Anahata Katkin

Big Ol Inspiration Boards

Indulging in more cut-n-paste happiness.  Just finished these big poster board sized props for PAPAYA! LIVING.  I'm tempted to do our entire store front in them...But ok I'll stop.  The hardest part is printing them all out.
 I have folders of online faves.  I guess that's what Pinterest is for these days right?  But I can't help but have the real printed versions around and close at hand.

SFGIRLBYBAY

This was spotted over at sfgirlbybay!  (and always inspiring lifestyle blog) Amazing work by Kirsten Hassenfeld!

Claire Desjar: Studio

Been loving the works from Claire Desjar!  Beautiful, bold, easy on the eyes and somehow they are full of energy and light.  So is her lovely studio.  I've been collecting inspiring studio spaces on my desktop these [ast weeks.  
I'm still deeply dreaming of a studio as well. I just completed an article for next years Where Women Create, special edition coming out next winter.  It was a terrifying photo shoot of where and how I work in my home.  Which has always been smack dabb in the center of my house.  
No studio, just anywhere I'll fit.  But I am working on putting on my big-girl artist pants and making the leap to real art space! I think after 10 years of making art full time, it's the right move!

Room to Grow

I'm finding and building that special energy that comes late at night.  Creativity that builds in those simple moments.  Day dreaming, cutting, pasting.  Savoring the little things that protect and preserve "inspiration".  I've always said inspiration is something that's generated from within and when you make a little extra room inside your mind to be idle life starts to give you treasure maps of where to find it.  I've been working on uncluttering my mind and heart to make room for floods of impulse to pour in.  I've learned how to be productive, prolific if need be.  But I'm churning for those special bursts of creative change that we get over the years.  The fork in the road that that can only happen organically.  The very reason and reward for creating at all.  Visual insights that come with powerful satisfaction.  And tinkering over buckets of paper clippings and notebooks late in the night has been part of that work this week.  Day dreaming, cutting, gluing, no need to make it artful.  Just tending the time in between creative changes.  Xoxox...

Loving: Tim's Sally

Funky, lovely, whimsy from Tim's Sally.  I'd love to see these HUGE!  But they are for sale right here.

Studio Dreaming: Abby Kasonic

I have never really had a studio.  I've had offices and work tables, but never a full blown place to call studio.  Which to be honest has worked just fine.  But lately I've been dreaming of a home of my own to whip into whatever I'm feeling or dripping on the floor! This lovely studio belongs to Abby Kasonik and is one of the most inspiring studio threads I've seen!  Spotted on Southern Living. Looks like she built this cottage in her back yard and moved out of the basement studio...
YEah!  Makes you want a studio too right!  It's so beautiful and exciting.  Plenty of light, warmth and refreshingly decluttered.  I live in a funny duality of loving romantic and modern things and never finding the right balance between the two.  But Abby has me thinking what the possibilities could be!

I've been having a special fascination with happiness as of late.  Looking for the deeper meaning of it all ya know.  These amazing illustrated graphics where spotted on "The Book of Face" (as Victoria calls it) and came from right here!
I think they are so clever, beautiful and campy.  Nicely done!  

Painted Egg!

Been loving Geninne lately and all the great sightings there!  She's a seasoned collector and photographer and her blog is always amazing!  Love this beautiful image and idea.  Geninne Zlatkis painted a wooden egg for her fantasy nest.

Art...Is: The Family

 One of the true highlights of our North Shore experience was stumbling into the Art...Is family.  With 11 children and two famous parents with a deep musical and artistic talent, this renegade family blows your mind!  Literally we walked into the Art...Is "Gallery" which is really a jam packed studio full of musical instruments and equipment.  Teenagers started playing just for us in what would soon become one of the best live performances we have ever seen.  Protected from industry moghuls, intentionally raised and performing only on the the North Shore. These children are outrageously talented.Wailing what seemed to be a Led Zeppelin meets John Legend masterpiece, (and many more!) right before our eyes in a wild little Hawaii house. Not to mention a little boy changing costumes mid song to perform various dance moves! I get chills just trying to explain.  It was a real contact experience and incredible reminder to just be yourself.  Do it for the love of creating and the thrill of being alive.  That's it.  Mama Art..Is and I had an inspirng visit and I had a wonderful chance to get to know the mother of this outrageous family living well beyond the bounds of possibility.  Thank you Art..Is family.  Amazing!

Oahu: North Shore Magic!

I've seen a lot of beautiful places but the North Shore of Oahu is now in my top three favorites!  There's something about this place that will keep me coming back as long as possible.  This was my first time there and it left an impression different from all my other trips to various Hawaiian islands.
I was in need of some real R&R. The North Shore provided me with a smooth nervous system and a place to really find my balance again.  All it's endless beaches and ultra green landscapes captivated my senses amd helped me unwind.
I had been to Waimea Falls (seen here) as a child and it has stuck with me vividly ever since.  So it wasn't a suprise that I was just in love with it today!  I found the people to be THE nicest bunch of folks I've met anywhere in I've been.
Both the landscape and the people who live on the North Shore seem genuine, laid back and extremely un-pretentious for such a beloved tourist destination.  The businesses are home spun, like the people.  Creative, rootsy, sweet-and-simple by choice.  A refreshing, down-to-Earth energy just permeates there.  North Shore appeared to just be itself, not trying much to be anything but friendly, beautiful, and lasting. Like so many others I can now say I've found a place in Hawaii that I would love to return to again and again.  For the people, the ocean, the funky life and the inspiration.
Thank you North Shore for puting me back together and showing us a great time!