philomath open studios tour

October 23, 2015 by Kat

Open Studio + Giveaway Extravaganza!

Yay! It’s time for my favorite event… The Philomath Open Studios Tour. My studio will be one of 15 studios open on the next two weekends, Saturday and Sunday noon to 5pm. There are 37 artists participating and exhibiting their work. Come visit! It’s great fun to meet the artists, see where they work and talk about their process. It’s an education you just can’t get any other way. (You can find details on the artists and a map here.)

My guest artist this year is Nena Bement, who works in glass. She and I got the studio all set up yesterday, and I forgot to take pictures! Argh! I’ll post some on Instagram during the event, because it looks great. Here’s one I took the other evening, when Roman so delightfully posed in front of my work. I think he was trying to blend in. He goes quite well with Vanishing, don’t you think?

And to celebrate this big week, with the release of the Digital Photography for Beginners eBook and the Open Studio, let’s have a giveaway! I’ll give away a few things and make it an “extravaganza.” Fun!

Before I get into the prizes, here are the details:

Leave a comment on this blog post anytime between now and my next blog post (no sooner than Tuesday morning 27-Oct-15 4AM PDT, but could be a bit later). I’ll do a random drawing for the winners when I sit down to write the post.
One entry per person.
If you are interested in the iPhone 5/5s gear, add that to your comment. I will only give these items away to someone who can use them.

Here are the items I’m giving away:

Small Framed Print of Your Choice

Do you have a favorite image? Choose from any of my square iPhone pieces. These are all limited edition prints I create in my studio here in Oregon. Your piece will be numbered, signed, matted and presented in a black frame, ready to hang or sit on a table. Here is an example of several of this small size together in a group. They look great, don’t they?

If you don’t win, you can buy these in my Etsy shop, anytime!

Digital Photogaphy for Beginners

Do you need to brush up on your fundamental photography skills? Do you know someone who is just getting started? Then you need my new eBook, Digital Photography for Beginners! I’ll give away a copy or two, either to you or, if you don’t need it, you can gift your copy to a friend.

If you don’t win, be sure to take advantage of the Launch Special: The eBook is just $5.99 (reg. $9.99) right now. SALE expires Oct. 28th, 11:59pm PDT.

iPhone 5/5s Accessories

Since I’ve upgraded to my iPhone 6s I have several accessories which are now obsolete to me. Sad!! I’d love to see them continue to be useful. Please leave a note in your comment that you want to be included in this part of the drawing. All items are gently used and in good working condition.

Custom Phone Case

One of a kind! This case is printed with my iconic piece, Vanishing. It’s eye-catching!

Olloclip Lenses and Homemade Case

These Olloclip lenses have been great to use. Small, compact and good image quality. This one has the fisheye, wide angle and macro lens all-in-one. I’ll also throw in the homemade case I created by cutting off the corner of an old plastic case. Not fancy, but works great! And it’s hot pink, so it’s just plain fun.

Waterproof Case with Fisheye Lens

This Optrix waterproof case is awesome! You can fully use the phone and camera in or under the water. The attached fisheye lens is high quality, too. I had fun with this, as the image of my nephew under the water will attest.

I hope to see you at my Open Studio! And if you’re not close enough to stop by, hopefully you’ll get a little piece of my creative world through the giveaway. Don’t forget to leave your comment to enter!

October 23, 2014 by Kat

An Invitation to my Studio

This weekend starts the Philomath Open Studios Tour, and you are invited! For two weekends, October 25-26 and November 1-2, my studio in Corvallis, Oregon will be open Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5pm. I am one of 15 studios on the tour this year, with more than 36 artists involved in total. I will be joined in my studio by Marcella Henkels, a ceramics artist who creates gorgeous raku tiles framed in barnwood.

The tour is a wonderful way to meet artists, learn more about their art, and maybe pick up a few holiday gifts along the way. I’ve always enjoyed visiting artist studios in the past, and am excited to share mine this time. I look forward to welcoming folks into my space, sharing the process of creating and printing photographic work, as well as displaying some new work created since the summer. It’s also a great opportunity to show off our new kitchen, since we are so thrilled with the remodel recently completed by Kirk Design and Construction.

You can find tour maps and artist information at PhilomathOpenStudios.com.

The tour also marks an anniversary of a new path for me creatively. One year ago, I participated as a guest artist in the same tour at David Paul Bayles studio. It was the first time I displayed my iPhone work to the public as a body of work. It was also the first time I showed more than just one or two pieces in a group exhibition, expressing my artistic voice. Wow, was it fun. The experience started me down the path of participating in art fairs, with a goal to dip my toe into the art fair world in 2014 by participating in two or three events this first year. I met that goal and more.

Philomath Open Studios, my fourth and final event of the year, wraps up an initial season which exceeded my wildest expectations. It’s been a roller coaster ride, and I’ve enjoyed every moment. In a couple of weeks I’ll pack the remaining art away in boxes and start looking to next year’s schedule. I’ll settle down to finish up the book manuscript that’s due in a few months. I’ll enjoy the winter trees and see what interesting art they bring with them this year.

But before then, you are invited to come by, and celebrate this amazing year with me.

October 31, 2013 by Kat

A Peek Inside the Studio

There is one more weekend in the Philomath Open Studios Tour! You will find me at David Paul Bayles studio on Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 5pm. For those of you who don’t live close enough to visit, I thought would share a peek inside the studio, showing my work.

First off, the studio is a gorgeous space. It’s a repurposed pole barn, which has been finished to be a warm and welcoming multipurpose room. All of the wood on the interior and exterior is from their property. David uses the space as his professional photography studio, for portraits and commercial work, but it also serves as exhibition space, dance hall (that gorgeous floor is a sprung dance floor), and classroom. This is the place I held my first Smartphone Art workshop.

My corner of the studio for display is by the two-story front windows. I have six framed Treescapes on display with a spinning rack for smaller prints, and a box of greeting cards.

David rigged up wonderful way to separate the room as well as provide more hanging space. The wood you see here is a door, and after the Open Studios he is going to create a table out of it. Creative, huh?

As for my framed pieces, I’ve been working on a new presentation method. The images are in a deep frame, floated on a backing mat board, and shown without glass. I was getting frustrated with working so hard to create a beautiful print, only to put it behind glass and have it be hard to see because of the reflections. Without glass, the viewer can really connect with the work. It does take an extra step to add a protective coating to the paper, but it’s worth it.

One of the best parts about printing my own work is that I can play with papers and presentation like this. These prints are on a heavy, textured fine art paper and I’ve roughed the edges. It suits the subject, don’t you think?

It’s taken a lot of time and experimentation, but it was worth it. I’m very pleased with the result, and it’s generated a lot of interest.

Even if you can’t come to the Open Studios Tour, one of these pieces could still be yours. These framed Treescapes are $175 each, plus shipping to wherever you may be. Contact me via email or the contact form on my site if you are interested.

I hope you enjoyed this virtual visit to my space in the Philomath Open Studios Tour! Thanks for coming by. It was lovely to share this with you.

September 19, 2013 by Kat

Upcoming Workshops and Events

With the start of school, it seems that activities pick up. Gone are the lazy weekends and free evenings. Things are in gear for fall! I have a number of upcoming workshops and events I want to share with you.

And a bit of new work to share with you… Just before going on the Eastern Oregon trip I made a visit to a water garden to photograph water lilies and, joy of all joys, bamboo! Here’s the first image from that excursion. More to come!

Workshops

I’ve created a short class to introduce the basics of getting great photographs with your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. Offered through Corvallis Parks & Rec on November 9 and January 11, this class will be good way to get started with your mobile device. You always have your mobile device with you, right? Why not make it your primary camera. I have! In this half-day course, you’ll learn how to get the most out of your device’s camera along with the basics of editing, using the ProCamera and Snapseed apps. Whether you are a beginner or an established photographer, you’ll be creating photographs you are proud to share in no time. The cost of the 3-hour workshop is $32+apps, and you can register through Corvallis Parks & Rec.

It was so much fun, I’m doing it again! I am teaching the 1-day Smartphone Art workshop on November 16 in Hillsboro, Oregon at the wonderful Sequoia Gallery + Studios. If you want to learn how to create art with your mobile device, you can join me for a fun, hands-on day of instruction. We’ll begin by learning how to get great photographs using your mobile device, the first step to creating any type of smartphone art. From there, we’ll move into basic and creative edits using apps. By the end of the day, you’ll be combining apps and creating truly unique works of art using your device. You can find the full workshop description here. The cost for the 1-day workshop is $75+apps, and you can register through Sequoia Gallery + Studios.

Events

A group of us are creating an informal Mobile Photography Group here in Corvallis. Our first meeting will be September 24 at 7pm. We’ll share app reviews, demos and whatever the participants are interested in. At this first meeting we’ll discuss how we want to format and organize. I’m excited to develop a stronger community of mobile photographers in the local area. Contact me for details if you are interested in attending.

It’s Corvallis Fall Festival time! This is an amazing juried festival of artists which runs September 28 and 29. I’ll be there in the PhotoArts Guild booth, with my art for sale. I’ll be presenting a portfolio of my iPhone tree images from last winter, as framed and unframed prints and greeting cards. I don’t place my work for sale very often, so this is a unique opportunity to see my work in person (in my favorite format – printed!) and to purchase. I’ll be working in the booth on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, after 2pm. I would love to meet you if you are able to stop by!

The Philomath Open Studios Tour is an annual event that allows you into the studios of some amazing artists. Held the weekends of October 26/27 and November 2/3, you can visit the studios of the participating artists anytime between 12-5pm. I am excited to be a guest artist in the event this year, hosted by photographer David Paul Bayles in his gorgeous Kindred Wind Studio. I can’t wait to share and discuss my art with more people in this wonderful venue. I attended last year and it was fascinating to meet the artists, see their studios and discuss their work. I highly recommend you attend an even like this, even if you are not in my area. It’s great learning experience! Philomath Open Studios also has a booth at Fall Festival, and you’ll find me there in the morning of September 28.

So that’s it! It’s a busy fall, but it’s all doing things I love. I hope I get a chance to meet you at these different workshops and events.

Upcoming Events