the more it grows. You can plant it year 'round and it is always in season.....

xokp

someone else's shoes...

                                                   if you could walk a mile in my shoes
                                                   and i could walk in yours
                                                   then you would probably smile at me
                                                   and I would smile at you too
                                                   instead of whispering behind each others back
                                                   if you could walk in my shoes
                                                   and i walked a mile in yours
                                                   maybe you would help me up
                                                   instead of pushing me down
                                                   and i would hold my hand out to you
                                                   to grasp you when you fall
                                                   instead of watching you go to the ground
                                                   if i walked a mile in your shoes
                                                   and you could walk in mine
                                                   possibly we could walk a mile together
                                                   and talk about things

                                                                                                                                                                                      poem & art © kristen powers 2011
xokp

a little peace

a little peace 

I think it is fascinating how making art and the act of creating something from the heart really brings out what we are feeling inside and somehow gives us just what we need. Most of the time when I sit down to draw, I do not have a specific idea in mind. Often, I have many ideas churning around in my head. Ideas that sometimes have been jotted down on a scrap of paper or quickly sketched somewhere on a random napkin, in my ipad or whatever I could get my hands on at the moment of conception... But then, usually, when I have the time to really create and I sit down with paper and paint, it is mostly not with something specific in mind. It is with a hundred ideas bubbling and somehow the one, most ripe, comes to the surface. It is pretty much, the way I have always done things. I do wish I was more focused and  I could actually create a more cohesive body of work ( I am trying, really.) But I do know this intuitive, random act of creating, somehow helps me to sort things out. I feel it is a way to feed my spirit and let out what ails me in a good and healthy way. I was feeling very frustrated and upset with life when this came spilling out onto the page. I am not sure how something so sweet and calm came out of me when I was feeling quite down, but she arrived on the page and just looking at her made me feel better. Honestly, all I needed was a little peace. xokp

yellow house #12

Yellow House #12 is the name of my newest art demonstration video... I hope you will watch it when you have a spare 4 minutes! Thank you to Adam West for the great videography and editing. Fun music by Snooky Pryor! As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome and appreciated :)

xo kp

no place like...

It is true. There really is no place like home. I love being home more than anyplace else. It holds my family and my art studio and all that is dear to me. Don't get me wrong, I long to travel and I like to be out and about and do different 'out and about stuff'. But ultimately, home always feels so good. I like to paint houses and my houses, like my hair, always seem to come out colorful and happy. I painted a few of these rainbow row houses a while back and decided to revisit this little series. I made a postcard size one with the letters H O M E, well, because I thought it would be cute. And, by gosh, I was right! hope you think so too!

xokp

Whale of a Watercolor

My first art video! Please comment & subscribe!

going abstract

I have been playing with watercolor. Again. Trying my hand at some abstracts. I, of course, love color and pattern and so I thought I would play simply with those two things without fretting over if an image looks the way "it should". I have been having a lot of fun and am hoping to turn these paintings into a line of fabric. Even if they don't end up on fabric, I still plan on framing them into a little series and selling them as a complete set...we will see. It takes time for things to get from the drawing board to the next stages, whatever the next stage(s) may be. Anyway I wanted to post them here and see what you all think!

hope your day is filled with color!
xokp

Kae Pea

Kae Pea. Say it phonetically, it is K.P. (short for, you guessed it, Kristen Powers!)
That is my new name. Or at least my new 'art name'. I have decided to go by this for various reasons, mostly because I want to streamline all of my online stuff and i like the way it looks visually. So from now on you will see my work signed like this:

I am excited by this new change and look forward to the next few months creating a new online presence. I hope you will check in with me to see the new work and projects I will be offering this year and into 2012!
In the meantime, I am also working and teaching at Wood Icing Gallery & Studio in the Chesterfield Mall. I work every Monday and one weekend per month. I will be teaching a whole lotta workshops both project and technique based. ALSO offering a FREE art demo every Monday afternoon! So PLEASE stop in and say hi and art around for a while!

hope to see you soon! xokp

dreaming in color...

I have been dreaming a lot lately. Maybe that is why all my girls seem to have rainbow hair....
I am not really sure why this image keeps coming to me, but lately I have just been painting or drawing what comes out. I figure this is the best way to get to what it is that I want to say. I just have decided to encourage my voice to emerge in its own due time....anyway, here she is and i must say, that is a good hair day!! xokp

This is what I painted today...

I call her "flora"...

xo
kp

a few paintings and some babbling...

I painted these girls today. Inspiration just came over me as I was looking at some old clippings from fashion magazines. I am not sure why I saved these particular images, they were just ads from a year old Glamour that I have saved for quite some time...I am still not exactly sure why I decide to paint what I paint. Even after four years of 'art school' and many years before that of 'life school', I still am searching for my 'niche'. I am not complaining. I like what I do, most of the time and even when I feel my muse is not at my side, I never lack ideas or drive to make with my heart and my hands. I do wish, however, that I could focus a bit more and be more decisive about what I want to say and how to go about saying it with my art. Does that make sense or am I just babbling? LOL
Anyway, for now I will quit going on and on and just share these! I intend on making them into little prints.What do you think?

 thank you from the bottom of my art. xo kp

courage

I love the word courage. It has a lot of meaning to me in regard to my life. For anyone who really knows me, knows I am a big scaredy-cat and that I have to MAKE myself do many of the things I am afraid of.
In fact, this is one of my favorite quotes, "I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life and I've never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do." (-Georgia O'Keeffe).

I think painting  and art making takes courage. Those first marks onto your pristine, clean surface takes a bit of bravery. Then as you progress through it all and your marks begin to take shape, it takes all you can muster sometimes to not give up, to work through all the parts that are unknown or that you may not like very much. And, finally, to show your work to the world. Well that can be really intimidating. I am not saying that being an artist is the scariest thing in the world...only that it takes courage to be true to yourself, to reveal yourself and to do it everyday again and again. Lots of things in life take a brave heart...I hope you find the strength and courage within you to do what you love and, not follow, but CHASE your dreams! xokp

in my dreams...

 In my dreams , I have rainbow hair...

x's & o's kp

The end and new beginnings...

Okay, so I finished school and now what? A lot of people ask, "What are you going to do now?" Well, I am pretty much going to be doing what I have been doing all along, minus the going to classes part! I am so very excited about all the things I finally hope to put all together! I have wanted to focus on my blog and on-line business and start to do some shows and teach workshops again and I finally feel that I am going to be able to start tackling some of those projects! My head is just full of ideas and i have made about 100 lists!! All of these things take time so I hope you will check in every now and then to see my progress and give me your input. As always, I thank you form the bottom of my art!

*i leave you with this watercolor illustration i did....now available as a print on Etsy!

xokp

Monna Vanna Arta a Beautiful Muse

As you all probably know (since I have been mostly neglectful of my blogging and when I am not it is all I have talked about)- I am finished with school ! I am in the process of trying to regroup and figure out how I want to proceed. Of course, I want to make a living with my artwork, but that is such a broad definition. I mean, there are so many roads leading from the sign that says, "art". Right now I want to focus on my on-line stuff and getting classes formed so I can begin to teach classes and workshops. All of this is a bit overwhelming since it involves so much time and time is always the one thing I am short on! A lot of people have said, "Oh you will have so much more time now that you are done with school." That would seem true but amazingly has not been the case so far! I think once the kids get out of school it will free me up a bit more to concentrate my efforts on the projects I really want to tackle. In the meantime I continue to paint what inspires me and my online shop looks a little crazy with its mish mosh of items and artwork. Soon it will all have a cohesive and consistent look...I am getting there a tiny, baby step at a time! I leave you today with Monna Vanna Arta-a Beautiful Muse, I painted her when challenged to take Rossetti's Monna Vanna and paint my own interpretation (thank you for the challenge Gritty Jane).

Rossetti's Monna Vanna 1866

My Monna Vanna Arta- A Beautiful Muse 2011

thank you from the bottom of my art!
kp

I did it!!

I finally made it. After four long, challenging years, I finally made it! I graduated yesterday from Maryville University with my Bachelors of Fine Arts in Studio Art. I went back to school when I was 41 and my three children were 19, 6 and 5. My 19 year old was away at college herself and my husband had just started back to get his Masters Degree.  I really don't know what I was thinking LOL! All I know is that I felt I needed to do something in my life that was ONLY for me and all about me. Something that made me feel like I was accomplishing a goal of my own. Something not for my husband or kids or anyone else. Not in a selfish way though, because in another way it was FOR my kids. I wanted to be smarter and set a good example for them too. I am so glad that I did. There were tough times, times I felt like giving up or at least taking a break...but I didn't. I kept going. One foot in front of the other, one paper, one project, one day at a time. And ultimately, the time just flew by! I am very happy this Mother' s Day, I know my mom and pop are smiling down on me and their lessons and love and memory have helped me and inspired me to achieve this wonderful dream. I am grateful for my mom and grateful to BE a mom...and now a mom with a college degree!!
*thank you from the bottom of my art
kp

5 days and counting...

I am getting ready for my show in 5 days!!! I am finished with all of the art for the show, so have just been playing and practicing my water-coloring. I painted Frida tonight, just because I have been wanting to. I am enjoying painting just for fun and not worrying about the show anymore. After graduation I will go about getting back to business, but in the meantime I am just going to try and enjoy myself for the next couple of weeks. No stress.
Here is my Frida....what do you think?

thanks from the bottom of my art,  kristen

The Blah in Blog...

I have said it before and I will say it again. "I am a bad blogger." :( Oh the Guilt!!! seriously, I have the best of intentions and I honestly cannot believe how quick the days speed past...
My upcoming show has pretty much, my complete attention and everything I do and think about seems to be about the show and graduating. I have some really exciting plans for after graduation! I hope you will continue to check back in and see what I have in store :)
In the meantime, if you are my FB friend, then you know I am creating a large piece for my show, titled
going around in circles. It is made up of 49 4 x4 inch studio boards with nothing in common except that each one has a circle or circles....here is one of my new favorites. ( i will post more in days to come and also post a pic of the final piece when it is hung.)

thank you from the bottom of my art! kp

Ode to Gustav

Gustave Klimt is definitely one of my all time favorite artists. His use of pattern and color and the way he incorporated both elements with figure and form, is just incredible and, I believe, visionary. I have spent a lot of time studying him. I recently did a critical thought paper on one of his works and fell in love with his art even more. Anyway, I painted my newest watercolor while studying his painting  Adele Bloch-Bauer I.

Here is my Ode to Gustave....

thank you from the bottom of my art,
kp

south city

I finished this painting today! I am so glad I finished it because about halfway through I was overcome with the urge to gesso over the whole thing. I resisted though, because I had already put quite a bit of time into it and I already had gessoed over once! I felt like I should give it a chance and see it through.
I am glad I did because I really love the feel of it now and think it will be a wonderful addition to my show! I am so happy that i was able to listen to my heart and continue with this painting. I hope you like it too!
South City 
18x18 acrylic
on studio board

artfully yours,
xokp

you hold the keys to your dreams...

this is a new piece titled, you hold the keys....it is 8 x 8 watercolor and ink on arches 140 lb
& mounted on cradled studio board.

It is different, as it seems, are all of my works. I think my show shall be called, flights of fancy because I cannot seem to stick to one medium or theme so i think i should just go with it.... what do you think?

artfully yours,
kp

pink flowers for Lea Ann...

I did not paint this one for my show. I, with much sadness, painted it for a lady I barely knew. Her name was Lea Ann. She was the mother of my daughter's very close friend and college room-mate. I did not know Lea Ann well but I was (am) affected very deeply by her passing. I do know her daughter pretty well, but the rest of her family, I only met once at the girl's graduation. I spoke with Lea Ann a few times on the phone and when I finally met her she was such a lovely, warm person. She was the type of person that made you feel like you had been friends for years. I think her death affects me so much because it makes me realize just how unfair and random life is. How can someone so caring, warm and dedicated to her family be taken away at such a young age with so much left to live for? It breaks my heart for her daughters who are just 21 and 23. They are the same age as my oldest daughter. I think about my daughter and I think what it would be like for her to lose me now?  I was 37 when my mom passed away and I feel she was too young and I was still too young to lose my mother. She was and I was. It is just so sad.
I am sorry to post my sad thoughts, but then, it is a part of life. I painted this in memory of Lea Ann, for her family, because I was told that she loved pink flowers. After I painted it I realized just how much losing someone directly affects art. I never really thought about it before, but I realize now how much I paint for my mom and dad. And then I thought, think of all the songs that are written and sung and all of the movies and books written in memory of loved ones....
Death, sadly, for those of us living, is hard and painful. But the love that they gave us, the lessons they taught us and the memories we keep are an inspiration.
This is with much love and prayers for Lea Ann and her entire family. Peace on her journey...

xokp

i've lived a lot of places...

This is my newest piece for my upcoming show. It is a 18 x 18 mixed media collage.
titled I've lived a lot of places...
I hope you like it. Please let me know what you think.

 

thank you from the bottom of my art.
kp

a piece of my heart

I had this idea for quite some time. It took me a while to actually put the puzzle together but with the help of my daughter, I got it done! I then gessoed it all up and finally put it on my easel and painted it! Isn't it funny how when we start a painting, we are afraid of "messing up". That is something I am trying to just get completely out of my head. I mean, seriously, even if I do "mess up" what is the worst that happens? I am learning to embrace what spills out onto the page...

thank you from the bottom of my art!
kp

snow day

We have had a couple of snow days here. Staying in and keeping warm. The kids are loving it, they get to play on their computers and stay in pajamas all day! I worked on the small commission below and felt a bit guilty because that's pretty much all I got done, besides the two naps I took! I really should not be taking any days off at all, as I have a show to get ready for! I am going to start my next two pieces today.
Here is the commission piece...it is 5 x7 acrylic on canvas. I hope she likes it!

 thank you from the bottom of my art.
kp