Saturday, January 12, 2013

The Sunday Challenge ~ Featuring Kim Nelson

Today it is my pleasure to feature the artistic talent of someone who is well-known to us on Real Toads. It is the poet, the painter, the photographer, Kim Nelson. This feature also serves as an introduction to Kim as a member of Real Toads.


Self-Portrait of the Artist


Kim Nelson is the award-winning author of dozens of magazine articles as well as three non-fiction books and a poetry collection. A Desert Gardener’s CompanionSouthwest Kitchen Garden,  Mommy I’m Still in Here and Woman’s Evolution are available at her etsy shop and at Amazon.com.  Also a visual artist, Nelson works with various media including encaustic, acrylic, watercolor and pastels.   To view currently available pieces visit her website,Kim Nelson Creates, or her etsy shop.




©  Kim Nelson


Kim shares with us a selection of paintings for our poetic inspiration, as well as her process notes on her many creative pursuits.  As an added bonus to this challenge, Kim has kindly offered a giveaway in the form of a lucky draw to be made among the participants. The winner will receive an original artwork from Kim. 
Entries for this part of the challenge will close at 12 PM CST on Thursday, 17 January, when the draw will be made.


©  Kim Nelson

And the Angels Flew
               by Kim Nelson 


There
Behind the window glass
Eyes peered
Feared
What would be

O’er
The field of frost-maize grass
Eyes leered
Jeered
Killing spree
Ensued

And the angels flew

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


©  Kim Nelson

My processes for writing and creating art are simple and the same.  I start. Never without a moleskin book, I pick up pencil or pen and sketch an outline. Then I fill gaps and spaces with color and life. Not afraid of erasure or removal, I edit quite a lot, getting rid of  the extraneous or unnecessary.



©  Kim Nelson



As a wordsmith, I respect (perhaps adore!) the power of words, the power of every word. I want only to use that which is necessary to convey meaning, message or thought, neither wasting nor wanting. With a natural inclination toward rhyme and meter, I spend a fair amount of time in wordplay as I work to convey the nuances I intend.


©  Kim Nelson


My visual work is layered, both literally and figuratively. I paint in, paint over, add texture and depth with various media and ephemera. I use my fingers to apply and alter material as well as brushes, palette knives, toothpicks and popsicle sticks. I use a variety of textiles to remove and alter what I've put on the canvas.  A blowdryer and heat gun often come in handy. I find it easy to keep my writing simple. In creating art, I tend toward abundance, over-exuberance. I'm working to pare down my approach to create cleaner pieces. 


©  Kim Nelson


In all that I do, I'm ever-evolving, constantly learning, perpetually growing and changing.


©  Kim Nelson

Kim has generously offered these amazing works of art for use on our blogs.  If you add an image to your post, please acknowledge the name of the artist and provide a link back to her website.  

The Sunday Challenge is posted on Saturday at noon CST to allow extra time for the creative process, so please do not link up old work which kind of fits an image.  This is in the spirit of our Real Toads project to create opportunities for poets to be newly inspired. Management reserves the right to remove unrelated links but invites you to share a poem of your choice on Open Link Monday.




37 comments:

Sherry Blue Sky said...

Kim, your paintings are truly wonderful. I especially love the heart against that deep blue.....And yay, now you're a Toad! Hop in, the water's fine!

Janine Bollée said...

How lovely to get a chance to see your artwork, as well as having you show us how you set about making it.

Helen said...

Love the vibrancy of your paintings and the creative way you approach poetry .. wordplay indeed.

hedgewitch said...

I don't know how I've missed your visual art, Kim. It's stunning. A wonderful challenge, thank you so much for sharing these with us.

Janine Bollée said...

Well, that's loosened me up :-)
Two hours later. Thanks Kim, that was fun, playing about with colour.

Grace said...

Welcome Kim to Real Toads ~

Love the visuals here and will see where it takes me ~

Happy weekend to everyone ~

Unknown said...

Kim - love your artwork!!

LLM Calling said...

oh Kim, what a star you are, I adore all your creativity in all its form. I just can't select only one to user as inspiration, theyallare.

Raining Iguanas said...

Kim's artistry made this prompt an easy choice.

Mary said...

Beautiful artwork, Kim! Welcome to the land of Toads! I chose two of your striking paintings to write short poems about.

Susan said...

Thanks for the challenge, Kerry, and for the introduction to Kim's work. Such lucidity, Kim! I see a little of Freda Kahlo in here in a way all your own, and the colors! Wow. I'm going to have to sit with this for a while, but I'll be back to post tomorrow (and put myself in the drawing).

Margaret said...

One of my favorite poetry prompts is art work. And yours if perfect for reflection and fun. Thank you!

Marian said...

Kim. Is. Amazing.
Yippee! XOXO my friend :)

ScottlB said...

Wonderful art Kim, I can tell you have inspired me to start painting again. Thanks for that

my heart's love songs said...

i'm sorry i'm behind on visiting ~ i'll try to get caught up by Sunday night.

LOVE your artwork, Kim!

thank you, Kerry & Kim!

Kerry O'Connor said...

The opening lines came to me minutes before I fell asleep. I quickly made a note on my Blackberry and wrote it up this morning.

Friends, I may not be prolific in my writing for the next few weeks but I can never thank our contributors enough for their continued inspiration.

LLM Calling said...

Rachel loved the art as well and was going to write about the purple one - it's a baby dolphin; or about the second one - it's a theatre; but instead she chose the portrait.

Fireblossom said...

All the weird disembodied hearts left me only one clear direction to go, so I went!

Laurie Kolp said...

Kim is so very talented. I'm having a hard time picking which picture to use... AND posting it on my blog. Has anyone else had BLOGGER issues with adding pics?

Kerry O'Connor said...

I had no problem adding pics to posts this weekend, Laurie. But blogger does have a mind of its own at times.

Unknown said...

I tried to comment last night, but my temporary Internet connection was fussy. Thank you all for commenting and participating. Thanks to the gardener for offering a stage for some of my art. I'll be home tonight and will be certain to respond with a poem of my own.

Marian said...

Kim, you extracted something from me that's been wanting to come out :)
and i may very well want to write to some of your other paintings, too, if that's okay. xoxo

Unknown said...

Pleas do, Marian. I am honored you want to do so.

Susie Clevenger said...

Kim, you are so talented. These are gorgeous paintings. Thank you so much for sharing them with us for inspiration!!

Laurie Kolp said...

I had to post on my wordpress blog...

Laurie Kolp said...

Thanks, Loredana!

Mary said...

Laurie, I have to upload photos from Google Chrome. Works fine. Try it. I cannot do it from Internet explorer. Google controls both Chrome and Blogger.

Hannah said...

Kim!! I love your work! This was answered wishes...one of the last times I was @ your place I explored your etsy and the speckled eggs were there...I had wanted to write about them and I got to!! Thank you for sharing so much about your life as an artist...you're inspiring!

Unknown said...

I am home again and a post is up! Thank you, fellow creatives, for all the love. I am a happy woman tonight.

Ella said...

Kim, YOU are super talented I am going to try to join in!
Hope you had a wonderful trip :D

Grace said...

My offering is up Kim ~ Thanks for the lovely paintings ~

Anonymous said...

Lovely paintings - thanks so much, Kim. k.

Anonymous said...

Lovely paintings - thanks so much, Kim. k.

jasmine calyx said...

Kim, your work is unbelievable. I am completely smitten. It's so very moving. Thank you for sharing these pieces.

rashmenon said...

such bold colors, Kim. Your work is so alive. thank you for sharing it with us.

jasmine calyx said...

I haven't written a poem yet. I'm not sure I could do your work justice. They are so exquisite on their own. But I did share my favorite pieces on my blog:

http://jasminecalyx.wordpress.com/2013/01/14/artwork-by-kim-nelson/

I hope that's okay.

Unknown said...

Today is drawing day! Can't wait to hear who the winner is!