Happy New Year, I Think It's Going To Be A Good One

Before I let this New Year get away from me I thought I should update everyone. It's a bit of a ramble so if you're not into self-reflection, close this email now and save yourself.

Last year was a bit of a bummer. I have been blessed with the ability to see good in most things and it was a real challenge for just about the whole year. I am always of the opinion that in every difficult thing there are things to be learned and things to be thankful for and challenges should always give us the opportunity to change our perspective - maybe we just aren't perceiving things in the correct way; maybe we're just not "getting it." Certainly we have to be open to the idea that we could just be 'wrong' sometimes - because really, we don't get to be 'right' all the time. It just doesn't work that way.

Anyway --- I spent the year trying to figure things out, trying to find work, trying to be artistic in whatever way came to me. There were some successes, some things that worked and some things that didn't - and there were even some things that worked that I didn't really want to but I'm grateful for what I learned, I think. I found out a lot about me. It was a struggle, I was broke, I had to streamline, I had to ask for help, my dog died, and after sending out what seemed like a zillion resumes (complete with attached embarrassingly good recommendations) I got less than a handful of replies. What the heck was wrong with me? Am I too old, too fat, too forward, too bossy? They couldn't possibly know these things without actually meeting me so I was perplexed.

In this I have found that it's a bit of a challenge to handle everything, every situation with grace, but I must. At the same time I must be grateful for every trial because it brings me to the realization that I'm made of strength and fortitude, kindness and compassion but at the same time I'm pretty much a no 'baloney' zone. Do not take my kindness for weakness. I have talents that I love and while I was wondering if I would ever find work that would use those I was also aware that I wasn't getting called for ANY of the office skills that I have either. So why not wait for the stuff I love? Not that there was much choice anyway.

Not knowing the future and then with the loss of our PERFECT FAMILY DOG, BEST GIRL EVER, the year seemed like it really punched me in the gut......BUT... we don't get to choose what happens around us. Things around us are always going to be out of our control for the most part.....all I can do is choose how graceful I will embrace life's circumstances and how I will allow it to affect me.

On to the new year........we've had a new puppy, Rosie, for about three weeks. She's certainly not the best dog ever yet......because she's basically an insane chewing, biting, pottying monster, but she's got potential and when she settles down she can be really sweet.        

I've been hired by a tutoring outfit out of Fresno to tutor reading/literacy and to oversee the tutors in our area and handle the administrative paperwork. Forty students in our area will receive this service in an effort to bring them up one whole grade level before the end of this school year. 

I've got a community education class that I'll be teaching - Fun with Ceramic Clay, that will be offered on Tuesday evenings for adults, and in the next session there will be two back to back clay classes for youth.

AND - I've been booked for several children's art classes by the Stanislaus Arts Council - one of the classes will be to teach Van Gogh to 100 first graders!  Not all at the same time, but I cannot wait to see the results of that class...... and Picasso to four classes of third graders. I'm over the moon!

I'm going to try to work in a couple of mornings a month to volunteer at our local library and maybe the McHenry Mansion gift store.

So.... I made it through the year and I'm looking forward to this new year that is just teeming with new prospects, new ideas, new things to challenge me. I was blessed to have found so very much love and support from my family and friends this past year, and from people I don't even know - that it really kept me uplifted while I tried my hand at many things.

Life is full and I am blessed.

More later.

K

Merry Christmas .......

No Painting Today

 For those who know us, it is a sad, sad day at our house. We've just lost the Best Dog EVER......our beloved family friend, always with a smile on her face. She was beautiful, intimidating to those who didn't know her, and a 100 lb lap dog to us. She walked with my husband through some of his most difficult times, played hide and seek at the park, and would play tag with Gabe. We are ever grateful for the time she got to spend with us and we lost her much too soon. She was never "just a dog," she was part of our family and we will mourn her loss.

K

A Painting A Day.....Gratitude

Blessings are all around and for that I am ever grateful.

K

The Girls giving thanks.

And then there are the Dancing Queens at the barr.

A Painting A Day - Girls Gone Wild!

I don't know quite what to name these girls. When I started my first thought was Black Friday and the little hens are running to hit the stores early....but I have no reference to stores in the drawing.......so now they're just busy little hens running around, wildly, like hens do. I added the little cape, the purses, and coins aflying just for fun. It's not like I don't have 10 other things to be doing but these chicks just would not stop talking until I finished them. Sheesh...... oh.....and look..... they had a pedicure before they went out. They're SO funny!

It's fun to try a challenge - I didn't know that I could even draw a chicken until one of my sisters asked me to do a rooster. They're a little whimsical, a little funny sort of cartoony bit of fun. I think I'm leaning toward "Girls Gone Wild." What do you think?

The piece is 7 x 12 inches and will need to have a mat custom cut before framing.  More later.   ~K

Waiting on Thanksgiving.......and a little art

 

















My sister wanted a drawing of a rooster so I did these.......and of course there's things we both really like about BOTH of them......now I want to do another couple of them just to see how different they come out.  A little charcoal sketch, some water color and then a once over with black ink to accentuate a little bit and we're in the barn yard.
We think they're girl roosters - even though I know that THAT isn't right.  Anyway - HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

K

Two New Things

I'm trying to discipline myself. I'll post a little more often, and talk less! I won't get behind and I won't take up a bunch of your time. It's Show-and-Tell with less commentary. If you're interested in a piece please don't hesitate to message me at DreamrKate@yahoo.com.


Two things - 1)   A New Street in Town, a new clay piece for sale. It's about 8 inches long, 5 inches high.

2) Fabric patch or Tiny Art Quilt? You can frame it or wear it. You decide. The piece is sewn to a 7.5 inch square piece of lovely, nubby muslin. The patch itself is 4.5 x 5.5 inches.

Thanks for looking.

K

Art of the Day - or the last few anyway

A few years ago I became really interested in art quilts. I had some time and sat down with my sewing machine and a pile of pieces and came up with several fun pieces. This is one of them. It sat, neglected, for the last couple of years and I've recently picked it back up to add embellishment. The piece is 29" x 21". I think it's going to be really nice when I'm finished.

Above is the whole piece. Below are close-ups showing the French knots and beads I've been adding to the vines and the sky.
It's a nice change from the other things I've been doing. Hand work is always relaxing to me. When I've finished embellishing this piece I'll add  strips of solid color and a hanging sleeve so it will probably be a wall hanging.

That's all for now.

K

Keeping Busy - If It's Not One Thing, Certainly It Will Be Another

On to the sharing. I'll be putting these things up on Etsy soon.

This is a tiny dish, 3 inches only. It's perfectly suitable for rings or other tiny treasures. Fired twice with a blue stain and clear glaze that makes it dishwasher and food safe. I would suppose you could put tiny cupcakes in
here.....but why? Great stocking stuffer!

$8, tiny LOVE dish.

These are my two blocks.. one seems more city the other seems a little more suburban. The top street is about 12 inches long, and almost 5 inches high at the tallest building.

$35, foot long city block.

 The next one is a road. It heads out to the woods as you can see by the growing number of trees and quaint small houses. Both are glazed once to bisque 04, and then underglazed, glazed and fired again. I think the next ones I do I'll give street names... like Prosperity Drive.... or Hope Road .... and Happiness Circle. Yes.

I think I like those names. Check back.

$30, road to the woods.

I've Been A Bit AWOL

It's not that I've not been painting because I sure have, in fact, I'll show you a few pieces of what I've been doing. T-shirts of different varieties have consumed my time and it's been fun, but I think I'm starting to wind out of that and back to working on paper and canvas. Painting on fabric is a bit more tedious because the paint really needs to be "in" the fabric and you lose some of the freedom that you have with painting on a regular surface. So... there's a season for everything. This one may be slowing down.

Here are some things I've been working on and some pieces that are for sale and may or may not be going with me to the Art &Wine Festival this Saturday in Modesto. Email me at DreamrKate@yahoo.com for purchase information.

This is a 4x10" watercolor in a glass clip frame.

And this is a

4x10" watercolor,

again, in a glass clip

frame.

This - same thing, different picture.

I love these glass frames. They're very different and add just a little bit of a pop to a shelf or a small wall.

Another 4x10" watercolor, 140 lb paper, glass frame. These will be for sale for $18 each. They're perfect gifts - the flowers that stay fresh forever! How perfect is that?  And they aren't JUST watercolors, they're watercolor, ink and oil pastels. Just so you know.

So.... here are a couple of watercolors that I just love.  They reminded me of ballerinas for some reason....

The paintings are 5x7" in 8x10" mats - which means you would want to get a frame that accomodates an 8x10" picture. I would have made them bigger on the page but for some reason when I do that everything gets out of whack.  These will be for sale at $25 each.

And last - are a few pictures of the t-shirts that I've been having fun painting.  No time for the ceramics right now but I'll post those after they've had their kiln time.

Last, and certainly not least - one of my favorite kids shirts.  Thank you so much for looking!

Kate