Australia

I've been back from my trip to Australia for just about a week and am only now getting my head together. I think I saved up my jet lag for coming home ;) It was an amazing trip and Ed and I loved everything about it. From the warmth of our hosts (August Clown Gallery) to all the wonderful people that came out to the opening of my Foresta show to the city of Melbourne to the Great Ocean Road. It's hard to put into words what we saw so here's some of my favorite photos.

At Healesville Sanctuary Ed and I got to meet Bernie. I'm in love.

Almost there -- total 22 hours in the air from NJ to Melbourne (changing planes in LA)

Thank you! Glad to be here :D

The Forum in Melbourne - such a great building

One of the many arcades and laneways in Melbourne. This is the Royal Arcade and by far, the prettiest

Since 1896, Hopetoun Tea Rooms has been serving delicious goodies in the Royal Arcade. We were lucky enough to just walk in and get a table for breakfast - amazing!

The Exhibition Hall in Melbourne

Look at the amazing display Auguste Clown did for my show!

Then we were off for a few days on the Great Ocean Road!

If we weren't driving along the azure water, we were among beautiful rolling pastures.

The Twelve Apostles. It was breathtaking even with all the crowds and after a 4.5 hour drive.

Looking in the opposite direction of the Twelve Apostles was even prettier the way the sun was shining.

Loch Ard Gorge where the Loch Ard sank and only two survivors made it to this beach alive. It's also a breathtaking sight.

Our breakfast in our pretty B&B, Blue Johanna Cottages in Johanna, VIC. Fresh bread every morning! Wish we could have stayed longer

I almost cried when I saw they had a Bower bird on the property! What a sight to see in person (I'm a bit of a bird nut).

Blue Johanna Cottages and our view of the ocean. Went out one night to see the stars. Never saw anything like it before in my life. Ever.

Went zip lining at Otway Fly but wasn't able to take photos. This is at Triplet Falls where we hiked just afterwards. Unbelievable trees!

A rare sighting of the Ed husband among the towering tree ferns at Triplet Falls.

Sad we didn't get to see any wild kangas or koalas, but also happy we didn't run any over as well! Would do it all over in a heartbeat - what an amazing trip :D

I hope you enjoy my little slide show! Thanks for looking everyone :D

What the Heck - Foresta Sneak Peeks!

Sneak peeks from my show ‘Foresta’ at Auguste Clown Gallery in Australia opening Oct 2nd. I’ll be at the opening! If you’re not able to make it, or you’d like to see/purchase the artwork (14 new paintings in all) before anyone else, simply email info@augusteclown.com - easy!

New Solo "Foresta"

In a month and a half, Ed and I will be heading to Melbourne, Australia for my next solo, Foresta. We are so excited! I will be showing 14 brand new characters including, Bloob that you see above. I can't thank Leigh of Auguste Clown Gallery enough for not only showing my work for several years now, but giving me the opportunity of a larger show and thus, a reason to make the trek down under. It's been a dream of mine to go to Australia since I was little and my Dad used to travel there for business. I'm excited and nervous and we haven't been on a big trip like this for ages!

If anyone is in Melbourne, I'd love to meet you on the night of the opening, October 2nd. I spend most of my days fairly isolated in my studio, so getting to meet new people is always fun.

I also encourage anyone interested in these new paintings to email info@augusteclown.com to be put on the preview list. That way you have first dibs on the artwork :D

Many thanks for reading!

Going Down Under

I can't believe it, but Ed and I are going to Australia! The great folks at Auguste Clown Gallery have invited me to do a larger solo with them October 2nd and we decided to go for the opening! It's quite the trip and believe me, not an easy decision due to the cost of getting there (not only money-wise, but physically and emotionally as well - 24 hrs in an airplane is a LONG TIME), but the pluses far outweighed the minuses. We will be in the Melbourne area for a week and hope to get a good overview of the city as well as a day trip or two outside (Great Ocean Road, anyone?). If anyone has any tips or hints or must-see places or might even want to meet up for a coffee let me know!

I'm not set on a theme just yet, but have started sketching and having fun coming up with some new characters. So stay tuned and I hope to see some of you in October!

Rat Kings and Cutaneous Horns

***Update: Click here for purchase information about this painting*** Hello everyone! As you can see above, I'm taking part in what is surely going to be one kick butt group show. I mean, seriously, look at that line up. We're talking some major artists here and my insecurities are definitely flaring up. The good folks at Glitch Gallery decided that my painting entitled, "Rattenkonig" should grace the back of the fliers. How about that? My lovely ode to the glorious Rat King is acrylic on maple and measures 5" x 12.75". I've also created a small run of prints that will be available for the show. If you're unable to attend the opening, the show will be placed online at the same time. No worries!

I'm also happy to announce my next showcase at Auguste Clown Gallery in Australia opens July 20th. I've entitled it "Cutaneous Horns" and just couldn't resist sticking more things on creatures heads. This was a fun bunch to work on! Above you can see a snippet of "Poppy" and "Oasis" below. Both will be available along with three other brand new paintings. If you're interested in the online preview (and a chance to buy these guys before anyone else) simply go to Auguste Clown and subscribe to their mailing list - easy! As always, I hope my creations have put smiles on your gorgeous faces (what? you're not gorgeous?). Best of luck if you've been looking for an original and thanks for everything! xo Kristin

Dendrology Mythology

I am really excited to show you the new work for my Dendrology Mythology show at Auguste Clown Gallery in Fitzroy, Australia that opens Friday (15 March). We're keeping it to sneak peeks right now, but here's a bit of background on how I came up with the concept.

Detail "Zephyr" acrylic on woodI began reading a book from 1880 by Wirt Sikes, "Welsh Folk-Lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions" and the line, "The chief philosopher of that enchanted region was a giant who sat on a mountain peak and watched the stars." sparked my first piece, "Zephyr".

Detail "Boris" acrylic on wood

 While I was reading the book, we were in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy (and the blizzard that hit a week later), surrounded by huge oak trees broken in half, houses torn from their foundations and I began to imagine my own mythology of protectors and guardians to help me cope.

Detail "Oog" acrylic on wood

I went back to what I've always loved - songbirds, the forest and combined them into beings that I hope the viewer will want to know more about...to be friends with. Take a walk into the woods and peek under fallen trees and around clear, still pools and you might just see one of these creatures. And if you don't, know that they are still around, just out of sight, keeping you safe.

Many thanks to Auguste Clown for allowing me to show my work and hopefully make some people smile. For those of you in the area, they will also have my signed and mounted prints, some larger framed prints along with the original paintings on view.

If you want to receive the online preview which will go out Tuesday at 10pm EDT (in NYC) then please sign up for Auguste Clown's mailing list here.

Have a great day and thanks for reading!