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…
Category: creative process
“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…
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…
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…
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…
With not being able. No. Never. A dream…
I am friends with my neighbourhood crows. They visit my window. They say hello when I go for a walk. Once they met me at the False Creek Ferry at the Aquatic Centre and followed me home, west along the seawall, to my apartment close to Stanley Park. The other day I came across a…
Today – June 12 – holds personal significance for me
Today holds personal significance for me. June 12th marks the birthday of Joseph O’Dwyer, the main character in my graphic novel, Salt Green Death (Conundrum Press, 2025). His patient file is the main source for the project. Joseph was born on June 12, 1926 (99 years ago) in Cashel, Ireland. The journey of bringing this…
Completed portraits from the May 2025 Portrait Sale!
HUGE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! — Original post: Portrait Sale Fundraiser Until June 1 2025 11:59 PM Dear friends and community, This is not an easy note to write — and certainly not one I ever imagined sharing at this stage in life. At 63, I had hoped to be in a more stable…
I wish I were braver.
It is certainly an interesting time as my first graphic novel, Salt Green Death, is complete and being released to the world. Emotions (predictable and strange) come up – shock, awe, gratitude, fear, vulnerability, angst, nausea, joy, excitement, and… peace. Yes, at times, peace. I turned 63 last week and I’m living on the vapours…
Walking Amongst The Shadows…
“Walking Amongst The Shadows…” Walking amongst the shadows, faces blurred out of recognition with only a final breath to eulogize their presence. 49 x 39 cm (Photography on photo paper, newsprint, ink, china marker, embroidery). Concept and photography by Patti Henderson. Collage, embroidery, drawing by Katarina Thorsen. This piece is a sample from…
Process: the Afterword page
© KATARINA THORSEN Graphic Novel Project
Snot Green Study
— The bard’s noserag. A new art colour for our Irish poets : snotgreen. You can almost taste it, can’t you? – Ulysses, James Joyce © KATARINA THORSEN
Following the thread…
JOSEPH (working title) is an experimental graphic novel series (in process). It is an Irish immigrant, Vancouver-based, family saga spanning 1924 – 1963. I use primary sources and creativity to build the true story. This is a work of creative nonfiction born out of historical research. I attempt to stick to the facts and avoid…
Restless Discipline
Staying in creative process allows me to stay in creative process… It’s a way of life. I am grateful for this “restless discipline.” Some glimpses in the studio this evening: You don’t get into the mood to create – it’s discipline. – Twyla Tharp October 14, 2023 Pulling a card (upright) from my favorite deck,…
Fear and doubt cracks me open.
Today I feel the old companions of fear and doubt. THEY CRACK ME OPEN. Can I do this? Am I good enough? Is it all shit? Hello inner critic. Hello fear. I hear you… I take the notes. And I keep going. There’s nothing wrong with fear; the only mistake is to let it…
Recapitulation
I am delighted to share a post (about a powerful shared experience yesterday during the Autumn Equinox) by Patti Henderson, my dear friend and often collaborator. Check out her blog at: creatornorthshore “Recapitulation – Release” by Patti Henderson September 24, 2023 Happy Autumn Equinox! My friend and often art collaborator – Katarina – and I…
Dear máither, it was awful…
Creative Non-Fiction Graphic Novel project continues… Main character tells his mother about the Coma Insulin Treatment.
How it starts… How it ends. Visualizing archival research.
Exposed old wallpaper, interior wall, bottom of the stairs, at the side entrance of my 92 year old building. (Sketch in progress)
On the exposed rocks out of water, the barnacles bubble behind their closed doors and the limpets dry out…
Magical moments captured by Patti Henderson as we explored and collected treasures on the beach at the foot of Erwin Park, West Vancouver. I will be using these studies as references for a page in Joseph. Patti is a generous artist and voracious observer and who has been collaborating with me for 30 years and…