Kijsa Studio

Pinterest Parties...

2012-02-14T05:13:00.001-08:00

Do you like fun...?

Starting this Thursday evening 6-8...drop in for a creating party!
All sorts of projects, all sorts of ages, all sorts of pinterest = lots of creative fun!
Check out all the info here or at www.kijsa.com

Paper Trail

2012-01-25T05:32:00.000-08:00

My sister Whitney & I went to Scotland last week to surprise our brother during his PhD defense at ST. Andrews. We had an adventurous day to ourselves that found us in search of the amazing mysterious Edinburgh Paper Sculptures...

These amazing little book sculptures have been appearing anonymously at historic and literary sites throughout the city this past year...

My pictures were taken on the fly (literally!)...there are much better pics and the full story HERE...but for a quick peek...This is the T-rex found at the Scottish History Museum...

The Magnifying glass found...

at the Central Library...

the story-telling book sculpture at the Writers' Museum...

The hatching dinosaur...

at the Scottish Storytelling Center (just an aside...I love that they have a storytelling center!)

This amazing tree that started it all...

at the Scottish Poetry Museum...

& the last one that appeared...

at the same place...

The forest for the trees book...

and the over-flowing tea-cup that appeared at the Edinburg International book festival...

A big thank you to all that helped in our paper trail scavenger hunt...

Amazing little works of art that took us to all sorts of wonderful places & people...a good time for the memory books...

Love Me Some Burlap!

2012-01-24T22:07:00.000-08:00

I have been creating these initial pillows from old burlap bags...

I love the simplicity of the modern initial against the old workhorse fabric...

I laughed after this photo...realized I made the pillows spell out one of my favorite shopping destinations!

...& then onto the etsy shop they have gone...

This Year...

2011-12-19T20:30:00.000-08:00

It has been one year...365 days...12 full rotations of the moon

(here I am just guessing, but it sounded good!)...

My year of joy, of survival, of change and redefining myself...

In short...one of the best years of my life!

I have been given so many gifts and blessings...

...and have been learning to count each one of them.

In doing so, I find that many things I once esteemed seem very small when compared to the weight of appreciation for all the blessed moments that I used to miss...

I have been able to encircle myself with friends worth more than a ransom of gold...

I have been able to watch my daughter bloom and grow...having the opportunity to get to know her as the amazing young adult she is becoming...trying to learn how to balance control & freedom...

I have seen my middle son walk bravely up the 24 school steps to a new first grade and step inside...

and graduate in three months from the squeaky wheels of a scratched, yet still smiling, blue train to wielding light sabers and telling me of dark knights and battles...

I have held my baby during sleepless nights, wondering if his birth mother across the world knows that he is loved...that kisses are showered upon him...hugs freely given... and that he is an active toddler with a grin that will open many doors for him in his future...

I stand in amazement...remembering a time over a dozen years ago, crying out in desperation from a pile on my kitchen floor for the children that seemed to ellude us...the three children we yearned for...then to have even one seemed out of our grasp and ability...yet God was faithful...and good...and generous beyond belief...

and my husband...my darling husband of almost twenty years...kindness, gentleness, patience... I could write every one on that list from Galatians...love being at the top...

...this has been the year of reflection...of trying to cook more and eat less...of filling shelves with organic and wheat and local... and pinching pennies when I must...of trying to smile more and complain less...of being grateful for my health...and trying to remember to do what I need to keep it...

I have life, I have love, I have food, shelter & heat, I have messy floors and smudged windows, I have paint on my clothes, and the desire to create, I have, I have, I have, I have...

I have a most high & Holy God who has blessed me beyond belief...

that is what my year has been...

2011-12-16T20:17:00.000-08:00

Pillows, pillows, pillows....

Just a small sampling of all the fun I have been having painting on burlap...

a stitch here, a stitch there...

a monogram here, a name there...

and even words I need to live by....

2011-12-15T20:23:00.000-08:00

This year my brush seems to want to paint words...

Words to celebrate and be with those you hold dear...

Words to affect your mood & bring cheer...

Words to tell, talk & remind...

Words to be merry...

& words to be kind.

Take an Artistic Journey through Time: Workshops in learning Styles & Techniques through Art History

2011-07-21T08:44:00.000-07:00

Explore styles and techniques from prehistoric to contemporary artists...monthly workshops take each student through hands-on exploration in 8 individual periods of art history. Using examples and images exhibited at the St. Louis Art Museum to instruct, inspire and create, each workshop will include historical study of the era and/or artists, techniques used in creating the images, as well as implementation of these styles to create a finished product in each session. The workshops will culminate in a visit to the St. Louis Museum of Art for a docented tour to visit highlights from each period studied, including the actual images using during instruction. All education and creativity will be housed within Kijsa's light-filled Lowertown Art Studio the second Monday of each month.
Workshops are oriented for 6-10 grade

September 12, 2011
Session 1: Greek/Roman
Become an art archaeologist...we will 'unearth' and learn the intricate techniques of black & red-figure ware. The museum inventory provides many examples to study including an especially fine vase by The Berlin Painter. Using historical imagery and mythological figures, design and create plans for your own figure-ware product. Now will you choose a krater or amphora?

October 10, 2011
Session 2: Egyptian/Coptic
How were the papyri created? Who were the Copts? How beautifully can one house a mummy? Explore the art of Egypt through study of a beautifully decorated mummy case, scroll writing and tapestry design. Create imagery through script, papyrus inscription, and tapestry motif. Be sure to roll your scroll before leaving this class!

November 14, 2011
Session 3: Pre-Colombian/ Native American
Inspiration is all around you...that has been true since prehistoric times in Central and North America. Using ancient techniques of observation, learn how to design with elements of nature. See how to simplify and abstract our modern surroundings and animals through study of sculpture and vessels from Mexico & New Mexico. Create a vessel by abstracting natural elements though clay.

December 12, 2011
Session 4: Asian Art/ Japanese
Discover the beauty of lacquer ware and screen illustration. The simplistic styling and natural elements of Asian art combine with storytelling in objects both large and small. How does calligraphy become essential to the design concept? Tell your individual story by creating your own lacquer ware box.

January 9, 2012
Session 5: Renaissance/Mannerism
A period of resurgence in realism and technique. Learn how a contemporary of the old masters told stories while creating his own masterpieces.
Learn an old masters technique using modern materials.

February 13, 2012
Session 6: Impressionism
What is the importance of this style labeled a favorite by many? Who are the founders...what did they do, and who did they 'hang out' with? The play of light is so important in their technique...learn how to implement movement and light play with pastels.

March 12, 2012
Session 7: Cubism/Expressionism
"I could do that with my eyes closed" is the comment often overheard, yet discover why this movement is much more complex than it seems. Learn originating techniques of abstraction, rediscovery of subject, and linear construction. Create your own cubist self portrait.

April 9, 2012
Session 8: Contemporary
Simplistic reexamination of the complex...sounds easy...but is it? Learn assemblage, collage & negative/positive editing. Create an individual assembly that works together as a whole in a collaborative effort as a class.

May 7, 2012
Journey to St. Louis Art Museum to see what we have seen, explore what we have explored, as well as highlights, current traveling exhibitions, and a museum educational scavenger hunt.

There are two identical sessions each day:
Morning: 9-11:30am
Evening- 6-8:30pm

To provide excellent individual instruction and attention to all students, class size is limited to 10 per workshop
Each class may be individually purchased for $28.00 or all eight for $196.00, all materials provided.
Priority is given to students enrolling for all 8 sessions.
There is not a charge for the St. Louis trip, though each student is required to provide own transportation and any additional costs incurred that day (Entrance to the museum is free) Special docented tour and educational materials provided that day for workshop students and parents only.

Kijsa Housman holds her Bachelor of Fine Arts/painting from Baylor University and completed her Masters coursework in Art History at Vanderbilt University. In addition to completing large scale murals for government commissions, theatrical sets and scenic design for PBS, she has applied her brush to residential murals and decorative arts as a practicing professional artist for almost two decades. Having been featured in several national magazines, she has painted for clients across the country. She currently applies her classical training in painting to works on canvas in her own studio and gallery in Paducah, Kentucky. She can also be found homeschooling her oldest daughter, playing ball with her middle son, and constantly on the run after her 1 year old, all while enjoying (almost) every minute!

For an enrollment form:
please email kijsa@comcast.net, or contact 270-331-2787
Kijsa P. Housman Studios
444 North 8th Street
Paducah, KY 42001

2011-06-12T04:00:00.000-07:00

Playing in the studio with these wonderful new-to-me, but fabulously vintage printing blocks...

2010-12-23T20:11:00.000-08:00

WELCOME!! Our stockings are hung...
Come on in and sit a while...the presents are all wrapped...We have made Santa's key for him to get in... and under the tree they are stacked...(for a quick and easy wooden present idea...look here...) What we love about our home are the people that pass through it, the memories created, and the love that fills it's walls. The most important part of our home is that it represents us; our past, our present, and our future, and also serves the tiny babe born Christmas morn. Thus... This is the entry decorated in our "The Meaning of Christmas Tree"....it's covered with crosses and tiny nativities (and of course lots of glitter)!
The floor in the entry was painted and stained by Kijsa to mimic a beautiful inlaid floor. Layer after layer is applied to created an aged patina... Come on into the kitchen where it's all set up for a yummy Christmas meal... ...each placesetting has a tiny stocking filled with silverware (an easy way to dress up your holiday table too!!) and a plate from kijsa's handpainted "12 Days of Christmas" plates. Can you guess which of the 12 days this plate represents? Hint...she's french (notice the beret)....This was the table set featured in this month's Christmas Ideas Magazine... A few window seat details (with more hand painted touches from kijsa!) To get creative on your own pillows, look for an upcoming tutorial... ...a few metal stockings..... Even the fridge has Christmas on it's mind (or front as that may be!) And a few more details...An easy way to decorate...simply add magnets to the back of acrylic frames, print out your message on the computer... Go around the corner... ...and a sneak peek into the laundry room! (our little elf loves to hide here occasionally!)

2010-12-22T20:05:00.000-08:00

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house we scurried about like a mouse tucking wrapped boxes and gifts 'neath the evergreen tree in the hopes that their bed they would soon see "but wait" shouts out kijsa startling all in the room and everyone knew a new project would begin soon... "The tree is all decked with ornaments bright and the stockings are hung above firelight," "The presents all wrapped with be-ribboned flair but what looks so simple is that empty box there" "Why the rough wood on the sides could be scrubbed and adorned so that it would not stand so bare and forlorn..." "but as we stood there we knew it was perfect and would let it stand" "For the simple box opened to reveal what they saw... a rough and unwoven mat made of straw" "and they knew past the sparkle and all the rush and the fray the true gift of the Babe given on Christmas day."

Conflict Resolution

2010-11-23T16:40:00.000-08:00

We were still awake tending to the needs of a jet-lagged and culture-adjusting infant this morning after 1:00am when our google news reader came across with information of an attack on South Korea from the North.

My breath stopped short...we were almost there today...we tried to delay our trip as another baby, my niece, was coming into this world last Tuesday, and we all wanted to share that day as well...

We came across obstacle after obstacle...flight delays, lack of hotel rooms...missing the birth of Genevieve...and wondered why it had to be so rushed...

Plans had been made...plans had to be changed...surgeries scheduled had to be moved...preparations that should take time were compressed into one quick afternoon...why did we have to move so quickly...

Then the news comes...shots were fired...people were killed...more aggression seems likely...and my mind raced to these images we visited on the freedom bridge by the demilitarized zone...where prisoners were released and crossed into their freedom from the North into the South...

Ribbons listing names of war prisoners...prayers for those released and those never found...messages and wishes for peace...reminders that freedom was won not long ago...and reminders that freedom is not free...

And as I stopped to catch my breath and I looked onto those beautiful black eyes of my new son...and I thought...God provided yours and my freedom for heaven...and that was not free either...

And I understood the whirlwind, the fast departure, the opportunities that appeared missed were merely delayed for something this important...this was the opening...this was the time to take down his ribbon, to say a prayer, to rescue and be rescued...

Amazing timing by an incredible God...
how little of me to question...how big of Him to answer...

Coming to America!

2010-11-23T16:01:00.000-08:00

The Team!

2010-11-23T16:00:00.000-08:00

2010-11-20T16:32:00.000-08:00

We came, we signed, we left with child in arms...then boarded a plane, sleepy-eyed with haphazardly packed luggage, back to Chicago. From then, about a mile up in the air, somewhere over the Bering Sea, it finally seems real...he is ours!

He is happy and content, even with only an hour of sleep throughout the past 24 hours...wanting to be close, yet curious about his surroundings. The office asked us not to post photos yet on the Internet, so I will do my best to describe this perfectly made, God-given little boy...

Two: deep dark eyes the color of coal, taking in everything around him...cased with long black eyelashes that cover his eyes when he looks down to catch a glimpse of his toes...
One: perfect little upturned nose...
Two: heart shaped full lips that look like at any moment he might have a question to ask you to which you may or may not know the answer....things like " why is the sky blue" or " how do cell phones work?" or "what does heaven look like?"
Five: little fingers on each hand that grasp your palm as though to say "Please don't leave me"
Hundreds: baby-fine wisps of jet-black hair that swirl around his crown and a few bangs to frame a halo around his forehead.
Two: little teeth that turn up with each open mouthed smile
One: amazing little sweet grin that already has my ten fingers wrapped around his little one.

What a gift, what a joy...my heart is bursting with blessings and happiness...

I love you little one...

Now off to try to catch a few winks....because we actually got him to sleep!

Letter Writing from Seoul

2010-11-18T15:43:00.000-08:00

Letter writing from Seoul...
How does one write a letter to the foster mother that has loved their child for months and then will hand the infant from their arms into ours today? Not the grammatical syntax or the proper sentence structure...not the appropriate heading or title, or wether it is sealed in a beautiful letterpress envelope.

...But how to you put into words tears of joy, of weeks of wiping tears and feeding bottles...of teaching how to eat from a spoon or playing clapping hand games to elicit gurgling laughter...

...how do you tell Mrs. Lee thank you, and reassure her that you will care and treasure this baby through boyhood...skinned knees and playground dust...teaching about our heavenly Father...learning the lessons of a gentleman...

...that you will give him not a house to live in, but a home...
not just a girl and boy, but a brother and sister...
not just caretakers, but a mother and a father...a family...a haven...a place where he will love and be loved...

And that all along every bit of work that she has done has been essential, important, necessary...

and that forever...we, and he, will be grateful.

Thank you Mrs. Lee, Thank you.

A Love Letter Tree

2010-11-16T06:26:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we visited a Korean history museum, passing many rows of kindergarteners out on a field trip. I sat there, studying each face....trying to commit to memory their chatter that was so foreign to my ears. Like little bells chiming, they laughed and played...and again worry crept in...could I absorb enough culture in one week to share with my son...would I be equipped to parent this little one with information about his homeland...would I be able to recall the blowing ginko leaves, colors on the temples, sounds of the subway?

Tied on a tree in a lantern exhibit elsewhere were love letters and wishes...how I wanted to have a tree covered with all my prayers and wishes for this new little one...for my daughter and middle child as well...for friends praying...for my amazing husband...then I might have a beautiful visual reminder that might keep every memory available...every sight and smell and wish I hold for him...

These thoughts were still running through my head sitting in the backseat of an inconspicuous grey van now navigating the narrow streets of a northern Seoul community. Apartments and gates and doors stand piled one on top of the other...like a makeshift jigsaw puzzle of cement, brick and iron...And behind one of those doors was our piece of the puzzle...

The foster mother let us in an unassuming gate off an alley street, smiling and beckoning us up several flights of stairs...we removed our shoes and stepped into our future...

Our tiny future wore a light blue Teddy bear outfit and sleepy eyes...and time seemed to stop right then and there. Right then the swirling gingko leaves, the subway, the weather, the place didn't matter...doubt crept out, love crept in and I was complete. There with adorable little black eyes was a true life love letter tree...with every prayer and wish and blessing tied up in one 17 pound bundle.

There were tears and smiles and laughter...an amazing foster mother...and a wonderful beautiful moment in time...an hour sprinkled with one love letter after another tied on imaginary branch after branch...and then the hour was over...all too quickly...

And we had to leave...down the flights of stairs...out the side gate and back into the inconspicuous grey van. But we left with hope, with joy, and with more than one person could ever ask for from one hour of any day. He will be placed forever in our arms at 2:30pm this Friday. God is good.

Backwards into Tomorrow

2010-11-14T15:54:00.000-08:00

As we headed out of Chicago, I contemplated our path and destination...headed backwards into tomorrow. We would cross the international date line and end up into the next day...

How little we can see....always concentrating on the details and the insurmountable things in life...as though we are looking only inwards, downwards, or perhaps backwards is the best way to put it.

Backwards is what I keep thinking, because if I would just turn around and look up, I have someone to guide me forward. In this journey, I need to keep my focus not on trying to control every detail, but forward, in Christ, on tomorrow...tomorrow, Tuesday, November 16...tomorrow when I complete my family...tomorrow when I will hold my new son for the first time....

It Takes a Village

2010-11-11T22:08:00.000-08:00

I am sitting here at just past midnight amazed and exhausted from all that has transpired over the past 48 hours. We received our call to travel to Korea at 8:42am Tuesday and are boarding a flight to Seoul, South Korea in a mere 6 hours. How long you wait for that call, planning, and begging for its arrival....but yet it grabs you by surprise.

It takes your breath away the moment you hear the words "You can travel to pick up your son...." It takes the very air from your lungs....as though the world stops for just that moment while 2000 things run through your head...."he's coming....we have to make reservations....what do I pack...oh no! I don't even have a car seat!!" (Not that anyone who knows me is surprised by the last one!)

But then the whirlwind begins...and for that I am thankful. Thankful not so much for the crazy 2 hour phone calls at midnight to Korean air or trying to find a hotel room during the G-20 summit or guessing what size the munchkin would wear...but thankful for the friends and family.

Family and Friends that showed up to help clear the gallery...friends that fed me lunch and listened and answered questions...friends that ran endless errands and kept me on task...friends that stood in the gap when I lost it...friends that grabbed wet laundry piles when my dryer broke at the last hour...friends that thought of all those things I would need while I stood there, my mind blank...the room spinning with all that must be accomplished...friends that called...friends that prayed...friends that came...that really truly showed up...and left me standing, fed, bags packed, children set, baby supplies ready...that prayed and cried and just generally rescued me.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

I sit here overwhelmed.

And then his picture comes to mind...his black hair and mischievous grin...how I think I know his personality already just from studying four pictures over and over. And the miracle of how God has brought us, and him, to this point...and I smile through the tears...

How fortunate is this sweet boy...to come into such a world as this...to be surrounded by such people...

And then I think...no...I am the fortunate one. And that takes my breath away too.

All things Bright &...

2010-09-14T21:21:00.000-07:00

My paint brush has been flying...I have been filling up my studio and my website...lots and lots of color!!

Old vintage frames...new coats of yummy vivid colors...

"All things bright & beautiful"...one of my favorite hymns...

Art History Journey Enrollment Form

2010-07-23T04:14:00.000-07:00

Art History Journey Enrollment Form

Student Name: ___________________________________

Parent Name: ____________________________________

Student Age/Grade: ____________________

Street Address: ___________________________________

City, State, Zip: ___________________________________

Home Phone:_____________________
Work Phone:_____________________

Cell Phone:_______________________

Email address:_____________________

Full Session $195.00
Morning 9-11:30am____
Evening 6-8:30pm_____

Individual:
Semester 1:
Session 1 Greek ......................$28.00
Morning 9-11:30am____Evening 6-8:30pm____

Session 2 Egyptian ................... $28.00
Morning 9-11:30am____Evening 6-8:30pm____

Session 3 Pre-Columbian/NA....$28.00
Morning 9-11:30am____Evening 6-8:30pm____

Session 4 Asian.........................$28.00
Morning 9-11:30am____Evening 6-8:30pm____

Semester 2:
Session 5 Renaissance...............$28.00
Morning 9-11:30am____Evening 6-8:30pm____

Session 6 Impressionism............$28.00
Morning 9-11:30am____Evening 6-8:30pm____

Session 7 Cubism......................$28.00
Morning 9-11:30am____Evening 6-8:30pm____

Session 8 Contemporary............$28.00
Morning 9-11:30am____Evening 6-8:30pm____

Total $ ____________

Fees: A 50% deposit is required to hold your spot in a class. Deposits for any/all courses in semester 1 are due by September 1, 2011. Deposits for any/all courses in semester 2 are due by January 1, 2012. Due to limited class size and materials purchase, all deposits are non-refundable. Payment may be made with Paypal when completed enrollment form is sent through e-mail or checks should be made out to Kijsa Housman and sent, along with your completed enrollment form, to: 2501 Jefferson Street, Paducah, KY 42001. Balance of fees are due on first day of class.

I acknowledge that I have read the above:

Signature________________________________

Email Kijsa Housman or call (270)331-2787 for more information

Fruit Of The Spirit

2010-06-09T05:53:00.000-07:00

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23

Patience: Pomegranate, also known as Granada

It not only takes patience to eat a pomegranate, but the fruit takes five to seven months to mature after bloom. Layering the seed, then the pod, then the bloom in paint and glaze creates a depth that shows the long patient progression, but also the red of the bloom sparks bright red, a color that depicts quick action against a calm soothing blue. Look closely, for the layering, and sanding effect resulted in the appearance of a cross, for there was ultimate patience in that gift.

Goodness: Durian

Trees that produce the durian fruit appear to be capable of living indefinitely, for centuries. If an older tree dies, it is only due to damage, disease or humans, not old age. The fruit quality increases with age…like goodness that grows with maturity and when doled from a pure mature heart is truly a gift. This fruit was also the first ancient plant to depend on others for dispersal of its seeds…so deliver the gift as well. The sheet music of “a Good Ole Summertime” collages in a tongue-in-cheek reminder, while the blossoms of the durian fruit jump off the background, growing in distinctness and color as they approach, as though sharpening in focus as they grow.

Love: Cherimoya…Called the “Love fruit” due to the heart shape

Pages from a French romance novel are collaged in with a complex stormy background filled with warm tones. These create a passionate color scheme similar to sunset, the most romantic time of day. Yet the love spoken of is not a romantic love, but one filled with compassion, thus the contrast of the cool greens and forefront placement of the subject.

Faithfulness: Breadfruit

This is a tropical staple, the equivalent of the faithful potato. It also is one of the highest-yielding food plants, producing up to over 200 grapefruit-sized fruit per year, almost year-round. Always available, always ready, and always flexible in preparation…for constant nutrition. A simple basic required a simple presentation…the cool colors of blues and greens present the breadfruit as is…a faithful food.

Peace: Soursop, also known as Guanabana

This fruit has the highest acceptability level at tastings, providing a pleasing sweet ‘ice-cream’ flavor. It has a thin leathery skin that is covered with spines, but these are easily broken and removed when ripe, resulting in the sweet pulp inside- thus even though it appears tough and unmanageable, there is not resistance, but perfect syrupy harmony. The bloom takes center stage here…ready to blossom with sweet peace, backed with cool, peaceful palette. Collaged is a piano primer sheet titled “the island of Ecalpon”, which is ‘no place’ spelled backwards, for peace can not be found in a place, but in God.

Self Control: Blighia Sapida

When ripe, and treated properly, this fruit can be very wholesome, but when under ripened or overripe, it is poisonous. The strokes were executed with freedom, yet remained in bloom structure. Skill sets from a 1970s typewriter book exclaim over definitive and precise technique.

Kindness: Fig

Figs ripen after most of the garden has stopped producing in late summer, after many weeks of intense heat and drought- true kindness appears during those most difficult situations…and like true kindness, fresh figs are hard to find away from their growing source, with a short shelf life. The music sheets are from a composition Beethoven kindly composed for two students as a gift.

Gentleness: Peach

A finicky fruit that grows well only in a limited climate area, this must be handled with care. In China, the soft texture and gentle flesh of the fruit gave it the slang term of ‘young bride’, one to be treated gently. A very soft hand was used to depict the peach blossom, and gently contrasted with a cool background. Webster’s definition of gentle is collaged in with other references, and the petals gently stretch across the surface from edge to edge.

Joy: Miracle Fruit…also known as Miraculous Berry

This fruit has the ability to coat the taste buds in the mouth, so that everything consumed, even sour and bitter items, after eating just one berry is sweeter. The berry pushes out from the surface of the canvas, as though it cannot be contained…for joy is not happiness, it is a gift that can sweeten even the bitterest things in life. The pages from a 1946 Webster’s dictionary contain definitions pertaining to my father, along with pages from his German geology journal. Look and find your own joy…see what definitions are there and how they pertain to your own life. The pattern in the upper corner is the alphabet, layered and turned, so as to remind you to always see things differently…through joy goggles!

2010-05-19T04:30:00.000-07:00

IMMERSE YOURSELF IN ART!
Stop by the studio to experiment with palettes of color, and immerse yourself (as a fun paper cutout!) in art...a neat hands-on adventure for the entire family! This is a free walk-in activity, happening this weekend during the Lowertown ARTs Festival:

Kijsa Housman Studios...Open Studio Creating Times:
Friday 11:00am-8:00pm
Saturday 11:00am-4:00pm

Stop by for this fun free hands-on activity, then adventure out to taste the fabulous local fare, listen to wonderful music,
and soak up all the great Lowertown studios & Galleries and wonderful vendors!
So come on... Immerse Yourself in Art!!

Derby Day

2010-05-10T05:07:00.000-07:00

Enjoyed a wonderful day (despite the rain!) watching the Run for the Roses!

Where Have I Been...

2010-04-11T14:42:00.000-07:00

Well...the studio has been overflowing with painting...life has been crazy...and we are so excited to be walking this amazing path of foreign adoption! Yes...we are adopting from South Korea! We have been diligently working on all our paperwork, studies, and progress...that when everything was sent to Korea a couple weeks ago- I wanted to shout it from the mountain tops!!
...but shouting aside...I am back to the studio...I will paint while I wait...creating works for my upcoming gallery opening...

Dandelions

2009-10-31T13:05:00.000-07:00

Bright Spot

2009-10-25T12:06:00.000-07:00

Just a few bright spots of color on the gallery...love experimenting with shadowing in the key image...

Fall Y'all

2009-09-17T07:19:00.000-07:00

The tables are full- I feel like a one-woman factory painting away!

Let the Season Begin...

2009-08-26T19:51:00.000-07:00

Back from the Cape...the tables are full...the brushes are loaded...the orders are coming...and Christmas will be here before we know it (sorry about the last one, always hate to rush it!)

2009-04-17T06:33:00.000-07:00

2009-03-26T13:38:00.001-07:00

2009-03-26T13:31:00.000-07:00

2009-03-25T13:52:00.000-07:00

In the Studio...

2009-03-21T08:41:00.000-07:00

2009-03-20T14:05:00.000-07:00

2009-03-20T14:04:00.000-07:00

Be Unique

2009-03-19T14:10:00.000-07:00

I love adding little words and bits to my artwork...and who knew modge podge would join into a studio creation and mix in among a little oil paint?! Well...check out some wonderful inspiration at This is the Year..and my sister and I were doing a little Trash to Treasure fun today too!!

2009-03-19T14:08:00.000-07:00

2009-03-18T14:18:00.000-07:00

2009-03-16T21:41:00.000-07:00

I love to fluctuate between the whimsical, decorative, and fine art...

...it seems to marry all my lives: As a mother-focused on young kids...reading children's books, all my love of home decor, and then the artist I strive to be...

Guess these came from the whimsical side (lots of hours doing chalk drawings with my daughter and her friend!)

Coming Soon...

2009-03-09T00:03:00.000-07:00

I am going to put a few of my decorative pieces on an Etsy shop this week...still playing catch up from the ice storm in the gallery and on orders...so keeping fingers crossed I get it all done!

Chocolate

2009-03-02T09:31:00.000-08:00

Enough said!!!

Warming Up

2009-02-28T08:36:00.000-08:00

Just back from a quick weekend in Florida for a little warming up after the ice storm...

Prints...

2009-01-21T12:38:00.000-08:00

This is a new venture...I have been producing archival prints of some of my pieces...we have the set of 'Four Seasons' Rabbits (this is Spring) listed on our ETSY store site...

A Few More...

2008-12-07T20:05:00.000-08:00

Off My Palette

2008-11-20T22:15:00.000-08:00

This is a new series I have been doing...ultimate recycling...not letting any bit of paint go to waste...It is as though I am sketching my thoughts with abandon...my brush stroking the canvas with the bright colors remaining on my palette...my mind consumed with all the activities and projects of the day...

These little canvases...standing at attention on the end of my table...waiting to be discovered...waiting to become..

and I am just a part of that becoming...

One Down...

2008-11-19T19:52:00.001-08:00

I just finished one of the Home Portraits waiting in the wings. These memory pieces have been laden with emotion since this past July...and I have battled completing them. I love that this wonderful mother/daughter team wanted to incorporate one of their old chandelier crystals! I also introduced several wonderful vintage items found thrifting and hunting on Cape Cod.

When reading the questionares, I ponder the answers and imagine compositions in my head...mental pictures form as I see families celebrating, gathering together...memories kept...and I try to incorporate all this into these little creations...back to the studio table...more await!!

More goodies for the show...

2008-10-22T20:46:00.000-07:00

A few of my decorative items (I love pumpkins, shown by the platter featured in this fall's Holiday Crafts)
Nice to take a break from all the thought and heart that one pours into their fine art work, and spread a few polka dots and monograms around!

Fast and Furious!

2008-10-16T22:04:00.000-07:00

the brushes were slow to start, and still hard to get moving on pieces filled with heart and memory...but anything that is not moving in front of me is beginning to get painted for our upcoming show...

Up and Running...

2008-09-17T18:39:00.000-07:00

Well...inspiration, perseverance, and a lot of love by friends both near and far...thank you! I couldn't have done it without all of your prayers and encouraging words!

So off to work I went...just this week trying to catch up on beautiful home portraits...canvas pieces for the gallery...installing murals...here is a behind the scenes look at one on the studio table...

Being installed...

and finally in place.

Thank you, thank you, for all your prayers. I know my biggest fan is watching from above.

A Friend Who Walked in My Shoes...

2008-09-09T16:01:00.000-07:00

SO that's it...what you see is the definition of friendship...or at least the representation of a true friend...

The story begins about 15 years ago, with the first meeting of my friend G. We instantly connected, the years passing by as our husbands plodded through years and years of schooling, our children were born, moves made, distances traveled...

Many seasons ago, I gave this painting to my friend...I wanted her to have a bit of me. For this painting was symbolic...it was from my early semesters of painting in college...from my first understanding of how paint meets canvas...and the beginning of a series of works done in those formative years...My Father's Shoes

Recently...After listening to services where she heard my tribute to my father...reading his series of poems and books where he mentions these works...she walked in her dining room and removed this painting from her wall. It had hung in her home for over a decade...a conversation piece, a memory of a friend. But she felt it was time to bring the inspiration back to her friend...and she loaded it in her car, driving about 300 miles yesterday to hang it in my studio.

With tears streaming, we hung the piece together...bringing a bit of my dad's spirit into the place...and now it sits...a piece of my history...a piece of my dad, my biggest fan...inspiring to paint again.

thank you G- I love you.

Last Import...

2008-08-28T18:48:00.000-07:00

So there it is...it happens just like that.... I was downloading the photos off my camera...and it stopped me right in my tracks--these were photos from 'before'...before IT happened...before time stopped...before my life as I knew it changed...

...before my dad died...

There they were...shots from the Cape, only just over a month ago... scenes from boat tours with the grandkids, a sandwich shop for a bit of ice cream in the rain, and those from his one of his favorite little stops, the Woods Hole Aquarium... as my dad told my nephew facts upon facts about the native seals and encouraged my three-year old to touch the lobsters. It was surreal to look at the scenes unfolding before my eyes, a mini slide show of life importing onto my screen as I watched it pass by...

I sit...recalling that day, and the one after that. and the others to follow...what did he say, how did he say it...trying so hard to remember, trying even harder not to forget..

It is still so hard, yet I keep watching, as now my screen is labeled
'last import' and somehow, someway,
and oh, so sadly, those words are true.

Heaven must have the most glorious pictures now.

One Day at a Time

2008-08-13T14:16:00.000-07:00

We are still recovering from this past month and my father's unexpected passing. I am trying to pick up the paints and brushes again, but my heart isn't quite in it. It helps to have orders waiting...I just sit and look...wanting to fill the palette with bright happy colors...layer upon layer...watching an image form on a canvas of nothing...

...guess God is doing that with me right now...one day at a time...

Kokeshi

2008-06-27T18:25:00.000-07:00

Bethany at Red Yarn encouraged creating the small art form of kokeshi...so I tried my hand at it!

Instead of the tradition wooden forms, I used old wood finials and tiny brushes with acrylic paint...this was my first attempt, and I am not used to such tiny brush strokes- I would love to give another round...hop over to her site to see many beautiful and creative examples...even the children were involved!

Down the Street

2008-06-20T22:00:00.000-07:00

Playing with architecture...unfinished here...

Fifty Years of Home

2008-06-08T19:27:00.000-07:00

I just completed a special Home Portrait Commission, and wanted to share this one with you, as it was unique...it was a surprise, so I worked from less information than typical (gotten surreptitiously, of course!) Also, I did not converse with the actual recipient, either through e-mail, or other, so I was working a bit out on a limb. But the information that was provided was rich in it's content, and painted a composition that brought to mind fifty years celebrated as a family...so I received their permission to share with you:

I also included the explanation presented along with the finished piece:

"In this special commission, many elements of their homes and family are interwoven in the composition. The blue background represents not just the love of the sea, but also open space, as to encompass their many home locations. The stripes simulate books in a shelf, reminiscent of the enjoyment of reading. A love of birds is represented through the state birds of Kentucky and Tennessee, the two states that witnessed all five children’s high school graduations.

A rough wooden plank was selected for the base, recalling the history of family woodworking, while the Scottish heritage is signaled by a loose tartan plaid at the base…as though at the base of a family tree. Two vintage buttons represent fifty years of family: Five points in the small star represent ‘5’, while the large celluloid button represents ‘0’, with points heading north, east, south and west, not just a compass at sea, but directions of growth for new generational homes.

Seven vintage brads removed from an antique chair recall a home furnished with family and collected antiques, as well as the seven family members moving through their own seas of life. Seven branches off the left limb of the tree also represent the family members, growing, blooming, and preparing for another fifty years of life, love, and family legacy."

Picking a Bouquet

2008-05-18T20:07:00.000-07:00

A few new paintings on the table...ranging from 4"x4" to 11" x 14"

Quilt I

2008-05-08T16:13:00.000-07:00

A glimpse into the gallery walls...
This piece involves several stages over a period of time...and a love of texture!! A mixed media composition in fairly large scale- 36 inches by 48 inches - pieces of fabric are 'quilted' with paint, and also stitched through the canvas...

Still Walking....

2008-05-06T04:29:00.000-07:00

I have been frantically trying to catch up! I have several orders for these small florals and haven't been able to get them on the table...but I am working towards having several finished!

Still walking through the garden....

Line after Line...

2008-04-16T13:37:00.000-07:00

I have been interspersing black outlining with my florals over the past few months...sometimes, I am thrilled with the outcome...others...I question why I ever picked up the black!

I think everytime I do another silhouette picture, I want to introduce the feeling into these paintings...even though they are seemingly unrelated!
I do love how something from one area influences new directions in your work!

Marching Along...

2008-04-07T19:55:00.000-07:00

I am behind schedule (as usual)...I always seem to take on a little bit extra when the plate is already full...maybe for that extra push to the deadline! But this is life as I love it...full to the brim...crazy as ever!!

Under the Table

2008-03-31T12:51:00.001-07:00

Sometimes in my crazy, messy, hectic studio...it's not just about what is on the studio table, but what might be going on under the table!!! A quick glimpse at a series for reproduction...plaster, acrylics, and a dab o' oil glaze!

Portrait of a Home

2008-03-23T19:45:00.000-07:00

Portrait of a Home…

A Home is more than just an address…
It is memories of a life well-lived.

This commission series produces a custom work of art specialized for you; portraying and symbolizing what is truly important in your home. More than brick and mortar, your memories are translated to intimate compositions symbolizing the life and love of your home.

The process begins with a questionare where special memories, events, and moments are described. You can also introduce personal items for the piece, such as old house numbers, keys from locks long since rusted, scraps of wallpaper removed on that weekend long ago, old letters and postcards, buttons off articles of clothing that hold significance...

A wooden houseform is combined with vintage elements, found objects, and special items of house and family. These are composed with attention to questions answered, relative color schemes, and interpretive detail...all to create a portrait of your home...

This special series will be available beginning March 31 in two approximate sizes:
8" x 12" at $150.00
15" x 15" at $185.00 .
These measurements will vary in size and shape to reflect your personalized composition.
Contact Kijsa for more information: kijsa@comcast.net

Happy Blessed Easter!

2008-03-22T22:07:00.001-07:00

Celebrate Resurrection Day!

Back to the table...

2008-03-21T09:30:00.002-07:00

Still cleaning, fixing, personalizing from the show...the studio tables are packed (always seems to be a scrap of sandpaper present!!)...I need to finish all these jobs and get back to the drawing table...I am working on a wonderful new commission series..

Daisy Sketch I

2008-03-13T07:43:00.000-07:00

Thoughts of spring flowers...the putting of ink to paper..a little graphite mixed in

Bloom 2

2008-03-11T13:36:00.000-07:00

Was playing around a bit with black outlining...still experimenting with the technique intermingled with the resists..mmm..

Getting Ready

2008-03-08T11:15:00.001-08:00

Kari and I are working steadily around the clock to get ready for our Spring show next week...scissors cutting, glue gluing, paintbrushes painting...

We will try to bring in some beautiful weather in addition to all the spring items...however that is in His hands...hopefully the arrival of Palm Sunday will influence that one!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Bloom in Motion

2008-03-05T12:38:00.000-08:00

Acrylic with oil glazes on canvas, 24" x 30"

Tulip

2008-03-03T14:18:00.000-08:00

I love tulips...such a luscious flower! Elegant and sweet at the same time...such a perfect symbol of spring...

For this piece, I painted on wood, experimenting with resist techniques on board, approximately 24" x 24". For the composition, I wanted something striking to play up the technique, thus silhouetting the simple image against a dark background.

Resting Day

2008-03-02T19:17:00.000-08:00

The tree has been taken away. A victim to our r ecent ice storm...the grand old tree has been hauled away.

There is sadness over the loss of the beautiful red oak...standing so tall, 55" in diameter...way to big to even get your arms half way around...yet felled by simple drops of water frozen solidly around the branches. We aren't finished counting the rings...stopping at 158 amongst the dust from the saws...

Thus a tribute to the grand old oak...a witness to generations past...

Spring Is Coming!

2008-02-27T06:25:00.001-08:00

The cloudy skies, freezing rain, and drizzling snow have worked a number in my palette! In order to compensate for the doldrums...I have gone bright...bright pink, bright yellow, aqua...desperate for sunny skies and chirping birds I looked to introduce such pure pigments!

Keeping with my current fascination with small scale and housed in a distressed frame, these 5" x 7" paintings will, I hope, brighten your day!

A New Beginning

2008-02-23T14:02:00.000-08:00

Orchid I

2008-02-22T05:57:00.000-08:00

This painting, while the same subject, is is direct size contrast to the other series I have been working on. Completed last summer, Orchid I is about 3 feet x 4 feet. Most of my career has involved working in such large scale, so I like to introduce that into my work.

However...the small scale, sometimes even tiny scale as the birthday pear below, focuses the image to where one has to 'peer' into the painting. I love to study a miniature painting...it makes me wonder and imagine what goes beyond the boundaries....

Birthday Pear!

2008-02-19T23:01:00.000-08:00

Measuring 4" x 6" this tiny pear painting is housed in a rustic vintage frame. Win this playing a fun game at today's surprise birthday party...

Still Walking....

2008-02-19T06:04:00.000-08:00

In this series, I wanted the focus to evoke snapshots of memories...floral scents...moments remembered of long ago...iron gates...walks in a garden. To display these small canvases (they are all about 9" x 12") I did not want to box them in with a perfect gilded frame...

Rather...I felt floating them within worn and weathered antique frames symbolized the purpose of the painting series.

We are all walking through life...each with our own little imperfections...trying to seek to hold onto the beauty around us...and within us.

A Walk in the Garden

2008-02-18T06:49:00.001-08:00

I have begun a series of these smaller canvas studies. A little more abstract take on the floral imagery...exploded borders...zoomed snapshots in paint...added bits of garden elements reminiscent of our old iron gates.

I picture these as though bits and pieces of memories from an old established garden... lovingly caretaken, with a bit of wear in the worn brick paths, moss-covered statuary, and slightly rusted iron gates.

Resting Day

2008-02-17T17:51:00.000-08:00

Overlay: a study in texture, acrylic on distressed canvas

Keys

2008-02-15T22:11:00.000-08:00

Working Away...

2008-02-15T06:07:00.000-08:00

My sister kari and I are two peas in a pod... the amount of hours we spend talking to each other each day might outnumber the minutes we don't! Our husbands just shake their heads...they know a blogging/decorating/diet coke drinking/shopping/children/just general hoooping and hollaring conversation will be going on soon (if it isn't already!)

We decided to create this extra site just to give you a behind the scenes glance at what painting and creating might go on behind the blog! My gallery represents my fine art work...where I seem to be happily exploring all things organic right now! When I get stumped...or stymied...or just need the paint to dry...I go to the table..literally! I keep several primed plates, trays, plaques, and whatever has been discovered...and use that time and my remaining palette to just put down in paint what is in my head!

I love silhouettes...rabbits...artichokes...pears...monograms...our heads twirl and spin with ideas all the time. So many themes and subjects that seem to keep popping up! Kari & I are truly a team...creating and crafting together...this is just a little glimpse into the paint palette

So have a great day from the other diet coke central

More Pears

2008-02-14T21:39:00.000-08:00

I love this subject..so here are a few more! I have several more works on the table..I will have to start showing some of my decorative items soon...

Pear

2008-02-12T23:07:00.000-08:00

I do love the subject of pears! So beautiful, organic in shape and color, and they stay still for you to paint them!
Acrylic with oil glazes on paper

Work to be done...

2008-02-12T09:58:00.001-08:00

High Ho, High Ho...it's off to work we go...
So many projects...so little time!

Another look...

2008-02-11T17:47:00.000-08:00

Another floral interpretation...On this one I lost count after a dozen or so layers to achieve the depth I wanted...significant layering, texture, and crazing give this painting a beautiful earthy, yet ethereal quality.
Acrylic with oil glazes and resists.

Another look...

2008-02-11T00:23:00.001-08:00

Acrylic with oil glazes

A Quick Glimpse into the Gallery

2008-02-10T23:41:00.000-08:00

Building texture and rich colors are important aspects of my work. These are a few samples where layer upon layer of oil glazing builds a beautiful depth and sheen to the finished pieces. I also love the idea of introducing either a mated frame selected exclusively for the piece, or created a 'painted frame' to house the work.

All acrylic with oil glazes and resist: