The Forgotten

I find myself inspired by many things but most importantly my family. You'll have seen reference to my sister in various posts so with family in mind I wanted to share a little something about my younger brother with you.

While both my sister and I love a variety of crafts my brothers' artistic outlet takes the form of photography.

Ever since he was a young kid he's always been interested in the 'mechanics' of things and how stuff functions. I think this is why photography is such a draw for him. While I'm all for the 'easy' button (or numpty button as he affectionately calls it), he loves the technical aspect of photography and experimenting to achieve different results.

He recently visited a derelict mill near his home in the UK. What resulted was a series of black and white shots that draw you in. I've fallen in love with them and I hope you do too.

To see the whole series click here 'The Forgotten'.

The Most Amazing & Inspiring Magazines

My sister recently sent me a copy of the Alternative Arts Magazine 'Dangerous Ink'. Oh my god . . . I was blown away.

The artists featured in this edition are so amazing. I was especially drawn to the work by Laurie Lipton. Her drawing is not for the faint of heart, and will definitely shock you, but you can't help but appreciate her style and attention to detail.

Another great artist is Jessica Joslin, wow! Her work is pure genius. I don't think anyone could combine a series of collected objects to greater effect. You really have to check out the sculptures on her website.

Once I got done reading all the articles my creative senses were stirred and I was motivated enough to drive 45 mins to our nearest 'Borders' to see what other publications I'd been missing out on. It was during this trip that I stumbled upon the range offered by Stampington & Company.

It doesn't seem to matter what craft or art form you're into this company offers something for everyone. The magazine that initially jumped out at me was 'Sew' the art of creative sewing with mixed media. I came home and immediately started tearing up pieces of material and got crazy with the sewing machine.

Whilst I don't think what I created is good enough for general viewing, the main thing was that I was inspired enough to just let go and create. I mean . . . what's more therapeutic than ripping up a bunch of material!

Having just recently started a blog I was also looking for some insight into this strange new world so I purchased 'Artful Blogging'. All you need to do is flip through the pages of this magazine to have your senses stirred and your imagination unleashed.

I just wish I'd discovered this stuff sooner. So next time you're in your local book shop check out the magazine isle and flick through those that catch your eye. If nothing else they're amazing eye candy.

Weekend Sewing Projects

As I live in the US and my sister lives in the UK, we find ourselves writing to one another each month as a way of keeping in touch and sharing a bit of our every day lives. Whilst that's great fun my sister was starting to miss seeing me (bless her heart). She doesn't have a computer to do webcam so she went out and bought us each a busbi. It's this cute little video device that we now use to record random snippets of things which we send to one another along with our letters (you can just imagine the fun we've been having with them).

I was getting worried about just chucking it in my bag along with all the other junk that seems to accumulate in there so this weekend I decided to make a little cover to protect it.

I didn't have a pattern to follow so it was a case of trial and error. After one test piece I found a design that worked and I really liked how it turned out. In fact I was so happy with it that I ended up making an additional one for my sister and another pouch to house my GPS too. Now I can breathe easy and don't have to worry about them getting all scratched up by my keys.

I was obviously feeling the sewing vibe this weekend because I ended up making three new totes too (one I'll keep for myself and the other two will be added to my shop next week). I'm sure my sewing adventures won't end there but for now it's time to turn off that sewing machine and enjoy what's left of the weekend.

Catnip Coma

Yesterday morning I was in the kitchen making lasagna when one of my cats (Connor) walks by with what appeared to be dirt all over him. On closer inspection it looked liked herbs. I was a little confused but figured that maybe I'd got a little over zealous when sprinkling the basil and that maybe some had fallen on the floor and he'd rolled in it.

Later on that day it all became clear. I walked into the dining room (which I'm also using as a sewing room right now) and found green flakes all over our dining room rug. I'd forgotten that I'd purchased a bag of catnip from the pet store which I'd left next to my sewing machine.

You know where this is going don't you? I guess the little tyke couldn't wait for me to make him a catnip toy out of it so he'd got hold of the bag, ripped it open with his teeth and spilled the entire contents all over the floor. What proceeded was a big old Catnip Party, swifly followed by a catnip induced coma!

I might have been mad if I hadn't been laughing so hard.

Blogging Paralysis

Ever since I can remember I've loved to put pen to paper and often find that I'm able to express so much more in writing than I can with words. From the minute I could pick up a pen I was writing letters to my parents telling them how much I loved them, romantic letters to boyfriends and supportive and funny letters to friends and family.


Despite my sister and I living in two separate countries and being separated by land and sea we still communicate today with handwritten letters that we send to each other on a regular basis. There's something about opening the mailbox and seeing a handwritten letter addressed to you from someone you love.


My writing hasn't just been confined to letters. I also loved keeping a diary which over the years evolved into journaling, or my journary as I like to call it (a combination of the two).


With email also came another form of written communication and I used it frequently for writing and keeping in touch with family and friends.


Why is it then that for months I've kept opening up my blog page ready to write my first post only to feel paralyized? By what I'm not entirely sure.


Today I decided to finally face my fear, whatever that may be and started typing . . . . I'm hoping that the paralysis was just temporary and that I'm able to share a little piece of myself with others and have fun in the process.


Thanks for reading.

Artist Statement

I have always loved items with a textural quality so when I began creating art I was looking for ways to invoke that feeling you get as a child; the kind where you instinctively want to reach out and touch.  This love of texture spills into all aspects of my life from the objects and materials I chose to surround myself with to the art and digital images I create.

Nature is a huge source of inspiration for me, not only in subject matter but color palette too.  Maybe it's because I'm an October baby that I have a love for the richer, darker, autumnal hues. Interestingly I am unable to start by painting directly onto a white background, it's like a stumbling block, so I paint all my canvases black before beginning a piece.

I love the flexibility and freedom that comes from creating.  The piece which forms before me will depend on what I'm feeling at the time.  It's often a random and chaotic event but through letting go, losing myself in the process, and experimenting with colors, shapes and textures a piece eventually emerges that echoes some part of me.

Through exploring different mediums I discovered tissue paper, caulk, sand, stone and acrylic paints gave me the textures and surfaces that I was seeking.  I'm sure that over time more elements will be added to this list.

 

I believe that great ideas are born from mistakes so I hope to make many on this exploratory journey.

 

 

Contact Details

 

 

Web: www.dychedesigns.com

 

Blog: http://dychedesigns.blogspot.com

 

Email: dychedesigns@hotmail.com

 

Artist Biography

Kathryn Dyche Dechairo was born in South Wales, grew up in Oxfordshire and now resides in Ohio as a mixed media artist with her husband, two cats and two dogs.

 

Her creative journey first began during her early thirty's. Barely audible at first, like a soft whisper. It took the death of her father and a move stateside for those initial whisperings to find their voice and become a catalyst for her creativity.

 

 

Kathryn has always felt a strong connection to texture, nature and wildlife and these elements remain a strong component in her work today. Her art can be viewed at http://dychedesigns.com where she specializes in 3D textured acrylic art paintings and digital art prints.

To learn more about the artist and her creative journey visit her blog 'Listening To The Whispers' at http://dychedesigns.blogspot.com.

Kathryn's work has also been published in 'The Pulse of Mixed Media' by Seth Apter and the Summer 2012 edition of Artful Blogging.