Well, well I finally visited the wonderfully layered lair of talented artist Kitty Babendreier. We've know each other and I have collected her work since 2002, and we've done business together since 2005, but timing and distance have never allowed me to stray towards Valatie, NY and her home and studio. It was well worth the wait.
Her home is like her art, it is a three dimensional shadowbox within which she dwells and creates. All surfaces and walls are encrusted with an expansive array of textures, oddities and well curated collections of her loves...which to say the very least are many and varied.
It is as juxtaposed as some of the objects she celebrates in her work. A rectory in the very early years of the 19th Century, it sits astride a sunny plot adjacent to an old cemetery.
This is perhaps my favorite pic of the day as it shows Kitty in all her splendor. To me, this is her raw grasp of the unfettered every day -- bespoken by the clothes on the line -- the plants that beg water -- and her nod to the ever preserved...the headstones rising behind her in homage to lives long forgotten by most.
Here's a small peek into her happy studio, but you need to stay tuned for more; Kitty's studio will be featured in the November issue of "Where Women Create" magazine...thanks to Jo Packham for allowing me the chance to do the piece on Kitty...
In all Kitty curates -- her abode, its contents and its surrounds, there is a rare style that is utterly genuine and sincere in its appreciation for the full range of beauty, oddities, kitch and history. Here are some images of her collections...
Here's Kathy, the best adventure pal a gal could ask for on a long drive. Somehow she magically whisks away the hours with her charm and chatter...
Thanks to Kitty for a fab day, a wonderful adventure and to those of you that know me well...Kitty's house simply made me take off my shoes (a rare occurrence). Those cool, wooden, wide planks and the slap of feet on painted floors -- ohhh I cannot wait to go back and visit again soon now that I know my way.
Stay tuned to see more of Kitty's work...she just released a new collection of utterly cool, funky and oh so wonderful shadowboxes showcasing her inimitable style...if you are on her email list those images will arrive soon...
xxoo Jen O'Connor
Earth Angels
5 comments:
Magnifique!!!!!
Her work is dreamy and that house radiates the personality in her artwork! Love Love it!!
Kitty, I think I am your biggest fan--after Jen, of course! I adore your work. It speaks to me in ways I can't even describe and I have your art hanging all over my home. I get such tremendous pleasure out of the universe you capture in your creations. I think your genius lies in your ability to portray and capture the depth of meaning everyday objects hold for each of us. Each one is a universe unto itself and then you blend them into something which becomes more than the pieces themselves. Thank you so much! Looking forward to the article. Thea
Wow...really clean and organized. It would take me a week to get my studio in that shape.
Fantastic art works.
Requires a great deal of thinking to come up with ideas such these.
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