A New Week of Inspiration...

On Saturday, I was so lucky to get to spend most of the day with my brother, Kevin - he's a painter in Sweden and he's finishing up a 3 1/2 week stay in the U.S.

We rambled around Portland and visited Powells Books where I was delighted to bring home some books on some of my favorite artists, including Kathe Kollwitz - a german expressionist artist (drawings, block prints, sculpture) who worked during the 1890s and the 2nd World War. Her emotional drawings were one of the main reasons I yearned to become an artist - years and years ago.

Kollwitz's image above: Worker Woman with Sleeping Child (Arbeiterfrau Mit Schlafendem Jungen)

Her work touches me in a way no other has. She did what I yearn to do, in regard to capturing emotion (frequently between mother and child) - however, you'll notice if you click around some links above, that her eyes saw more suffering, death and poverty than mine (hopefully) ever will, so her work has a couple themes that I have no intention of working with. But the emotion, *sigh*, just splits my heart.

At Powells, I also picked up books on Gustav Klimt and Mary Cassatt.

Have a great week!

Love & Sincerely, Katie