To Market we will go...
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| Howe Indiana Farmers Market, June 30th, 2012 |
Hi Ho the derry-o to market we will go!!
So this is where my creative self and my equally creative cousin Lori Brouse, can be found some Saturdays through the summer/early fall. Most of my friends(a few have been my official taste testers) know I make spice blends and have many enjoyed my creations for sometime now. That got me thinking...you know, I really need to try and take this one step further......I did....Krazy Kat's Spice Blends was born!! For now, I am able to sell at farmers markets, roadside stands and directly from home. We have decided to settle at the Howe Farmers market because it's busy, fun and a peaceful country atmosphere filled with a fantastic crown of good down to earth people.
The vibe at the market is kind of like a small town carnival in that everyone is friendly and happy and you get to know good people.
The stand next to ours is a husband and wife team who have a herb farm and we have become chatty with them. I have purchased two plats from 'Kathy' so far and it's been fun supporting local community people.
Here is a picture of our little stand...
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| Krazy Kats half of the booth |
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| Together we call ourselves "Sugared and Spiced" |
Lori makes wonderfully delicious jams, marmalade and scrumptious baked goods! She is using all her late Mothers recipes(her Mother passed away when she was 9 years old) and it has been a way for her to reconnect with her Mother again. Its wonderful stories such as her's which are great at these local markets. They are honest and heartfelt and thats why I enjoy local people so much.
My little half of the booth is the Krazy Kat half. I get A LOT of laughs and funny giggles about Old Man Neighbor who graces my table!! Its a great story and people really enjoy hearing about the incarnation of this character....he is a fictional caricature but he is based on that annoying neighbor everyone has...he is the creation of my good friend Tom Nguyens imagination and artwork! (Tom is a professional illustrator/inker/photographer. His main line of work is for DC Comics) He has allowed me to use the character on one of my spice labels and to grace my table. Now I just have to repay him with some spices....test batches and your own table top OMN coming soon buddy!! :)
On the art front..
I have started a commissioned portrait of three lovely little girls. I have spent 3 sittings with them and have begun to firm up the faces for tight detailing. I am doing this as a grisaille type painting in which I work primarily with one color and white. I like portraits done in this manner because I feel they a more classical feel and I just like the way one color adds drama. I think sometimes for portraits, color can get in the way but there again it depends on how you use it and how artful you make the painting.There is a young artist I enjoy named Teresa Oaxaca ( teresaoaxaca.com ) who has some really fun and very imaginative portrait works. Her use of color amplifies the mood of the painting and sets the tone of the piece. I love her paintings. She is a bit quirky but a very nice person and EXTREMELY talented!
There is another portrait painter out of Cleveland, Stanka Kordic, whose work again is so imaginative and full of life! Take a look at what she does...
http://www.alternativeportraiture.com/HOME__.html
I absolutely LOVE her portraits because they have such spirit and they just sing with life....
Each of her paintings are unique and different and she has a funky fun personality. They key point for her work is she really gets inside the mood of the painting and lets the painting tell her what to paint.... her work in my opinion is best described as being 'ethereal and playful'.
To be as great a painter as these two women, you have to zone out and zone in on the act of just creating and letting it speak to you. Just get in it!!
I think about all these things in a way to develop my own 'painters voice'...as far as my own use of color I prefer bright and vibrant colors because that what I see in my head except with people...I see them as 'black and white'...its a mental thing for me. I prefer to see people stripped down to their basics...their core beauty is simplified down to the basics... I think this is why I prefer monochrome portraiture HOWEVER I would LOVE to branch out more and explore some playful imaginative color... I am still trying to figure out where I am going and who I want to be... ;)
Well, I see the husband has rolled up into the driveway from his bike ride....so proud of him! He's doing something he enjoys and getting healthier! he's become so passionate about his bike riding and it makes me happy that he has this passion... I know I enjoy my little passions of creativity! Its what makes life joyful!
Have a wonderful Sunday!!
Kathy
