New York Public Library Top 50 Best New Comics for Adults, 2025 the documented experiences of Joseph O’Dwyer, a young man who was institutionalized at one of Canada’s most notorious historic psychiatric institutions — SALT GREEN DEATH IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE AND TO ORDER AT CONUNDRUM PRESS! My graphic novel, Salt Green Death…
Thank you for holding space for my creative chaos.
Feeling deeply grateful for all the incredible humans I have met, collaborated with, and been supported by in 2025. To all of you, and especially to my endlessly understanding family and friends, thank you for holding space for my creative chaos. Taking some time from the socials to OWL: Observe, Wait, Listen… You can always…
Bean Around Books Bookstore Appreciation Day Dec 6 2025
A day of books, coffee, community and joy! What a delight to present Salt Green Death and to listen to incredible readings by local authors at Bean Around Books today in Maple Ridge BC. Huge thank you to my brother, Fredrik Thorsen, for introducing me to this magical place!
“Maybe some day you can write a book about your adventures.” A letter from Pierre Berton, 1973 #potatonose
A CALL TO ACTION MOMENT In 1973, when a Grade 5 student at Braemar Elementary School in North Vancouver, I wrote to one of my favourite authors, Pierre Berton, about The Secret World of Og. To my astonishment, he wrote back with a warm, generous letter that changed my life. I recall running home for…
30 HOURS TO GO — FINAL PUSH #potatonose
As we head into the last stretch of my Kickstarter, a gentle reminder: Kickstarter is all or nothing. If I don’t reach my goal, the project won’t be funded. And yet, whatever happens, I am profoundly grateful! And if I fall short, please know: your encouragement has already carried me so far. I’m honoured to…
Kickstarter Campaign! Potato Nose: 1977
My new Kickstarter Campaign is now live and runs Oct 24 – Nov 20, 2025 Potato Nose: 1977, the graphic novel A tragicomic memoir of pubescent anxiety and ecstatic delusion “If you read someone else’s diary, you get what you deserve.” ― David Sedaris THE PROJECT I am seeking funding for artist subsistence to begin…
THE ARTIST’S HUSTLE: 54 HOURS TO GO #potatonose
As the Kickstarter campaign for Potato Nose: 1977 enters its final hours, I find myself doing the classic artist’s hustle: sharing, posting, reminding, and hoping I’m not annoying everyone in the process. It can feel uncomfortably narcissistic, especially when the project is based on my own teenage diary. But this campaign was never launched because…
My subway card, 1977, Stockholm #potatonose
Mitt älskade Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (SL) 35-kronorskort från 1977. Halva priset jämfört med 70-kronorskortet som vuxna fick betala för. Tjockt lager med månadsklistermärken. Jag hade ett extra kort som jag mekade med för att komma in på klubbar som minderåriga i årskurs 11/12 i Vancouver. Jag pratade bara svenska och de släppte in mig! — —…
Love Letter to M. #potatonose
M. and I shortly before I moved back to Canada: Potato Nose: 1977, the prologue (and eventual graphic novel) will be a love letter to M. and our strange intense mystical world. It will also be an apology to her. I let her down. I would love to create this project for her. And for…
Graphic Medicine. Drawing it out releases me… #potatonose
Potato Nose: 1977, the graphic novel What is graphic medicine? ‘The intersection between the medium of comics and the discourse of healthcare’. — My new Kickstarter Campaign is now live and runs Oct 24 – Nov 20, 2025 Potato Nose: 1977, the graphic novel A tragicomic memoir of pubescent anxiety and ecstatic delusion “If you…
“Potato Nose gets frightfully romantic…”
My new Kickstarter Campaign is now live and runs Oct 24 – Nov 20, 2025!!! Potato Nose: 1977, the graphic novel A tragicomic memoir of pubescent anxiety and ecstatic delusion “If you read someone else’s diary, you get what you deserve.” ― David Sedaris It was a shock to the system for me to move…
I read between the lines… #potatonose
Karin Kristina Thorsen (September 17, 1936 Hudiksvall, Sweden – November 8, 2008 North Vancouver, Canada). Today marks 17 years since my mother died from pancreatic cancer. I had an absolutely extraordinary mother, “Mamma.” My childhood was a typical 1960’s – 70’s middle class life and my brothers and I were lucky to be well-fed and…
Chewing on the importance of diary keeping #potatonose
I was headed to a middle school in New Westminster yesterday on the Skytrain (to facilitate a dialogue session with teachers on their School Growth Plan as they explored creatively – with pens and paper – how to make the plan more engaging and meaningful in the classroom). On the train, I was chewing over…
“Of the Forest”
“Of the Forest” This piece emerged through a powerful, meditative process. After painting the full canvas, I deconstructed it into 64 panels (13 cm x 20 cm each), then hand-embroidered them back together in a randomized order. The final form is a visceral, tactile expression of memory, fragmentation, and reassembly. You can explore the full…
Developing the image…
Recall: Tonight I am driven to further developing the image I saw in my head (a metaphoric approach for a project in research phase): Journal entry September 22, 2025 (“Potato Nose Diaries” Archive Project): There is danger in hopelessness My path is tangled with more fear than courage More shame than pride More…
Tonight’s diary sketch. “I climb the ladder…”
An image came to mind today as I walked in the park… An image attempting to visualize both my internal weight and a concept for a simmering project. Tonight’s diary sketch captures partly the final image that I want to develop. I let the lines and watercolour be what they needed to be, without thought,…
Chanterelles, Lily of the Valley and daisies were her favourites…
I dedicated my graphic novel, Salt Green Death (Conundrum Press, 2025) to my parents (Karin Thorsen September 17 1936 – November 8 2008. Roar Thorsen August 8, 1930 – October 25 2012). Not only did my parents shape me (sculpting me into the strange rag doll I am today), and not only did their personal …
DRAW-bitch-DRAW!
A similar mantra was on repeat the final months when I was completing my debut graphic novel, Salt Green Death. The second graphic novel is now in full swing. It is a collaboration. (Stay tuned!) The visual narrative script was completed by the spectacular author whose short story the new book is based on. The…
48 hours DRAW-MATHON: Sept 10 12 noon to Sept 12 12 noon
48 hours DRAWMATHON Update: September 12, 2025 12 PM 48 hours DRAWMATHON now ended! This week, I launched a 48-hour portrait art sprint. For a donation of $5 CAD, I drew the donor’s image of choice as a 15+ min black & white portrait. Weird, humour, joy, quick!!! Gallery of results of the Drawmathon are posted…
Fredrik Strömberg: journalist, author and academic
In English: Journal sketch of Fredrik Strömberg [drawn from his selfie as he stands in the Comics Archives – Seriearkivet in Malmö, Sweden.] As I reflect on this wild rollercoaster ride of the past year since Summer 2024, I pause at the extraordinary experience of attending STOCKHOLMS INTERNATIONELLA SERIEFESTIVAL 2025 (SIS25) back on May 24-25,…
Autumn still life study.
Autumn still life study with antique lace, tea cup, pressed leaves and flowers, bird salt and pepper shakers.
… a blessed unrest that keeps us marching…
Some movement explorations found in old journals. Eager to do more movement in my visual storytelling and reignite confidence in my mark making and creative process, I am doing a deep re-dive into Martha Graham. (I was lucky enough to attend masterclasses with the company at the Shadbolt Centre in Burnaby in the late 70’s!)…
ORIGINAL ART FOR SALE: “647 Bute Street, Vancouver”
ORIGINAL ART FOR SALE This was a page that didn’t make it in to my graphic novel, Salt Green Death, though I really struggled with the decision! See my “Kill Your Darlings” post: LINK 647 Bute Street Vancouver, © Katarina Thorsen 2025. 13″ x 17.25″ ( 33.02 cm x 43.85 cm). Chinamarker, ink, acrylic, watercolour…
… the silken ever-expanding balloon kept me upright.
Journal entry August 9 2025 James Bowers December 30, 1950 – August 6, 2025. “Daddy” ❤️ When we met, I was the dancer, you the musician. And we became parents and creative partners. We navigated life chapters as best we could with our two spectacular children. Our homes were always FILLED with music, books, films,…
Kill your darlings: a sampling of pieces that didn’t make it into my graphic novel
My graphic novel, Salt Green Death (Conundrum Press), is a work of creative nonfiction born out of historical research – a Vancouver-based family saga spanning mainly 1924 to 1968. Salt Green Death, Katarina Thorsen, Conundrum Press 2025 (Video and music by Julian Bowers) Salt Green Death contains 165 hand-drawn pages. Of course, there is a…
Creative Process Video: Drawing Violet
Unedited silent video (length 41:34) of my creative process as I simply play with my favourite drawing materials as I draw using rough mark making: china markers (not sure why I don’t cut the string when it gets in the way!), watercolour crayons, some acrylic paint, and coffee on newsprint. I am meditating on my…
Confronting the strange and quiet grief that comes after releasing my book to the world
After I finished The Bluest Eye, which took me five years to write, I went into a long period of…not deep depression but a kind of melancholy. – Toni Morrison I admit I am struggling with what I think is grief to having completed a project that has taken many, many years. Now I’m in…
Nature Moves Through Carcasses Embroidered Drawing
Nature Moves Through Carcasses (Embroidered Drawing) (Video and Music by Julian Bowers) Nature Moves Through Carcasses pays tribute to Molly O’Dwyer—a young woman whose life and memory became the emotional and narrative catalyst for my graphic novel Salt Green Death (Conundrum Press, 2025). The embroidered drawing process is one of my most personal approaches to…
Conveying information through different drawing techniques
The main character in my graphic novel, Salt Green Death (Conundrum Press, 2025), is Joseph O’Dwyer. My book is a true story centred on a Joseph’s patient records of his treatments for schizophrenia between 1948 – 1963. Joseph’s story and family saga is based on 21 years of research. — TODAY’S SAMPLE PAGE: — On…