the year long color journal RR is almost over

only one more month left. here is my contribution to this months journal:

Attention All Big Hearted Artists and Friends

One of my online friends, Sara Hopp, who owns the quite fabulous online shope 'Manto Fev' has just learned her husband has a brain tumor, The medical expenses for his diagnosis, tests, surgery, etc are big and ongoing right now.

There is a raffle in the planning stages to donate money for these rapidly accrueing medical expenses. If you'd like to donate or for more information, you can read about it here:

wishing you all a beautiful day!
xox
katie

Hey Art Festers

although i'm not attending this year
i'm driving up to port townsend for vendor's night
laurie mika is vending and i'll be there helping her

so i hope you'll all stop by and say 'hi'
i'd love to match up online friends names with faces

the visit

my life has been totally consumed by family the past several days
heather and violet flew back home to san diego yesterday
we had a wonderful laid back visit while they were here
violet learned a new word: dog
she was fascinated by them and daisy and sophie were both on their best behavior
after i got home from driving them to the Seattle airport last night
i felt like i could sleep for a week
it was a satisfied exhastion
i haven't been keeping up with my blogs or anything online so i have some catching up to do
please forgive me if i missed something big and haven't commented
hope you're all doing well :-)
xox
katie

here are a few pictures from our visit.....

Thursday

I spent the morning painting - another in my series. I'm feeling great satisfaction working on these pieces, they pull me into the great mystery. now on to physical reality like vacuuming, cleaning, and capturing and all the dust bunnies hopping about my floors...

Wednesday

Took some art time
the best part of the day for sure
here's my next in the series i'm doing on connections...

In My Bliss

I talked with a friend on the phone this morning; she read me a poem by Rumi. As she read, i got a clear image that I felt compelled to paint. I spent much of the afternoon trying to capture the essence of the image - here is my attempt and I'm not at all satisfied with it but it was a good first try...i have a feeling it may be a series in order for me to get it right. It's entitled "We are always connected to the Beloved"

Encaustics

Yesterday I had an all day encaustics workshop with Susan Sweetwater at the Collective Visions Gallery. She is not only a talented artist but wonderful teacher as well. The first couple hours were spent on an overview, history and safety procedures then we cut loose and played all afternoon.

I feel like I'm newly in love - the process intrigued me and the results surprised and delighted me. I imagined I might feel like a fish out of water in a process where I couldn't use acrylic paint in my work but I didn't even miss them.

Here are the two play pieces I did in the afternoon - both are on plywood. The first is a combination of a watercolor/collage base, seeds, and encaustic; and the smaller one is collaged papers and horse hair fibers that were given to me by one of my dearest friends who lives in Chile. When I get my encaustic studio set up, I'll be do more work on each of them but I thought they were fun beginnings.

My website is up and running

i put in several hours on it, still several more go as i need transfer my artwork from my picture trail site, to compose my artist statement and bio, as well as put up links to some of my favorite artists/sites. if you'd like to trade, let me know. the site is: www.katiekendrick.com
I'm going to keep my picture trail but put my newest work will be on my website.

The weather is turning cold here in the puget sound region...we're getting some temps in the 20's and they predict teens...cold for around here.

Walter bought a handy new wagon and took the girls and i for a spin in it this afternoon....aren't they just the sweetest pooches in the world?!

I sent off my journal for the art erratica RR today as well as packaging up several orders of kimono fabrics. Tomorrow after I scan the last spread in Stacie's journal, i'll get it in the mail to Lelainia. I'm really enjoying working in this project - love the group of women, so talented, kind, and sharing - what better combination.

A good friend that owns a small company wants to print some of my artwork on cloth (she's got a fancy smacy high end epson with durabrite inks) - the market is the quilters/sewers; i'd get a commission on each image. i'm not sure how i feel about it, i don't know why. i think i need to just think on it for awhile...i can't think of a downside really - God knows i hate marketing - so maybe this would be a good venue....we'll see.

Found out a have work published in the May issue of Somerset as well as the July Gallery issue, it's the first i've submitted to this publication and i'm happy to have it in there even though i can honestly say it's not my favorite work - but then my favorite stuff wouldn't make it in to such a mainstream magazine i don't believe.
it's nice and i'm happy about it - especially to be able to use it as a reference for my next teaching gig. but in the scheme of things, it's not that big a deal...i just absolutely loVE to create - it is where i experience my strong connection to 'being', the great mystery, and that is truly enough.the rest is icing on the cake.

after the haircut

i drove to tacoma to get my hair trimmed
i don't have enough hair to get a real 'cut'
as i age, it gets thinner and thinner
some of it heredity probably
and some it because of having hasimoto's disease
which is an autoimmune disease of the thyroid
i don't want to go bald
but...some of my friends look pretty darn stunning in
their short crops - you know who you are....
here's a picture of me after the cut

i'm in a silly mood
i'm going to head out to the studio to play

a few things i'd like to share before i go:

trader joes has a very tasty, decent bottle of wine for $5.00
it's called Bear's Lair - 2003, i only drink red
so i've tried the cab and the merlot,
both vErY tasty
i usually get a $15 bottle of wine on sale for $10, (that's what our budget supports
i like a glass every evening)
this Bear's Lair is just as good, mayber better than any in that price-range
i'm going to buy a couple cases for the wedding reception this summer


movies: watched the wedding planner
Walter liked it a lot - i thought it was so-so
it didn't keep my attention very well but was cute
that blond guy actor with the wonderful big nose...
i love him!!

we also watched 'my mother's castle' - a french film
wonderful, beautiful in so many ways

i'm starting the book "crooked little heart' by anne lamott
i liked 'traveling mercies' so i'm expecting i'll like it

i'm reading annie dillard
she's amazing

okay, that's it for now
xoxo
katie

The Ball is Rolling

I have signed up ArtSpan to be the web host for my website...i've graduated from picture trail at last. ArtSpan was recommended by an artist friend on Live Journal who has been very happy with them. I have registered my domain name as well, so soon, you'll also be able to find me at www.katiekendrick.com
Of course i realize this is just the first baby step, i have lots to learn and accomplish before i'm ready for my 'grand opening'.

I've just begun a year long collaborative project with a group of 12 women from the MMCA group - one of my first RR's, which makes it all the more challenging and exciting for me. This month I've been working in the talented Mz Stacie Rife's journal; my inner child insists on being spontaneous and playful here and i've decided to let her have at it. Here are some of the pages i've completed so far - i've got four more to go.
Have a lovely Thursday.

The Red Guitar

The Lost Girl

In Search of Atlantis

I am having professional glicee art prints made of this piece too - it will be in a diptych format - it's at the printer now, so if you're interested shoo me an email.

Mary Full of Grace

I am selling matted giclee art prints of this piece, professionally printed on heavy textured paper. It measures approximately 8" x 10" inside the mat, the price is $50.

Balloons Fly Why Can't I

It's Time to Catch Up

Whew....as hard as I try to be organized and stay on top of my LJ, blog, and picture trail, I continue to fall short with the blog. I will keep trying - i'm thinking perhaps a once a week update will be more doable for me at this time. What i want to share here mainly is my artwork, maybe some about my process, and inspiration. Because i live out in the country in a remote area, i often go for days at a time not seeing anyone except my husband and pets, so my online connections are a way for me to feel connected and inspired by other artists.

I'm off to post some of my most recent artwork....

some artwork

leaving tommorrow morning for san diego so i took a couple hours art time before i start packing - nothing like waiting till the last minute:-)

i finished this piece, a 6" x 6" gallery wrapped canvas, made for a trade (taken!)
The face is enlarged from a Middle Ages painting, I painted over it in areas; the background is my usual telephone book page that's been inked and painted up with acrylic. The edges are painted black with white painted letters and red accents that says: "may all beings everywhere be filled with joy and peace"

Dreams of Wanderlust

Here are 'my girls' - trying to catch a glimse of any trepassers that may be about, like a coyote, neighborhood dog, or most exciting, a C-A-T !!!!

A Couple Little Hams...

The little one on the left is baby Marin - my grandbaby's friend - and the smiley baby on the right is my granddaughter Violet Summer. I'm leaving for San Diego in the morning to visit her, her brother Ethan, and her mom and dad...I'll be there with them for a week, celebrating a late Thanksgiving and an early Christmas as we aren't spending it with them on the actual day this year :-(

I will be rolling balls, kissing toes, making favorite foods and doing the usual grandmotherly things. I am excited and extremely thankful.

I'll be back on the 15th and do an update shortly thereafter.

Summer Songs

We got our first snow in the northwest here yesterday...big wet flakes that didn't stick but where oh so lovely to watch as I sat in the studio and created this piece, a gift for a friend. The words near the bottom say "sing your summer songs"; the hair is made from sewn dried rose petals from last years garden.

They've Come Back

i just took a walk under the clear blue sky
bright sun
poplar leaves crunching underfoot on the path as i walk and dogs run
we planted the trees 20 years ago
the girls were wee ones
we planted young whips
that line our road, face our house
four total
two poplars, the fullest figure one named katie
the lean one, walter
a beautiful full pine in its prime, heather
an elegant whispful fir, darling marissa

i've watched them grow each year
as i've watched us all grow
older, wiser
the life span of the pine and fir
will outlive the poplars
the poplars are showing their age
and they whisper their melodic
secrets to me
in the wind

as i walk under the blue sky
crunching leaves
i hear the familiar call
of my friend
the traveler
the one who sends chills
up and over my skin
when he speaks, calls to me

i look up
circling high in the clear blue
my friend is back
a lone eagle circling
in the sky
again and again
calling as he soars
i'm here
watching
for salmon

i feel blessed
i feel thankful for my life

Happy Thanksgiving to all my online friends - i feel thankful for you ALL!

xoxo
katie

The Final Destination

Sublime

Somewhere

The Gift of Foresight

An Angel's Tear

Secret Garden

I Wonder

Musings of a Robin

Virgin of Grace

Watching

A Myth

Look to the Light

The Stars Will Light Your Path

The Visitor

I'm spending the next several days making artwork to take to the Christmas show Megan Noel has organized in Seattle, as well as sending off 8 pieces to a gallery gift shop so they'll be there for Christmas. I'm having so much fun altering my own photographs...it's so satisfying. I LOVE my new camera, it's a Canon PowerShot S2.

Breathe in the Fragrance

another 4" x 4" altered mixed media photo on canvas board - the photo was a combination of two pictures I took in Mexico.

You are my Hiding-place

is a 4" x 4" mixed media canvas board - an altered photo of a picture I took while in Mexico.

This is the other atc I made entitled 'The Adventure'; the essence of it describes my recent adventure in Mexico.

Priming the Art Pump

I hadn't done any art for a week and I was starting to go a bit crazy because of it. It's sometimes hard for me to break out of the pattern of not doing art thought and I find a disciplined approach is the only thing that works for me. I set myself down last night to do 20 minutes of art play - I assured myself that if after 20 minutes I wasn't having any fun, I could quit. Well, as it always happens the more I played, the more fun I began to have and before you know it I completed two artist trading cards.

This one is called 'Looking Back' and is a combination of multiple layering and painting with golden acrylics and gesso, a vintage photo transfer onto sandwich paper (ala DJ Petitt) with an ArtChix collage image of the little gypsy girl.

Another Assemblage

This is the other assemblage I did while in Mexico; these items i found along the Pozos countryside: the baby shoe, the spoon, the tinfoil/flower, and the plant material, the rest of the elements I brought with me from home.

Back from Mexico

I got back a week ago but picked up a bug so haven't had the energy to blog until now. I'm feeling good again and oh so thankful for health, art, family, friends, and my life.

The workshop in Pozos with Michael DeMeng was fantastic - he is a great teacher!! He mentioned the possiblity of teaching a workshop in Oxaca in 2007 - now that would be an adventure I wouldn't want to pass up! All the students in the class were friendly as well as very talented - i couldn't have asked for a better bunch fellow artistas.

I took almost 500 photos; mostly in Pozos and San Miguel but also a few small side trips. The hotel I stayed at in Pozos (Posada de las Minas) was fantastic.

This is one of the pieces I completed in the workshop.