111 Minna : Harum Scarum : Works in Progress II

Almost all of my artistic efforts during the month of December have been devoted to accomplishing a cohesive body of work for the Harum Scarum show at 111 Minna Gallery- set to open February 2, 2012. This year was filled with some unexpected turns, and I find myself once again living at home with my family. Their love and support has given me the strength to move forward as well as the ability to focus my self and my energy towards the development of this new series.
 

In the time it takes to create this art, I hope to capture a small glint of the emotional range which has consumed the better part of my thoughts as I process the culmination of my experiences over 2010 and 2011. I'm grateful for this time and the luxury to entertain such whims and in a perfect world I suppose we would all have some such means to understand the why's and how's of the way things unfold in our lives.

Overall, I'm proud of the decisions I've made and thankful for the people who have come in and out of my life. Their influences will continue unfolding in ways which may or may not make sense at the present moment or in my immediate future- but, at the very least, as this new work nears its completion I will personally savor the irony of this show's theme and its uncanny title which perfectly defines the last two years of my life.

 

Thanks, once again, for checking in and maybe we'll meet for the first time at this show's opening night.

Take care until then...

111 Minna : Harum Scarum : Works in Progress I

I'm really excited about this new series of work intended for 111 Minna's "Harum Scarum" Show. Here are some examples of the art in progress. Hopefully I can make my way up to San Francisco for the opening night- it would be an awesome excuse for a road trip and a great opportunity to visit some friends along the coast.

This new work will slowly incorporate color as a thematic element, rather than a decorative component, with the intention of gradually developing watercolor media into a more dominant presence in my work. I'm still very intimidated by watercolor painting, but I'm betting that my love and fascination for the medium will eventually overpower my fears.

Baby steps...

I'll continue to post the progress of this new series as soon as I have more photos documenting my work. Thanks for checking in and maybe we'll meet at this opening event!

Take care until then...

Wrapping Up 2011

The year is coming to a close, but the imaginary snowball is still rolling- growing larger by the minute... lucky me. I'm already booked to appear up and down the coast of California next year in at least four shows including:

Thumbprint Gallery in San Diego, CA for January

111 Minna Gallery in San Francisco, CA for February

Thinkspace Gallery in Culver City, CA for March and May

(Fliers coming soon...)

I'll post more details as soon as they arrive, as well as some works in progress for those of you who are anxious to see a sneak peak of what's to come. 

I'm also looking forward to San Diego Comic Con 2012, hopefully I can have some new stories, zines and t-shirts printed up by July. I'll be back in the same booth with my good friend Randall Christopher and his incredible creations Bear & Fox/Kleeman & Mike. Check them out if you're not already familiar with Randy's refreshing sense of humor.

Thanks for checking in and maybe I'll see you at one of these upcoming events! 

Take care until then...

Monkey King Commission

San Diego's Comic Con 2011 was a great success. I met a lot of wonderful people and received a lot of interesting commissions. One of which afforded me the opportunity to interpret a mythological Chinese Deity, the Monkey King. With the help of a friend, well versed in the art of Kung Fu, I was able to pull together an authentic re-creation of this character, posed in what is traditionally known as "monkey style" Kung Fu. I had a lot of fun researching and executing this final piece.

"A-mazing. Katherine, Katherine, Katherine... I wish i could put into words how this looks... So i guess i'll try... When i look at your work, it's as if i cannot blink. Your technique is flawless -in my eyes. It's very similar to stained glass. Each segmented piece has a life/world of it's own. So from a far the Monkey King looks like a kingdom, comprised of all your best and latest techniques. I thoroughly enjoy it. And will continue to enjoy it. I look forward to seeing more of your successes!"

"Arigato Gozaimasu Katherine-Sama"

 -Ryan Loewinsohn

Thanks for the kind words and the commission Ryan, I hope to see you again at next year's Comic Con!

Homeroom : Subtext Gallery : Christina Conway : High Fives...

This was an incredible show, and I'm really grateful to be a part of something so spectacular in my hometown of San Diego, California. I'd like to thank Christina Conway for curating this magical event, as well as Don Hollis and his crew at Subtext Gallery for housing the show. It was an honor to be among so many talented artists from around the world. What a great way to wrap-up 2011.

Christina asked us to find an art piece from childhood, then reinterpret it for her show. I found my artwork buried at the bottom of a dusty box, stowed safely on a high shelf in my dad's garage. I created it when I was three, almost four, years old. The title of the piece (given by my mom) was "Kathy's First Sharks"- and I couldn't resist the opportunity to recreate it. 

This is a picture of me around the time I made the artwork.

Here are some pictures of my piece for the show. Until I have a photo of the final artwork, please enjoy these pictures of its progress...

 

 

Last, but not least, is a photo of my toughest critic...

Christina Conway

Subtext Gallery