art blog by kat

LA Art Show and Deukmejian drawing

2012-01-25T14:23:00.000-08:00

What art offers is space - a certain breathing room for the spirit.

~John Updike~

there was a ginormous convention hall full of spirit and soul at the LA Art Show this past weekend! so inspiring and fun to see such excellence in one place!! i tell you i was swooning!! these are a few of my very favorite artists displaying there:

Julio Reyes(my very favorite of course...awesome graphite drawings!!)

Seung Hoon Park's woven photographs

Cameron Gray very cool block paintings

 Tong Hongsheng's impressive painting at the China pavillion

  and these crazy sculptures that i just love but didn't catch the name as they were closing and i was hurrying, trying to get in last peeks of all the art.

the rest of the weekend i was able to get in some good drawing time. working hard on my deukmejian drawing and started a new drawing...a sky landscape from Kenya. i need to get 5-6 drawings done by mid to late march as i have 3 very important shows i am entering. so i am very focused and excited (like triple-shot expresso excited!!)...working hard to get them all done in time!! 

new drawing and vegas

2012-01-18T15:03:00.000-08:00

i switched gears quickly since i last posted. i was working on an elephant/oxpecker drawing to enter in the birds in art show in wausau wisconsin in april, but i found out that northlight books was coming out with strokes of genius: the best of drawing, book #5, so started a new drawing even though the theme and rules have not been officially announced as of yet. i don't know if this drawing will be a good fit for the competition but wanted to get a head start just in case!

i took this photo at a local hiking trail called deukmejan, named after former california governor george deukmejian. there's a beautiful old stone barn at the trail head, along with a few smaller buildings south of the barn. i think i'll be adding a jack rabbit at the lower portion of the drawing that i took in laguna beach last summer...i think it'll add more interest to the piece. and if this drawing doesn't end up fitting into the theme of book #5 i'll still have a nice drawing to add to my portfolio!!

this past weekend my whole family plus friends met up in vegas to celebrate my nieces 21st birthday. although it was a super fun trip, vegas is definitely not my kind of place...but my boyfriend, his son and my girls had a fantastic and memorable road trip that included endless snacks, the world's largest thermometer, a ghost town and alien jerky!!

2012-01-04T14:48:00.000-08:00

Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.

~Oprah Winfrey~

i've always loved the start of a new year...it feels like a blank slate full of possibilities!! i always start by creating a list of intentions for the year in december. this year i've hung my list on my closet door in the middle of my dream board so i can see it every day (and not forget about it, like last year!). and just recently i found a worksheet from susannah conway that is super thought provoking and helped me to clarify my intentions even further.

almost done with these elephants

i'm changing things up a bit with my art this year. i'm focusing completely on my drawing: working on my portfolio, entering competitions (specifically 3...but want to enter at least 5 if not more), finishing my book and will teach myself pastels. i am leaving etsy as i felt it made me play it small and look forward to finding gallery representation in 2013.

can you even tell what this is? the back of an elephant!! it will have an oxpecker on it (like in the photo below). to be entered in the birds in art show in wisconsin. one of my long time dreams!!

sooo...this will be a very interesting and exciting year for me, one that i believe will rival one of my very best years, 2010!! i don't know why i have that feeling but i do!!

happy new year everyone!!

my weekend

2011-12-20T14:29:00.000-08:00

Tanner (c) Kathryn Hansen 2011

pheeeewww...i just finished this drawing in the nick of time...worked 7 hours on it sunday afternoon and evening and sent it out yesterday in the mail. i don't recall ever drawing that long before!

on saturday i just had to finish decorating as i was so tired of looking at all the cardboard boxes sitting in my family room for weeks on end. i emptied one box of stuffed animals onto the couch as josie slowly climbed up and snuggled in amongst them and fell fast asleep!!

holiday art fair

2011-12-12T11:18:00.000-08:00

what a fun day i had at the mcgroarty holiday art fair on saturday!! not only did i do really, really well, selling lots of small collages and photo blocks, but this gorgeous1924 home, named “rancho chupa rosa,” after the indigenous plant was just beautifully decorated by the staff. there was live music but since i was upstairs i unfortunately didn't hear it. but i was surrounded by lovely art vendors and there were lots and lots of interesting people, eager to spend money...all day long!!

one of my favorite things was the chili bowl sale, where you choose your favorite ceramic bowl made there at the center and filled it with your choice of 5 different kinds of chili for $10! cool idea huh?!!

all in all it was a wonderful, happy, successful day!!

2011-11-30T14:23:00.000-08:00

drawing is the honesty of the art. there is no possibility of cheating. it is either good or bad.

~salvador dali~

(c) kathryn hansen 2011

put the finishing touches on Bella last night!

i was able to squeeze in a little bit of work on my elephants.

and this is the start of tanner, the next commission up on the drawing board!

i'm progressing quite well considering i sprained my index finger on my right hand about a month ago, and it's just not healing...maybe if i stopped drawing for awhile, but that's near to impossible to do as i'm pretty much obsessed with drawing every day!!

in the home stretch

2011-11-23T16:36:00.000-08:00

almost done now with Bella...should be able to finish her tonight if i'm not interrupted!!

art show, play offs, cold and rain

2011-11-21T14:02:00.000-08:00

burrrr...what a cold and wet weekend it was! and every last minute packed full!

the art walk in montrose, california went very well! i sold a lot and got to chit chat with many people and my surrounding art neighbors!

i left my youngest daughter, emily in charge late in the afternoon as i had to run over to the sports complex to see my oldest daughter, allie play in her first play off game. unfortunately with the goalie not there and a key midfielder out as well, they ended up losing. :-( allie played very well tho at her very last ayso soccer game ever...she's too old now to play any more. she had a great run...playing since 3rd grade, mostly as a defender but a few times as goalie.

emily allie

sunday it was emily's turn. her team made it to the second round of play offs but with it pouring the entire game and with the girls cold and shivering they lost their spirit to win and ended up losing as well. but they both ended up second in their divisions so, not too shabby!!!

for the next two nights i've cancelled plans and will be working diligently on finishing up bella! stay tuned later in the week to see bellas progress.

autumn rains in southern cal and bella

2011-11-14T10:42:00.000-08:00

portrait of josie and me on the way up to the hiking trail. poor baby hurt her front paw, so we didn't make it all the way to the top on saturday.

bella in progress

i've started blending the graphite now on bella using a small tortillon, along with getting richer darks down on the paper and figuring out all the textures in a shepherds coat. once i finish that, then it's just starting back at the top again and firming up all the details. i'll then work on creating a light toned background to pick up the white fur around her ears!

November skies

2011-11-07T10:44:00.000-08:00

 wedged in between november storms all weekend long i was able to grab a photo of the beginnings of bella, my latest commission.

and

my drawing of samburu elephants is progressing!!

my 7 links

2011-10-31T11:05:00.000-07:00

Dora Ficher, a friend who i met through an e-course a few years ago and creates these very cool encaustic paintings invited me to be part of the ‘My 7 Links’ project.

the idea is to go back to your own posts and find one to fit each of the 7 proposed categories, then ‘choose’ 5 more bloggers to do the same, and so on, and so on and soooo on!! the project is described as a way of "uniting bloggers (from all sectors) in a joint venture."

here are the following 7 categories:

most beautiful post: Samburu ok...this was like the hardest category to choose from as i have been to africa and so many gorgeous places in southern california...how do i pick? but in the end africa just has to win out!!!

most popular post: photo blocks

most controversial post: i really don't write controversial posts...at all! so i don't have an entry for that one...so i think i can just skip it...can't i?!!!!

most helpful post: your help is needed okay...i know, i know...this is not what they meant...but i don't really have a post like that...but i do have A LOT of these kinds of post where i put out a call to help some organization i feel is worthy! so i am being helpful in trying to raise funds...mostly to help out animals but also for an organization in kenya that's close to my heart as well!!

a post whose success surprised you: untitled sometimes the more you think you're alone in things the more you find out you really aren't!!

a post you feel didn’t get the attention it deserved: connecting i don't know about deserving attention...heck i'm always thrilled when someone comments on one of my posts! i am just soooo curious about what attracts people to certain artwork, i was just hoping to get more responses....that's all!!

the post that you are most proud of: weedend update hmmm...well, i guess i picked this one because it reveals a little more about me but mostly because i am always thrilled to tears sometimes when my art gets recognized...this time by myartspace...so that's why i picked this post!!

this has been a very intriguing exercise for me in finding appropriate posts for each entry...makes me pause...and probably create some new posts around some areas i was lacking!!

here are my five people who i invited to participate along with me: and even if some didn't go for the challenge, please check out their blogs any way because they are all fabulous artists who i greatly admire for being so talented and inspiring me!!

Amelie Gagne
Katherine Kean

Karen Koch

Patty Waite

Monica Moran

out with the old...

2011-10-28T14:17:00.000-07:00

kathryn hansen 2011 (c)
 and in with the new....

 the beginning of a small elephant drawing inspired from my photos from africa

and two new commissions this week...tanner from wisconsin and bella from illinois. both sweet pups that have sadly past on.

all things orange!

2011-10-24T14:38:00.000-07:00

Orange is the happiest color

Frank Sinatra

2011-10-21T14:42:00.000-07:00

An artist never really finishes his work; he merely abandons it

Paul Valéry

i love this quote as it is so very true for me! more so when it comes to creating collages than drawings. i always have to sit with my collages awhile, usually placed on my crowded bookshelf so i can look at them before i go to sleep at night and when i'm sitting petting my cats. after a few days of this i can determine if they are truly finished...or as the quote implies just abandoned!!

only a few more hours tonight on this drawing and it's done! yay! and off in the mail tomorrow! and then onto some exciting new drawings!!

~these small collages will be listed in my etsy shop next week if interested!~

feathers and petals

2011-10-17T16:28:00.000-07:00

sandwiched in between victorious soccer games, my daughter emily and i grabbed our cameras and headed out to the LA county arboretum and botanical gardens on sunday. it was our first time there and we were well rewarded with loads of peacocks, ducks, and geese! there were also gorgeous colored flowers, oodles of ponds and a lake, beautiful wood chipped lined paths, and magnificent trees from all over the world!

if you're ever in the area, i highly recommend it!! seriously beautiful!

connecting

2011-10-14T15:48:00.000-07:00

i don't know what happened since last week but i certain didn't make much progress on this drawing...and it's due at the end of next week...yikes!! and the next time i'll be able to get to it is next tuesday...double yikes! wish me luck!

last night my friend cynthia and i hit the downtown la artwalk. we only perused a dozen or so galleries along spring and main, as we spent a lot of time chatting away at dinner...but...the art we did see, technically was great but nothing that either of us connected to...at all! i did like marlene capell's interesting abstracts with their layers of thick paint and anthony friedkin's ocean photographs, but beyond that nothing moved me.

so, after we parted late that evening, my mind started racing about what connects me to a piece of artwork...is it the subject matter, style and execution, the color...or is it something deeper than that, that can't be explained?

art definitely has to emotionally impact me at a deep visceral level. draw me in and move me...to touch something inside me that i might not always understand at the time. i love the pieces that stick with me in my mind for a long time!

it's a fascinating subject to me from both ends of the spectrum...as a viewer and a creator.

what connects you to a piece of artwork?

windows of the soul...

2011-10-10T09:19:00.000-07:00

...the five senses

sight

touch

hearing 

smell 

taste

2011-10-07T10:45:00.000-07:00

the only way to do great work is to love what you do. if you haven't found it yet, keep looking. don't settle. as with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it.

~steve jobs~

layering darks now...getting close to finishing! i have an elephant and tree drawing i'm just hankering to get to once this is done!

small collages i started creating this past week. just got an itch to do some collaging, which i haven't done since last january. when i get these urges i think that there must be things going on in my subconscious (probably cuz there's a lot of change going on in my life right now) that are really needing to get out...i try not to analyze it (too much!), i just jump in and follow my creative impulses until i feel satisfied!

i'm having a blast with writing my drawing book lately. i've taken all my thoughts and notes and sketches and am doing the actual writing of it now. i have to say it's going super well, and i'm very happy with how it is turning out so far!!

wishing you all an art-filled weekend!♥K

sunset at the observatory

2011-10-03T13:47:00.000-07:00

~noticed an abundance of clouds in the sky in the late afternoon.

~a burst of rain.

~i just knew there would be a glorious sunset that evening.

~raced up to the griffith observatory after work with my sleepy daughter by my side.

~OMG.

~one of the most magnificent sunsets i've ever seen.

~a double rainbow to the east...my daughter reciting the words to the double rainbow guys youtube video.

~people with cameras of all sizes on tripods snapping away.

~hushed conversations.

~a feeling of appreciation and gratitude wash over me.

~empty bellies now need nourishment after such a spectacular sight!

2011-09-30T10:58:00.000-07:00

It’s all a big game of construction, some with a brush, some with a shovel, some choose a pen.

~Jackson Pollock~

making some good progress on this drawing despite the busy week i've had! hoping to get a lot more accomplished on sunday, in between soccer games!

have a super weekend!!♥k

things that caught my eye yesterday...

2011-09-26T11:55:00.000-07:00

...a pair of sleeping feet hanging off the bed...

...the air soaked and saturated with moisture...

...an abandoned water bottle on the sidelines...

...and...

...at dawn, while sitting at a stoplight, a flock of pigeons swirling in a circle, again and again...

start at the very beginning

2011-09-23T11:35:00.000-07:00

a few posts back i had mentioned that i was in the process of writing a small book on graphite drawing. i am still hard at work on it but it's really caused me to pause and become aware of just exactly how i begin a drawing.

after years and years of drawing it's just become an intuitive process for me, i don't think about it at all, i just jump in feet first!

i really have no exact method of starting...some begin with an over all tone (like the drawing above) building up layers of darks...others i start in one section of the piece with high values, tones and details, each area fully complete before moving onto the next.

so it's been a very interesting challenge to pay attention! it has oddly effected how i began this commissioned piece above and in writing my outline and notes for my book.

it really is an exciting project i've embarked on!! i'm learning so much along the way!!

wrapped up in fog

2011-09-19T15:48:00.000-07:00

this lovely hike in the fog was the only thing on my to-do that actually got done this past weekend!!

it was an art filled weekend, just not with drawing or working on my pile of photo blocks, but with music.

i unexpectedly scored tickets for moulin rouge at the hollywood bowl saturday night...box seats right up front and middle. it was a spectacular show from the orchestra to the can can dancers, parisian singer and synchronized fireworks!! then sunday night again i lucked out and got an opportunity to see celtic bands at the ford theater. i was sooo inspired by these concerts, i just wanted to jump up on stage and start playing my violin along side them cuz heck, they looked so joyful, having the time of their lives up there!! but since i haven't played in more years than i can remember, i would have cleared the house!! so i just had a fantastic time in my seat instead!

i'll get back on track tonight with my art!!

2011-09-09T10:24:00.000-07:00

an animal's eyes have the power to speak a great language

~martin buber~


(c) 2011 raccoon by kathryn hansen

i'm super late in finishing up and sending out this donation to the california wildlife center...they'll still get it in plenty of time, but i hate cutting it so close!!

their information is here if you live near malibu and want to attend their annual fund raiser or just donate...it's an absolutely wonderful non-profit organization that helps rehabilitate native animals. i've been out there heaps of times for open houses and let me tell you the facility and people are just amazing! if i lived closer i would definitely volunteer there, i think it would be sooo rewarding to help out!

see past donations here.

from the mountains to the sea

2011-09-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

horse flats in angeles crest to santa monica

photo blocks

2011-08-30T10:56:00.000-07:00

ta da...here they are~ the finished photo blocks that i showed you in progress in an earlier post...seen here.

i'm very happy with the way they turned out, altho to be honest, they were a lot of work!

but i think i have figured out a way to go much faster for the next batch...the ones i will eventually offer for sale. the labor intense sanding and finishing is what took up most of my time in making these blocks...but on the positive side my arms are getting very buff!

i did receive a few complaints along the way from my oldest daughter Allie, because i took up too much counter space in my kitchen when i was staining and finishing the blocks...like..."there's no place to make my food mom"...and you know how much teenagers love to eat, so i will have to set up a temporary table in my family room next time!!

with the long weekend ahead and now knowing what i am doing(!!) , i should be able to get a ginormous started on the next set of larger blocks!! so exciting!!

art overload!

2011-08-23T14:54:00.000-07:00

art

+ nature

+ awesome girlfriend

= one fantastic experience in Laguna Beach!!

my amazing friend Julie and i spend a long, delicious weekend packing in as much things on my to-do list as we possibly could!! we hit every show there: art a-fair, sawdust festival, festival of the arts and the pageant of the masters as well as lots of local galleries that dotted the downtown area.

early every morning we strolled along the beaches taking photos and tide pooling. we hiked high above crystal cove, along the coast line on a trail called BFI...big f%#@*ing incline (which it was!)!!

on saturday, as we were perusing the art shows we kept seeing the same eerie image of an old tower, a very kind and forthcoming photographer gave us a secret treasure map to the secluded white sand beach where this 1926 tower was located along the beautiful blue-green water!

the overload of art still has my head spinning with excitement as i have been dreaming for a short while now of eventually applying for art a-fair. once i have more drawings in my portfolio, can afford both the expense of the booth fee and mandatory time commitment for being there, i will apply. i have my sights set for the summer of 2013.

i think it's a very worthy and thrilling goal!!

an artfilled weekend

2011-08-15T16:10:00.000-07:00

4 drawings + 2 projects = great happiness!

creating a new way to display my photographs. photos of finished pieces to follow next week!

foreman...keeping a watchful eye on me, making sure i am working hard!

writing down lots and lots of thoughts regarding my e-book on drawing...way harder than i was expecting...but finding the process really thoughtful, interesting and fun!

just throwing in a cute photo of shortie cuz i am crazy in love with him!!

and that sums up my weekend!! hope yours was just as spectacular!!

don't be afraid...

2011-08-08T11:46:00.000-07:00

...to go out on a limb. it's where all the fruit is. 

shirley maclane

~farmers market at the grove~

2011-08-05T09:58:00.000-07:00

just a few minuscule touch ups here and there and this kitty is complete and ready to send out!!

up next...it's that time again for creating a drawing for the california wildlife center in malibu!! see last years donation here.

2011-08-01T11:26:00.000-07:00

miracles are a manifestation that supersedes our expectations...both quotes by Lazaris.

lately i've been working intensely with my image as a successful artist and consciously creating miracles in my life. i've already seen my resistances beginning to break down, the clouds parting and evidence that's keeping me very excited and motivated!!

i have an abundance of ideas that i'm in the process of implementing:

e-books on drawing, a new process with my photos, more creative blog posts, smaller drawings of objects i collect while out and about in nature, plus checking out more art fairs to participate in next year!!

i have a truck load of enthusiasm happening here...so stay tuned!!!

2011-07-29T11:25:00.000-07:00

We're all mad here

~The Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland~

an ordinary day

2011-07-22T13:24:00.000-07:00

little daily nuances and moments from my life yesterday.

2011-07-18T10:55:00.000-07:00

my daughter and i hit up the renegade craft fair this past weekend at the los angeles state historic park by chinatown. wanted to check it out and see if i might like to participate in it next year...being so close to home! it was an exemplary fair, super high quality art & crafts for sale, the only issue was style...it definitely had a young, underground and graphic art feel to it...sooooo unless i switch things up a bit with my photos i probably won't join in the fun. i did like how it was set up and run tho, so we'll see, have to give it some more thought.

two very lovely artists i'd met before where there...marisa, from creative thursday and matt from the mincing meerkat.

i took a very informative and well run e-course from marisa years ago and have seen her at a few other shows in the area. and you have to stop by matts blog, i promise you that you will not be sorry because he is so, so amusing...you'll adore the titles to his art and his hysterical stories!

2011-07-14T17:07:00.000-07:00

I sometimes think there is nothing so delightful as drawing.  

~Vincent Van Gogh~

one stormy sunday in march, i decided to watch some movies while drawing, so i got out my drawing board and schlepped all my supplies from my drafting table over to my snugly emerald green couch. fast forward to april...i injured my lower back and felt like i was on the verge of sciatica again, so i hauled my supplies down to the hard floor for more support, which gave joise the perfect opportunity to lay on top of me. 

that's now become my favorite spot to sit and draw at night after dinner. i have to admit it is butt numbing at times, but i still find it the most inviting place to create. 

however, whenever josie spies me going over there, she quickly seizes the moment and takes up her position on the couch right behind me...so there i am on the floor, josie on the couch...and i ask you...what's wrong with this picture??!!

san juan capistrano

2011-07-11T11:57:00.000-07:00

my boyfriend bailed on me at the last minute for our trip to san juan capistrano...which was very disappointing to say the least! i couldn't get out of the hotel registration so i dragged my youngest daughter emily, slightly kicking and screaming but guaranteeing her she'd have a good time!!

i lucked out with my guarantee (as i have never been there before and didn't know quite what to expect!) and we ended up having a fantastic time...otherwise i think i might have heard about it for awhile!!

we even had a funny story! we were starting to get hungry and craved some mexican food we saw at a popular taco stand. when we got into line i saw that they only accepted cash, we only had $4 between us, so we walked to the edge of town where we saw a gas station earlier in the day when scouting out parking spaces. i bought a cold bottle of water, took out $20 and headed back to the taco stand, figuring we had about 20 minutes left before the movie started that we wanted to see. when we got back into line again we both noticed at the exact same time two rather large green signs declaring an ATM machine was just at the other end of the stand for those who didn't have cash...ugh...we couldn't figure out how neither one of us noticed those signs earlier!!! oh well...we got even more exercise, the burritos were absolutely delicious and we made it to bad teacher in plenty of time!!

2011-07-06T13:58:00.000-07:00

this kooky rooftop sits at the end of a spacious field once filled to the brim with beautiful saffron wildflowers, now turned brittle and brown from the heat. i can't tell what it is or even what road might lead to revealing it's purpose. is it an ashram or church or something totally different? it's a mystery that i hope to figure out one day...cuz i'm very curious about it!!

2011-06-27T15:48:00.000-07:00

last weeks theme for the blogging e-course i'm participating in, was on authenticity.

to be honest i came to dislike that word after the start of a new relationship many, many years ago with a man named david. he bounced that word around in every conversation, and guess what...he turned out to be one of the least honest and authentic persons i had ever met.

i can honestly say that finding my true or authentic voice on this blog has not been easy...at all!!

but then i realized that i am like a fine strand of baroque pearls! each individual pearl is me...how i act at a party where i only know the hostess (very quiet) is me, how i am when i am out in nature hiking with josie (contemplative) is me, how i am when my family and friends gather on a friday night playing board games (loud, laughing till my belly hurts, goofy) is me, when i'm with my boyfriend (silly, loving) is me, when drivers won't let me in, it's getting late and my daughter may not make it to class on time (super pissed off! swearing!) very me!

so how do i possibly find the sweet spot in writing posts on my blog when i am all of those unique things?

i don't really know yet.

i know that i want to dig deeper, stay true to my blogs purpose, and not hide or shrink in fear of revealing too much. i really do need to step out of my safety zone, tell more stories, knowing that it's all me, that i have many voices...all of them true and unmistakeably me!

photos taken yesterday at the japanese gardens in van nuys, california

chalk festival

2011-06-23T09:19:00.000-07:00

blue taped boxes 

red, white and blue umbrellas

 worn boxes of chalk

 sweltering artists

tangerine, red, lilac 

 half full water bottles 

colossal crowds of onlookers

white chalk marks

 drawings of clowns, divas and dragons

 cameras clicking

adele remix blaring

 indigo blue, black and lemon 

straw hats

turquoise sharks, apricot fish and purple octopus

knee pads and cardboard

the smell of freshly popped popcorn

june gloom and other things

2011-06-20T14:12:00.000-07:00

it was sooo chilly on sunday morning that i could barely hang around the mountain tops too long soaking in all that misty beauty. but i so lucked out and for the first time saw a large buck...although josie chased it, so it was gone in a flash, but was that ever a treat!! then she ticked off a rattlesnake hidden deep in the tawny weeds, thank goodness he warned us with his rattle so i could get josie away in time.

a new commission i just received of peni. 

(c) Under the Shadow of the Oak 2011 Kathryn Hansen

i finally finished my oak tree drawing and have entered it in a competition. hopefully i got the resolution correct so it doesn't get kicked back. the few editing programs i have make it a huge guessing game. i think it's time to invest in photoshop!!

i rarely write about my daughters on my blog because i don't want to intrude on their privacy but i am just sooooo darn proud of my daughter allie and the end of this long, long chapter in her life! her high school graduation ceremony took place last thursday evening...and let me tell you, i really choked up when she entered the field to pomp and circumstance! it's very bittersweet...i am so fired up for allie to now really start living her life and yet sad that this is it...it will never be the same. her journey has started and she's off and running! 

and finally...i signed up for liv lanes e-course a few weeks ago and even tho i am so totally behind in the class, it has proven very valuable so far with more material to read than i can keep up with right now!! the course is closed but i highly recommend looking into the next session, or just check out her lovely blog here!

2011-06-13T16:25:00.000-07:00

Jump, and you will find out how to unfold your wings as you fall.

~Ray Bradbury~

wild parrots caught my attention with a cacophony of screeches in my front yard early saturday morning

saw this sweet hummingbird on the way to the hiking trail that misty saturday morning

reflecting

2011-06-10T11:39:00.000-07:00

i am one who always sits quietly and reflects on the meaning of my experiences...so i've been thinking a lot about the art show last weekend. and i realized just how much i have grown and changed over the last few years. normally not doing as well financially as i had hoped would have set me into self-pity for awhile, wanting to throw in the towel, but this time i noticed that instead i thought about all the things i had learned, new ways to improve my booth and enthusiastic for what i want to accomplish in the near future with my photos and drawings. more than ever, i am really sure of my direction with my art and life. and i love that through metaphysics i have learned to be way more aware and mindful, looking for deeper truths, which in turn makes me feel soooo much happier than ever before. and when my happiness lifts me like that, it opens up my life to way more possibilities and opportunities. all very exciting!

a fair to remember!!

2011-06-08T14:43:00.000-07:00

most photos taken by my daughter emily.

i feel like i am slowly starting to come back to life after this past week and a half of prepping for my show and then participating in it. anyone who does art shows know how exhausting they can be! i confess that both sunday and monday nights i fell asleep on the couch before 8 pm and slept the whole night through!! my family room looks like a tornado hit it...hopefully tonight i can unpack and put away a little bit more!

my show wasn't as financially successful as i had hoped it to be but i learned sooo much again from prepping to set up and have made some good decisions for next year's show. i'm going to change out my whole booth to make it more "gallery" like...have more framed pieces and organize my prints way better. plus i'll have a lot more drawings finished to display as well.

i moved my booth location this year to a different block to see if it made any difference, which it didn't...but i so lucked out and got incredibly wonderful booth neighbors!! in fact i LOVED my neighbors, linda and ron sadon, who sold really awesome jewelry! and i was so grateful to see sooo many friends and family that stopped by to see me, plus a lot of people i knew from school, soccer, work and past clients.

my fabulous daughters and boyfriend helped me out so much again this year...i am super grateful for that!!

and so, all in all it was a wonderful and memorable experience...a tremendous amount of hard and exhausting work...but all well worth it!!

getting ready for the big show!

2011-06-01T10:42:00.000-07:00


a lot of framing and preparing for the upcoming art fair this weekend in montrose. it's an exhausting process but i highly enjoy it. it's easy to sit behind a computer and just sell my art that way, it's a whole different energy being at these fairs...connecting with fellow artists around me, meeting people, being outside all day...just a very cool experience you can't get any other way! this year i'll be selling both my photographs and drawings. stop by if you're in the los angeles area, 3 blocks of wonderful art, music and yummy food, not to mention all the great shops and restaurants there too!!

fun opportunity!

2011-05-25T12:17:00.000-07:00

last week i received a fun opportunity to work with one of our top producing agents in our real estate office. she had a new 3 million dollar listing and asked me to take photos of it. wow...what an opportunity!! i was very excited and nervous at the same time, as i have never done this before and had never even taken indoor photos with my new camera! i learned so much in that one hour i took those photos and am pretty happy with the results! now i can hardly wait to see the brochure!

2011-05-23T16:21:00.000-07:00

i am falling

 like a stone,

 like a storm

 being born again

 into the sweet morning fog.

~the morning fog by kate bush~

these photos were taken last saturday morning on my hike in the san gabriel mountains...cloudy, foggy and really cold!! the explosion of yellow wildflowers at the base of the mountain was pretty darn impressive!

this past weekend i was at an incredible/life altering lazaris workshop, so jos and i didn't get out at all into nature. by the time i got home on sunday evening i was depleted...in a good way, but i had no energy to do an early evening hike. although the clouds were so beautiful it would have been super nice to catch the sunset!!

2011-05-16T14:18:00.000-07:00

I search for the realness, the real feeling of a subject, all the texture around it... I always want to see the third dimension of something... I want to come alive with the object.

~Andrew Wyeth~

just have the foreground to finish now and some touch up work left to do in the leaves. I have a show coming up June 4th & 5th so my obsession with drawing is now on the back burner...ugh...as i have LOTS of framing to do!! but i am really looking forward to the art fair, it's always fun to get out and meet people and chit chat about art!!!

2011-05-10T12:25:00.000-07:00

Staring into the beauty we can see,

we see the reflection of our own deep beauty,

our own perfect Self,

our own pure Silence,

like a snowy field in the highest mountains

that cannot be seen with human eyes alone.

Robert Rabbin

i highly recommend reading the full speech...you can read it here

2011-05-05T14:36:00.000-07:00

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.  ~Albert Einstein

i still have a lot left to do, but it's progressing pretty fast now!!

abandoned LA zoo revisited

2011-05-03T09:44:00.000-07:00

my youngest daughter and i finally got the opportunity to go back to the old abandoned LA zoo on saturday. it was a beautiful warm sunny day, we meandering through the old cages, graffiti filled tunnels, and hiked the trails around it, taking lots of photos along the way!

unfortunately when we got back to my car the window had been smashed in and my purse stolen, as well as the car next to me. the rangers told us there was a gang in the area watching cars and stealing, in seconds valuables they saw people hiding under their seats. so there went the rest of our nicely planned day of photo shooting as it took hours to take care of everything. luckily i took my drivers license and credit cards with me and i had no cash in my wallet so they got very little from me...but i learned a very valuable lesson...never take my purse if i'm not going to carry it!!

portraits of the faire

2011-04-25T10:13:00.000-07:00

for easter this year we broke tradition and went to the renaissance pleasure faire all day. the costumes were amazing, the shows fun, the food really delicious and the people so friendly and funny...we had a fantastic time! an easter we won't ever forget!

I see...

2011-04-21T14:22:00.000-07:00

suddenly i am all eyes, i forget this ME, am liberated from it and dive into the reality of what confronts me, become part of it, participate in it. 

~frederick franck~

as i am intensely drawing lately, i feel like it's the first time i have really, truly seen an oak tree. i never realized the incredible nuances and variations of an oak trees bark before...i can almost feel the roughness of the bark and the smell of the wood as i am drawing. i've never experienced any drawing quite like i have with this one...i get very lost in it. it's no wonder i can barely wait to get to home at night and start drawing!

...i become not less, but more myself. for the time being the split between me and not-me is healed, suspended.

purple mountains majesty

2011-04-18T12:29:00.000-07:00

some kitty love

2011-04-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

while weeding through lots and lots of photos the other day, i looked in my pets file and realized that there is always "someone" sleeping on my bed...24 7!!! and i take A LOT of photos of it! :-/

wishing you a lovely, sleep-filled weekend!!

2011-04-12T14:09:00.000-07:00

When I start drawing an ordinary thing, I realize how extraordinary it is...

Frederick Franck

previous post on oak tree progress

what's blossoming?

2011-04-05T14:20:00.000-07:00

...not the poppies in the antelope valley!!

my boyfriend and i skipped out of work last friday, put the top down and hit the I-5 up north to see the famous carpeted orange fields of poppies we had always heard about but never seen.

unfortunately the poppies were few and far between...especially on the reserve!

slightly disappointed.

but...

what we did see was still beautiful!

and it was a gorgeous sunny day, 82 degree weather, egg salad sandwiches and ice cold beers...how can i complain?!!

and there's always next year!

making headway

2011-03-31T15:51:00.000-07:00

slow but steady progress on my oak tree drawing...in the midst of so many other things going on; making curtains for my daughters room, open house at school, helping a friend move, cleaning, chauffeuring!! phew!life can get soooo busy! that's probably why i like mornings so much...they are very, very quite and slow. altho i only seem to draw in the evenings! go figure!!

rainy day

2011-03-21T20:33:00.000-07:00

yesterday it just rained and rained...a really hard rain all day long! so for most of the day we stayed in and watched movies, eat homemade soup and i worked on my oak tree drawing. i have to say it is slow going with so much detail, but i do feel like i'm making some progress on it.

and throughout the day, one or more of the animals cuddled up next to me...which is always sweet!

2011-03-16T15:04:00.000-07:00

those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life.

~ Rachel Carson ~

start of a new drawing

2011-03-10T09:47:00.000-08:00

this is the start of my new oak tree drawing that i began early sunday morning.

as i sat on the couch drawing, shorty snuggled in next to me and we watched the movie catfish (which i recommend...the unfolding of it is quite interesting! facebook can be both a blessing and a curse at the same time...watch it and you'll see what i mean).

and as both of my girls were gone last night i made quite a bit of progress between those 2 small chunks of time. this will be one of the larger drawings i've done in awhile...15x18 when it's complete. i'm digging how it's turning out so far, so am very excited to work on it as much as i can!!

2011-03-07T11:40:00.000-08:00

"Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever... it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything."

~Aaron Siskind~

Out on a Limb

2011-03-04T08:54:00.000-08:00

Out on a Limb (c) Kathryn Hansen 2011

spring has sprung...

2011-03-02T14:30:00.000-08:00

....in my Etsy shop! lots of gorgeous flower photos to brighten your day! and even a butterfly or two!

i know, i know...there's still lots of snow on the ground and the temps are not warming up to where you would like them to be...i have it on good authority tho that these beautiful flowers will make spring come faster!!! seriously...i would not pull your leg on this one!!

more and more snow in southern cal!! yay!

2011-02-28T14:51:00.000-08:00

josie and i hit a new hiking trail extremely early on saturday, which is directly across from our usual stomping grounds. it was freezing out that early in the morning, but i am so happy we were there...it was breathtaking, as you can see! in fact the beauty almost overwhelmed me and i found my heart just opening up and feeling sooooo incredibly lucky...and just totally, totally blessed!! we even had snow at my home saturday afternoon...a super amazing sight i've never seen here before!

oak tree: almost there!

2011-02-24T09:51:00.000-08:00

i am actually almost done with this drawing but as usual for me i've already started the next drawing without finishing this one up! i'm just so excited about the next one i couldn't help myself...it's another oak but i love it cuz it has this heart shape on it's trunk...like a badge of honor...so cool! but hopefully i will buckle down this weekend some time and get it done!!! but i heard there's more snow coming our way...so i will have to go play in it again if it does!! can you blame me?!! :-)

snow in southern cal!!!

2011-02-21T11:13:00.000-08:00

i was going to post updates on my tree drawing today but i walked outside yesterday on my way to go hiking with josie and saw that it had not only snowed over night but i could tell it even coated the base of the mountains...in my 12 years in california, i have never seen it that low!! which means i would definitely be in it within 20 minutes. so i booked it as fast as i could...only cuz i was really excited to be in that glorious snow!! it was warm, sunny and beyond magnificent!! it was josie's first taste of snow and altho i don't really think she understood it, especially the snowballs i kept throwing at her, she seemed to take it all in stride! i on the other hand had a blast because it's been years since i've played in the snow!!

tree series

2011-02-16T09:27:00.000-08:00

in the works: a series of tree drawings. this is the first, measuring 8x15. it's been a long time since i've worked on a textured surface, but thought it would add or mimic the bark of the tree. and i'm using a few really hard leads for the details. i typically like soft graphite ranging from B thru B4 but the small branches need to be very crisp.

i took a photo of this lovely tree at descanso gardens about a year ago~ that's how long i've had this idea of a tree series in my head!! i found this particular tree in a lush grove of ancient oaks. i love the way the branches are all twisty and crooked, it really adds drama and interest to the drawing!!

2011-02-14T10:23:00.000-08:00

"A purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved."

~Kurt Vonnegut~

♥wishing you a love filled valentines day!!!♥

2011-02-11T09:30:00.000-08:00

Art is a collaboration between God and the artist, and the less the artist does the better.

~André Gide~

2011-02-08T08:50:00.000-08:00

‎"How exciting it is to always be surrounded by possibilities!" -

~Sandra Anne Taylor~

(everyone is a critic...even sammy!!)

here are a few of the collages i've been working on lately. i could analyze why i needed to create these pieces, but i almost feel like everything i needed to get out of me i did and now i'm antsy to draw again. so much has happened in my life since i've been back from santa barbara a few weeks ago and now i am feeling a need to express myself artistically in other areas.

i'm so glad i set myself free from the prison of forcing myself to stick to one medium. i feel so much happier to be able to express myself fully in whatever way i wish to instead of feeling like i HAVE to do something a certain way...you know what i mean?!!

2011-02-04T14:23:00.000-08:00

There are always flowers for those who want to see them

~Henri Matisse~

is it right of me to post photos of warm weather and wildflowers in the mountains when 3/4 of the country is digging out of harrowing blizzards? probably not, but i'm going to do it anyways!!!

selling in a slow market part II~actions

2011-01-31T09:51:00.000-08:00

okay, here's my thoughts on actions to take during slow times.

#1...get creative!!! this is a super time to expand and try something new... i've been creating some small collages and i upgraded my editing system, so i've been playing with that a lot lately. branching out, expressing myself, stretching my imagination were some of my goals for 2011...and i'm doing it!

#2...build your community. this is a great time to find other like minded people who support your dreams. i've created an awesome community on facebook, and here on my blog of absolutely incredible friends, well-wisher and cheerleaders!!

#3...get out into the community, start finding friends and supporters outside of the on-line world. I joined a group called PAL, pasadena animal league where we hold an art auction event every other year to raise much needed funds for the humane society.

#4...find new avenues and streams of income. i'm working on creating an e-course right now, plus sending out dvd's of my art to coffee shops, restaurants, etc. and looking for places to teach art. be inventive...leave business cards every where...place a small ad in your local school newsletter...even AYSO has ads from time to time.

#5...clean. clean out closets, your studio, deep clean your home...you can't believe how good it feels to lighten up and have things fresh. a positive side-effect is that once you free your physical space from the clutter you also free your mind! it's like you're consciously making room for something more or new to come into your life!

what are some things you do during slow times?

selling in a slow market

2011-01-26T12:28:00.000-08:00

just thought i'd throw out some things i've been doing, changing, applying at this time when a lot of people, in general are crying about this economy.

i believe we create our reality through our thoughts, attitudes, feelings, beliefs, choices and decisions....no matter what the economy is like. or as alan cohen would say~a visionary sees and remembers the big picture!

so #1...i consciously change my thoughts to more positive affirmations such as my artwork sells easily without much effort on my part, all good flows to me, and the universe is always abundant!

#2...i have a positive attitude and one of gratitude...i do 5 daily gratitudes every morning and consciously give thanks for things throughout my day...a green light, a close parking space, being included in a treasury on etsy.

#3...beliefs create our reality more than the others...if you wanna know exactly what you are thinking try this exercise. take some very cheap paper...lots of it and just start writing...write about anything (no one is going to see it...be free with it), just don't stop, not for awhile...write 2, 4, 10 pages. put it away for 24 hours then go back and read it...underline strong statements...those are what you really believe. and now you can change those beliefs by turning them into positive affirmations. and here's the key...really feel those affirmations. if you write and say them with feeling and conviction they can change your life.

#4...choice. choices can supersede any belief. if you feel stuck with a belief/ new affirmation make a new choice for yourself. i always say to myself...it doesn't matter what choices i made in the past i can make a new choice right now! and...i am willing to choose a better reality...i am willing to have my art sell....i am willing to have all good things flow to me. and guess what...they do!

#5...decisions. you get to decide how well you do in life by your thoughts and actions. i decided not to listen to the news and doom sayers...i decide how i spend my time and who i hang with...my friends are positive and uplifting not negative.

try some of these things...seriously, they do work...just stick with it!!

next post...actions i take in a slow selling market.

in my etsy shop...

2011-01-24T15:40:00.000-08:00

photographs and a pendant, just newly listed items in my etsy shop...check them out, there's a story behind each one!!!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/66446892/boat-photgraph-chugging-along-by-kathryn

http://www.etsy.com/listing/66428530/bird-photograph-gliding-wings-by-kathryn

http://www.etsy.com/listing/66648296/bottle-cap-pendant

2011-01-20T11:00:00.000-08:00

i love this photo (after all my creative editing!!) my daughter took of me in the courthouse in santa barbara...in front of a painting, wild curly hair and camera on my back...so me!

and by the way, let me tell you...i'm in love, i'm in love, i'm in love...with santa barbara!! i really am! and only after 4 glorious days!! i fall fast!

my friend julie and i had a morning routine..we got up early walked one block from our apartment to the beach, ordered coffee, walked on the pier and watched pelicans dive bomb into the ocean for tasty fish and dolphins gliding past...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh....the memories!! plus we had absolutely picture perfect weather to boot!

but i'll be back there again soon...cuz there's just so much more to explore and experience!!

the birds of santa barbara

2011-01-18T17:06:00.000-08:00

2011-01-10T11:17:00.000-08:00

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

Eleanor Roosevelt

new art work coming soon...i promise!!

little specks of color left in the mountains

2011-01-03T11:42:00.000-08:00

my story...

2010-12-31T10:48:00.000-08:00

 Dec 30 Prompt: Gift. This month, gifts and gift-giving can seem inescapable.  What's the most memorable gift, tangible or emotional, you received this  year?

wow...well..i've received so much this past year, both emotional and tangible gifts, one of course stands out immediately to me, it was from my sister sue, but i guess other gifts that have had deep meaning and have left a huge impact on me were emotional...a few really thoughtful notes from my friend dan, a few extremely heartfelt letters from my daughter allie, connecting and a new understanding after one of my kids and i have had an argument, kind and wonderful words and support from friends and family and a deeper connection with my sister carolyn. i feel totally blessed this past year!!

Dec 31 Prompt: Core story. What central story is at the core of you, and how do  you share it with the world? (Bonus: Consider your reflections from  this month. Look through them to discover a thread you may not have  noticed until today.)

in a nut shell...
the core of my story is healing and connecting deeper to god.

i grew up with an abusive, angry alcoholic father...sadly it has effected my entire life, in every area. as a child i started lashing out at others and became a bully myself. when i got to high school that pretty much stopped with people outside my family, but in my family it grew unbearably worse as my brother and i turned in on each other and i started suffering from depression. in my late teens and twenties i drank heavily to numb the pain. in my early thirties i got pregnant with allie and everything changed forever. i never knew i could love something sooooo much and even tho my depression worsened all i wanted was to love her and be the best mom ever. at one of the lowest points in my life, just a little before allie turned one, i knew that i was either going to die or i would have to start living...so i chose living...because of her. i got into metaphysics thru my sister sue and i have never turned back...the first time i heard Lazaris i thought someone finally understood me (you just can't imagine what a huge gift that was!). i really don't know where i would be if it wasn't for Lazaris and my deep desire to be a better person and the best mom i could be to my kids, who i love more than anything.

so as i look back on the last 49 years of my life i can see that my mission in life was to heal myself and to become a way, way better person. i felt i didn't deserve anything because of all the horrible things i had done throughout my life to myself and to others. but i have healed from that now...not perfectly, not absolutely but i am VERY happy with and love who i have become. it's been a tremendous amount of work to get here...i've struggled a lot in life. but this past year was so incredible that i feel like i have really turned a corner in my life and will just keep moving forward now with ease, grace, determination, love, understanding and forgiveness (plus a whole lot more!!).
 a few things have been with me this entire time: self-pity (which is pretty much gone!) depression (over come that too..thru metaphysics) my sense of humor (which has gotten me thru some pretty hard times) and my art.

at times i have identified too deeply with my art, have put it's importance above my kids and others i have loved. it seems like it's such an integral part of who i am now, that when i had considering giving it all up just a few months ago i literally could not...almost as if it's an appendage and i would shrivel up, bleed to death without it. i am still trying to make some hard decisions with it. it's the selling of it that has me perplexed...and so i am sitting with that aspect of it, trying to decide what is the best direction for me at this point in my life. i am positive that will unfold itself to me this coming year.

all i know now is that i want to expand my creativity and imagination...and heal, grow and learn more about myself thru it.

achieving and a defining moment

2010-12-30T12:02:00.000-08:00

 Dec 28 Prompt: Achieve. What’s the thing you most want to achieve next year?  How do you imagine you’ll feel when you get it? Free? Happy? Complete?  Blissful? Write that feeling down. Then, brainstorm 10 things you can  do, or 10 new thoughts you can think, in order to experience that  feeling today.

i've given up the idea of ever having a cohesive portfolio of art work and instead do what i should have been doing all along~ stretching and expanding my creativity and imagination. that is the thing i most want to achieve in 2011! i have let myself off the hook and it feels soooo liberating! i made this decision weeks ago but will implement it next year...so i am already experiencing the freedom of it.

Dec 29 Prompt: Defining moment. Describe a defining moment or series of events that has affected your life this year.

i know this sounds redundant but 2010 was just a total series of astonishing events...one after another...that has led me to where i am right now~ so happy, content, excited, alive, engaged, and anticipating another awesome year ahead! i've worked super hard to heal myself and it's been really paying off now...and i know that this will have a lasting effect in my life!

a joyful moment

2010-12-29T09:10:00.000-08:00

Dec 27 prompt:  Ordinary joy. Our most profound joy is often experienced during  ordinary moments. What was one of your most joyful ordinary moments this  year? 

this is basically impossible to answer as i had sooooooo, so, so many joyful moments this year! if i listed them all this post would be almost endless! i'll just write about my most recent joyful moment...it was christmas day....and actually i consider it to really be a christmas miracle! my 2 teenage girls got along like they had been best buddies forever! i haven't seen this kind of behavior since they were young...and actually right after my vacation, i was ready to ship them off to their father (not really...i would miss them too much...but i was definitely tempted!!), that's how bad they had gotten with each other! so, i am holding onto this moment and praying that at the very least this new found bonding will have some kind of lasting effect! (so far so good!!)

3 more prompts...almost there!!

2010-12-28T13:54:00.000-08:00

Dec 24 Prompt: Everything's OK. What was the best moment that could serve as proof that everything is going to be alright? And how will you incorporate that discovery into the year ahead?

ohhhhhh...this is great cuz i DO know an exact moment. it was just this christmas evening on my way to my sister's home. as i was waiting at a long stoplight this expansive feeling just filled me up and i thought, everything is different now (it just popped in my head!), even tho from the outside it all looks the same...i still live in the same home, still have 2 teenagers, the same job, etc...but it's all different inside and i have actually been seeing the changes for awhile now...i would say the last 2 months for sure. so, this is super exciting to me and i can hardly wait to see how it plays out in 2011!!!

Dec 25 Prompt: Photo - a present to yourself. Sift through all the photos of you from the past year. Choose one that best captures you; either who you are, or who you strive to be. Find the shot of you that is worth a thousand words. Share the image, who shot it, where, and what it best reveals about you.

this picture of me actually not only captures how i felt in africa (extremely happy!)but really when i looked at all my photos from 2010...i was super happy in all of them! you just can't believe what a change that was from 2009 when i was in the midst of a lot of healing and in all of the photos of me that year they showed the pain behind my eyes and that forced smile. 

Dec 26 Prompt: Soul food. What did you eat this year that you will never forget? What went into your mouth; touched your soul?

here we go to africa again!!! i really wasn't expecting the food to be so outrageously awesome there. especially in the bush camp where they had one small gas stove to cook on, a few gas burners to the side and a fire pit on the ground!!! totally blew me away!the absolute best food ever...and tons of it!!

more and more reverb....!!!

2010-12-27T15:03:00.000-08:00

 Dec 21 Prompt: Future self. Imagine yourself five years from now. What advice  would you give your current self for the year ahead? (Bonus: Write a  note to yourself 10 years ago. What would you tell your younger self?)

i really thought a lot about this last week and i believe my future self would say this to me...you are absolutely headed in the right direction now, but always feel your feelings, be brutally honest with yourself, slow down and be very thoughtful about your choices and decisions.
Dec 22 Prompt: Travel. How did you travel in 2010? How and/or where would you like to travel next year? 

ohhhh, this is hard as there are so many places i would love to go to...but, if money and job were not a concern i would definitely spend 3 weeks in new zealand and australia and go to yellowstone national park for a few weeks. that would be very cool!!
Dec 23 Prompt: New name. Let's meet again, for the first time. If you could introduce yourself to strangers by another name for just one day, what would it be and why?

okay..kinda bizarre question...hmmm...patty wagon, ginger vitus...nope! think i'll would really just stick to kathryn hansen!! cuz i really love my life and love myself and all the wonderful and exciting things i am doing in my life! i guess that's a good thing, right?! 
 **these photos were taken at the union station christmas dinner in the park. we were suppose to volunteer in santa's village but because there were soooo many volunteers they turned us away. so instead we directed parents and kids waiting in the long windy line to see santa and receive a few toys. there was an abundance of golden leaves newly fallen from a tree near by, so we just started a leaf war...at one point i think there were at least 25 kids, of all ages and a few parents involved besides us! we had so much fun...everyone was laughing and having the best time!! plus it helped distract the kids from the long wait!   

i know i'm super far behind here...

2010-12-20T10:36:00.000-08:00

...but this has been a really hectic holiday season!!

we're on our 4th day of steady rain!

Dec 16 Prompt: Friendship. How has a friend changed you or your perspective on the world this year? Was this change gradual, or a sudden burst?

i would have to say my friend dan. he and his lovely wife cynthia and i, were having this most expansive and interesting conversation regarding having friendships with the opposite sex, trust and altering our behavior to please another.things abraham-hicks has been saying all along too but a light bulb went off in my head with something dan said that evening and i really got it...you can't change (and shouldn't) your behavior enough to please another.

Dec 17 Prompt: Lesson learned. What was the best thing you learned about yourself this past year? And how will you apply that lesson going forward?

hmmmm...i would say my level of compassion has really shot up this past year. Lazaris says you can't be a compassionate person until you have felt sorrow. I believe that to be very true. I have done many things in my life that i am truly and utterly sorry for and can never take back, so i've had to do a lot of self-forgiveness work and have lots of love and compassion for who i was at the time. but because of all that work i feel so much better about myself and have seen the evidence of my more compassionate self!

Dec 18 Prompt: Try. What do you want to try next year? Is there something you wanted to try in 2010? What happened when you did / didn't go for it? 

one word: zumba!!

Dec 19 Prompt: Healing. What healed you this year? Was it sudden, or a drip-by-drip evolution? How would you like to be healed in 2011?

anyone who's been following my blog for awhile knows that i've been doing alot of healing these past 2 years and it's definitely a "drip-by drip evolution." altho ever since i got back from africa it has sped up tremendously...in fact it feels like a whirlwind right now!! but that's a good thing!

Dec 20 Prompt: Beyond avoidance. What should you have done this year but didn't  because you were too scared, worried, unsure, busy or otherwise  deterred from doing? (Bonus: Will you do it?)

definitely finances...i made a lot of headway this year but confess that i've been a slacker lately with being so busy. There are adjustments i need to do with quickbooks and paypal that i haven't gotten to, so it's made the whole process right now sorta time consuming. but that's one of my huge goals next year is to keep up with my bookkeeping and stay on my budget better. and...YES...i will do it!!

2010, a year to always remember!!

2010-12-15T10:59:00.000-08:00

Prompt: 5 minutes. Imagine you will completely lose your memory of 2010 in five minutes. Set an alarm for five minutes and capture the things you most want to remember about 2010.

africa (mind blowing adventure and fun!), both of my daughters soccer season (so fun!), the reunion i had in colorado with 5 of my college roommates (super fun!), emily learning to fly on a trapeze, adopting shorty and emi, mini vacation with julie and chris (the sponge bob incident especially!!) expansive talks with bev, hiking in the mountains in the spring time (the flowers...magnificent),sterlings antics, healing and growing so much, dan and cynthia's wedding (so moving!)and learning photography!!

2010 was like one of the BEST years of my life...i swear i'd remember every second of it!!

true appreciation

2010-12-14T11:22:00.000-08:00

Prompt: Appreciate. What's the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it?

come on...one thing i appreciate the most?! i appreciate soooooooo many things! but i guess the first thing that popped into my head was this: i am so absolutely grateful for all the support,lovely comments,new friendships,clients,fans,well wishers and kind words i receive. I've been building this awesome community these past few years and it just lifts me to no end.

i've talked about this before here but this ties into why i feel so much appreciation. my father never once supported me as an artist...in fact, really quite the opposite and so it seems like my whole adult life i spent turning to one man or another to emotionally and mentally support me as an artist. well...it's never worked out as you can imagine, as i was looking outside of myself. now that i've been working hard at being my own head cheerleader, this awesome support has welled up from so many different sources...it's that pushing against stuff again! once i let it go and supported myself, then this lovely community of people sprouted up...and that's one of SO many things i am completely grateful for!!

...ohhhh...and how i express it.i write everyone that writes me as soon as i can,i give away a lot of art to people,friends and animal organizations and i also am a great cheerleader for other peoples dreams.

11 things, body integration and action...more reverb!

2010-12-13T17:16:00.000-08:00

 Prompt: 11 Things. What are 11 things your life doesn't need in  2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of  these 11 things change your life?

actually i'm changing this prompt to 11 things i am embracing even more in 2011!!

1. ease

2. peace

3. happiness

4. artistic & financial success with my art

5. winning

6. uplifting

7. fun

8. adventure

9. travel

10. security

11. trust

 Prompt: Body integration. This year, when did you feel the most  integrated with your body? Did you have a moment where there wasn't mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present?

oh, this is easy...when i am taking photographs. it's like i am physically no longer there, no time exists, i am totally connected to source. and when i come out of it, it's the wildest feeling like i need to ground myself back into physicality. i think this is why my dog josie stands guard when we're out, she senses this physical disconnection from my surroundings.

Prompt: Action. When it comes to aspirations, its not about ideas. It's about making ideas happen. What's your next step?

when i hear the word action i think of this quote by Abraham-Hicks: hard work is not the path to well-being. feeling good is the path to well-being. you don't create through action; you create through vibration. and then, your vibration calls action from you.

so, my "actions" are to journal, raise my resonance and meditate on goals, ideas, thoughts to get clarity and vibrationally in tune with what i want to create for myself. i really work at being more conscious so i can always tell by the way i feel if it's right for me or not. at this point in my life i can always tell when i'm pushing against something cuz it just never works out and then my frustration grows until the light bulb goes off in my head and i realize that i'm pushing too hard and not in sync with what i am trying to create.

more reverb

2010-12-10T10:51:00.000-08:00

 Dec 8th Prompt: Beautifully different. Think about what makes you  different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the  things that make you different - you'll find they're what make you  beautiful.
ohhhh..hmmm..this one is a bit hard for me cuz i keep hearing my grandmothers voice saying quit tooting your own horn and self praise stinks...so i'll take a deep breath. 

i think because i have been into metaphysics and self-growth for 17 years now, my perspective, or how i see the world and live in this world is unique, different, maybe to some a bit quirky. i think i am a very positive, upbeat, compassionate person...i love to laugh and have fun. i try to make people feel good about themselves by acknowledging them, looking them in the eye, supporting peoples dreams, trying to always be an uplifter. i believe my life and myself to be extremely valuable and so my happiness is super important to me, which comes across when i interact with people.
Dec 9th Prompt: Party. What social gathering rocked your socks off in  2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans.
i honestly can't say that the few parties i attended in 2010 really "rocked my socks off." i always have a great time when i go out but i guess my office christmas party was not only super fun, with delicious food and wine, but a lot of my co-workers surprised me in how much they cut loose...ones i would have never suspected to do so!! i guess office christmas parties are notorious for such "shenanigans," but it's really fun to see! Plus one of my co-workers had his band play for us and they were so awesome...i haven't danced like that in awhile! soooo many interesting surprises that night!!
Prompt: Wisdom. What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out?
i can't think of any one decision in particular i made this year that stands out, but i have made an overall decision to slow way down in my decision making. Really prior to this year i was always a jumper and then dealt with the consequences afterwords, in  every aspect of my life from relationships to jobs to spending, etc. this year i can honestly say that i've truly stopped that behavior. i have NOT had one single decision this year that i regretted...that is huge for me!! taking my time to really think things thru and seeing if they are right for me has been a huge change and blessing for me!

yeah...i'm bad!

2010-12-07T11:09:00.000-08:00

with my show and all, i am like seriously behind in my reverb commitment. i'm going to attempt to catch up now, if i can!

Dec 4th Prompt: Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year?

yikes...this is a hard one! i am going to say that taking photos this past year has definitely opened my eyes way more to all the wonder, beauty, awe and amazing sights around me, causing me to be way more conscious. there is so much wonder in this world that i think to myself...wow..the universe is so spectacular, it's so miraculous.

Dec 5th Prompt: Let Go. What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why?

i think the biggest thing i let go of, just of late was letting go of the dream i'd been holding onto, yearning and longing for, for over 20 years...being a full time, financially successful artist. it's sorta funny, once i quit pushing for it so hard, all these sales just magically fell into my lap!
i've also let go of the need to have my art be perfect. when i really dug deep and was brutally honest with myself, i saw why i needed it so much but now it feels like i no longer have to prove to myself that i am  really, truly a good artist.

Dec 6th Prompt: Make. What was the last thing you made? What  materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need  to clear some time for it?

lately i've been working on creating these small collage pieces. i've been hand sewing flowers on them and altho i try not to analyze it too much, it occurred to me that it's so much about blossoming with grace.and these small pieces have made me want to go bigger, using my own photos of people. so have been giving this tremendous thought, about the people i would like to photograph for these larger mixed media creations. (totally excited about this idea!!) plus i've started this series of tree drawings, that are very different for me...using a way more textured surface to draw on.lots of irons in the fire...just need more time for creating...as always!!

Dec 7th Prompt: Community. Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011?

I am so fortunate and blessed that in the last year and a half i have made so many new artist friends and built this extraordinary community of support in person, on facebook, my blog, and thru a few e-courses. i just added a whole bunch of new artists friends after this past weekend and hope to just deepen some of those friendships and continue to add more in 2011!!

what an art bender weekend!!

2010-12-06T10:57:00.000-08:00

wow...it was a whirlwind these past 5 days at the gallery at the end of the world!! the interesting conversations...wonderful people...the music, art, food, drinks...the incredible artists...synergistically came together to form this totally outrageous time! this tight-knit group of artists have formed such an incredible community and support system for each other over the years, so it's super sad to see it now ending. but i have a sneaking suspicion that we will all gather together in a different and unique way again...maybe this is just the start of something greater! all i know is that i am happy and totally exhausted!

so many thanks to all the people, friends and family that came out to the gallery and those who purchased my art...it was by far my very best selling show! thanks so so very much for all your support!!

2010-12-03T09:46:00.000-08:00

Prompt: Moment. Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors).

this is a no-brainer for me...africa...picking a certain moment is way harder. i guess it would absolutely be the first time we saw the elephants in amboseli. it was so surreal, so quiet, so spiritual. dozens and dozens of elephants in a variety of sizes from 3 months old to ginormous bulls standing quietly in the marsh munching on the tasty tall grasses. we spent hours there watching in utter amazement until it started getting late, the land all around us now a gorgeous golden hue...the sun just beginning to set. the elephants emerging from the marsh, slowly wandering off to the west to find shelter and safety for the night, gently moving in between our 3 jeeps...although some mock charged us, some trumpeted...but off they went into the sunset! a moment i will never, ever forget!!