| About ten years ago I decided that when | | | | art, do some contemporary art, I even |
| people asked me what I did or who I was, I | | | | |
| would confidently reply, "I am an artist". | | | | draw some naked art and pin up art. I have |
| No matter how I was making a living or if my | | | | come a long way. I do sculptures, sell |
| status was that of a 'starving artist' or | | | | |
| not, I would announce, "I am an artist". I | | | | my oil paintings here and there and even |
| would proclaim what I had fantasized myself | | | | have giclee prints. I try to paint or draw |
| to be since I was a little girl.I started to | | | | |
| draw at three and four years old, in the back | | | | every day. Most of all I try to retain my |
| seat of my parents car as | | | | childhood fantasies of 'being an artist'. I |
| | | | try |
| they drove from state to state, looking for | | | | |
| rainbows I suspect. I was a little girl | | | | to decide what that means to me. Part of it |
| | | | is my thirst to create but part of it is |
| drawing mermaids, angel art ,fairy art, | | | | |
| fantasy art in general. I tried as best I | | | | because without magic, without paper toys |
| could | | | | becoming real to me, I am only an adult, |
| | | | |
| to make that world alive. I made my own | | | | going through the motions of everyday life |
| coloring pages. As I grew older I had free | | | | not noticing a little fairy dust."Paper |
| | | | Toys"Be careful what you step on |
| paper dolls available to me anytime I | | | | |
| decided to make drawings or little paintings | | | | It might just be my heart |
| of | | | | |
| | | | Some wounds have no recovery |
| them. Drawings of mermaids and fairies that | | | | |
| I imagined to be just like Renaissance | | | | no place from which to start.The box, packed |
| | | | with tiny ribbons |
| paintings. My talent was as good as I | | | | |
| decided it could be. My free paper dolls | | | | you made sure they did not get lost. |
| were | | | | |
| | | | You flatter me... |
| not paper toys at all, my paper mermaid once | | | | |
| given a chance became a real | | | | to think that much of me |
| | | | |
| mermaid. Fantasy art would one day be wall | | | | to handle them with such care.I thank you |
| murals of a world I would create from | | | | for the cobwebs |
| | | | |
| my imagination . I did not know of Pablo | | | | and the way that they were groomed. |
| Picasso; Kandinsky; Marc Chagall; or the | | | | |
| | | | I know I should be grateful |
| softness of Mary Cassatt. I had never gone | | | | |
| to an art gallery to see Salvador Dali | | | | that someone heard the loon.I was greeted by |
| | | | a pattern |
| paintings; Leonardo da Vinci paintings; or | | | | |
| Claude Monet paintings. Such a world to | | | | set in place so many days ago |
| | | | |
| discover ahead of me, full of fine art; | | | | I tried to reconstruct my thoughts |
| paintings and sculptures. As a child I had | | | | |
| my | | | | and make them not my home. |
| | | | |
| own fantasy gallery though and everything I | | | | I stand erect and look from side to side |
| saw became magical.So what happens as we grow | | | | |
| older and those feelings of pretend and | | | | It seems I've made a prisoner of my thoughts |
| fantasy | | | | |
| | | | sad day of untidy means and sighs.I thank |
| become dull? We find ourselves wondering | | | | you for the cobwebs though. |
| what took away that spirit of optimism | | | | |
| | | | Through all the rubble |
| and adventure. When did paper toys appear | | | | |
| only as paper, no longer something | | | | that may have gone unnoticed |
| | | | |
| that fairies, mermaids and dragons became | | | | and yet... |
| alive in? Does it matter? Is it OK that | | | | |
| | | | It's not as if you could not possibly |
| that part of us that became Tinker Bell or a | | | | understand |
| dragon is no longer there? Or maybe is it | | | | |
| | | | what to me |
| OK to try to find them again?People tell me | | | | |
| all the time that they cannot even draw a | | | | was so obviously bemoaned.I was a little |
| straight line.Do you 'want' to learn how to | | | | girl |
| draw though? Do you wish you could? Did you | | | | |
| draw | | | | paper dolls in hand |
| | | | |
| when you were little? Often the answer is | | | | Making paper do |
| yes.When you were going to school did anyone | | | | |
| ever hand you a piece of paper and say, | | | | what others |
| | | | |
| show me what you can do with algebra without | | | | could not possibly understand. |
| any knowledge of it or any help? | | | | |
| | | | I suppose I should close the box |
| Did anyone ever tell you to write a story | | | | |
| without first teaching you how to print | | | | vacant, without the ribbons |
| | | | |
| individual letters? We do that kind of | | | | that seemed to have been tossed. |
| thing with art though don't we? We think | | | | |
| that | | | | Scold my attitude |
| | | | |
| if a child sits down and draws and does a | | | | and measures of the loss. |
| half way decent job that they are talented. | | | | |
| | | | I know I should be grateful |
| Maybe they are, but maybe the kid sitting | | | | |
| next to him could be too, even though he/she | | | | for the memories held fast |
| | | | |
| has no confidence to draw that straight line | | | | but oh... |
| because no one taught him how to | | | | |
| | | | all the beautiful colors |
| draw. I think that talent is 'desire' and | | | | |
| the rest is practice. If you 'want' to be | | | | when clipped |
| able | | | | |
| | | | could never last.About Me: |
| to draw a straight line or mermaids or | | | | |
| dragons then you 'are' talented. You are an | | | | Name: Kathy Ostman-Magnusen |
| | | | |
| artist waiting to happen! Somewhere along | | | | Location:Hawaii, United States |
| the line someone dampened your spirit | | | | |
| | | | Aloha! I am a figurative artist and |
| so you stopped trying and stopped dreaming. | | | | Illustrator. If you check out my website you |
| It may not be in fine art, it may be in | | | | will |
| | | | |
| writing. You may be itching to say, "I am a | | | | see that I am very prolific in oils. My |
| writer!" even though you might be | | | | paintings are collected worldwide. I also do |
| | | | |
| making your living as a lawyer or a | | | | sculpture, images available upon request. I |
| dishwasher. It is art in our souls and I | | | | have illustrated for Hay House Inc. ; Neil |
| think we | | | | |
| | | | Davidson, who was considered for the |
| need it.I am an artist! I paint and draw | | | | Pulitzer Prize in feature writing; and |
| and sculpt. I try to remember all the | | | | several |
| visions of my | | | | |
| | | | other publications. I also enjoy story |
| childhood and continue on with those dreams. | | | | writing and poetry. All of the |
| I paint some fantasy art, mermaids, | | | | paintings,stories |
| | | | |
| mermaid babies, African women and African | | | | and poems are written by me. |