KATHRYN WALMSLEY
Expression - Speaks Volumes!
Kathryn is an internationally known artist, designer, teacher, member
and past president of the National Institute of American Doll Artists
(NIADA). She creates spectacular works
of art which have been shown in museums, art exhibits and art shows around the
US and abroad.
The eyes, the eyebrows the gentle smiles and the bubbly cheeks these are all smiles now all tell a story but could easily be turned into scowls, sad faces or mean expressions.
Kathryn has the gift to do and to teach.
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| The Big Bang |
HER WORK SPEAKS FOR ITSELF! Never pass up an opportunity to take classes from her.That's what I say. She is terribly nice, easy to relate to and a terrific teacher. What makes her work so Spectacular Spectacular? Check out the facial expressions. Immediately you know what mood, mischief or
troublesome thoughts must be going through their heads. Kathryn not only creates art she expresses
feelings within her characters. It is a true talent to construct such figures while generating such apparent emotion.
Kathryn excels in this form of art work
as you can plainly see. Just look at the
smiles and dimples, grins and mischievous in each character, you can tell what
each creature is thinking.
Humpty Dumpty......Afraid to fall? Knows his doom is upon him? You can see it in his eyes, mouth and brows? It is all about his face yes? Expression is the final skill needed to fully convey your what your character is thinking
The most extraordinary thing is that Kathryn can also teach you how to
achieve expression in your own characters. Her work
in paper clay at AFICC features just such a class. The Big Bang focuses on sculpturing
techniques in illustrating expression. When I ask Kathryn to submit a class I never dreamed that this one
would come along. She never stop surprising me. I have taken 3 classes from Kathryn and the only reason I am
missing this class is because I am running the convention. Darn my luck. She just has so much to offer. There is little to make you wonder she has not only been inducted into NIADA and was a president of this very impressive institution.
Let me tell you, there is so much more to the human face than eyes, ears, nose and mouth. Check out the eyebrows, dimples, and smirk verses smile on all her work here. What does a purse of the lips do or a wrinkling of the forehead do for your expression? It is fun to play with these adaptations and Kathryn does it so well. She strives to make sure her students will be able to master the art of expression in class. At the same time she has a allowance she gives her students to express themselves at the same time.
Whether you take a class this spring at AFICC or in the future watch for Kathryn’s classes and submerge yourself in her world for a day or too you will not regret it.
Kathryn has a very fun loving whimsy to her work and it is all because she has so many fuzzy creatures about her. Well that is my belief anyway
Whenever I ask Kathryn about her life she always reminds me that she lives in a log house deep in the woods of south east Indiana along with her musician/ woodworker husband, Stephen, Sasha Cat, Scooter Basset Hound, an alpaca named James Brown and a bunch of goats. She never leaves the animals out or the fact she has a husband that is very talented also. She is immersed in a whimsical, loving environment and it shows in her and her artwork.
