Howdy! Just stopping by to say that I hope everyone have a wonderful holiday season! 2010 has been quite an interesting year (that's putting it lightly) for many of us, and we look forward to nothing but great things in the year to come.
I wish you a joyful and peaceful 2011 from all of us at Art With Heart Mississippi!
Love,
Kelli
Well first of all, my sincere apologies for falling off the face of the earth here! I didn't realize it has been so long since I posted a blog. For what it's worth, I've been in college full time on weekdays, teaching on weekends, conducting business out of town, and unfortunately quite ill in the midst of it all. Life is a never-ending roller coaster when dealing with systemic disease, so I never know what the day is going to bring. Some days are better than others, but regardless, I never forget to count my blessings. Art With Heart has been greatly blessed as well! Mark Lafontaine, owner and operator of The Gallery in Ocean Springs has given us a home office in his beautiful building. We have a real "headquarters" now, and we are just bursting with thankfulness! I hope all of you locals will stop by The Gallery at 700 Washington Ave in Ocean Springs. Take a look at the incredible art on display (and buy some!), and say hello to the wonderful folks there. Art With Heart's hours vary, but who knows...you may just catch one of us in our cute little office. Everyone is welcome anytime, so come see us! ~K
I insist that God has a sense of humor. You see, I have a visual impairment and make quite an effort to not drive in poor weather conditions. But alas, I have been caught in four ITODs this month - that's short for INSANE THUNDERSTORM OF DOOM - and it has been quite the adventure. Zero visibility on the roads, dings in my windshield from the hail, lightning so close that all I could see was a blinding flash of REDBLUEGREENYELLOW in my face. FUN. It's been a typical gulf coast summer. But don't worry...if you don't like the weather here, just wait 15 minutes...it'll change!
Art With Heart is always changing too, and the changes are GREAT! As we continue to expand our horizons in the specialty of Therapeutic Art, we find that we learn more and receive our own "therapy" individually as well. We constantly evolve with the world, and God willing, we grow bigger and better along the way. It's a beautiful thing.
I'm excited to be a part of the difference that Art With Heart is making in the community. From the private therapeutic art sessions all over the coast to our free public art classes at Moss Point Riverfront Community Center, I see the impact that Art With Heart has already made and will continue to make as we spread our wings and fly.
Will you help us? We are looking for a building to renovate into a full time Art With Heart headquarters, complete with a studio for daily use by the public. :) Our goal is to provide a safe haven to embrace creativity for all ages on the Mississippi coast. We are a registered non-profit organization and all donations are tax-deductible, including vacant buildings... :)
Let us know if you can help, and let us know what we can do for you. We're in this crazy thing called life together, and we can all make a difference...one smile, hug, and paint stroke at a time.
~K
Has everyone had a good summer so far? It's HOT...Lord have mercy on my soul, it's hot. Surely we have hit some kind of record this year...you think? Heat index of 112 the first week of June? Yep, that's gotta count for something!
So Linda has been hard at work updating the site...go Linda go! You will find several new links on our front page, including a link to the recent Biloxi Festival of Arts and the Pink Heart Funds event. That was a wild weekend...great fun! Was glad to be a part of it!
We have so much going on here at Art With Heart, so take a stroll through the updated site and see what we're up to. We're growing by leaps and bounds as our name gets out there, and I look forward to the good things that are ahead!
Y'all stay cool, use your sunblock (anybody got any SPF 30,000???), and we'll see you soon!
~K
Boy am I glad to be out of that bed! Just in time, too, because this weekend there are some really great things happening on the Mississippi Coast!
Saturday, the Biloxi Art Association will host the Biloxi Festival of Arts in Edgewater Mall. I will be with Art With Heart, selling art and painting faces for a good cause. And for those interested in seeing a Bob Ross style painting come to life, I will be demonstrating the Bob Ross painting technique on Saturday at 11:00 AM and again on Sunday at 4:00 PM. Classes are growing and I look forward to my upcoming workshop in Biloxi on June 27th! My Bob Ross class webpage is http://gulfcoastartworks.blogspot.com.
Also on Saturday is the Ponytail Kickoff for Pink Heart Funds, a local charity that provides wigs to cancer patients. I will be on location at Prime Outlets in Gulfport from 1pm to 3pm, where Gabe and I will be painting faces and I will be donating my hair!!! I am so excited to finally be eligible to do this! Their website is http://www.pinkheartfunds.org. I will be selling original watercolor note cards to benefit this great organization as well.
Friday (tomorrow) morning, I will have a short phone interview with Walter Brown at Magic 93.7FM. If you would like to try to catch this, I'll be calling in between 7:30 and 8:30 AM CDT. You can also listen to the live feed at http://magic937.com.
Good things are in the works! I am blessed to be a part of it. Hope to see some of you out there this weekend! Have a great summer, and God bless!
~K
Hi folks! I figure it's about time I blog again.
I'm dealing with a significant health issue and currently on bedrest until further notice. I've been ordered to keep my legs elevated, and that has been more of a challenge than I realized it would be. My hips and lower back, for starters, are pretty ticked off at the moment because they are carrying the majority of my weight in this position. This is a good way to learn patience, that is for sure. It's frustrating, but I know things will start looking up, and I'll be back on my feet again soon.
I regret that I'm missing out on the fun Art With Heart is having lately. I especially missed the last class at Martin Bluff. Love those 4th graders and their cool ideas! If you haven't seen their work yet, go to Art With Heart's front page and click on the Martin Bluff Group link. I look forward to catching up with those guys (now 5th graders!) when the new school year rolls around.
I've been trying to find ways to distract myself while laid up in bed, so I've been brainstorming. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a heart for charity work, and tying my art into this is a dream come true. I look forward to future projects, and I'll keep you posted on what I'm doing. In the meantime, please shoot me a comment and let me know what YOUR favorite charity organizations are, and why. I'd love to have some input.
And don't hesitate to contact us here at Art With Heart if you would like to get involved in some way. It can be as simple as contributing art supplies, artwork, funds, or time; networking our website; writing grant letters; volunteering at classes...there are so many things that you can do to help. You don't have to be an artist to be a part of what we're doing here! We appreciate all who are interested in Art With Heart and look forward to what's ahead!
Time to elevate the legs again, so I'll catch you later!
~K
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Click here to visit the group!
Let's connect and spread the word about Art With Heart!
As if I don't blog enough...haaaaaa! Linda has given me a blog right here on Art With Heart! Thank you, Mrs. President! I am truly honored to be a part of the mission of Art With Heart, and look forward to what is in store for us on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
I suppose the best thing to start out with is a little about me:
Originally from the Mississippi Coast, I had to move immediately following Hurricane Katrina. Ok...I actually moved DURING Katrina, while it was still a tropical storm...something that I do NOT recommend (and you can quote me on that)! I currently reside in Mobile County, Alabama right on the state line. No, really. I could get in my car, drive one mile, and put one foot in Alabama and the other foot in Mississippi. In fact, I might do that one day...would make a great goofy photo!
Speaking of photos, I love photography, although I have no training. And my camera is rather old and unprofessional, so while I hope to post photos in my blog, they will be of very amateur quality. Fair warning. :)
I am a Certified Office Administrator by trade. But more relevant , I am a Certified Ross Instructor through Bob Ross, Incorporated. Don't know Bob? Oh, sure you do! TV show...big hair...HAPPY TREES! That's usually all I have to say to make people go "AH HA! I REMEMBER THAT GUY!" Bob left us much too early in life, but his infamous happy trees live on through his Joy of Painting Workshops, held all over the world. I am blessed to be associated with this wonderful painting technique, and I currently hold Bob Ross Workshops in Mobile, Alabama and Jackson County, Mississippi. It has changed my life, and I will be talking about it quite a bit here on my blog.
I am a member of the Singing River Art Association, and it was in one of our meetings that I met Linda Hill and was introduced to Art With Heart. I believe this was a divine appointment, as I had the exact same mission on my heart and wanted to find a way to bring it to pass. I believe that Art With Heart is something that the Mississippi Gulf Coast needs, and even in our "baby stage", I have seen first hand the difference that is already being made. I am so excited to see what the future will bring.
Best of blessings to one and all, and I'll talk to you soon.
~K
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