Kathryn V. White, Award-Winning Author & Artist
Adventures In Expansion

Musings

Just some thoughts, reflections, inspirations, and things I come across I think are fun, amusing, inspiring, or just plain great!

So welcome to my eclectic musings...

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Celebrate Black Cats on National Black Cat Day – October 27

10/22/2020

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Celebrating Black Cats (Collage and Zentangles) by Kathryn V. White
Did you know black cats…
  • Are adopted at slower rates than other color cats.
  • Tend to be more abused than other color cats.
  • Crossing your path are seen as good luck in Britain, Japan, and Ireland.

To help educate the public and eliminate negative attitudes towards black cats, National Black Cat Day was created.

Please join in and make some positive actions, such as...
  • Posting pictures of black cats on social media and sharing what you adore about them.
  • Helping animal shelters care for black cats and other creatures through your donations.
  • Adopting a black cat and giving them a loving home.

It’s time to eliminate the stigma against black cats and celebrate them!
                                ***
Kathryn is an award-winning author and artist. Her book, 
Rumble Tumble Joy: A Journey for Healing, Inspiration, and Wholeness is available on Amazon. Her art is available as canvas and fine art prints. Learn more at www.kathrynVwhite.com
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Art & Writing: An Inspiring Combination!

1/9/2020

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"I Got This!" By Kathryn V. White
​Read Between The Lines: Collage + Writing Art Show returns!
 
Stop by Cancer Lifeline and enjoy an inspirational, multi-media collaboration of artists from the Northwest Collage Society and writers of Cancer Lifeline writing classes.  My collage, “I Got This!” is at the show.
 
The exhibit is located at the Dorothy O'Brien Center at 6522 Fremont Avenue North in Seattle, WA 98103.

Art and writings are on display from November 21, 2019 through January 16, 2020 with viewing hours for the public from Monday through Thursday, 11am to 3pm. The show is closed on November 28, December 24, 25, 26, 31 and January 1, 2020.
 
Enjoy!
Photos from the Read Between the Lines Exhibit
                              ***
​Kathryn is an award-winning author and artist. Her book, Rumble Tumble Joy: A Journey for Healing, Inspiration, and Wholeness is available on Amazon. Her art is available as canvas and fine art prints. Learn more at www.kathrynVwhite.com.
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Spread Holiday Joy!

12/11/2018

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Nature's Yin and Yang by Kathryn V. White
It’s that time of year for holiday celebrating, giving, receiving, and chowing down!

  • Are you stumped in terms of your gift giving?
  • Want some new ideas?
  • Enjoy supporting artists and writers?

Check out my artworks as they make perfect gifts for children and adults, including for yourself!  My art will brighten and refresh the look of rooms and provide beauty for many years!

How about giving a short story ebook to uplift loved ones’ hearts? They are less expensive than most cards, really cool to give and receive, and keep on giving throughout the year!

Happy Holidays!
Some Ebook Ideas...
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                              ***
​Kathryn is a published author and an award-winning artist. Her book, Rumble Tumble Joy: A Journey for Healing, Inspiration, and Wholeness is available on Amazon. Her art is available as canvas and fine art prints. Learn more at www.kathrynVwhite.com.
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Lush, Tropical Paradise in Downtown Seattle

5/17/2018

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Inside Amazon's Spheres (May 2018)
Amazon has a winner with its Spheres located at Lenora Street and 7th Avenue in Seattle.  Designed by NBBJ, it’s a lush, tropical paradise aimed to increase the productivity of Amazon’s employees by providing a beautiful place for working, eating, and relaxing.

With humid, 70+ degree temperature and over 40,000 plants, the Spheres offer a perfect winter mini-get-away from Seattle’s rainy and dreary days as well as a year-round respite from cubicle drudgery and concrete urbanity. 

They are also an artist’s dream for exploring a variety of colors, textures, and shapes; a botanist’s fantasy for beholding a great diversity of foliage; and a designer’s wonderland of clever seating and distinctive views.


Tasty food and scrumptious-looking donuts are available to inflame your appetite!

Tours book quickly, so if you know someone who works at Amazon and is willing to take you as a visitor, this will be your quickest way to get inside this marvel.

​
                              ***
​Kathryn is a published author and an award-winning artist. Her book, Rumble Tumble Joy: A Journey for Healing, Inspiration, and Wholeness is available on Amazon. Her art is available as canvas and fine art prints. Learn more at www.kathrynVwhite.com.
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Kathryn's Art in 2018 GAP Calendar

12/1/2017

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Kathryn V. White's Art in 2018 GAP Calendar
Need a special gift for the holidays?
The 2018 Guild of American Papercutters' (GAP) calendar is now available and contains beautiful papercuts by a variety of talented artists.  Each month includes a unique artwork as well as information about the artist's inspiration.

It's a perfect gift for almost anyone on your list!

As shown in the above photo, I'm thrilled to share that I'm the December 2018 featured artist. 

More information on ordering the calendar can be found by clicking here.

Don't wait, place an order today!

                  Happy Holidays!
                                ***
Kathryn V. White is an author and artist. Her book, 
Rumble Tumble Joy: A Journey for Healing, Inspiration, and Wholeness, is a finalist in the 2014 Wishing Shelf Book Awards. Her art is available as fine art prints. Find out more at: www.kathrynVwhite.com
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A Path With Art

7/9/2016

 
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Photo from Path with Art website
Path with Art is a non-profit organization that provides access to the arts for adults in recovery from homeless, addiction, and trauma.  The organization’s website states:
“For some, the compounding effects of poverty, mental illness, or lack of a family support system can lead to a downward spiral where inner wounds manifest in homelessness, addiction, and disconnection from society. The results can be seen every day in every city across the U.S. 

​We believe creative engagement is a powerful means to reconnect individuals to self and self-worth. It is also a powerful tool for understanding and appreciating one other's humanity.

Creativity is both a product and a salve for the hurt places, as George Braque writes: 
Art is a wound, turned into light. ”
This summer, Path with Art is inviting the general public to contribute poems to a collective art project inspired by the prompt, We Are All Here.

In addition, Path with Art is sponsoring:
  • Public banner painting parties in downtown Seattle’s Occidental Square on July 15 and August 19 during the hours of 3—5PM.
  • Free, drop in poetry and painting workshops at the same place on Fridays from July 22—August 12 during the hours of 3—5PM.

Twice this summer, a jury of local poets will select a handful of submissions to serve as inspiration for artistic banners.  These banners will be displayed in Occidental Square (2016) and the Seattle Symphony (2017).
​So join in Path with Art’s public creativity call by writing a poem, painting a banner, attending a workshop, and/or by making a donation!

​I’ve submitted my below poem.

On the bus
I exist amidst many worlds
One-sided, plugged-in conversations
Float over
Silent many selves
Wheels turn
Bringing me closer
Home
Find out more here.
                               ***
Author and artist, Kathryn V. White's most recent book, 
Rumble Tumble Joy: A Journey for Healing, Inspiration, and Wholeness, is a finalist in the 2014 Wishing Shelf Book Awards.  Her art is available as fine art prints.  Find out more at: www.kathrynVwhite.com

Meet Cuca--A Fun-Loving Artist & Greenwich Village Cockroach!

5/23/2015

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La Cucaracha is a short tale about Cuca, the cockroach, who lives in the 1970s in Greenwich Village--the era of bell bottoms, flower power, and free love.

Cuca is not immune to their power, nor the tasty tidbits left by his giant roommate, the chef.

How does Cuca survive in a world that wants to see him dead?  

How does he thrive and ultimately share his artistry?

For a good laugh, follow Cuca on his journey today!

Click on the cover to learn more. 
Recent review posted on Amazon.com...
Lots to love at home and in town with Cuca! 

Fun and frolic, a look at life from the cock roach point of view--and maybe see a bit beyond our human façade, too. This is a character you can love. 

My favorite lines: "He was respectful of books and did his best to not leave any marks. Cuca always washed his feet before he took a book dip." 

This story reads like the author laughed and giggled her way through the writing, and who can resist a writer who is having the time of her life with a cockroach? Or was he, now? Hmmmmm. Sounds a lot like a great-uncle of mine!   --Marlee LeDai 
                          ***
Author and artist, Kathryn V. White has met some of Cuca's NYC relatives and can honestly say that Cuca is one amazing cockroach.  Kathryn's most recent book, Rumble Tumble Joy: A Journey for Healing, Inspiration, and Wholeness, is a finalist in the 2014 Wishing Shelf Book Awards.  Find out more at: www.kathrynVwhite.com
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Rumble Tumble Joy--A Book Award Finalist!

3/21/2015

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More joyful news!  I'm excited to announce that Rumble Tumble Joy: A Journey for Healing, Inspiration, and Wholeness is a book award finalist in the 2014 Wishing Shelf Awards.


Yes, my wish is that both Odin the Ferret and Rumble Tumble Joy move from finalists to winners!  Now that would make for a fantastic year. 

Will the Wishing Shelf grant my wish?

Winners are to be announced in April 2015.  Tune in to hear more...
Find out more about author and artist, Kathryn V. White at: www.kathrynVwhite.com
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Celebrate Love!

2/7/2015

 
"Heart Leaf and Pine Needles" photo by Kathryn V. White
One of the things I like to do on my walks is play “I Spy a...Heart.” 

It’s fun to find how ingeniously this reminder of love can be right-in-front of us and yet easily passed by.  

I’ve found hearts in a window, painted on a bus shelter, and as paper fragments, rocks, leaves, rubber bands, or a bit of string.

With Valentine’s Day on February 14th—it’s a good time to celebrate all the love in your life.  

Just like I’ve found on my walks—it’s all around you.  

Increase its abundance by telling someone you love them, sending a heart-filled note, adopting a rescued animal, and/or doing something kind for yourself. 

Go ahead, help spread the love!

Picture by Kathryn V. White
"Hearts in a Window" by Kathryn V. White
Rubber Band Heart Photo by Kathryn V. White
"Rubber Band Heart" photo by Kathryn V. White
"String Heart Between Sidewalk Cracks" photo by Kathryn V. White
                                   ***
Kathryn's most recent book is Rumble Tumble Joy: A Journey for Healing, Inspiration, and Wholeness. She is sharing this book with a wider audience to help others heal their negative body image and increase their self-love.  Find out more at: www.kathrynVwhite.com

Calling All Lovers of Dance!

11/22/2014

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The documentary, First Position, will sweep you off your feet and into the lives of several young dancers who aspire to enter one of the world’s most prestigious ballet competitions—The Youth America Grand Prix.  

Auditions are held in several locations of the world, with the finalists going to New York City for the last stage of competitions.  
Bloodied feet, constantly hungry, frequently in pain, these young dancers are disciplined and passionate about achieving their dreams.  Their family backgrounds include wealth, poverty, the American military, and adoption from an African war zone.  

As you watch their awe-inspiring performances, you’ll be rooting for each of them to win one of the elite scholarships and contracts that can help ensure their entry into the professional world of ballet.

Click on the DVD cover to watch Bess Kargman’s award-winning, box office hit documentary.  (Affiliate link)
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David Zinn's Marvelous Street Art

6/21/2014

 
David Zinn Street Art
Street Art by David Zinn
Summer time is the usual time to enjoy street art in many cities.

Yet, David Zinn shares his sweet, funny, and uplifting creations throughout the year.  
Lucky Ann Arbor, Michigan gets to see the majority of his street art as he lives there.

But his art gets around the world through photos shared, his travels, Pinterest, and now through his book, Lost & Unfounded.
David Zinn Street Art
Street Art by David Zinn
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Bar Art by David Zinn
See more by checking out my Pinterest board of David Zinn's street art.

Support this wonderful street art artist and buy his book today!
David Zinn's Lost & Unfounded
Book by David Zinn

Love Roses?

5/31/2014

 
Roses at Rose Garden
Rose Garden near Woodland Park in Seattle, WA
For those who love roses, June is the time to visit the Rose Garden near Woodland Park in Seattle, Washington. 

This small garden is delightfully landscaped and puts you in mind to have a formal English tea—finger sandwiches; scones with clotted cream and jam; a scrumptious selection of cookies; and Jasmine tea wafting from tea cups and poured from a charming tea pot.  

Alas, tea time is unavailable, though you can visit it in your imagination and still enjoy a quiet respite from the noisy traffic of bordering streets.  Water features, a gazebo, benches, and abundant blossom beauty make this a must-be spot.  And even lovelier—the entire garden is a pesticide-free zone.

Don’t wait!  The blooming season of these marvelous roses is short.  Be sure to sojourn here soon.

Walking Tours at the UW Arboretum

4/5/2014

 
Cherry Blossom Tree at UW Arboretum Photo by Kathryn V. White
Cherry Blossom Tree at UW Arboretum Photo by Kathryn V. White
Every Sunday from January through November, there are free walking tours from 1PM to 2:30PM at the University of Washington (UW) Arboretum.  A volunteer leads each tour which starts at the Graham Visitor Center. Each month a different area of the arboretum is featured. Directions and maps can be found here. 

In March, my dog and I enjoyed a tour which featured the tour guide’s favorite plants.  Not being a botanist and not wanting to take notes, but just enjoy the walk itself—I cannot tell you the names of any of the species that she pointed out.  Incidentally, they all seemed to have difficult names to remember, spell, as well as to pronounce.

What I did learn:

*  The UW Arboretum is 230 acres.  The land is owned by the City of Seattle and the plantings are owned by the UW.

* As a species, magnolias go back 58 million years.

* Beetles existed before bees.

* Cherry blossom tree trunks have horizontal striations to their bark.

* Seattle is not such a great place for cherry blossom tree health because it is so wet and damp.

* Horse and buggy races used to be held on the main thoroughfare—Azalea Way.

* New trails within the arboretum will be created as part of the light rail system sited on the UW’s main campus.

* There are promiscuous flowers in the Winter Flower Garden.  (Yes, some difficult to remember name so I can’t include it here, though I do include a photograph of the flowers in the slideshow at the end of this blog post).

As described on the UW Arboretum's website, April through June tour topics include the following:

April is the month to see Rhododendrons in bloom.  Arboretum weekend walks will feature some of the over 1,800 Rhododendron species in the UW Botanic Garden collection. The April tour title “Rum Dum Rhodies” honors the Rum Dum Rhodie club who practiced hybridization in a friendly spirit of competition.

May is when most plants are in blossom and so the May tour title is "Flower Power." Arboretum weekend walks will wind among the many flowering plants in the arboretum. Tour guides will discuss some of the flowering plants as well as teach visitors the workings of flowers through fun experiments and discussions about pollination.

June is a perfect month to check out the Pacific Connections Garden with a tour title of the same name. Tour guides will take visitors to see plants used for various display gardens of Chile, China, Australia, New Zealand, and in the northwest. The tour will also include a walk through the newly planted New Zealand forest area to show off new acquisitions and see how the forest is faring.

Information about other events at the arboretum can be found here.  

So make some time to visit the wonderful UW Arboretum.  Whether with a tour guide or not, it’s the perfect place for ambling, picnicking, or just sitting on a park bench enjoying the arboretum's vast beauty.

Embrace Zen Doodling!

3/22/2014

 
Zen Doodles by Kathryn V. White
Zen Doodles by Kathryn V. White
Are you bored with the same old doodles you draw on napkins, notepads, and meeting agendas?

Do you feel anxious or stressed and need a cheap, easy outlet to release these emotions?

Do you want to do something creative and satisfying?

Try Zen doodling!

You just need paper, pencil, and a pen or marker.  The paper can be cheap or more durable and expensive like watercolor or drawing paper.  You can use a regular ball point pen, but Sharpie markers in fine and ultra fine sizes or the waterproof archival Sakura Pigma Micron pens tend to create more durable and pleasing lines.

At the top of this blog is a photograph of two Zen doodles I recently completed.  The steps:

1) With a pencil, I placed a dot on each corner of my journal page. I did the same with the paper tile.  

2) I connected the dots to form a rectangle or a square (though you can do this zen doodling in any shape such as hearts, circles, and squiggles).  

3) I then started playing with a variety of shapes and lines to create  sections as well as micro designs within sections of my rectangle and square. 

4) Sometimes I used pencil to create the designs and then went over them with the Sharpie marker.  Sometimes I just used the Sharpie marker directly.

As you doodle, you become focused and relaxed.  It's like the wonderful “flow” state that Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi talks about in his book, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience.

Need some doodle design ideas to help with your creations?

Check out these books. (Affiliate Links)

Your Mailbox Wants Art

1/25/2014

 
PictureGraphic from Kat Eye Studio Website
Mail Art-- it's everywhere! 

Haven't seen any besides what I've posted in terms of creating your own from scratch or emailing a cool e-card with museum art?

Want to receive or give a gift of creativity?


Kat Eye Studio hosts post card swaps--visit her site and join the "Liberate Your Art Post Card Swap."  According to Kat, this swap "encourages you to create, share, and liberate your art out into the world, where it can do its greatest good."  You'll need to sign up soon to be part of the fun!

Also, check out postcrossings and The Post Card Press for more ideas.

The bottom line--bring delight to the mailboxes of the world and YOU!


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    Author

    Kathryn V. White is an author and artist who dreams of rousingly playing a djembe in a drum circle.  

    Two of my books are finalists in the 2014 Wishing Shelf Book Awards!  Click on the below book covers to learn more.
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    Rumble Tumble Joy book reviews: San Francisco Book Review (4 star) & Story Circle Book Reviews (4 star).
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    2020 Juried Exhibit at the Washington State History Museum 
    Kathryn's collage, "Resonating Truth" has been juried into a show at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma, Washington. The exhibit runs from April 9 to August 20, 2020.

    2019 - 2020 Juried Traveling Art Exhibit in Virginia

    Kathryn's papercutting plus collage  "Summer Interlude" has been juried into a traveling show.  The exhibit runs September 9, 2019 to December 8, 2019 at Gallery 3700 in Arlington, Virginia and from December 17, 2019 to February 18, 2020 at Westover Library in Arlington, Virginia.
    2019 Juried Exhibit at the Washington State Convention Center
    Kathryn's large collage "When I'm Gone, Who Will Remember Me?" has been juried into a show at the Washington State Convention Center's Phyllis Lamphere Gallery.  The exhibit runs January 12, 2019 to March 31, 2019.
    Poetry On Buses 
    Kathryn's poem, The Sound Soothes, was selected for the ​2017 Poetry on Buses: Your Body of Water Program and is a part of the online collection! Click here to read it!

    2018 Juried Exhibit at the Rosehill Community Center

    ​*Three of Kathryn's collages have been juried into an exhibit at the Rosehill Community Center in Mukilteo, WA from April 3 through June 24, 2018. "Phoenix" won the Northwest Collage Society's prestigious Eleanor Wolters Smith Memorial Award.

    2017 SOLO SHOW at the University Business Center

    *20 of Kathryn's artworks were on exhibit in a solo show from October 16 through December 7, 2017 at the University Business Center's Gallery 4500 in Seattle's U-District.
    2017 Juried Exhibit at Seattle City Hall 
    ​Kathryn's collage, "Welcome to My Universe" was juried into the exhibit, "Hot Town: Summer in the City" at the Seattle City Hall in downtown Seattle that ran from July 7 through August 30, 2017.
     
    2017 Juried Exhibit at Seattle University  
    ​Kathryn had a large collage, "Broadway at Times Square" juried into the 2017 Search for Meaning Art Exhibition (part of the Search for Meaning Book Festival) from February  16 to 25, 2017 at Seattle University's Vachon Gallery. 
    2017 Juried Exhibit at Cascadia Art Museum  
    ​Kathryn had a collage, "Indra's Net" juried into the exhibit, "Collaged Impressions of the Northwest Social Realism and the American Scene 1930 to 1950" that ran January 19 to March 26, 2017 at the Cascadia Art Museum in Edmonds, WA.
    2017 Exhibit at Dreamclinic 
    ​Kathryn had 10 artworks exhibited from January through April 12, 2017 at Dreamclinic in Seattle's Roosevelt neighborhood.
    BUY ART: 
    Kathryn's art is available as fine art prints. Click here to find out more.

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    "You have everything when you embrace the full circle of life."— Kathryn V. White

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