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