Kat Rodriguez

Hello to my supporters and anyone that might be new! I wanted to welcome you to my page with some introductions of how my last year went in terms of the art world, and what to expect for this coming year. 

There were a lot of curl-up-in-a-ball-and-not-do-art days this year, but then there were some inspired and exciting events also. 

2020 was, EXPLORATION. I was so excited at the end of 2019 to be a part of the 30x30x30 Exhibition in 2020 at VarGallery. It was a new way of creating work and I made sure to document some of my journey that can be found here: https://www.katrodriguezart.com/30x30x30-series

2020 was, LOSE. There were losses personally this year and worldwide that have created a giant void. The idea of creating anything was put aside to take time to reflect on other things. There aren't always words to describe the feelings you're having in a moment. I found that within my art process, I could do something to help meditate and at least for a time healthily express myself.

2020 was, EVOLUTION. On a global scale, it just felt really hopeless. As an artist, I wanted to contribute my talents in some way. I turned to sewing to create masks which I could then donate to my local health department and Hope House MKE. Masks are our first defense against the virus, and I ended up making 200+ masks. It felt great being able to put something into the world that would be helping someone in this time. Drawn Out also continued a socially distant collection of holiday cards that were then distributed to local senior living facilities.

2020 was, REFLECTION. I was honored to be a part of a couple events in my hometown to support and raise awareness for BLM and equality for all through painting. It was brought together by local organizations that want to challenge and dismantle racism, ableism, sexism, homophobia, and other forms of injustice in our community. I was glad to see a want for change and respect in our neighborhoods, and I strive to continue to listen and learn. Some of the event photos can be found on my Instagram. 

For this 2021 year, I look forward to practicing what I’ve learned and building upon my work. Something I really missed last year were the gallery interactions; The art! The people! The conversations! That was a bummer, but I was glad to see so many galleries and artists go online and find opportunities to show their work to new audiences.

This year on ScratchBang, I want to explore those conversations that I missed out on last year. Along with having my updated artwork posts, I want to answer at least one question each month about art stuff! Do you have questions about my work, need advice about the art field, want to know what my favorite art app is? Whatever it is, if you have a question art related, you can ask it on these posts.

There are a few projects I’m SUPER excited about this year. Each a little different from the next. After this post, the art updates and questions will be subscriber posts. So make sure to subscribe if you want to check out those updates. I look forward to 2021 being a continued year of reflection and growth and I hope you can join me for this next journey!

Hello! This year started off strong with the 30x30x30 paintings in January. It was a really great experience to create 30 paintings in 30 days. Along the way, I created time-lapses of some of my pieces which was a first for me. The painting may be over, but the gallery will just begin in April during Milwaukee's Gallery Night and Day. More information can be found here.

M&K 3D Designs will be back at craft shows starting this spring. Stay tuned for more information on that. We're also excited to be back at the second Kenosha Art Market series this summer.

Last weekend, Drawn Out had its sixth annual Valentine's Card event. The community made 80 cards for local senior citizens at Eras. This is alwasys one of my favorite events, and I was glad to see so many cute cards this year. A facebook photo album of the event can be found here.

After the 30 paintings in January, I had to take a short break form painting to recharge for future projects. Can't wait for what's ahead!

Have a great weekend :)

Fall is my favorite! The food, warm clothes, and ALL THE ART FAIRS! It's hard to not find craft shows or great art galleries to attend in the fall season. I'm happy to be apart of some autumn festivities this year. As the trees change colors, make sure to check out the art that can be found outdoors and indoors everyday.

Here is a line up of my upcoming happenings:

Night Owls

October 2, 2019 – January 12, 2020

Cedarburg Art Museum

16th Annual Feed Your Soul

Friday, November 1, Tickets: $40

7pm – 11pm

Flux Design

Highland Art Bazaar (M&K 3D Designs)

Saturday, November 16

9am – 4pm

Highland Community School

Arts n' Crafts Fair (M&K 3D Designs)

Saturday, November 17, Admission: $2

9am – 3pm

St. Thomas More High School

4th Annual Drawn Out Christmas Cards

Sunday, December 1

1pm – 3pm

KitscheCoo Unique Gifts & Classes

June's Drawn Out craft is less than a month away! It's been great being able to share Drawn Out crafts with local Greendale senior citizens and having KitschëCoo support us along the way. It's also the first time we'll be having a coloring page contest. The winning design/s will be availble for free to pick up and color at the Patriotic Craft event. It's a great way to share your talent while also sharing the love of art with your community. Feel free to share the contest participation submission date and rules with anyone you feel would like to design a page. 

Have a great and safe Memorial Day weekend!

I hope everyone has been enjoying time with family and or time off from work. I've been doing a little bit of both and can't wait for a new year with new ventures and art projects. This past year has been great and I want that goodness to continue into the new year for everyone. Cheers to 2019.

Presented by DRAWN OUT. Volunteers from the community met at KitschëCoo Art & Craft Shed and made Valentine's cards for local senior citizens. 105 Christmas cards were made for the Southwest Interfaith Neighborhood Outreach program and Lexington Village! Every year, I am inspired and love all the creativity that goes into each and every one of these cards :)

Last weekend, Drawn Out was at KitschëCoo Art & Shed and was with Artist Volunteers from the community to make Valentine Cards for local seniors. This year 100 cards were created! Cards went to Southwest Interfaith Neighborhood Outreach and also Lexington Village. 
Thank you to everyone who participated in making this an awesome and successful event!

You can check out photos of some of the cards here.

I hope everyone has a beautiful day :)

It's almost February already! That means it's time for Drawn Out's first event of the year. Make Valentine Cards and crafts for local seniors. Join Drawn Out artists to get your creative juices flowing and enjoy some time crafting your heART out <3

Tomorrow (Oct. 1st) is the Carnival of AWE made possible by Artists Working in Education. There will be so many great activites going on like caricatures, a photo booth, cash raffle, carnival games, face painting and more! Make sure to check out the coloring pages they'll have there and see if you can find mine. Here's a link to this event's Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/events/1349422738416060/ Hope to see you there! 

The Walker's Point Center for the Arts has their Annual Members Show starting tonight and runs through October 8th. The opening reception is tonight (9/1/16) from 5-9pm. Check out the work by over 200 artists! I'll have three pieces at this event. You'll have to ispy them on the wall. Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/174689689608076/

Pick up some NEW Drawn Out coloring pages at the next two Doodle@ events! These events are for all ages and for anyone who loves making, viewing and sharing art. Join the event page today and share with friends at www.facebook.com/events/1132406540138514/. Find Drawn Out at Bradford Beach, July 29th, for some sketching, coloring, and sand between your toes.

KitschëCoo Art & Craft Shed in downtown Greendale is now selling my Medallion wood plaques and selected prints. This shop is amazing in its support and variety of local artists' works. So check them out when you get the chance! Here's a link to their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/kitschecoo/?fref=ts&ref=br_tf

Help make a special 4th of July pinwheel for local seniors this year!

Get your sketchbooks and pencils ready. Today is the day! Support the Domes and enjoy the flowers and paintings they have to offer in the Show Dome from 9-4 today. Remember to use the hashtags ‪#‎DrawnOutWorkshop‬ and ‪#‎DoodleAtTheDomes‬ when you share photos of your sketches on your social media so fellow Drawn Out artists can check out your work. You can also share your photos on the event's Facebook page here.

The countdown has begun for April's Gallery Night and Day. Install was last Sunday and it is looking great! Make sure to stop by April 15th and 16th in the Third Ward at Onesto. There will be 10+ artists with tree tables and work all over the walls. Hope to see you there! You can join the event Facebook page here.

Some great new pieces are in the works from last month and this month so far. Here are two pieces that are finally finished and ready for viewing. They'll be up on my website later this month. Lots more to come, stay tuned!

Folded 70+ cards for the Valentine Card Making Workshop this February. Now all that's missing is you! Why be cooped up inside all winter when you can show your community some love. February 7th from 1-3pm. Open to all ages. Kids can grab a goodie bag afterwards. For more info click here.

I hope everyone is having a great December. With Christmas past, the new year is right around the corner. With a new year, comes new projects. A few pieces I've been working on now are for a show in January. 

I use gesso to cover the surface of my painting first so that the colors will not soak into the wood. I wanted to work with a woden surface for these pieces because the bleeding of colors works differently when working from paper to wood. There's more drips and stains to experiment with and if you know me, I love experimenting with different art techniques.

After I gave my surface a couple gesso layers, I used watercolor to mark where I wanted my shapes to go. Once that dries, I either go back with more watercolor, or start the gouache stages. Gouache is applied over the watercolor to deepen and darken the colors I am looking for. At this point, I am almost at the midpoint of the painting. Many more layers of gouache, possibly acrylic and pastels will be added to finish this piece. There's still much to be done, but by January, they will be finished and ready for exhibition!

How fast time flies, it's already December! I love this holiday season, because it means hanging the  decorations and lighting up the Christmas tree. This week, I updated my Etsy shop, Suskie, with some fun little characters. My Shoehorn Ornaments are all hand-painted and made to order. Unique in every way. Check them out here!

Video I made of the Pop-Up Gallery Show presented by Gallery 326 and Flux Design at the Big Head Brewing Co. in Wauwatosa. 20+ artists with 170+ attendees.