pARTY on!

the bee holder 6 x 6 mixed media on clay board © kae pea 2012

I had heard of Paint Party Friday. My friend, artist Mary Nasser, told me about it. I am also fb friends with co-host  Kristin Dudish and quite a few of the weekly participants. But, still I drug my feet about getting involved. You know how it is. So many commitments and time constraints....but then I could not stand it as I began to see all of the wonderful art and creativity being shared! I just decided to jump in on the very last day of the first year! (Leave it to me!) Anyway, I want to share here my latest painting with you. It is very different for me and was brought about by my recent 24 hour painting jam session. I feel my artistic voice becoming clearer and stronger and my vision about my art truly beginning to emerge. I am very excited by this and hope you will continue to check back in to see where this leads! Like, every Friday maybe? 

live artfully,
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

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

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

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

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

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

pieces of me

I have decided on a theme for my show.  Patchwork.  This word, this concept,  has a lot of meaning for me. It goes back to the 1970's, my mom and dad had a band - a rock/top 40 musical group. They played the Northern California nightclubs and were somewhat of a local hit. My mom managed the group and my dad was the guitar player. She named them Patchwork Music Company.  I was just a little kid but I remember them rehearsing and jamming in our living room and my mom pouring her blood, sweat and tears into that band. Many years later, she wrote a poem for me that my dad read at my wedding. I don't have a copy of it here now, but it was about how life is a patchwork and we are pieces that come together to make a whole, how sometimes we are torn and mended again, and how the patterns of our lives our intertwined to make something comforting and beautiful. The idea of the patchwork, not only, suits my artwork and style, it honors my mom and her memory. I know she has been with me all through this journey, helping me to piece it all together....

first painting for my senior show

State of Grace

My love for imagery of Mary came from my mom. She had many statues and pictures of her, even though we were not Catholic. I don't think you have to be of any religious affiliation to love and appreciate her beauty. I now have many of the pieces that belonged to my mom. I love and cherish each one and find comfort in having them in my home and especially in my work space. I decided I would paint Mary in my own way. My first attempt was okay but it was not really what I was after. So, I re-worked it until I was satisfied. Here is both versions...

1st version 

I am happier with my re-worked version. I feel it is more "me" and is also closer to what I imagined in my mind as I began. It is 6 x 12 mixed media collage and acrylic on canvas.

Happy New Year. I hope that it is filled with Grace.
artfully yours,
kristen

not what I "should" be doing...

Don't know why I do what I do. Sometimes  (most times) there is no rhyme or reason. I have about 10 things I should be doing, but instead I pulled out this old painting and have begun to completely re-work it. I am just really into experimenting with different mediums, surfaces and subjects. It seems I am still searching to find my voice...or maybe I should say voices? LOL

Anyway this is what's on my drawing board today...

in progress...

close up

 happy day! artfully yours, kristen