“Dreaming of Italy” by Kathy L. Murphy, Alcohol Ink and Acrylic Painting on 18″ by 24″ Museum Gesso Board now owned by Margie Dilday of West Monroe, Louisiana.
This is absolutely my favorite painting I have ever painted, Why? There is a big story behind this painting, so much symbolism, Mamma Mia! “Dreaming of Italy”, my Alcohol Ink and Acrylic Painting on Museum Gesso board that started off with the idea of copying a a Master’s evolved into making it my own. I painted the “Mona Lisa” and went boring,,, so “Mona Lisa” is now wearing a chapeau that I own and made. The nerve, the gaul, who is this artist?
I reminded myself I was not the artist that for a critique stapled garbage dump and Goodwill used teddy bears in a frame in a cubicle space on a wall with another filled with Dollar Store plastic flowers in yet another space. What was it saying to me? To you? My thoughts? I was thinking that perhaps the student was dead broke, started her project after going out to the bars all night then at 2:00 a.m. realized that in order to pull this assignment off, they must make a bold statement to get the grade. That was my guess, I was wrong.
It was important thought provoking art, I was told. I actually give kudos to the student, when it comes to art, The secret is to use big words and be overly confident. Never let those in charge make you cry, kiddos, I bawled one time like a baby because I had no idea what was wrong with what I was doing. I still don’t, I just knew what I was doing was not considered art but if I dumped paint all over my work or smashed it to pieces then, perhaps then it would be fine art. As I once said to a coach teaching me a geology course, when he asked me a question that I did not know. I told him the answer was a. He told me yes, that was the correct answer but did I guess on the answer? I told him yes, I guessed the answer was a. He was furious, you should never guess, you should know. I told him that was bullshit because after looking at the other three choices I knew in my mind’s eye that they were wrong so it had to be an a, so that is why I guessed.
I need to keep my mouth shut sometimes. What is it they say about old people, that they lose all filters. They are gone folks, they are so gone that my heating and air conditioning system probably needs to be checked immediately. I can never remember the size of the filters to get once I get to the store. I digress.
My book club members and I in a hat making workshop led by my dear friend, Jane Ryder, (the late great, British expat), started at two to have a proper British tea at 4:00 p.m. We worked and worked, had tea and worked and worked , ordered out for food for dinner and finished at 10:30 p.m. at night. I was damn proud of that hat. See the hat on my “Mona Lisa”.
Jane would have bloody loved this painting above and my freaking awesome hat I painted on her head. I took a few more artistic liberties, you see you are to make it your own and I did. I have a mermaid in the ocean water background flipping her tail, (story on that below, at least the flipping part), and a gondola empty because as you see I was not there. The gondola is adrift in the portal below and obviously I flipped overboard the gondolier too as if I could not be there why should he. The boat was just afloat, no party ensued. Tragedy was in my mind’s eye written all over the place. I bet you did not see this explanation coming.
I painted this because I was broke from going back to college to get my art degree. I thought it would take me two semesters that went on for two and a half years. I paid for it all, cash in hand, as I was juggling multiple jobs. Then I did earn the Art Academic University Scholarship, hand to mouth still the whole time. I made it, Unfortunately, I could not afford a trip to the local Brookshire’s grocery store let alone go on another trip to Italy with Stephanie Chance of Decorate Ornate Tours. My travel buddies went on bravely without me, those rascals. I have been saving up every since and then I got diagnosed with diabetes, Covid hit, ice storm. etc. It could not get any worse, oh yes it can but keeping my good sense of humor thanks to the wonderful books of Marilyn Simon Rothstein. I mean “Husbands and Other Sharp Objects,” you should see the cover, Killer! Funny, I love her, read it! She always make me laugh hard, you need that kind of author friend big time my friends. I am waiting for that day then I’m out of here. “Hasta la vista baby”, or should I say “arrivaderci”!
Jane Ryder in one of her hat designs!
I also painted this because I was told by my superiors, as I flip them the proverbial “painting” finger. Yes, those in charge of my education who told me true art collectors were not interested in buying what I was painting because it was not fine art, but more decorative in nature. ” Your work should be in black and white. You do not use subdued tones and values, too much color. You have added glitter!” “Quel fromage!” Do notice that I am affluent in many foreign language terms, just enough to be dangerous. What was I thinking! Glitter makes everything better, don’t they know that! After all I am the International Pulpwood Queen, I must learn to pepper my language like a well served dish.
I have never have listened to the discouragers, Give me some glue, feathers, some sequins, and I am in heaven. I had just went to a student critique of wax paper hanging folded from ceiling to floor with some construction paper ironed to seal the banner. What was the classes thoughts on this artistic endeavor? Truth, speak the truth. I held my tongue as every time I ever made a remark I was told I was wrong and then lambasted for thinking the way I think. I looked at the wax paper and thought of the art project we did in fourth grade where we cut paper into shapes and ironed between wax paper. We then cut from construction paper a black frame to glue around it. Our teacher was pleased and so was this one. I looked a the young artist, barefoot in the studio with tattoos, siting cross bare legged in short shorts, jeans ripped with holes up on her studio space countertop. She jumped down and danced and pranced around the area in delight of her creation. I was mesmerized, perhaps theater should have been her major as she was putting on quite a show. Notice I did not say art project because that is absolutely a no no. You say painting, sculpture, whatever but never say art project because that involves arts and crafts and that is not art, that is arts and crafts and art is? What is art? They spent a good deal of time telling me what art wasn’t but never once did I hear it said what art was. These are people with art degrees, Master’s degrees and even Doctorate’s but I left knowing more of what art isn’t that what it is. I decided I would go back to where I started and create what I want to see. I have even doing that now for going on four years. My art, not projects, seem to be working as in selling. So then the question is do you create art for art’s sake or do you want to eat? I proceed ahead blindly as I was in fact, quite starving at the time.
Telling me what I cannot do just makes me try even harder. My father was as stubborn as a mule. In fact his favorite saying in answering the phone was “Murphy’s Mule Barn”. You get my drift.
If he asked me what color his shirt was I would say green and he would for argument sake say blue. It was just part of our regular repartee’, (see more French, four years of high school French and two semesters in college and Wa La! Magnifique’ on arguing the mundane. Nobody could discourage me more than my father so I was well equipped for those constantly sharing their academic accomplishments. Silence is golden. Killer looks work too. I should have added even more flourishes beside that plume of the feather. Secretly I smile as I deposited that check of four figures into my bank account singing “How much have you made lately?” In all heart of hearts, I will continue you to say, these happen too few and far between. No delusions of art grandeur for me. I am just a small town Kansas girl who had teachers read aloud great books and librarians who kept my Schwinn bike basket filled with books. I will keep my hopes and dreams intact in my little cabin in the woods, not mansion on the hill with austere highly curated sculpture or one lone piece artfully placed on a large hand planed table made by a monk who lived in silence in a cave. My bar alone contains sixty five items of such great importance I could never use it as a bar, no room. No matter, it’s what I view from my writing couch that matters. The view, the gaze of the eye to land on object after after object of delight and mass abundance. More is always better right, well that’s the title of fashion designer Tony Duquette book who I adore and love, “More is More” I can always stand provocatively in thought, posed to perfection, to have a drink or better yet sit on one of my dozens of pillows piled about the room a la Auntie Mama style is my jet black beaded lounging outfit, cigarette holder 12 inches long from tip to burning end of the ciggie.
Life is to be lived at home, would you not agree. We must be comfortable.. Basic needs, shelter, bills to be paid were secured to further encourage my days of dawdling with a paintbrush and burning up the keyboard with my stories, oh so many stories now to even count them all. I must as I have to get these stories down. How many times have I told stranger, friend, and foe, you must write your story. As a story not told is a library lost to your family and friends. Besides, nobody would ever get me right. Right? I mean “Droit, mes Amis?”
Jane Ryder lived in Shreveport and worked on all the celebrity film sets and could sew anything. The last time I was invited to go and do Joan Rivers hair. The casino that always called me when she was in town doing a comedy show as she really liked my working with her on hair, makeup, and wardrobe. She was lovely. Her comedy act would make a ship full of pirates blush. I am afraid to admit that sitting off stage by her helper, person, assistant, whatever, would not notice in the dark that I was fifty shades of red.
This request came at the exact same time I was to be my youngest daughter’s graduation night. Pomp and circumstances always hold favor over doing a celebrities hair, I mean even one who would push money at me to get her a latte’ or stack up boxes and boxes of her QVC jewelry upon me like Mrs. Claus first time to visit Bergdorf’s. I was torn but the kiddo won by a landslide. Alas, I called Jane to see if she could go and this is what happened below with commentary of that event and endeavor.
Hat Designer Jane Ryder and I were lucky enough to be commissioned to help the late great Joan Rivers with Hair, Makeup, and Wardrobe for her shows in Shreveport. Here is Joan Rivers wearing one of Jane Ryders creation’s. Jane hails from originally from England and will be at my house at Holly Lake Ranch for a Hat Making Tea Party along with author, Carla Stewart who wil be our Keynote Youth Fundraising Luncehon Speaker at the FUMC Hawkins Wear Your Hat to Church Sunday. I am going to tell you this, I am wearing my hat in loving memory of Joan Rivers. She was the nicest celebrity I have ever had the pleasure of meeting and I truly grieve with her family for our loss. Doesn’t she look stunning!
Later on my friend Jane Ryder who was exactly my same age as I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I was in college, should I come now. No, wait until tomorrow morning when you don’t have class. The call came, she did not make it. She’s gone forever, no goodbye’s but in this story her labor of love and outrageousness, and very Brit personality will live on. Here is the results of our fascinator workshop with my book club below:
Left to right, Barbara Deen, Jane Ryder,Carla Stewart, Kathy Toon, Nancy Walker, Allison Byerley, and Kathy L. Murphy, The Pulpwood Queens of Wood County, Texas.
I have a very funny feeling that this art endeavor would’ve been called an art project. This does not matter to me as look at every single one of these women. We had fun that day and below we had the time of our lives.
Here is another photo of my Pulpwood Queen Authors as they modeled for a Fascinator Fashion Show with the creations of Jane Ryder.
Authors, left to rightL Amy Hearth Hill, Bobbi Kornblit, Carla Stewart, and Missy Buchanan.
Hat Designer Jane Ryder and I were lucky enough to be commissioned to help the late great Joan Rivers with Hair, Makeup, and Wardrobe for her shows in Shreveport. Here is Joan Rivers wearing one of Jane Ryders creation’s. Jane hails from originally from England and will be at my house at Holly Lake Ranch for a Hat Making Tea Party along with author, Carla Stewart who wil be our Keynote Youth Fundraising Luncehon Speaker at the FUMC Hawkins Wear Your Hat to Church Sunday. I am going to tell you this, I am wearing my hat in loving memory of Joan Rivers. She was the nicest celebrity I have ever had the pleasure of meeting and I truly grieve with her family for our loss. Doesn’t she look stunning!
This painting is now owned by a dear friend and client of mine that has bought five of my paintings including a portrait I did just of her, Margie Dilday of West Monroe, Louisiana. Lavishly framed and installed in prominent places in her sumptuous home. I am ever encouraged that perhaps I had a chance, a future even though at my age of 64, I was often dismissed as “OVER”. Her time has come and gone. What can she do now in ART! I mean she’s our grandmother’s age, never mind this thought did not come from the students but those in charge. The students and I had a great time in college. Once I got over them saying *uck in every form and fashion, we were cool. I adapted to the change, as I remember the time this old fart almost ran over me as I crossed the walk way into my dorm. I defiantly shot him the bird. I actually do not think I knew what it mean being 17 and stupidly naive at the time but I felt powerful and in charge. Ahem, mother’s age at the most.
Dear Margie never doubted my gifts and talents as she is one of my dearest friends and most ardent supporters. We have traveled together for years and has one of the best eyes I have ever seen as she whisked on our trip back from Italy an antique cane that discreetly harbored an ice pick yard long sword that could do some serious damage to an assailant. Brilliant minds think alike. No one questioned her silver engraved cane at all as we went through international security. I might also mention she is old enough to be my mother but I assure you we are comrades at heart and at arms! En garde, you rascals! Challenge those who not only think outside the box, inquire, “What box? I have never seen a box.”
All I ever have wanted to do was get lost in my own imaginations of what I find beautiful in the world. Whether being outside in nature, sewing a plume and a hydrangea blossom on a hat, or roaming galleries from all over the world. A lifetime of reading every single thing I could get my hands on has made me curious and passionate about everything. I have done my homework and now it is time for my to enjoy the harvest. Bring on the wine, let’s stomp some grapes! C’est la vie!
I want the world to be a better place so just trying to put out all the good I can into the world. Onward and upward with brush and pen in hand. Phir Milenge! Oh, yes learning Hindi and just enough to be dangerous. Living life on the edge, it’s how I roll.
Italy, Greece, Spain, Morroco, Turkey, India, or BUST! International aspirations live on in the heart of The Pulpwood Queen and don’t tell me I cannot do something, because I will prove you wrong every single time. With there is a will, there is a way. It may not be as you had planned it, but then again seven universities, 43 years later from my Eureka High School graduation, Eureka Tornadoes, The Class of 74, the Year with more I am living my American dream. Dream Big FOLKS, we have one life, LIVE IT!
Kat in her hat with Jane Ryder!
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