S&S Fundraiser for The Art of Recovery

After focusing on photography for several months ( no pun intended), it has been great to go back in the studio and paint. These two images have been on quite a journey. They look absolutely nothing like what I started out with. I just gave myself permission to go wherever my instincts wanted to take me.

Risking painting over areas that weren't working, or that just wanted to go in a different direction. The process started as tenuous and ended up with a really satisfying and joyful quality. I felt confidence in my own painting process really grow with these two paintings.

The first painting is inspired by a poem title by Dylan Thomas entitled The Force That Through The Green Fuse Drives The Flower. I like the title more than the poem. What I do like about it is the connection of our lives to the natural rhythms. In these technological times, it's easy to forget that.

The Force That Through The Green Fuse - inspired by the poem by
Dylan Thomas. Painting © Kathryn Zoe Van Aernum
Mixed Media on Plywood

The second painting is called, “Holy Okra.” I got this beautiful purple okra in my CSA basket one week and had to bring it to the studio to paint. I don't like to eat okra at all - and yes, I've tried fried okra. But, I had never seen okra this color and thought it quite stunning. They way they are hovering over they made me think they were angelic. For me this painting represents that something(or someone) we don't like can be viewed as sacred.

Holy Okra © Kathryn Zoe Van Aernum

Mixed Media on Plywood

These two paintings will be up for auction at S&S Art Supply’s Fundraiser for The Art of Recovery - an art program for those suffering from mental illness.

This Saturday, July 21 • 2-6 p.m. There will be many paintings to bid on, food, adult beverages and live music.

Preparing the Meal

I'm getting ready for Columbia's Open Studios this weekend and I feel like I'm getting ready for a dinner party. There is the obvious meal prep and house cleaning; nothing like having people over to motivate you to clean your house, or studio, whatever the case may be. I want people to really enjoy the meal and be glad they came. I want people to have fun and enjoy each other's company, maybe even meet some new friends and bring old ones along.

If you're hungry for art, there's a movable feast of 69 studios to tour this weekend to satisfy your appetite.
Here is the online studio guide.  And there is also a cool interactive map

 I hope you'll stop by 2065 Blossom Street, Studio 205 in Columbia - right above OOPs (and Groucho's, speaking of food) in 5 points.

Bon Appétite!

Kale©Kathryn Zoe

Love Has Everything To Do With It - postscript

Love Has Everything To Do With It.
20" x30" Acrylic on Cold Press Watercolor Paper
©Kathryn Zoe Van Aernum

Love Has Everything To Do With It

Concrete Love © Kathryn Zoe Van Aernum

As I contemplated the lyrics of the Tina Turner song, "What's Love Got To Do With It," it hit me that Love has everything to do with "it." The "it" being life. It's love that inspires me to create. It's love that inspires me to connect, to appreciate. Without love, or passion, or heart, or whatever you want to call it, there is no point. 

I had an experience recently when I was going through my photo files. It was almost transcendent. There was the subject, the lighting, the composition and, yes, love. I saw the love that inspired me to take the photo reflecting back at me. 

So today, Valentine's day, I'm loving myself by doing what I inspires me; spending time in my art studio creating, playing and feeling the love.

"Meanwhile, once in a while, I have chanced, among the quick things,

  upon the immutable.

What more could one ask?" 

— From "The Long Black Branches by Mary Oliver

The Long Black Branches © Kathryn Zoe Van Aernum

Join me for Columbia Open Studios

April 21 & April 22

2605 Blossom Street - Above Oops in 5-points

The Land of O'Keefe

There is really no way to travel to Ghost Ranch, New Mexico and not feel like you are walking in the footsteps of Georgia O'Keefe. If you have seen any of her landscapes of New Mexico then you have been to Ghost Ranch. Every view evokes the memory of one of her paintings. The magic of unobstructed earth and sky play on your imagination like nothing else.

I went there to participate in a workshop called Intuition and Imagery, co-taught by two amazing women in their own right, Laurie Doctor and Barbara Griek. More on that later.

I took my DSLR camera along and a lightweight tripod as I knew there would be opportunities for images beyond the capabilities that my favorite i-phone app, Hipstamatic could render. I was not disappointed. Inspired by a full moon and the Michael Kenna exhibit I had recently seen at the Columbia Museum of Art, I set out to experiment with my own night images, in spite of my fear of encountering a wandering coyote.

I am so psyched by these results! They capture the magic and majesty in a way I am not sure any of the daytime photos I shot did.

Untitled©Kathryn Van Aernum

Ghost Ranch under Moonlight©Kathryn Van Aernum

Chimney Rock and Ghost Ranch ©Kathryn Van Aernum

Without the stars in the sky or the lights of the campground, you might think these were taken with a neutral density filter in the day. The only disappointment I have is that the tripod I had was very cheap and broke on one of the nights I was using it. The images have a bit of shake because of the lightweight nature of the tripod. Had I used my real one, these would be much sharper. But in spite of that, I still love them.

New Mexico travels to be continued...

S&S Art Supply Fundraiser, Saturday, July 23

Two years ago I blundered into this new art supply store that, at the time, was located on Rosewood Drive. Eric Stockard had just opened S & S Art Supply - a brave venture in today’s online and megastore shopping paradigm. You might say that he is as brave as anyone who dares to follow their muse, be it becoming an artist (not just visual), or an entrepreneur, or both.

His move to Main street last year was visionary as the improvements that we are now seeing were still in the talking /rumor phase. Being on the leading edge involves risk that many of us are simply afraid to take. But Eric hasn't been. He is an enthusiastic believer in the revitalization of Main Street.

His latest act of bravery comes in the form of vulnerability. His business is struggling and he has asked for the community's help. Local artists have created art pieces for auction to raise funds that would assist him in getting through the slow summer season. Asking for help is courageous. And it isn't like he hasn't been working it. Eric shows up at events that you wouldn't really connect with art supplies, like sponsoring a kid's painting with tomatoes booth at the Tasty Tomato Festival. That's creative.

If you are in town tomorrow and want to support this local, independent business and also are looking for original art created by local artists, come to the art auction at his store at 1633 Main Street. Food and beverage have been donated by local businesses. Nearly 100 artworks will be up for auction, all proceeds go to S & S. His store opens at 10 — in case you want to buy some art supplies, and the auction is from 4-8 p.m.

I have created a mixed-media piece based on the Antonio Machado poem, “The Wind, One Brilliant Day.”

Let's brave the heat and support Eric, Amanda and S & S Art Supply.

The Wind, One Brilliant Day
text by
Antonio Machado

What a blast

I want to thank all the folks that came by my studio during 701cca's Open Studio event this past weekend. Around 90 people came through over the two days! It was really gratifying to talk to everyone and I feel honored by all who stopped by.

I sold some encaustic paintings and since it is a new medium for me - and I wanted to answer the question on how to frame them. Here is a good website that not only has a good method for framing them, but describes the process as well.

I was surprised that a number of people had never heard of encaustic painting— although they may be familiar with artists who employed it, such as Jasper Johns (one of my favorites). It is one of the oldest fine art methods and was commonly used by the Greeks and Egyptians. It has enjoyed a revival since the 1960's due, in part, to Jasper Johns.

Visitors to the space were also surprised by the fact that there were studio spaces above OOPS! in 5 points.  There are now 7 artists in this space and we plan on having a few open house events over the summer. Stay tuned.