But what does it mean?

As both an artist and a lover of art, I know firsthand just how easy it is to paint something that has so much meaning to me, but very little to everyone else. When I paint, it's a part of my soul. It's an expression of emotion and many times a glimpse of what is going on in my life. But if you aren't the artist, it's oftentimes impossible to see that in a simple painting. That being said, I plan on taking a few of my pieces and giving you a glimpse into the soul behind them. The raw emotion. Hopefully then you can have a better understanding of why I do what I do...

"Light"

30x40

"From within or from behind, a light shines through us upon things, and makes us aware that we are nothing, but the light is all."  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson (quote lines border)

I was commissioned late last year by a small church group called "House of Light" here in Nashville to do a piece for their opening night of worship.  So I sat around for a while and I began to think about what we, as Christians, should look like to the rest of the world in a literal form of light. So I painted the city as a symbol of where many of us live.  Then I painted a man holding "balloons" that were a dull ivory color. (the balloons are small stone and ivory buttons) Those balloons were a small representation of complacency, mistrust, lack of care, those who have turned away. Then there was a much larger white button that looks like it has a giant starburst coming out of it. The largest button is a literal representation of of what Christians should look like.  We should stand out among the rest. We should be trying to break free from what everyone else would consider "normal".  We should be illuminating the world on so many different levels.  In reality, just as Emerson said, "...we are nothing, but the light is all."


Hopefully this gives you a little glimpse into what I was trying to say and accomplish in this piece.  Maybe it will give you a better appreciation for what the art is saying, all the while being to enjoy pretty art. 


As Pablo Picasso once said, "Painting is like keeping a diary".  Welcome to mine.

One of Those Months

I know that it's been a while since I've been here to blog, it's definitely something that I have to really work at. I'm much better at micro-blogging on Twitter or reading other peoples' blogs. But I have a few things that I'd like to give people a heads-up on.

For anyone who reads my husbands' blog (http://www.harrisiii.com/harris-iii-blog/), this first little bit isn't going to surprise you. At the end of May, my husband and I found out that our 6 week tour to Thailand in July and part of August had been cancelled due to all of the government protesting and violence that had sprung up over the last couple of months. The small nation went into a state of emergency and began enforcing curfews and suggesting to foreigners not to travel to their country. Public gatherings were also suspended until further notice, which meant that we were not going to be able to hold any shows. Because we found out at the last second, (everyone was hoping that it would be okay and we would be able to come over), we were left with a vacant July and a partially vacant August. No income. Now, I don't know about what kind of jobs you all have, but if you take an unpaid leave of absence for 6 weeks with no other form of income, you might begin to panic when you realize that none of your bills are going to be paid. Welcome to our current state.

Now, all this being said, here's what we've been doing since finding out: we've been racking our brains in an attempt to come up with the money to pay our bills (which we have both personal and business since we are self-employed) for the month of July. It sounds like a lot, but our bills for both exceed $8000. Some of our income in June will carry over, but because of some recent big expenses with our travel vehicle (it keeps breaking down), we don't have as much in the bank. My husband has been on the phone with tons of people looking for ways that we offer our talents to both churches as well as locally to theaters. I have been busy fulfilling art commissions and getting updated photos online.

Because we work together 12 months out of the year, we would consider doing nothing less than that same thing right now. So we have split up the income so that we can carry this burden together. Normally I am able to sell art when people are interested in it and come to me. This next month is going to be a little different. I am taking a step to expedite the sale of art by offering everything that I currently have as inventory as well as commissions at a 20% discount. This offer is only good for the month of July. That being said, please check out my Facebook fan page for updated photos of everything that I have. My goal is to bring in $4000 in July. That's all. I am willing to take commissions, sell what I currently have, or duplicate if possible. If you aren't interested in art for yourself, I encourage you to tell your friends and family and pass on the info to them. The more people that can see it, the better.

So please take a look at my fan page on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/kateharrisart Check the photo albums for pictures and pricing. If you find yourself interested, you can either message me directly on Facebook, or email me at kate@kateharrisart.com   Your support in this time of need would be greatly appreciated, and know that we aren't asking for a handout...we are working hard for it!

Here are a few of the most popular pieces that I have just to give you an idea:

"Vintage Piano"

24x48 

normally $595

now $475

"Liquid"

48x60

normally $895

now $715

"Dandelion"

30x40

normally "595

now $475

"Light"

30x40

normally $400

now $320