The past few days have been an artistic whirlwind. I've got one project going on in my studio at the barn, and another here at home. It's been so hot recently that I don't spend more than a few hours at a time in the studio, so I decided to set up a project here at home as well so I could continue working, and not have to drag everything back and forth.
I've started to feel a little bit manic- every spare minute I'm not taking care of the girls, I'm painting. I swing back and forth between house chores/caretaking and my paintings, and by the days end, I can't seem to slow down and unwind. I can't fall to sleep and my head swims with ideas about what I'm working on.
In the past when I've gotten manic like this, I've just run myself into the ground, then burnt out and run into a slump of unproductivity. This time I'm seeing the warning signs ahead of time, and am trying to put on the brakes a little, so that I don't burn myself out and loose all of the wonderful momentum I've got going. Now I purposely stopped working by late afternoon, and have decided to take breaks in the form of a few hours here and there, or maybe a short trip into the mountains next week.
I'm feeling some resentment and frustration about having to take care of the girls at the same time I'm working on my art, being regularly interrupted, and having to stop working to make lunches or dinners. My mom has been very supportive and helpful, taking the girls a few times a week. And my older daughter (11 years old) has made a point of keeping herself busy and giving me my space when I'm working, for which I am very grateful, and proud of her for being so thoughtful. This has been an ongoing struggle since the girls were born, so I've gotten used to it, and I don't let it drag me down like I used to. I just keep moving forward. I did write a blog about this a few years ago... http://xtaabay-steely.blogspot.com/2006_10_01_archive.html
In the past year or so I've grown and matured, and have finally learned how to find more balance in my life, or at least be concious of the need to do so.
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Karrie Steely, equine artist
Print Reproductions
Please inquire directly if you are interested in checking availability of originals. karrie@steelydesign.com
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If you'd like to buy print reproductions of select originals, click here....
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Artist Statement
I’m a 3rd generation Colorado native, a descendant of truck drivers & scientists. I’ve worked in many fields, from homeless shelters to entrepreneurial endeavors. But when asked what I am, I say that above all I am a mother, an artist and a horsewoman.
Being surrounded by animals and nature is essential to my work. My studio is a retrofitted RV that is parked at a farm, surrounded by my horses and farm critters. I’m passionate about the profound relationships that horses have between each other and with their women, and I express that through my art. My favorite medium is livestock marker (a large, oil-based, very permanent ‘crayon’). I love the paradox of using a tool that ranchers use for marking livestock to bring these animals to life on canvas!
I create because I feel compelled to share the beauty I perceive in the world. My art is a conduit between the realm of feeling and emotion, and the concrete corporeal world.
Being surrounded by animals and nature is essential to my work. My studio is a retrofitted RV that is parked at a farm, surrounded by my horses and farm critters. I’m passionate about the profound relationships that horses have between each other and with their women, and I express that through my art. My favorite medium is livestock marker (a large, oil-based, very permanent ‘crayon’). I love the paradox of using a tool that ranchers use for marking livestock to bring these animals to life on canvas!
I create because I feel compelled to share the beauty I perceive in the world. My art is a conduit between the realm of feeling and emotion, and the concrete corporeal world.
Biography
Karrie began her art career at a young age. She won her first blue ribbon as a six-year-old in a regional youth art competition. She attended art classes at the local university with her mother as a young girl, and was accepted into a juried show for adults at the age of fourteen. She continued to study and show art though high school. She graduated from Colorado State University in 1996 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, concentrating in Graphic Design and a Spanish minor.
After taking time off to raise her two young daughters and experiment in other fields, Karrie returned to her passion. She worked as a graphic designer in various positions, and later managed a ceramic studio where she taught ceramics painting. During this time she became a professional muralist. She regularly volunteers her time and talents to organizations that benefit children, horses, and animal-assisted therapy.
Karrie is now dedicated to fine art, focusing on large pieces rendered in livestock marker, as well as scratchboard and scratchboard and gouache miniatures. She is also working in warm glass, incorporating glass with found farm objects such as horseshoes. She won first place in mixed media in the first two shows that she entered upon her return to competition this fall: the 2008 National Women and Horses Expo Art Show, and the Lafayette Arts Council 2008 Community Show.
After taking time off to raise her two young daughters and experiment in other fields, Karrie returned to her passion. She worked as a graphic designer in various positions, and later managed a ceramic studio where she taught ceramics painting. During this time she became a professional muralist. She regularly volunteers her time and talents to organizations that benefit children, horses, and animal-assisted therapy.
Karrie is now dedicated to fine art, focusing on large pieces rendered in livestock marker, as well as scratchboard and scratchboard and gouache miniatures. She is also working in warm glass, incorporating glass with found farm objects such as horseshoes. She won first place in mixed media in the first two shows that she entered upon her return to competition this fall: the 2008 National Women and Horses Expo Art Show, and the Lafayette Arts Council 2008 Community Show.
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