Anahata Katkin

Valentine's Day Love or Grinch?

 Yep!  It's that time of year agin.  Pink explosion is nearly here.  As a designer I fight the Holiday themes I have to admit. Especially the color coordination part.  ("Reeeeeed and Greeeeen"- yes I know!)   But at PAPAYA we have never really struggled with pinks.  In fact we often look up and wonder how the heck we got so cozy with this controversial hue.  
 
Pink is just as controversial as Valentines Day itself!  Haven't you all heard or said: "It's a made up Holiday to sell greeting cards!"   Which is really kinda cute being that I now have a greeting card company!  I resisted making Valentines for years.  I used to protest until the hundreds of callers each year would share their positive feelings and authentic support of the holiday.  I decided to put my love of pink to work. This year I'm feelin the Valentine spirit.  Some years not so much. (in which case pull out old Sex n the City DVD's and commence the bon bon fest)   It's always relative isn't it?  But hey- I'll celebrate the good years when I can!  
 

I've come to appreciate this holiday for female bonding, love or support too.  Seems like mother's, Best Friends and children can really get the most out of this mixed emotion holiday.  No matter what side of the fence you're on about it we all need a love boost now and then.  Whether it's from a boss a friend or the love of your life- should you be so lucky. It's an opportunity to surprise people and turn those Valentine grinches into believers.  Or a help put a little bandaid on some heartache.  In which case the image below might be handy this year.
Make your daughter a special gift and fill her card with affirmations, Make a love CD mix and use our sticker set to finish the case, Use our wrapping paper to make paper cones around your blooms, You know what to do! 

Love Boost link ideas over at our place: Water Bottles, Valentine Cards, Mini Cards, Imprintable envelope sets/ invitations, sturdy Luxe totes.  If you are ordering online- now's the time in order to get your goodies in before the dates are gone.  xoxoxo!!

New Journal Pages

I have recently dissected last years journal.  I found the ambitious size to be too much for me.  So I've been pulling pages and folding them in half, and adding them to a previous book.  Translation?  I now have a really funky journal that is over stuffed and hard to use!I have had writers block for some time now.  At least in my journals.  Just not sure what to say these days.  A full head...a full life, but documenting feels all wrong.  So I've been sticking to bigger words, feelings, ideas.  Things I can look back on and remember where I was at.  These are a few pages I created during JOURNALFEST classes.  The top one was an assignment to begin on a blank white page.  
And the other two are more typical layering demo's.   But these guys won't be getting folded down the middle.  But they did get sliced out of the old book...

  

Beautiful!

Who could possible get enough of Rob Ryan's beautiful paper cuts and prints?  Not me!  Which is why I would love to get my hands on this beautiful silk screen piece from Soma Gallery in the UK.   And!  Have you seen these beautiful paper sculptures and installations from Su Blackwell?  

Stunning!  Hard to imagine getting my brain in sync with the whimsy and simultaneous attention to tedious detail! 

 

Inspiration: Feather Earrings

A lot of my artwork is built up using faces and portrait style focus and then I just build onto it using things from the environment or fashion to inspire the rest.  This week I'm feeling feathers in a fresh way. I have some good old long ones I wear and I certainly need to expand my obsessive collection of earrings as it is!  But even more I'm feeling a series of paintings or illustrations with beautiful feathered earrings! Here's some favorite finds close at hand here on the web.  Clockwise:  La Dama, Wild Spirits, Free People, Liquid Fire Mantra.

Haiti Relief

I am struck to to tears by the intense tragedy in Haiti and hoping we can all support the efforts flooding to it's people today and beyond.  Thanks to Facebook friends I see that World Vision Canada is matching every donation dollar for dollar.   You can even text a simple number to donate from your phone safely & automatically.  "Text 'HAITI' to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross relief efforts!" or, "Text 'Yele' to 501501 to donate $5 to the Yele Haiti Earthquake Fund."  I think we can all handle at least this much.  Also Lenelle (who was born in Port-au-Prince) sent some alternatives to those mentioned above, standwithhaiti.org & Lambi fund of Haiti.  Please take two minutes to imagine in your mind every person in Haiti with at least water and food and a moment of calm. And a simple tether of invisible company to those who are still trapped.  This will go just as far as donations... 

Sketch Theatre

Check out this great piece made over a 24 hour period by a wonderful collective of artist in time lapse!  Thanks to Sketch Theatre.  I love these videos!  you'll have to click the link to see it... xoxoxo

Passing Along PLAY!

I believe in classes.  Just setting asside time for exploration and being around like minded people is always worth the effort and expense.   The wonderful world of art retreats put on by Alternative Arts Productions, AKA (Teesha & Tracy Moore & Co.) are having their annual PLAY retreat at the end of January, this month! (Jan 28th-Feb1st) Play is a very different style of Art Retreat.  With far more emphasis on studio time and creating in a supportive and inspiring group setting.   There also many demo's and optional classes.  This retreat is intentionally far smaller and more intimate than Artfest, Journalfest or Art Fiber Fest.  They just announced there are still last minute spaces if you'd like to get out of town and get your art on! Click here for registration and more info and HERE for a cool video about the retreat.  Hurry though- only about 10 spots at the time of this post!

New Show Jan @ Bohemia Gallery

January ended up yielding a lovely impromptu second showing at Bohemia Gallery here in Ashland, Oregon following the mini show in Dec.  Some favorite mixed media pieces are available there this month.
  Despite my usual reluctance to sell originals, I have been looking around my home and studio and realizing that I am up to my eyeballs in artwork and that it's time to give them loving new homes. Some of these pieces have been
  featured int he PAPAYA collection and some in various art publications.  Each piece is sealed in a thick resin and finished with rich wood,box framing.  
  If you are interested in any of these or other works or want more details please contact Bohemia Gallery this month.  541-488-5227  info@bohemiagallery.com
 There is also a group of available works for sale on my personal site if you haven't had a chance to check them out.  The gallery is under construction so if you need further details email me directly at anahataart@mac.com

 

 

Where to next?

There's so much to see and to do.  Though my wanderlust is fairly in check at the moment I've been trying to put a new destination in my wish jar.  The sooner the better so I can keep feeding it with daydreams that are sure to help me get there.
Currently I'm feeling Thailand.  All this chilly, grey weather and dull trips to the co-op has me dreaming of spicey, lime flavored goodness and warm water.  I'm actually a Thai food monster! Seriously!  
And as much as I love the beaches an Asian Market would be just as much an obsession.   I'd love to spend a month or so exploring such a lovely and famous land. (Maybe swim to a remote island and stay there with a creepy, hippy tribe like in The Beach with Leo?  I think not.) 
Definitely have to indulge a little while there too!  (Jennifer-I know you're with me on this!)  I don't know eat lotus blossoms and snort sea water while I torture some lovely Thai practitioner with my cellulite regions! 
So what do you say?  Lets go to Thailand?  Alright...come pick me up. What are you're plans?  Where are you headed next.  

"I WUV YOU"

 

I've been in love since I found this little guy in Paris in September.  Every time I see his sweet, hand colored, lithograph face I say to him ...."I wuv you!"  Isn't he the cutest?  So tonight I finally found him a home amidst the upcoming PAPAYA designs.  I have a feeling we'll be together for along time.