Patina of time.

"Monuments are anchors in time, Epochs pass, weather erodes, people lose interest. This cannot be helped. But Patina itself is worth appreciating. Patina is the value that age puts on an object. It's what makes an antique... antique. It is experience, maturity, the soft sheen of time. Patina wasn't present at the beginning of a new creation....It comes from a life lived."- John Yemma.

"Patina" Acrylic on 11x14 canvas.

Many years ago I picked up this lone chair at a flea market...It's patina screamed at me...It's sturdy legs and back holding up a variety of people over the years. Everyone that sees it thinks it is ugly, but to me it spoke of a life lived. I tried to imagine the many people that sat upon it, the lives that were lived around it...who was the first person to own it, and who was the first person to paint it white. Age has made it quite beautiful to me...It has it's place in my home and will probably be thrown out as junk when I die. Sadly we live in a throw away society....instead of honoring and preserving our past, we tear it down, shove it aside and just go on our merry way.

But ahh...my little chair holds my cat while I am on the computer, holds my grandaughter when we are drawing, holds books that I am reading...and occasionally holds me...It still speaks of a life lived...

Peace and Blessings....Kat.

Leaving your comfort zone.

"By leaving your comfort zone behind and taking a leap of faith into something new, you find out who you are truly capable of becoming."-Unknown.

Happy Sunday! It has been a reflective day for me...I started my day off with breakfast at my Son's House...He is such a great cook! Then I got into a great conversation with my Daughter-in-law which left me thinking about comfort zones.

w.i.p.

I try to go outside of my comfort zone as much as I can ( you know old Boho gals like me are set in our ways) Who ever said You can't teach an old dog new tricks apparently never left their comfort zone! Whew!

Close up of w.i.p.

Any way this brings me around to my Art...I always start my work by sketching or drawing my subject lightly in pencil then painting it. With this painting I decided I would try something different, get out of my comfort zone and sketch with the paint brush. It felt unnatural at first, but then I started getting into the groove of it! Practice makes perfect...huh? Well I guess I had better get to practicing!

Peace and Blessings...Kat.

"we keep moving forward opening new doors, and doing new things  because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."-Walt Disney.

One day at a time.

"Each day means a new twenty-four hours, each day means everything is possible again. You live in the moment, you die in the moment. You live in the light, you die in the light. You take it all one day at a time." Unknown author.

I am so intoxicated with ideas floating around in my head...daydreams... dreams...goals...letting myself wander a bit. Trying to do away with all the what ifs, the when's the why's and the but's. Trying not to get ahead of myself...but you know the story...It is hard to not think about the things for next week, next month, or next year!

When I was sweet sixteen, my Mother(God love her) gave me this piece of advice along with a key ring engraved with the same words...

One day at a time!

After all of these years I still have my keys on that key ring, and every time I look at it or pick it up it reminds me of her and that great advice. Live for today.

yesterday is gone...tomorrow has not arrived...Yes I have today!

I had better get busy...

I come from strong women

"I believe in strong women. I believe in the woman who is able to stand up for herself. I believe in the woman who doesn't have to hide behind someones back. I believe that if you have problems, as a woman you deal with them, you don't play victim, you don't make yourself look pitiful, you don't point fingers...you stand and you deal. You face the world with a head held high and you carry the universe in your heart."  C.Joybell C.

I was doing a series of paintings called 'I come from strong women' and this is one of the paintings. Acrylic on 16x20 canvas.

This theme brought to mind my two best friends...both Artists and both strong women. I had the pleasure of spending last Saturday evening with them....We shared a wonderful meal...we talked...we laughed...we cried...and then we painted! Was so good for the soul! What a great evening just...being who we are...Strong Women...

Throw yourself

"The only way we can live, is if we grow. The only way that we can grow, is if we change.The only way we can change is if we learn. The only way we can learn is if we are exposed. And the only way that we can become exposed, is if we throw ourselves out into the open. Do it throw yourself...-C. Joybell C.

"As the crow flies....so will I." (self portrait)

(sorry about the glare..paint is still wet.)

This quote hits home with me...For so long I have been afraid to really throw myself out in the open. Am I the only one that feels that way? I started out painting on rocks! The more I paint...the more I want to paint. I love this art journey and learning experience, art is teaching me more about myself than I ever realized was possible.

Make Art...

Blessings and Peace

Free on the Inside

I started this picture of my Brother, who at present is serving time in prison for drinking and driving. I sketched from a photo that he sent me. This first pic, I kept having to redo his mouth and nose (in pencil) having to rework it about 5 times, so I got frustrated...then drew it in pastel pencil....making his lips red...and looking like the joker!...Whew! 

Starting to do some underpainting..

Starting to put in some tattoos. He has many and they are too complex to add....so I just placed color in the general vicinity.

This is what I have so far...Still have to add more color and do more blending. One of my good friends and artist says.."you just got to know when your licked and walk away from the painting." I've got a hard head though...LOL!

"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned in life: It goes on."-Robert Frost.

Playing with oil

I decided to paint this little girl, looking around a tree in amazement, and I have played around with the oils and the canvas not knowing where it would lead me.

Then I added this...It is so much fun to create! 

I decided to stop with this layer, and I am calling it...ooh I do believe.

Got to head off to bed now, work tomorrow!

No Child but must remember laying his head in the grass, staring into the infintesimal forest and seeing it grow  populous with fairy armies....Robert Louis Stevenson.

A day well spent....

Another snow day from work! Ugg!! But I got to share it with my youngest grandaughter...We had a very Artful day....She loves art and at 7 is showing lots of promise! I know when she gets older she will lovingly reflect on the snow day of her seventh year spent with her "G".

I Love this piece I am working on....it is based on my niece....but it is giving me fits!

close up of her face

I may just have to work on something else then go back to her.

"I am not a teacher, but an awakener"

Robert Frost

Dream Waking

Dream Waking!

Imagine..waking from a dream...sitting on the edge of your bed and thinking about what your dream was about or trying to remember.

I call this "Dream waking."

This painting was inspired by just that very thing!

Dream Waking

16x20

Oil on archival canvas paper

Without leaps of imagination or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities.

Dreaming after all is a form of planning.....Gloria Steinem