The Kat Eye View of the World - Kat Eye Studio

March 19, 2015 by Kat

Swapped and Gone

The first mailing in the Liberate Your Art Swap is off! The next three weeks, lots of wonderful mail will be making its way around the world. So how many people were in the swap this year? From where? You’ll have to wait on those answers… I’ll share all of the swap stats along with a video of the postcard art during the Blog Hop, which will be April 16-20, 2015. All of the details on the video and the blog hop will arrive via email for those participating in the swap.

We had a wonderful Swap Day on Sunday! Here’s what it looked like around my house, all swapped and waiting for the volunteers to arrive. The swapping itself is a process that would not work well with many people, too many opportunities for mistakes, so I got up early to do that part.

Then came the sticking of labels and stamps on all of the postcards. With 8 of us, we finished in record time – 1.5 hours.

Here are the last of the decorated envelopes I received in this year’s swap. What gorgeous mail art I received this year! I think I will go into withdrawal after this. 🙂

A mermaid from North Carolina swam to Oregon, courtesy of Beverly.

I loved the message on this envelope, found within another envelope, from Chris in California…

A lovely painted piece graced the back of this envelope from Nancy in Florida:

Diane in Michigan is making the best of the cold weather — sending mail to warm the heart!

Another stitched envelope! This one from Jen in Arizona. Great “Liberate Your Art” motif going on here.

This elegant envelope arrived from Texas, sealed with wax. Kirsten‘s lettering is gorgeous!

Dani sent this fun greeting from Australia…

Another celebration of winter from Vicki in New York.

These flowers bloomed all the way from Danie in Australia! Can you imagine how many people smiled at the envelope along the way?

Kristen, here in my home state of Oregon, created a lovely collage on the back of her envelope…

And last, but not least, Cindy sends a bit of glitter with the phrase, “Not all who wander are lost.” I love that saying!

That wraps up the mail art for the 2015 swap. It was the best year yet for decorated envelopes. Thank you all so much!! It has been so much fun to received them.

The next swap update won’t be until the Blog Hop in April where we wrap everything up for the year. Stay tuned!!

March 16, 2015 by Kat

A Life Well Lived

Last week was a reminder of what a life well lived looks like, in the end. It looks like a room full of people, sad to see you go. It looks like scholarships and foundations which last beyond your time on earth. It looks like crying and laughter alike, from family and friends whose lives you touched.

Last week I disappeared from my normal life, the blog, and everything else to attend the Celebration of Life of my dear great Aunt Mernie in Tucson, Arizona. She was 92 years old, the last of her generation in our family, and definitely an example of a life well lived. She was a longtime teacher, volunteer and community member who touched many people’s lives and inspired everyone to do their best, right up to the very end.

My sister and I talked right after she died, and tried to figure out what was so special about Aunt Mernie. I said it was because we always felt seen by her. She acknowledged our presence, our person-ness, from the time we were young children. She continued to acknowledge our presence, on through our adult lives with our own children. I got a birthday card from her just last fall. Who expects a birthday card from their great aunt at 92?

Listening to different people’s memories at her Celebration of Life gave me a more complete picture of just how many lives she touched. How many other people felt like adopted grandchildren, as we did.

And it inspires me, in showing me what a life well lived looks like. I know I can’t ever be just like Aunt Mernie. I don’t have an inherent disposition that is so kind and generous, as hers was. But if I can live my life in a way that influences people in a positive way, even just a small fraction of what she did, then I will call it a success.

Aunt Mernie, thank you for that. You will be very missed.

March 5, 2015 by Kat

Why Liberate Your Art?

We are getting close to swap day! Woohoo! With about a week and a half left for envelopes to arrive, we have 140 artists participating so far in the Liberate Your Art postcard swap this year. It will be interesting to see how many come in over the next nine days.

People ask me why I do this big swap, which takes quite a bit of my time and energy. My first answer is that I get to connect with all of YOU, which is awesome. But more importantly is to encourage people make, liberate and connect with art. You may not realize, but this simple step of sending your art out in the world can be life changing. Here are a few quotes in notes I’ve received this year with postcards:

I’ve never shared my art before and it is liberating!

I’ve never done anything like this before. I agonized over what to do, how to do it — all this time! Now I am sending these babies out in the world and so looking forward to mail! Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.

I have never printed copies of my art, but now that I have, I think it is kinda fun.

I struggled a bit thinking myself a fraud for joining an “artists” project. Grade school judgements stick in the brain. Ultimately, the idea of just sharing anything was ok. Also, my 12 year old harshly said, “Oh, get over it!”

Thank you so much for reconnecting me to the artist within, the uninhibited free expression of who I am without self-consciousness. I wouldn’t consider anything I’ve created “perfect” or “masterful” but I’m having fun and sharing expressions of my inner and outer world.

Because of [this swap], I have friends that will be friends for the rest of our lives. That means the world.

Um, yeah. Those words, those feelings, those connections are more than worth the hours I put in to making this swap come together. T-9 days. I can’t wait to liberate!

Here are some of the wonderful envelopes I received in the last week. They are coming fast and furious now, and I’m not able to photograph and share every decorated envelope I receive. Forgive me if yours doesn’t get featured!

Charm sent this lovely doodled envelope from Australia.

Carroll in Vermont sent this wish for better weather through the mail. It says, “Doesn’t Jack Front know he’s worn out his welcome?! Besides, he really looks like he needs a vacation!”

On the back, she is clearly “anticipating spring.”

Linda sent this gorgeous envelope from California. I swear, some of these envelopes are worthy of framing. I might just do that after the swap.

I recognized Natasha‘s designs from a mile away! She does Henna art in California and has participated multiple years. Natasha, someday I’m going to wear some of your henna art…

Isn’t it amazing what you can do with a plain white envelope? Sheila in California sent this beauty. (What is it with all of the California people? Are you guys just extra creative?)

Jan from Michigan sent this message. Yes Jan, I agree! It’s almost time!

Deanie’s envelope from Arizona caught my eye. There is just something about vintage cameras…

The front of this envelope from April in Florida was artfully done…

…but it was the back which blew me away. Isn’t that a gorgeous piece of collage art? And on an envelope, no less…

Lisa is clearly dreaming of spring in Massachusetts. Keep dreaming! It will come!

This beauty came to me from Bonnie in Pennsylvania. Tea, anyone?

For all of the covered envelopes, a few here and there remind me that less can be more. Isn’t this a wonderful composition and use of the kraft envelope as part of the art? This is from Janet in California.

And finally, every so often I get something in the mail that is not art but is exciting nonetheless! Kris sent this lovely taste of Texas to me. The swap day volunteers and I will enjoy these! Thanks Kris!!

I can’t wait to LIBERATE! We are almost there…

March 3, 2015 by Kat

Where does art come from?

Is there a place you feel most like yourself? Where you shed the trappings of everyday life and the expectations of others? I have a place like that. Or places, I should say. It’s wherever I find a dirt trail winding among the trees. Wherever I can be surrounded by the forest – tall trees, filtered light, greenery. Just the sounds of the breeze, the birds, and my breath.

It’s in the forest that I most feel like me. I’m not Kat the artist, or Katrina the engineer, or Trina the daughter, sister and wife. I’m just me, the core of me that doesn’t need a name. The forest reminds me there is this constant, consistent existence inside all of the outer trappings. This essential “me” that is the same no matter what direction I am facing in life, which name and role I’m taking on. I get to be that essential me, get in touch with that core, when I am in the forest. What a beautiful thing!

This lovely realization came through a couple of hikes I managed to squeeze in recently. It’s nice to know that regardless of how busy my life is or how many items on the “to do” list, there is a constant source of peace I can tap into. This realization has also led to an “aha” about my art.

Sometimes, looking at my work in the last couple of years, I’ve wondered how someone who is so busy can create art that is so peaceful and contemplative. I mean really, look at the work I create. It might make you think I live life in some zen way, full of meditation and awareness. Yet I am usually going a hundred miles an hour, filling most of my time with commitments and projects and goals. I have a full time corporate job, I create and sell art, I write and teach, I’m a wife and mother. Doesn’t sound very zen to me.

At times, I’ve wondered: Is the art I create a yearning for something else? Some simplicity that I can’t seem to achieve? But even though I’ve asked myself those questions, it’s never really felt this way. It doesn’t feel like the art comes from a place of emptiness or wanting. It feels like the art is just there. And I reach in and pull it out.

And that’s the “aha”… My art is there. It comes from that constant core, the “me” that’s me regardless of the name I’m using, the role I’m playing. The same self I get in touch with in the forest is the same self that I’m tapping in to when I create my art. It’s always there, always ready to be accessed. It just takes me finding a moment, finding ways to connect with it. Isn’t that brilliant? My art is from a place of abundance, not a place of lack. Because what I have, what I always have, no matter what else is happening in my life, is me.

I’ve always thought that connections brought through art are special. That when someone creates with honesty, you can see the true person through their art. I’m getting a deeper, more personal understanding of that. People who connect with my art are people who see me. The real me, under all of the window dressing of the different roles I play. It explains why I want to sell my art – because getting out there increases those connections. It explains why I love to teach about art – because it helps others find that connection to self too.

All of this has led to me rewriting what I think of as a “welcome” message, for the About me page on my website. Trying to capture who I am and what I do in just a few sentences is a difficult thing, but here’s my first draft…

My art is an expression of who I am, beyond the trappings of a modern, busy life as a mother, wife, engineer, teacher, and artist. There is a place of stillness, peace, and beauty that exists deep within me which comes out in the imagery I create. If my work resonates with you, then you have this special place within you too. I am honored to have made a connection with you. Nothing makes me happier than sending a piece of my art home with you to grace your space, or showing you how to create that kind of connection for yourself.

Welcome to Kat Eye Studio, my online creative space. Get comfortable, grab a cup of tea and make yourself at home here. Let’s connect through art.

What do you think? Does that capture it? Does it let you see a little bit of that real me, invite you to join me? I’d love to get your reactions to this new understanding, these new words.

February 26, 2015 by Kat

A Big Stack of Mail

I picked up the mail on Monday and there were a stack of 30 new envelopes to check in for the Liberate Your Art postcard swap! With just over two weeks until the swap deadline, the envelopes will be arriving fast and furious from this point on. I’ll pick them up again tomorrow and early next week, to stay on top of check in!

What do I mean by “check in”? For each envelope that arrives, I open it up and make sure that it has the right number of postcards with a message written on the back, along with stamps and labels. For international participants, I match their envelope up with Paypal payment. I unpackage all items and remove any extra things the envelope – like extra postcards (not required, but accepted with thanks!), bags, paper clips, pieces of paper with email addresses, etc. If there is a problem something, I set the envelope aside to follow up with the sender if I can. For the rest, I put the stamps, labels and postcards back in the envelopes and store them until swap day. It takes some extra time along the way, but this way I know everything is ready to go and there won’t be any problems or surprises when it’s time to swap on March 15!

So what wonderful envelopes have I received this week? Let’s take a look…

We have a new country this year! Woohoo! Cathy from Singapore sent this envelope with a little regional flair:

And a lovely collage on the back!

Julia sent this painted mail art from Washington. I loved the subtle little detail of “mail art” written in some of the circles.

This gorgeous sea-themed envelope arrived from Eric in France. (Hint: He is one of the answers in the Treasure Hunt! Are you participating this year? You have a couple of days left to send in your entry.)

Hearts arrived from JarieLyn in Nevada. Made me smile!

These cute arty ladies adorned the front and back of the envelope from Janice in California…

Patty in Virginia expressed a sentiment that went straight to my heart. Me too, Patty!

I’ve got mail from Patricia in Washington! I liked how she printed an altered photograph right on the envelope, and I think that’s her, smiling out at me from the stamp!

Sarah sent me on a beautiful walk in the Georgia woods with her envelope. I loved the imperative on the back, “Liberate your art, people!!!”

And finally, here are a few postcards that were sent to me as well. It’s always nice to find a few personal notes mixed in with the stack of envelopes. I thought I’d share these as a little preview. Who knows, you might get one of these too, come swap day.

Not long now, just over two weeks away!

February 24, 2015 by Kat

How Silent the Trees

How silent the trees, their poetry being of themselves only. ~ Mary Oliver

I’ve been on a renewed Mary Oliver kick the last week or so, getting back into her poems after reading a couple of great articles on Brain Pickings. One of the articles included a fabulous interview with Krista Tippett from On Being.

So instead of a lot of words from me, how about you listen to the wisdom and beauty of the words of Mary Oliver today? Grab a cup of tea and settle in. It’s worth your time.

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