Kate Hannon, Rexhame, MA
Member Since January 2007
Artist Statement My first memories in this world are strong visual ones. My dad taught me how to swing high towards the sky and I especially loved the days when the puffy white clouds made such strong statements against vivid blue skies. As I got a little older I wandered away through the meadows and saw wonderful daisies in the fields. In the fall, there were bright, red apples on the trees in the cow pastures.
Suddenly and traumatically when I was seven, my dad lost his eyesight unexpectedly to Macula Degeneration. From that moment on, I felt it was my obligation to be his eyes. I loved to read to him and describe the world around us whether it was simply telling him how to walk up the steps of the local church or whispering to him all the colors in my mother's new dress.
Although I had been an accomplished photographer most of my life, ironically it wasn't until about six months after he died that I produced my first successful body of abstract expressionist paintings based on a trip I took to St. John, USVI. In looking back, I can see the colors and the titles were stories that I would have told to my dad were he still alive. That was in 1989. Last fall, during the severe rain storms we had in Massachusetts my basement flooded and ruined whatever paintings I still owned from this series. While I was sad at first, I realized it was an important opportunity to evaluate what I have been doing with my art, writing and photography these past 17 years.
Then I got sick.
God has a mysterious way of working. Last January, I still had enough strength to work in my studio on a new style of printmaking utilizing water-based inks and plastic plates that I carve or by pressing images onto them. Unlike monotypes, the plates can be washed and reprinted numerous times as long as you are careful. Since I used a rather large American French Press, it's not that easy to be delicate. When I was able I worked like a maniac, and produced a large body of work on a wide range of paper that I'm very proud of. I also painted when I could.
Today, I'm working out of my home studio. So far, I've had too much fun acquiring new components to make smaller items from ATCs, ACEOs, paintings, jewelry, altered art, whatever. I also have "magically" assembled boxes of wonderful fabrics for a collection of ideas for purses and fashion designs. Of course, I still do as much local photography as I can. While I'm a purist at heart, I must admit I do have fun altering photos and other images for art and jewelry.
I pray 2007 will be a good year for each of us. Thank you for reading my statement. Check back often and don't forget to drop me a note now and then.
Gracious regards,
Kate Hannon
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