The Frida Kahlo room at Galerias, Seattle #paradise

You all know, by this time, my obsession with Frida Kahlo.  We ate an amazing birthday dinner at Galerias in the Frida Kahlo room… I would like to spend some more time, please.  OMG.  Here are some tidbits.      Recommended reading: Frida’s Fiestas- recipes and reminiscences of life with Frida Kahlo

Evolution of a Frida Kahlo/Otto Dix study with community input!

I love to watch how pieces that I share with you, to add to, evolve.  Here is a journey of one piece (Frida Kahlo/Otto Dix study) I started awhile back and first allowed people to add to during my March 10th event, the April 3 outdoor art market, then my June 23 event and today I…

Kat’s Drawing Tutorial: Gesture Drawing PART 1- INTRODUCTION #artschool

My favorite drawing technique: GESTURE DRAWING– finding the image in random marks.  Don’t worry if you don’t know what I mean.  In this drawing tutorial, I’ll slowly take you from this: through to finding the form, then enhancing the form and finally decontructing/reconstructing the form. In this introduction, I simply want you to look at…

Woman, I. Brad Fashion as a de Kooning

Even an abstract form has to have a likeness. – Willem de Kooning Recommended: Brad Fashion’s site: SUBSTITUTE FOR LOVE Stevens, M., Swan, A. (2006) de Kooning- An American Master, Alfred A. Knopf: New York, NY

Happy Birthday, Pierre Berton! See my letter from Mr. Berton, 1973! #myhero

Pierre Francis de Marigny Berton (July 12, 1920 – November 30, 2004) Of his forty-seven books, this was Berton’s personal favourite, partly because the characters were inspired by his own children. The Secret World of Og brought the author more fan mail than anything else he wrote – at least a dozen letters a week from children across…

The evolution of a portrait of @RebeccaRaw!

I started this portrait of the INCREDIBLE Rebecca Rawlinson for my June 23rd art event: It was then worked on by attendees the night of the event: We then auctioned it off with proceeds going to the development of my youth program, under the premise that I would later finish it- which I did tonight! [click…

The incredible Linda Fillmore and the @FillmoreFamily!

I have had the pleasure of getting to know Linda Fillmore in the past two months as she was a subject at my art event.  And rightfully so.  What a hero!!!   She does so much for the community. Here’s the portrait of Linda from June 23 (started by me, and finished by the participants):…

Kat’s portrait tutorial PARTS 6 to 8: Final project! #arttherapy

Recall: PART 1: DOODLE WITH RED OR ORANGE Recall: PART 2: DRAW WITH YOUR NON-DOMINANT HAND Recall: PART 3: DRAW WITH YOUR EYES CLOSED Recall: PART 4: EYES, NOSE, MOUTH Recall: PART 5: FULL PAGE, CLOSEUP This project was designed for my drawing workshop at this year’s Savary Island Art Trip for youth (12 young women, 4 female staff and…

Strange books: Der Struwwelpeter by Dr. H. Hoffman #fantastical

Years ago, I found this very old German edition of Der Struwwelpeter originally written in 1845 by Dr. Heinrich Hoffman.  Hoffman was a psychiatrist and this book is about children behaving badly.  I work with youth with severe behavior disorders, so I may have been drawn to this strange view of oppositional defiance.  I believe Struwwelpeter was…

Princess Park. Missing mom.

I love walking in Princess Park. I have so many memories of walking and talking with mom about EVERYTHING, the dog running off -leash, the light streaming through the trees, chantarelle treasures, mom’s favorite bench.  She often came here by herself, to think, to process anxiety. What we have once enjoyed we can never lose….