Dewberry Discovery

     The other evening my sister and I discovered there is a Great Horned Owl in the countryside near us.  We've been watching him watch us from a dead branch in the top of a big old pecan tree.  He's just far enough to be out of reach of our longest lenses but close enough to hear his hoot clearly as he softly inquires about our day.  While lurking on the road side watching him we discovered a patch of dewberries that had been growing for who knows how long just inside of the fence line and along the irrigation ditch of the field east of the house.  We vowed to return in daylight and investigate.  Above you see the results.  What you don't see are my purple, juice stained fingers from the picking process.  What you don't see, thank goodness, is our "go away snakey snakey" stomp dance we performed as we made our way through the overgrown field to the even more overgrown brambles.  What you don't see is the silly grin on my face at the joy of eating the berries straight off the vines.  The enforced quietude has brought many small blessing.  The owl, the berries, gardens growing, extra time spent with my favorite sister.  They color my experience of this quiet slow time like the sweet, sharp dewberries stain my picking fingers.  Making everything better.

Be well friends,

Kim  

     

                                            

Crochet/Knitting

     I warned you I'd be back.  Also I'm reclaiming my obsolete training and spacing twice at the end of sentences.  We all need our spaces now.  Above is a photo of my current project I'm calling the "pandemic shawl".  I wanted to mark the time in a tangible way.  I've got a sort of theory.  Most folks are generally either detailed oriented or big picture focused.  You either revel in getting the tiny details perfect or you don't.  Here's the thing about me and stitching projects of just about any kind.  Most tend to be better viewed from a distance.  I always say its because of my early theatre training and how everything looks good from ten feet away.  So imagine my joy when I discovered fulling or felting if you prefer.  I can stitch away happily/sloppily, squeezing the therapy out of the handwork and tossing away the pattern following anxiety.  I throw it in hot water a couple of times and all the dropped stitches and oh craps blend into a harmonious pelt of wooly comfort. That's my intention with this shawl if my inconsistency in stitches and fumbled turnings are too painful to leave undisguised.  This is a terrific opportunity to finally use up some of my yarn stash as well.  I started with a lovely variegated periwinkle wool from Brooks Farm Yarn in Lancaster, TX and am now onto a warm carmelly alpaca yarn from Cibolo Creek Alpacas for which I don't have a link.  I picked these up several years ago and have finally stopped saving them for something special.  This is special! Comfort in a scary time.  I hope you are finding comfort where you can.

Be Well Friends,

Kim

Mending

Let's touch base-

     It's been a minute since I posted or shared anything on the blog so I'm taking this down time to try to be more connected with you here. Nothing real profound, just feeling the need to reach out since I'm not getting to see you all at the art shows this Spring and Summer. I'm also practicing not spacing twice at the end of sentences ;). ignore it if you see it happen please. I haven't felt inspired to work on any #WindowFramed pieces as of yet but I'm trying to keep my hands busy.  Above are my much loved and patched jeans that are needing an over haul thanks to my Keto lifestyle.  If you'd told me last year that I'd handle this world wide pandemic without a bowl of pasta as my wingman I'd have laughed out loud but that's just what I'm doing. Hence the need for jean alteration. So I'm using what I have and not buying more until it feels appropriate. I'm mending and making do. Visible mending feels like a signal to me and others that I care for what I have. To stop the disposable lifestyle. Reduce/Reuse/Recycle is a hashtag I often use online when referring to my art work. Even truer now in the whole of my life. Slowing down, paying attention, paying tribute to the people, places and things that support me in this life.

Be Well,

Kim  

2020 Art Show Schedule

Hello-

     It's been a few months since I made a blog post and a bit of a wait in the car service waiting room seemed like the perfect opportunity to catch up with you all.  So let's get started.

     I've passed out a few cards about commission work but no one has jumped at the offer yet.  I'm not discouraged.  It felt good to claim that as an option and I know the right people will find me when its a perfect option.  The Spring shows have been filled with weather challenges.  I never curse the rain around here because I realize that it is hard to come by most of the time and it is keeping the temperature down.  I will however grumble about the mud in the booth and the untidy results in Vincent, the new van.

     My narrow avoidance of an art scam did have a positive result.  I have all my current #WindowFramed pieces in one place for viewing.  I've created a Flickr page (click on the underlined word and a new window will open with the page for you)  that will take you right to where I've posted everything that is ready to go now.  I'll keep it current by either removing or posting SOLD on pieces no longer available.  Those of you who follow me on Instagram have been getting these updates regularly and getting a first look at new pieces and the process of their creation and even the finding of the windows.  You are following along on Instagram right? Prints are still available through my Etsy shops as well, links on the right.  You'll find my international work there as well.

I posted my upcoming dates there recently I'll post a short recap here.  Contact me if you need further location details.

May 26 and 27 Kerrville Arts Festival
June 7,8, and 9 at the Lavender Festival in Blanco
July 6 and 7 Rockport Art Festival
July 26.27 and 28 Ruidoso Art Festival NM

In between studio work in town and art shows on the road the cats and I are giving Mom a hand at the home place in the country.  As a result my life if full of all the things I love and that is a good thing.  So I think you know everything that is interesting.  You don't want to know about my creaky knee or continuously patched jeans, right?  So I will close with a photo of a cow with cartoonishly windblown horns.  I'm always willing to find the whimsy in something.  I hope you are too.  It makes the world a better place.

Thanks to you all for your continued support and for following along on this adventure.

Til next time,

Kim

The 2019 Adventure begins

What an absolutely wonderful year last year has been for me professionally.  I expect new and exciting adventures to follow this year.  Along with continuing the #WindowFramed series that you'll be able to find at the art shows I attend and upcoming retail venues, I am expanding to offer private commissions for folks looking to have me create a one of a kind fine art photograph just for them.  So many of you have asked if this was possible that I decided that YES, yes it is possible.  Here's what I'll be sharing when someone asks me if .....

If this sounds like something you've been dreaming of doing, maybe the cell phone photos you take just don't do your home place, deer lease, lake house or river side justice, then allow me to create that piece of art that will.  Until my show season goes into full swing starting in March I'll be offering an introductory price with the session fee of only $200. 

 

I hope you are as excited about the upcoming year as I am!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's where I'll be

 

 

It has been a busy year so far and is only going to get busier.  I hope you get to see my work at one of these upcoming venues.  The "WindowFramed" project really is a labor of love and the love I'm getting back from it is making the hard work worth while.  Even if you don't make it into some of these upcoming events please go check out the artwork of the other wonderful artists that will be there.