Who: Artist Kate Roebuck of Bowerbird Collective, a curated collection of ideas told through the artwork of Kate and her sister Laura.
What: An original oil painting on artist board by Mia Bergeron, a friend, a mentor and studio mate of Kate's. Materials used: oil paint, varnish, and ampersand artist board.
From Kate:
It was given to me for my 30th birthday this past December 11, 2015. It hangs in my living room right now in our gallery wall. It's the first thing you see when you walk in the front door, and is placed high up on the top row.
Although I alluded to how this piece came to me, there's always more to tell. The work features my friend's fiancé (also a close friend) with a mallard duck on his head— it's a painting by someone I love, of someone I love. It is super quirky— which describes them perfectly. Not only was the work given to me for my 30th birthday, but also 3 days before the birth of my first child, Ezra.
I always say, art should elicit a response. The best part for me as an artist is that my intention can be quite different from the client's response. Though Mia wasn’t thinking about this when she painted the man with the mallard duck on his head, each time I look at it I think about how temporary and unpredictable life is. In an instant, you’ve got a duck on your head, and in an instant...its gone. The beauty and the sorrow is that we can’t hold onto that moment forever, so capture it while you can. My thirtieth year started as unpredictably as they come, and this piece reminds me that time is also fleeting— so grab it before it flies away!
Happy early Mother's Day to Kate and all of the moms out there! Today, May 5th through Saturday, May 7th, Kate will be participating in the Harding Art Show with her sister-in-law Laura. The show benefits the Harding Academy in Nashville, TN. They will be selling all kinds of work, including a collection of collaborative cyanotypes, oil paintings and watercolors. If you can't catch her in TN, see Kate's captured moments before they fly away and follow her on instagram and pinterest.
