9/30/22
Most of my artwork has been sold but there are still a few pieces left. I have marked everything at a deep discount. Since having to give up felting I have begun art journaling and am finding new joy and growth in my work. Perhaps one day I will return to selling my art, but for now I’m having fun being a student again.
I have a handful of acrylic paintings on canvas that are also available for purchase but I am too lazy to get all the measurements and weights necessary to list them under my sale products, so I will post the photos here. If you are interested in them please send me an email ([email protected]) and I will get shipping costs calculated for you.
5/25/22
Sometimes life likes to test your creativity. I was just getting started on my felting journey but it has already come to an abrupt end. Living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome means having hypermobile joints, and unfortunately felting – even the process of pulling the wool fibers out of the rope of roving – has taken a heavy toll on my thumbs. My OT has spoken, I need to go easy on my hands if I hope to keep using them in the future. That means no more felting.
It was a little bit of a shock, but I am resilient and creative so I have already moved on to other things. After a very long struggle with fine art, I have turned to craft art and art journaling instead. Here I am practicing letting go of control and putting emotional imagery and words into a collage. So far I like the process of making journals more than filling them, it’s a difficult thing for me to play with art instead of trying to make everything perfect and appealing to other people’s tastes. But I will keep at it because this is not only good for me as an artist, it is good for me as a person. This process will set me free, even as my body restricts my activities.
I still have felted art going into shows and competitions so not everything is for sale yet, but at the end of the summer I will be able to list everything I have (including some acrylic paintings) and there will be a big blowout sale, so watch for that in late August!
4/2/22
Last weekend I entered the Waupaca Arts Festival art show. The last time they had an in-person show was 2019, which was the first time I entered. It’s a large show with three entry classes – high school, non-professional, and professional. Seeing as how I only really get one day a week to work on art and only sell a handful of pieces a year, I entered as a non-professional. (I don’t think there’s anyone in any field who is considered a professional if they only work less than eight hours a week and make less than a thousand dollars a year.) I was very proud of the pieces I entered and knew that even if I didn’t win anything, which was likely, I wouldn’t be too disappointed because I felt good about my work. In the past I have entered shows as a painter and was always insecure, comparing my work to others’ and always feeling like I fell short. This year I knew I could hold my own, especially (and most importantly) in my own mind. Well, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the judge agreed with me.
3/13/22
Welcome back, friends!
It’s been more than six months since I closed my shop and went on an art hiatus. Like many people, I had burned myself out on doom scrolling and overtaxed my poor nervous system trying to keep up with everything I felt life was demanding of me. There was no room for creativity. Something had to change, drastically. I quit social media cold turkey, and I had fully intended to permanently halt my artistic endeavors.
The thing is, an artist has to art. After several months of rest and soul searching, I found myself making art again. Not only making art, but being excited about making art. I have abandoned painting and haven’t looked back, but I truly found my stride with wool felting. It’s so versatile I feel as if I will be challenged to learn and grow with it for a long time to come. My life still demands too much of me sometimes and I often struggle to find time to work on art, but now my creative soul has awakened. It calls to me and I must answer.
So come along with me and watch the creative journey unfold! My intention is to put out into the world the things I need and wish to see most – new perspectives, tranquility and rest, connection with nature, fun and whimsy, and pure joy. I hope my journey inspires you to answer the call of your own soul. Peace and joy to you!
Love,
Kaci