Hero of a sort

'Low Tide, Padilla Bay' 10x10" oil on panel;
Kathleen Faulkner

I have watched the ebb and flow of Padilla Bay for 32 years.

I once worked an oil spill there. At the time, I wondered if the bay would ever recover.

It did. It took years. 

In the end, Mother Nature cleaned things up. 

Padilla Bay is known for its immense eelgrass meadow.

Some scientists suggest these meadows sequester atmospheric carbon.

Up to 80% of fish species and marine invertebrates 

use eelgrass during some part of their life cycle.

It is a place of magic. It keeps me hopeful.

cure-all

'Wonder Drug" 24x30" oil pastel on panel; Kathleen Faulkner

I grew up in the city

but we spent a lot of time

in the wilderness.

I could wander off.

I always felt safe

and I always felt better afterwards.

These days, 

it's better to wander off

with a buddy.

 

It's a good spot

'The Sticks' 9x12" ink, colored pencil; Kathleen Faulkner

 

A friend said that there is not much 'wilderness' left. 

He felt that humans' management of forest lands

deems them no longer virgin and not truly wild.

I agree.

I walk in Washington Park

This area is regularly maintained

yet

highly beneficial to my good health.

I am grateful.

On Display

I am pleaaed to announce that three of my brooches are included in the 

10th Anniversary Exhibition, BIMA Spotlight

This exhibition runs from June 30 through September 24th, 2023

'Lip Srtvice' 4x3" sterling silver, drawing, mica;

Kathleen Faulkner

'Berg' 2.25x4.75" reticulated silver, plastic shard, acrylic paint;

Kathleen Faulkner

'Good Schooling' 4x4" sterling silver, drawings, mica;

Kathleen Faulkner

I am also pleased to announce that two of my neckpieces will be on 

display at the Bellevue Art Museum Store throughout 2023 in 

collaboration with Northwest Designer Craftartists

'Wish Rocks' sterling silver, drawings, mica;

Kathleen Faulkner

'Botanical' sterling silver, drawings, mica;

Kathleen Faulkner

My work can also be found online here

and at the wonderful Museum of Northwest Art Store in LaConner, WA

We are in it.

 

'New Growth' 24x24" oil pastel on panel;

Kathleen Faulkner

I feel the change from Spring to Summer.

The natural world in its own time.

I watch the wildflowers popping up in the Spring

Then the wild roses celebrate Summer

and the air is filled with their scent.

People are happier 

It's a great time to be alive!

I spy

'After the Bath' 2.75x4" Brooch,

sterling silver, found asphalt shard;

Kathleen Faulkner

We see things.

HAMLET

Do you see yonder cloud that is almost in the shape of a camel?

POLONIUS

By th'Mass and 'tis, like a camel indeed.

HAMLET

Methinks it is a weasel.

POLONIUS

It is backed like a weasel.

HAMLET

Or a whale.

POLONIUS

Very like a whale.

giving is good

'Respite' 30x40" oil on canvas; Kathleen Faulkner

'Respite' is my donation to the 2023 Museum of Northwest Art Auction. 

Someone said, 'awfully nice to give away..'

Good and Thank You!

I am happy to give to a museum 

that has and continues to 

enhance my life.

Some artists don't want to donate 

as it is a hardship. I understand that.

For myself, I can donate art and leave helpful checks to the wealthy.

You can help by bidding on fabulous artwork

Cheers to our museum that touches us all in a multitude of ways,

And Cheers to this years Art Auction!

a bedtime story

 

'Wild Life' 24x39" oil pastel on panel; 

Kathleen Faulkner

Out in the dark: 

it is late at night 

I can hear the owls in the trees behind me

I could lose my way 

this night life is so 

Wild!

greenness

 

                     '101' 24x24" oil pastel; Kathleen Faulkner         

I spent some time on the Oregon coast recently. 

It rained the whole time.

I remember the dark, rainy days when I lived there. 

So much rain that moss would grow 

on the sidewalks,

becoming a soft blanket of green.

I would imagine myself wrapped in it.

'The View From Here'

'Water Study' 16x16" oil pastel on panel;

Kathleen Faulkner

My exhibition, 'The View From Here',  

is showing this month 

at the Beautiful Imogen Gallery 

in Astoria, Oregon.

This is my first solo there,

such a great gallery!

Thank you, Teri Sund

 and 

Cheers to more fun in the future!

KMUN podcast

Line of sight

'Marine, West Coast' 24x30" oil on canvas;

Kathleen Faulkner

The thing about being on the water

is that one can usually see distance

probably the same idea on a mountain top

not so in fog

but most interesting in heavy weather

west coast treasure

'I am Madrona' 18x54"oil pastel on three panels;

Kathleen Faulkner

Madrona comes in different shapes and colors.

We love madrona.

When people come in different shapes and colors,

some of us are afraid.

                                           

Life on Earth

 

'A Precarious Situation' 18x18" oil pastel; Kathleen Faulkner  

 It is always a challenge

living on the edge.

The good news is that 

sometimes,

when you least expect it,

wonderful things happen.

So, in the end,

this life really is a delicate balance.

Mountain talk

'Kwelshán', Early Morning' 10x12" oil pastel on paper; 

Kathleen Faulkner

This has been my home for 32 years. 

I have always had a view of the mountain. 

I keep track of the weather by its look

 and the seasons by its snow cover.

Developers showed up recently 

and took two thirds of my view.

Now the neighbor's oak trees have taken that last bit.

The good news is that

this beautiful mountain, 

called Kwelshán by the Lummi, is still there 

and I can see it when I step outside my front door.

'Kwelshán, Afternoon' 10x12" oil pastel on paper; 

Kathleen Faulkner

Cheers!

'Hopeful Hanna' 10x10" oil pastel; Kathleen Faulkner

 

2022

I am grateful for the opportunities that I have received.

I am sharing some highlights with you.

April was a banner month:

 'Craft Island', an oil pastel, was accepted into the permanent collection at the Museum of Northwest Art in LaConner. 

My ring, 'Apartment Complexity' was published in Metalsmith magazine.

Two works, an oil and oil pastel,  'Almost Home' and East of Here' were loaned to the American Embassy in Pristina, Kosovo.

Then, September offered me a spot in a show to start out the new year

 at Harris Harvey Gallery in Seattle  

December came with the honor of having my work represented on the kiosk at the entry to Dog Woods, Guemes Island.

Despite my good fortune, this year had it's challenges 

yet I am grateful for every moment!

I am hopeful for the future.

Here's to a new year of wonderful possibilities

and a wish 

May we become the people that

make this world a better place for all

living beings.

the neighbors

 

'Minders" 16x16" oil pastel; Kathleen Faulkner

They wait in silence.

patient and stately.

Deadly

The bugs never know what hit them.

significant

 'Wake-robin' 12x12" oil pastel on panel; Kathleen Faulkner

Trillium

a precise and elegant wildflower

so

fragile and shy

 

They always bring up memories

that always make me smile.

Be prepared

'Wish Rock' brooch 2x1.5" sterling silver, mica, 

graphite, paper; Kathleen Faulkner

 It's always good to have a wish rock or two 

hanging around.

I keep several. 

You never know 

when you might need one.

breather

'A Morning Walk' 20x30"oil pastel on panel;

Kathleen Faulkner

It's my good deed to myself..

that morning walk 

Always different, always something to see 

 never a dull moment.

I return home feeling awake and energized

ready to seize the day.

ghosts

 

'Ghost Pipes' 12x12" oil pastel on panel; Kathleen Faulkner

My father spotted them for me.

He said they were rare. 

As a child,

that experience left a deep imprint.

I thought I would never see them again

but, every now and then,

I spot the Ghost Pipes. 

which day is it?

'Just a Thought' 12x12" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

Sometimes our thoughts can flow like water

other times they just dam up the works.

glide flow skim slide..

'Drift' 12x15" oil pastel on paper; Kathleen Faulkner

I am sitting in the sand

listening to the waves.

It isn't cold but it has that look.

The smell of kelpy salt water mingles with the breeze

and sends a wave of happiness through me

I am reminded that I don't visit often enough.

I love a sweet surprise

Two Madronas, oil pastel approximately 40x30" each;
Kathleen Faulkner

It's always a bit of a shocker to see the work 

that I haven't seen in years. 

These two pieces grace the walls of a collector on Guemes Island. 

It made me happy to see them again.

High Life

'High Life' 19x19" oil pastel and oil pen;  Kathleen Faulkner

                                                  

It is a different world up here, say the trees.

The air is different, the climate, too

we see things

Birds love us.

who knew that brown feels hopeful

'Seasonal Color' 16x16" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

These fields will always be here. 

We have protected them against development.

 

Sometimes they are green or yellow.

Sometimes, when the County sprays ROUNDUP,

the fields glow orange.

I like the naked field best.. 

the dirt is so dark and rich looking.

A hopeful thing

giving me something to look forward to.

getaway

 'Swift Creek' 20x20" oil on panel;  Kathleen Faulkner

Growing up in Seattle I would often think about how long it would take me to get out of the city in case of an emergency.  I would even factor in rush hour.

That amount of time will get me into deep woods here.

bucket list

'Iceberg' 4.5x1.4" sterling silver, reticulated 

silver, plastic, oil paint; Kathleen Faulkner

I have never seen an iceberg in real life. 

Maybe I never will. 

thoughts and prayers

'Lip Service' 4x3" brooch, sterling silver, paper, colored pencil,

graphite, watercolor, mica;  Kathleen Faulkner

 

empty talk  hollow words

Treasure or Trash

'Good/Bad' 16x20" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

 

This time of year the wild grows quickly

I don't know which I like best

horsetails or skunk cabbage.

shining sea

'Breather' 24x24" oil pastel;  Kathleen Faulkner

So much is going on in the world.

It's good to take a break

now and then.