Kaya's Art

This Friday Oct 12th I'll be part of a group show celebrating David Bowie reimagined as a superhero!  The reception is at 7 - 11 PM, the show runs until Oct 21st.  The show will be at the Hot Art Wet City Pop Up Gallery, 752 East Broadway, just east of Fraser.
My painting, "Bomyst" is David Bowie as Mystique.  She is technically a supervillain (although one could argue that point) but they let me in anyway ;)  Hope to see you there!

For a link to their website click : http://hotartwetcity.com/bowie-show/#!prettyPhoto[Gallery]/0/

 It's been a wonky year.  Since coming back from our trip, it took me a while to feel settled in our new place.  I took a commission with an elderly Holocaust survivor who wanted artists to archive her memories of that time.  It was extremely emotional and brought up a lot of feelings for me, about my own family and how many people I never got to meet because they were killed in the camps.  This elderly Jewish woman reminded me a lot of my (favourite and now deceased) grandmother, Hilda. Even her voice, the way she spoke, reminded me of her.  As I began working with her it became clear that there was no way I could convey her experience the way she pictured it.  It was frustrating and somehow I took it personally, like my grandmother herself was saying that my art was no good.  That was close to a year ago and it took me about six months before I considered painting again. Making art is a difficult process, often there is a voice saying, "this is crap, it's stupid, why don't you stop now before you make more of a fool of yourself".  Previously in my life I felt like I have done a pretty good job of ignoring that voice.  You can't listen to it or you'll never get anything done.  I wouldn't say I'm my biggest fan, but most of the time I find pleasure in making things, and afterwards some satisfaction when looking at my creations. After trying to make the commission piece reflecting Holocaust experiences (which made me cry every time I worked on it), I was overwhelmed by the negative voice and felt like there was no point in making art, in doing anything.  I was stuck and couldn't make a thing.

     Three things helped me get over the hump: 

1.  I went back to work at the same after-school careprogram that I've been working at the last ten years.  Those kids rock!  And they think I rock!  They love my art and I have had the opportunity to show my varied skills.  It gave me some much-needed stroking of the ego.

2.  My parents.  My mom, an artist, is wonderful to talk to about all things art related.  Also, she genuinely enjoys creating and talks with such enthusiasm about getting back into the studio that it inspires me.  My dad is a poet and editor; also his father`s entire family did not survive and the survivor`s guilt got passed on to him.  He is familiar with the territory, let`s say.  When I told him that I have a voice that says, "what`s the point" he said you have to talk back to the voice and say you`re doing it anyway because that`s what you`re doing.

3.  My husband, Kevin.  I can`t imagine what would happen if I lived with someone who was only halfway enthused about my art.  I think I would stop painting after a while, because I don`t always have faith in myself to carry through.  But Kevin is %100 supportive of my work and likes to get on my case about finishing paintings!  He also, as I`ve mentioned before, helps stretch, delivers paintings, and helps me get submissions in on time.  Phew. 

     I feel really blessed to have such supportive people in my life.  I hope my grandma Hilda would love my paintings, too. So, getting back on track.  Back on the horse.  I found a deadline for a show submission and pushed myself to finish three new pieces.  One is an abstract called "East Side Sunday", the second one is a more polished version of The Sun building.  The third, pictured, is called "Tiber at Midnight" and is from a photo I took during our travels in Rome.

Hello everyone I’m back from the world trip and Kevin and I are (relatively) settled back in Vancouver. One exciting art thing that is happening here this summer is the “Drawn” festival, with over 15 independantly curated exhibitions, each addressing a different aspect in drawing. I will be participating in two group shows with the festival: “Naked” at Basic Inquiry

http://lifedrawing.org/

and “Drawn, Draw, Drawing” at Gallery Gachet

http://www.gachet.org/

The website of the festival itself is:

http://www.drawnfestival.ca/index.asp

Speaking of websites, we finally have a decent camera (our last one was stolen in Amsterdam, but that’s a different story) and have photos now of some more of my recent work. In “Abstracts”, “Kandahar Airport” was done at an abstract painting intensive with John Luna in Vancouver Island School of Art. My mom and I went together last week and it was a great experience. Also in “Abstracts” we finally have photos of the new work I did in Wells, B.C. last summer! Very excited about this as I was starting to explore a more abstract expressionist style, and really starting to use a pallette knife more, which I enjoy now.  Also, in "Landscapes", "The Sun" building is new.

As well, in honour of the “Drawn” festival, I have added two new sections, “Pastels, etc.” and “My Sketchbook” for looks at different sketchbook views, both from the past and while on the road travelling this last year.

When I say “I have added two new sections of the website” what I mean to say is that “Kevin added two new sections to the website” it’s hard work and I’m so glad I’ve got a husband that can help with the website, stretch canvas, and frame works on paper, among other skills. Thanks baby!

Hi Everyone, sorry it’s been so long since I’ve written in the journal. My life has gone through many changes since I last wrote. After a fantastic summer artist project in Northern B.C., Kevin and I sold our apartment and have been travelling the world since September 2009. We have been to France, England, Holland, Spain, Italy, Greece, Egypt (where this photo was taken), then Thailand (via Bahrain), Malaysia, Cambodia, and now we are in Vietnam. We plan on travelling through Laos and Taiwan before making it back to Vancouver for the end of April.

The trip has been amazing, we have seen so much incredible art, both ancient and contemporary, and I am full of inspiration from the sights, experiences, and people we have met.

Here is my mother, Salt Spring Island sculptor Karen Reiss, at her studio talking to me about attaching a head to one of her current pieces.  I'm new to youtube and haven't learned to edit yet, but personally I enjoy the "verite" quality, and getting to hear mom talk about her art is a treat.