see last week's email in this series

 

 

The pre-order window for 2026 Art Calendars is open. Once the window closes, only the number of calendars ordered will be printed, with a few extras. 

This year’s edition features a stunning variety of artwork from across my collections. Don’t miss out!

 

Own a 2025 Calendar? YOU have a 2026 coupon, on your October page.

 

Onto the Art Collection Review… 

 

 

Wild Tenderness ~ just sounding out the name makes me happy. This collection gave almost $300 to Feeding America – I love when I can work 'giving' into a collection.

 

First I’ll tell you an interesting phenomenon: multiple times I have noticed that the piece(s) I share the most (to announce a new collection) are some of the last to be claimed – and the piece(s) I keep as a secret, are first to be grabbed!

 

It must be the magic that accompanies the unveiling of a new body of work! 

 

 

Compassionate Nature

Recently, an American Robin died in my hands. I was at work in my studio when I heard a terrific crash on my upper entry window. I found him on the sidewalk, knelt down and scooped him up. His fellows were going crazy in the tree above us... READ MORE

 

 

I have SOO many favorites

 from this collection!

 

 

In A World Of Separation

He’s not alone in the forest, he’s found a friend. Two gentle souls (three!) joined in a moment ~ despite differences. They share together, collectively safe. In a world where we can become so physically and emotionally separated from others, it is important to find "our" people (or animals). READ MORE

 

 

How did this collection come into being? I was sitting one day in the salon waiting area, near the windows and the front door. My son, who was 14, was having his hair cut – one of the first times he went back alone. Usually I went with him to visit while he had his hair cut. But it was time for me to let him grow up 😊

 

I sat next to a little girl with her mom. I was sketching in my journal, and she was noticing. I asked her what her favorite animal was, she said ‘a cat’, and I started sketching and contemplating how a cat could be intertwined with a small child and how there would be a mix of smooth and furry, big wise eyes and a child’s little face… 

 

Those sketches eventually became Trust Through Vulnerability, and the cat became a fox :)

 

 

Later I DID include a cat in one of the pieces.

 

 

As ideas do, this one bloomed... ‘what other animals could be tucked in with kids?’ And my imagination bubbled. We ended up with chickens, birds, a bear, a fox, a hedgehog, bunnies, an owl, a lion, a horse, a rat, a deer, even a dolphin, and more! See them all!

 

If I were to create pieces for this collection today, I would probably include a sloth, a heron, and maybe more bunnies.

 

 

I ended up doing 3 sets of Wild Tenderness because I enjoyed them so much – and ONE of the pieces still remains in my studio! When I was a child, I raised 5 rats, one at a time, and they were such wonderful pets. They were awake during the day like me, and slept while I slept. They made eye contact and would hang out on my shoulder or in my pocket while I did stuff. I grew to love their weird spooky tails and their little kisses.

 

From A Place Of Peace is the only remaining available painting from The Wild Tenderness Collection, and she’s on sale 😊 (awww, I had forgotten that the little girl had a tail taped on her bottom!! How cute!) 

 

 

14 years before this time, when my boys were tiny, I created a few colored pencil pieces with babies and birds – I still LOVE birds, especially herons.

 

Here is one of the early pieces, with a stork.

 

 

If YOU could pick an animal to be painted into another round of Wild Tenderness, what would YOU choose?

 

NEXT WEEK: Rainbows! And one of the coolest prints I've ever created.

 

Thank you for being here ♥ 

 

Love & Sincerely, Katie