Monday, 23 December 2013

Getting To Know Kathy Durst Artist

By Marcia Marks


Okay, you won't really turn into Kathy Durst artist by viewing her work but it will certainly inspire you. Kathy was born in Redwing Minnesota and grew up in Illinois, attending an all-girl school. She earned a Bachelor's of Fine Arts degree at the Austin campus of the University of Texas as well as an all-level teaching certificate in the visual arts. She is retired from teaching, but remained very active in the arts. A selection of examples was selected for display of her first-ever solo display at the Ross Gallery in early 2014. The theme of these pieces appears to be Noah's Ark, because it is full of animals. This appears to be one of her favorite subjects.

With 25 years of teaching under her belt, there is unlikely to be a medium or method to which she has not been exposed. Most of what is available for viewing on the Internet is composed of paper painting collage. Her "Roseate Spoonbill" exemplifies what can be achieved with deft usage of paints and carefully chosen scraps of colored and textured papers.

"Zachary Zebra, " "Koi Joy" and "Jenny" are beautiful examples of the heights and depths of color and detail that can be achieved by having fun with simple materials and techniques. "Yulka" is particularly brilliant. Here, we see an empty 2-litre soda bottle beneath a floral print. Difficult, if not impossible, to produce using simple brushes, paints and a blank canvas.

The materials involved in painted paper collage are easily available and not at all expensive. The method can be taught to a group of under-fives in a matter of an afternoon. Give these same children a quarter of a century of experience and the Durst talent and skill, and the future is going to be fun to watch. Try and view some videos on the Internet of people using this method. It will give you an insight into the artist's work. It is incredibly relaxing to view an artist at a day at the office.

In terms of subject matter, Kathy seems partial to animals, although this could be because that is the theme of her show at the Ross Gallery. "Take Me Along, " featuring a pair of scuba divers, goes a long way to showing the breadth of creativity that can be achieved with paper paint collage as opposed to a plain old boring brush and paint. Here, the pair are swirling through a sea of musical notes and scraps from an atlas. It looks more ethereal than it sounds.

View this artist's work at your own peril and be prepared to spend time and money experimenting with your own painted paper collage artistry. It is positively inspiring. Seriously, just watching someone do it on YouTube is entrancing.

One of her most breathtaking works is "Rose." The flower itself is in shades of coral and flamingo, with splashes dotted around discreetly in the surrounding foliage. This may or not be in the same medium of painted paper collage but it very well could be. She certainly has the talent and vision to pull this off.

Kathy Durst artist uses textured papers and stencils to give her work character and depth. Don't be discouraged if your own efforts look like something a four-year-old produced in Sunday School. Give yourself a quarter of a century and people all over the world will be admiring your efforts.




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