Artist Statement - "A Fiery Passion"

A Fiery Passion, 30"x22", India Ink on Canson watercolor paper, 2015.

The discovery of one woman was what brought this piece to life: Kiran Gandhi. Around a year ago, I came across an article about a menstruating woman who bled freely during the London Marathon. There was plenty of controversy around the subject, many expressing utter disgust in the face of her actions. While it appears her bold decision wasn't planned--and was mostly out of self-comfort--Kiran shared with the media that her intention was to bring attention to women around the world that don't have access to sanitary products. Where women in first-world countries may take this simple luxury for granted, other young women are kept at home and out of school because they lack it. There's great stigma regarding menstruation, and this one young woman had the courage to tackle this complex, widely unspoken issue in the public light. 

Kiran Gandhi, pictured on the left; Photo Cred

Immensely impressed by her bravery and righteousness, I decided to further research her name. Who is this revolutionary woman? I found that she's a Harvard graduate in math, music, politics, and business. She even toured as a drummer with M.I.A., a defiant hip hop artist whose work often makes daring statements on politics, world issues, and the like.

Out of all the typical players in a band, it is the drummer that has always captivated me. Despite almost always being stationed in the back of the stage and arguably garnering the least attention of all the players, drummers are the essential foundation that the other players rely on; without their consistent beats and time-keeping, the other musicians would falter. There's something quite primal and passionate about the way drummers repeatedly slam their drums--for what is seemingly wild and out-of-control to actually be perfectly organized and pleasant sounding...it's truly remarkable.

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When I first watched Kiran drum (in the video below), I was just as taken as I've always been with drummers, only it was paired with the additional impression that her outstanding leadership and feminism made on me. The beguiling, raw animalism of her drum-playing is amplified by the way her long, frizzy hair drapes over her mostly unseen face as she slams her sticks to the drums, mimicked by her enlarged shadow cast in the background. If I had to describe the way I viewed her in one word, it would hands-down be badass.

If I wasn't taken by her enough, I also discovered that she's given a Ted Talk the year prior (video posted below). She expresses how she manages to combine her many passions and interests and shares her philosophy to balancing them as she goes about life: atomic living means choosing to follow the magical, joy-inducing opportunities that present themselves to you over daily modernity/what society might suggest that you 'should' do. Her verbose, swift manner of speaking reflects the constant and tremendous amount of thoughts, emotions, ideas, passion, etc that this one, mere human contains. Being the 'Passion Juggler,' I could relate to her quite a bit; even our first names are similar. I was so unequivocally inspired by her and the energy she carries that I felt an energy ignite within my own self.

Briskly, I grabbed my India inks and watercolor paper and began to let loose. Feeling the warm, fire-like quality of the internal blaze of energy, I instinctively selected red, orange, yellow, and gold inks and splattered them wildly across the page. Allowing it to flow and drip in a similar direction, the thin streams of brilliant ink naturally transformed into a large flame-shape. I savored the the white spaces left between the unguided streams of ink, knowing they would pop. To add to the impulsive licentiousness, I made extra splatters by dipping my fingers in the ink and repeatedly flicking them upon the sheet. As a perfectionist, it is very unlike me to let go of control with my artwork, let alone anything, and yet I did it instantly and blissfully with this painting. 

"A Fiery Passion" (Detail)

Once the unhindered rush cooled down, I had looked at the page and felt it needed more, much more. After waiting at least 24 hours for the water-tolerant paper to dry, I applied my black line style to the work--similarly to "Organism," which I created only weeks before. Sensitive to the colored flow and shapes already impressed in the paper, I individually and carefully painted each black line to follow the movement that was already present. Struggling with my perfectionistic tendencies, I wondered if I should keep my lines in the colored portion or 'break the rules' and paint outside of them. Understanding the nature and inspiration of this work, I felt it was most appropriate to be just as wild as I was with the colored portion and do what intuitively made sense. 

"A Fiery Passion" (Detail)

Where the colored portion of my process took probably less than a half hour, the black line painting took at least eight times as long to finish. As I surveyed the completed piece, the name, "A Fiery Passion," came to mind; I decided that it wholly described the experience and development of this work. Visually, I most enjoyed the black ink portion and light colored splatters on the bottom right corner (partially pictured below); the playful black lines especially emulated the freedom of restraint that I so rarely experience and portray. Visually witnessing the release of my repression was very exciting, as it reflected that I am capable of growing not only as an artist, but a human. 

"A Fiery Passion" (Detail)

Writing about this work as of now is a wonderful reminder to let go, let loose, and unleash the wildness we all carry within; the timing couldn't be better as my usual overly-organized and controlled self would typically be freaking out at the idea of now being a full-time artist and the unpredictability that comes with it. Yet I'm realizing that life isn't about being, "perfect," and whatever that may entail. It's not always about meticulously following a regimented, planned path that will supposedly make you successful--it's about blissfully doing what makes your heart radiate with passion. Kiran has helped me see that there's a reason that we were given the gifts of passion, talent, and drive, and we're supposed to use these gifts with unobstructed, liberating, and boundless joy. 

And when we positively focus our energy on what we're passionate about, new opportunities arise magically and effortlessly to support those passions. The lessons I learned from this work encourages me to allow the passion of my heart to overshadow my worry-prone, controlling mind--to let the mysterious, powerful universe conspire in my favor. I wholeheartedly believe that, as human beings, it is a birth right to have love and joy ever-present in our lives, and we just have to choose to accept it, to know that we deserve it. 

I sincerely hope that this article can encourage you to follow what makes your heart glow with fiery passion, if you aren't already that is! Because when we shine our own light, it only encourages others to shine theirs, and the chain continues. Thank you very much for reading as well as your support!

I just recently sold this work to a very lovely gentleman, so the original is no longer for sale. That said, prints are still for sale at: http://fineartamerica.com/featured/a-fiery-passion-karen-kliethermes.html

If you're interested in connecting to my other forms of social media:
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Artist Statement - "Emergence"

Emergence, 22"x30", pastel, acrylic, and paint marker on paper, 2013-2014.

Of all the work I have done thus far, this piece might just be my favorite. Not merely because of the visual aesthetic of the work, or even the process involved in making it, but rather the fervent emotion it personally ignites within from looking at it. "Emergence" is more than just a physical artwork to me--it's a representation of who I want to be in this world.

I created this piece during in my undergrad, about two-and-a-half years ago. I had two tough painting classes that semester, and this was one of a final series of seven large paintings. While the concept of having a pastel figure with meridians wasn't new in my portfolio ("Blue Woman" being the original), this one brought a whole new presence and energy that was quite different than my first meridian-overlaid figure I crafted.

Honestly, I didn't really even know what it was going to become when I had my first guided thought to create the work. I simply found a gorgeous, high-contrast, black & white photo of a lovely, curvaceous figure captured in a dramatic pose. You can't see her eyes, but her body language speaks loudly nonetheless; her arms covering her torso, her hands clutching her face, her shoulders arched, and her hips leaning almost impossibly away from the top half of her body all draw you into her. What is it she's trying to hide? Why? Is she vulnerable or simply reserved? My perspective of her seemed to evolve as I slowly interpreted her onto my slice of paper.

But before I began the piece, I put on a decently intense electronic song that I had recently found called, "Rift" by Singularity, and listened to it on repeat throughout the entire process. (I'm even listening to it on repeat now as I write this!) Music greatly influences my artwork, particularly music that evokes a sense of determination, empowerment, and movement. This song in particular is one of my best examples of that; it is even included in my "Power Studio" playlist, a humble collection of only 15 songs, all of which spark similar feelings. I would imagine this piece would feel completely different to me if it wasn't for this song. It's strong, propelling manner encouraged me to rise to my fears of not being perfect, to not give a damn about what others think or feel about my work, and most significantly, to coax out my light, that which we all carry within.

I first drew her unlikely posture with an extremely rich purple soft pastel. My choice of color was due to the high-contrast I could achieve with that single pastel--the darkest mark I could make was the most brilliant of all my pastels. I blissfully savored filling every shadow cast of her gorgeous figure, as well as bluntly highlighting her edges so that she stands out. I chose not to fill in the space between her eyes, as I was thinking I would fill them in later on. And there she stood, looking naked in her glory--somehow more naked than the absence of clothing already exudes. She needed something else, just like the other figures I had previously drawn. So from there, I 'clothed' her through adding the meridians. I first coated the soft pastel with fixative spray to keep it from moving. Then, taking my white and gold paint, I went at it. Beginning with the chakra centers, I intuitively formed the connecting branches and adding the points. She was complete.

Step 1: Draw Figure

But the background was not; it was messy with purple fingerprints. I thought about her inward manner and decided to interpret it differently. Instead of painting in an out-to-in directional manner, I did the exact opposite. I wanted her to radiate, to shine brightly. White paint had already outlined her outsides to get those super clean edges and make her pop, then I started on the outside edges of the paper with black and purple paint, slowly adding more white as I closed in on her. The flowing manner of the brushstrokes reminds me of the way flower petals lay over each other. There's a softness to the figure that the background mirrors; she's sensitive, beautiful. Yet the beauty I focus on in this piece isn't on the figure herself, but rather on the inner power she possesses.

Once I completed the piece, I set it upright, stood back, and let the emotion of it sink in. White paint did end up making its way into her eyes, making them appear as if they were half-open. It was this that made all the difference to my interpretation and inspired the name "Emergence". This woman is not weak nor dainty; there is an immense power within, that she is only just discovering. Yet, it is not the intense, in-your-face power, it is the quiet kind of power. The kind that often goes unseen but can be felt. It's an inner strength that keeps one loving, humble, empathetic. While the figure covers her front, I feel that the movement of energy emanates through her unseen, but stretched back, which the background lends to. She is emerging into the internally powerful woman that she is.

Photo Cred

Within months, I was re-watching my all-time favorite childhood series, "Avatar: The Last Airbender." The Eastern-tinged lessons that this show teaches are ones that I hadn't found in any other children's program. I hold such love and appreciation for this show, you can count on the fact that I will show my children-to-be this series in its completion. In one of the episodes, Aang, the main character, is under guided meditation with a guru. He learns about the chakras, and goes through the process of opening each of them up, one at a time. Aang gets to the last chakra, the crown chakra, which has to do with cosmic energy. Under meditation, he's in space and sees a large version of himself glowing in light violet hues. This gigantic replica had eyes and arrow tattoos glowing brightly white, being lit with what is assumed to be the cosmic energy.

Photo Cred

With excitement, I realized how similar this imagery is to my painting, both in color and theme. There's something about glowing eyes in the night sky that really elicits the feeling of quiet power. Personally, this imagery reflects the understatement that it is to be truly ALIVE. Is the energy that makes us alive cosmic energy? This inner strength I speak of, does it stem from cosmic energy? Is cosmic energy the light we all carry, and what ultimately unites us all?

While the feeling of this painting has spoken novels to me since its creation, it wasn't until recently that I fully understood the work and whole-heartedly identified with it, almost as a spiritual self-portrait. I was dealing with a lot of stress at the time, specifically handling one difficult person in my daily life. She hurtfully put me down in various ways, often bringing me to tears once I was alone and let her insults in. Pain, low self-esteem, and inferiority had filled my psyche. As I was falling asleep one night after a particularly challenging day with her, I thought, "Why can't I be stronger? Why can't I refuse to accept her words?" and dozed off. While waking up--but still in that semi-conscious state--my mind was intensely filled with thoughts and images of Joan of Arc.

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I've often received words, feelings, and imagery (even inspiration for artwork!) during this semi-conscious state that have mysteriously aided me in my daily life. Once I awoke and my cognitive abilities had returned to me post-sleep, I rushed to my laptop and typed in her name. I briefly recalled Joan of Arc's story that I learned from my hellish days in Catholic school; she went against common gender roles, became a famous female warrior of her time, and successfully led battles under the guidance of God. The imagery of her I contained in my mind was of his badass she-male that carried immense inner and outer strength. With that, I imagined Joan of Arc must've been externally hard and driven, not allowing emotions to overcome her.

Joan of Arc by John Everett Millais, 1865
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However, my internet search had completely juxtaposed and obliterated that assumption; Joan of Arc was actually incredibly emotional and would sob after every battle for all those that had to die. She permanently etched herself into human history as a fearless warrior, yet had this huge, bleeding heart that was clearly visible through her ardent bouts of emotion. This was quite surprising, I had no idea! I then made the connection of this information to my questioning before falling asleep. Whatever the source or force is that injects my semi-conscious mind with information (I call it the broad, all-compassing name, 'the Universe') was clearly answering my questions.

Strength is not necessarily in being tough-faced, it can be through opening your heart and feeling emotion. Given that those emotions properly release, I become clear-minded and have the ability to see things from a higher perspective. I then chose to find compassion for this woman who treats me the way she does, because there's a reason for her actions--I imagine she must be experiencing some sort of pain and/or fear. After all, every single one of us has our burdens. As I wholeheartedly believe all things happen for a reason, I knew that her presence in my life served a purpose, if not several. If she didn't treat me the way she did, I wouldn't have been brought to my knees to ask such questions, have these realizations, and learn a life lesson from it. I learned how to be strong through compassion, not deflection.

While I can't recall exactly when, I made "Emergence" my phone screensaver around this time, and it remains as such to this day. As I would typically consider myself modest, it most certainly feels weird for friends and family to see my artwork being plastered on my phone. However, my intention of it is not to market my work, but to instead remind myself everyday of the power of compassion and the light we carry within. I want shine my light, and to have the courage to find compassion for others everyday, no matter how challenging or hurtful they may be.

(Visual proof)

If you're interested in purchasing the original work, please contact me! (It's $350 with Free Shipping!)

If you're interested in purchasing prints of this piece:
http://fineartamerica.com/featured/emergence-karen-kliethermes.html

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Like my Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/KarenKliethermesEssenceoftheSoul/
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Thank you kindly for reading in addition to any and all support!

The Passion Juggler's Blogging Debut

Hello, hello! My name is Karen Kliethermes (aka - The Passion Juggler) and this is my first-time blogging. As my self-proclaimed name implies, I have a multitude of interests and hobbies that ebb and flow in intensity as I go through my daily life. While I'm a professional artist and Reiki Master/Teacher/ Practitioner, my heart also swoons for herbs, foraging, tincture-making, hiking, biking, spirituality, alternative medicine, food, cooking, baking, nutrition, music, singing, ukulele, piano, and much more. To help me not only document, but essentially web all of these things together in one place, I figured that there was no better way than starting a blog on the world wide web (*insert sensible chuckle* Apologies in advance for any terrible word puns if that's not your thing--I blame it on watching too much Bob's Burgers).

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In every episode of Bob's Burgers, the Daily Special board is updated with a new, wittily-named burger of the day.

I have certainly been blown away by other blog work out there, my two long-term favorites being Hyperbole and a Half and Chocolate Covered Katie. Such genuine, down-to-earth people sharing fragments of their life in a humorous and engaging manner; it's a fantastic and reachable way of of storytelling in the 21st century. I aspire to write both as eloquently and as sillily as them.

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Probably the most famous of all of Allie' Brosh's doodles from her well-known blog, Hyperbole and a Half

Am I a storyteller? I would say yes, in that we all are storytellers in our own ways. It merely varies through the vehicle of expression. For me, art has been the main way of storytelling, although I've found it's easier to transmit feelings and emotions through my work rather than, say, intellectual ideas, perspectives, and narratives. When paired with words, however, art becomes the ultimate package; having the presence of an artist statement or some sort of verbal/written description of one's work transmits both narrative and feeling to the viewer, making it evermore impactful. At least for my art, I'm hoping that writing blog posts on each piece will help me to efficiently express the lovely union that is storytelling and feeling.

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For instance, would you know just from the above image that this work is about an artist and his partner who both have AIDs and the lack of knowing which one will pass on first and when? A fabulous example of how words may be needed to completely express the meaning of artwork.

As for the many other facets of my heart's devotion, blogging now serves as the first and only form of broadcasted expression. While I've most definitely shared my ideas, stories, and experiences with friends and family, this is the first time these particular passions and their relevant stories will be exposed to the world. Scary, eh? Not for me, as I sincerely believe we don't benefit from ideas that aren't shared. I can only hope I can impart as much inspiration to others as I receive on a consistent basis.

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I think of this scene from Woody Allen's "Vicky Christina Barcelona"
Vicky: "Why won't your father publish his poems?"
Juan Antonio: "Well, because, he hates the world and that's his way of getting back at them, to create beautiful works and then deny them to the public"
Vicky: "My god...what makes him so angry towards the human race?"
Juan Antonio: "Because after thousands of years of civilization they still haven't learned to love."

Overall, I'm really excited to give this a try. The feeling is fitting, as I just moved to a new place, am meeting new people, and experiencing a new beginnings overall. The last couple months have been challenging to say the least; I quit an unhealthy job, fought two resistant infections, and got kicked out of my home. But what first appeared to be unwanted struggles to get me to this moment ended up being blessings in disguise. If I didn't get kicked out of my home by the landlord, I wouldn't find myself in this new, more fitting city to live in. If I didn't get so sick, I wouldn't be valuing my now very strong and healthy body. And if I didn't quit my job, I wouldn't have the time or motivation to be juggling my passions and, thus, writing my blog.

So here I am. Thank you very much for reading and any current/continued interest in my work! :)

If you're interested in connecting to my other forms of social media:
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Like my Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/KarenKliethermesEssenceoftheSoul/
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Purchase my Prints: http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/karen-kliethermes.html
Pins on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/artistkarenk/

Follow me on Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/k.lightworker/