Kanika Marshall's Art of Breast Cancer

THE REALIZATION OF A DREAM

2011-11-11T06:20:00.001-08:00

Milton Bowens

My mother, Mary Marshall, gave me many blessings during her lifetime: the ability to set goals, to plan, to organize, to complete goals, to DO, to contribute in some small way to the community, to be a caring person, to be physically fit, and to love life. So while the great Langston Hughes wrote about a "Dream Deferred" my mother taught me to wish upon a star and gave me the tools to make my dreams come true. Last night was the realization of two of my dreams: to have my artwork published in a book and to have my artwork featured in a show with Milton Bowens.

If you have read any of my blogs, you may realize that I am an Ultra Type A personality, constantly striving to name and accomplish goals in all aspects of my very full life. I love to solve problems, meet challenges and succeed at whatever I put my mind to. These are characteristics from my mother, who pulled herself up out of a small little town in Ohio where her only avenues were to have a lot of babies and become a cook or domestic, to becoming a Principal at many schools in Sacramento, an award-winning watercolor artist, a Silver master bridge player, active contributor to the AKA sorority, fiendish tennis player and golfer, fun grandmother, and ... my Hero. Even after mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, she continued living her life to the fullest for another decade. With an act like that to follow, how could I and my sister and brother be any different?

Every year, I set goals and dreams for the next year after reviewing my accomplishments for the current year. One of my MANY goals that has been on my list since 1993, when I started my Kanika African Sculptures business, is to have my artwork in a book that I did not pay to publish. So when Master Barbershop and Beauty Salon issued a Call for Artists a couple of months ago, I really tried to create a work that could be accepted into "The Night that Harlem Came to Stockton Boulevard" show. I had been wanting to show my art there for ages but the timing never seemed to work out, so this was a great opportunity. And lo and behold they had planned to publish a book catalog that contained all of the artworks! So I really had to get to steppin' and refresh my memory about the Harlem Renaissance period, which was the subject of the show, to create apiece worthy of the show. See my Spirituality Through Art blog for all the details.

Last night was the Opening Night for "The Night that Harlem Came to Stockton Boulevard" show and it was fantastic! Not only was there stimulating visual art by eight local artists whom I revere - Milton "510" Bowens, Gerry "GOS" Simpson, John King, Professor Allan Gordon, Daphne Burgess, Charles Curtis Blackwell, and David Alexander (and me) - but also live music by Annie Jay/___ and poetry by Malik Saunders and Lil RoRo Brown. And the Master of Ceremonies was one of my all-time favorite people: Dr. Tchaka Muhammed, Edu-tainer, Storyteller, Poet, Motivational speaker, and keeper of the essence. Marichal and Rodney Brown and their mom, co-owners of Master Barbershop, are true activists who are keeping hope alive and exposing the Sacramento community to Black artists of all genres. Master Barbershop is selling the catalog for $20, so please support their business by buying a copy of the catalog for your collection. It not only contains fine images of the artwork, but the poems spoken at last night's show, a Foreword by the eminent James Sweeney, and Publisher's Statement by Marichal Brown. The show continues until the end of the year.

Kanika Marshall's entries in the "Night Harlem Came to Stockton Boulevard" art catalog produced and available for sale at Master Barber and Beauty Shop (916.457.8708)

My second goal was to be in a show with Milton Bowens who is a passionate and inspirational artist, educator, activist, lecturer, and powerhouse who came onto my radar about 10 years ago. Milton Bowens' mixed-media collages about Black life are meant to "educate not just decorate" and are thought-provoking exhibitions that will help restore a level of hope in communities desperately in need of inspiration. His artwork was the first show at the then-new 40 Acres Gallery - one of the first galleries in Sacramento that particularly featured African American artists from around the country. 40 Acres was part of an amazing redevelopment project in the Oak Park area that was spearheaded by now-mayor, Kevin Johnson. The gallery is part of a connected-building complex near Broadway on 3rd Avenue, consisting of Underground Books, the Guild Theater, a coffee shop, and a barber shop. I have had the opportunity to watch his ascent over the years to become an integral part of Kevin Johnson's For Art's Sake project, imparting an important historical perspective of the crucial role that Blacks have played in the building of America to kids and adults from all racial and ethnic backgrounds. So to have a chance to be in an art show with the impressive Milton Bowens had been on my Kanika African Sculptures Goal Sheet for quite some time.

WHAT DREAMS HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO REALIZE?

JUGS, HOOTERS, ZOOMERS, TATA’S, TITTIES

2011-10-21T18:59:00.001-07:00

October is always a tough month for it reminds me of the many loved ones we have lost to breast cancer, especially my mother. I am particularly sensitive and weepy during this time.

The flip side, though, is very positive. October brings many fine efforts to make people aware of how to take good care of ourselves with breast self-exams and mammograms. And there are lots of fundraising efforts for breast cancer research. October celebrates life.

In Sacramento, California, the Women's Wisdom Project, part of the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services, works with the Albie Aware Breast Cancer Foundation to sponsor the Art Bra Show every year. Local artists create wonderful works of art with a bra as the main theme and they are auctioned off and the monies raised to fund free mammograms to people who could not otherwise afford them.

A fine art photographer friend of mine, Monica Neumann Lunardi, is exhibiting her amazing "Boobie Show III" at the J27 Gallery in Sacramento until October 31, 2011. Monica reminds us that "Over the course of her life time 1 in every 8 women will develop breast cancer. The mission of the BOOBIE SHOW is: Striving to eliminate the fear of the mammogram and the unknown of the self-exam...a few minutes could save your life and save your boobies. You need your life. Your family needs you, the universe needs you. Just get it done! Breast cancer is NOT a death sentence… if detected early."

"JUGS...HOOTERS…...ZOOMERS...…TATA’S...TITTIES...…MELONS...BREASTS...BOSOMS

Whatever you call em, join the movement to save em!

Monica says: "We savor them with our eyes - enjoy their shapes, sizes, and curves...see them jiggle and bounce. We touch them, embrace them...feel them! Some are gorgeous and some... not so attractive. Bottom line, they are ours and we should be able to keep them - but we have to play an active part in the wellness process. BREAST CANCER AWARENESS is all we ask! Self-exams, regular check-ups and mammograms …just make it happen!"

I was proud to have been asked to sell my breast cancer survivor pendants at the month-long show, along with other local artists who had breast-themed works. We all gave 20% of all sales to the Albie Aware Foundation to continue their good works. Every year, I give 10-20% of all breast cancer sales from my website and art shows to the Komen Foundation or Albie Aware.

Awareness of breast cancer is a good thing for it will result in more women finding out about, and hopefully avoiding, being touched by cancer.

AWARENESS IS A GOOD THING.

Conquering Your Fears

2011-09-12T01:19:00.001-07:00

CONQUERING YOUR FEARS

I just did two things that I never thought I would do, two things that were so scary I wondered if I would survive them. It all started on a long-planned, five-day camping and hiking vacation in Lassen Volcanic National Park in north-eastern California during the last week in August 2011.

My boyfriend, Michael, has more camping experience than I and has a winning methodology for what to pack, what to eat, etc. By him volunteering to take on the planning, packing and driving responsibility, it meant that this would really be a restful vacation for me (he's a keeper to be sure!).

So after dropping my vacationing grandkids off at their mom's house Saturday morning, we finished packing up the car and started the three-hour road trip. What ever did we do before GPS? Thankfully, Michael has a great GPS program on his phone which guided us flawlessly through North Natomas, Nicklaus, Chico's Butte mountains, and several other small towns until we reached the south portal to Lassen Volcanic National Park.

WOW! This place was so different from the usual camping and hiking trips we take along the coast or Sacramento valley. Everything was still green and there were fields of wildflowers among the green trees and verdant mountains. The park extends from about 6,000 to 10,000 feet in altitude.

Lassen Visitor's Center at south end of park

Wild flowers abound everywhere

After stopping at the Visitor's center for a fabulous sandwich and big chocolate/vanilla soft serve ice cream cone, and 20-minute movie about the remarkable geologic formation of four different types of still-active volcanoes at the park, we began exploring the visitor center grounds on our own.

Incredible rock formations are everywhere

There was snow everywhere too, even though the weather was a perfect, in the low 80s.

OK, now back in the car to start driving up a 30-mile road to our campsite. The coolest thing about Lassen is that the powers at be constructed the main road through most of the interesting natural wonders that people want to see. From you car you can see mud pots (below) belching their acrid and rotten-egg stinky sulfuric odors.

The terrain is very different from Yosemite, although there are some granite-like formations. But there is much more lush greenery, which energize those us of who love living green.

There are also waterfalls, flowerful meadows, trees, trees, and more trees, mountains, streams and rivers and little lakes along the northerly main road up to nearly the northern end of the park, where we camped at Manzanita Lake. But it took us about three hours to get there, mostly because we had to stop at every vista point and take pictures and marvel at the sheer beauty of the place! It only took about 30 minutes to get the campsite totally set up. All foodstuffs and anything with a scent (e.g., toothpaste, lotion) had to be locked up in a bear locker at one end of our campsite. I said bears. Remember that ...

Home sweet home for the next five days

By then, it was about 5 PM and time to eat. Small campfire then franks and beans rolled in a tortilla for dinner.

As night began to fall, we decided to walk 5-10 minutes to the lake to catch the sunset.

We had very noisy neighbors that night and neither one of us got much sleep. Even though it was only about 42 degrees at the coldest and we had a queen-sized air mattress and thick sleeping bags, we were pretty darn cold at night. And, of course, the thought of bears prowling at night ... especially when we had to exit our "safe" haven for a bathroom run in the middle of the night. Needless to say, we were tired in the morning when the crows began their LOUD (did I say LOUD?) squawking at 7 AM ... We were cold until the sun began peeking over the tall tree tops at our campsite. As Mr. fixed breakfast by 8:30 or so, though, it was quite pleasant and I had shed some of my layers of clothes.

Sunday, we decided to explore Manzanita Lake and take pictures. The one-hour route took us about three hours because we were so engrossed in every little nook and cranny.

Lassen Mountain in the background

It was HOT that day, so we stopped by the little camp store and bought more ice cream on our way back to the campsite. After rest that afternoon and dinner, we decided that it would be cool to go back to the far side of the lake and wait for night fall to catch the Milky Way over Mt. Lassen using Michael's super duper new camera. We caught exquisite pictures as the sun fell (his are better than my iphone pix below).

By 8:30, the first stars were visible, but I started getting really worried about the fact that there are NO LIGHTS except moonlight on the 3/4 mile back to the other side of the lake. We were the only ones out there (well, the only people) and it was getting darker and darker, but there still were only a few stars. Certainly not enough to make it worth our while to stay ... alone ... in the dark ... where bears had been spotted that day ... Finally, we packed up and turned on our headlamps, but mine hardly produced any light. So Michael had to lead the way, most of the way. I am not afraid of the dark, per se, but we did not really know our way out there and it was tough to follow the dirt/sand path back in the dark. We tried to be noisy to let the night critters know we were there, but it's amazing how timid one's voice can sound when there's a bit of fear mixed in. Thankfully, Michael has a good sense of direction and was able to get us back to the campsite - had it been up to me alone, it would have taken a lot of longer to get there (even though I remembered I had a cool flashlight app on my iphone that did a great job of lighting the way back)!

It was DARK when we started making our way back along the 3/4 mile trek to the campsite.

I needed a LOT of chocolate and a little port wine when we got back to the tent! I kept saying, "I cannot believe we did that!" An hour later, we were looking up through the treetops at the most amazing Milky Way. I cajoled Michael into getting out his camera and tripod to take pictures of that amazing celestial site. We wanted some star shots after that harrowing hike back from the wilderness!

That was the first of the two events that I wasn't sure I would survive.

Thankfully, there were no noisy neighbors Sunday night, so we were well-rested and ready for Monday's trek to King's Creek. As soon as we parked our car along the main route, halfway to the south-end Visitor Center, I knew this would be special. We heard water flowing and could see a delightful creek from the road and a meadow of wild flowers. The following are pictures from this moderately difficult hike.

View from the road

Gorgeous flowers all along the waterways

We tried to find another hike along the route back to the campsite

Clam chowder, french bread and a salad for dinner. S'mores for dessert.

Even though we were really tired after the Kings Creek trip, we decided to hike up the Cinder Cone Volcano on Tuesday. Neither of us had done anything like that before and thought we probably could get some interesting pictures. We packed everything we could in the car that night so we could hit it by 7 AM the next morning and hopefully get some great sunrise pix. We did not realize that there would be road construction that would slow us down, nor an exceedingly BUMPY 8 mile "path" (30 minute ride) to Butte Lake, which was the entry point for the Cinder Cone hike. What that means is that the sun was already kind of high when we started the hike. Photographers like Michael know that means the pictures might be a bit overexposed if you don't have a polarizing lens, which we did not.

We were intrigued by the 20-30' high "Fantastic Lava Beds" that surrounded one side of the path up to, an all around the actual volcano. Mounds and mounds of rock.

Lava beds

Here's a view of the mountains as we walked up to the Cinder Cone volcano.

Here's our first complete view of the 600' high volcano (6300 to 6900 feet above sea level)

You cannot believe how steep this sandy/cinder trail is! It averages 30 degrees, but there are portions that are much steeper, as you can see.

I found two sturdy sticks that I could use as walking sticks. Michael used the legs of his tripod. It seemed like it took an hour to get up to the top because we had to stop every 20 steps or so to breathe and get more water. I am NOT fond of heights and really had not intended to go all the way up, but we kept putting one foot in front of the other, hoping we would finally reach the never-ending top. Finally, success was ours!

And the view was breathtaking! That's Mt. Lasson Volcano which is about 4000 feet higher than the top of the cinder cone volcano.

Further around the base of the Cinder Cone Volcano are brightly-colored cinder beds. While there is a route to those beds at the base of the volcano, I cannot imagine that walkers could get the phenomenal view that we did on the top of the mountain!

Here are the cylindrical spirals of the center of the Cinder Cone volcano. People can walk all around the top and down into the bowels of the cone, if they like.

Looking down into the center of the volcano.

Lots of red iron oxide-colored lava rock and cinders all around. Depending on how the light hits, you can also see purple hues, oranges, reds, and yellows. The palate changes continuously. The colors in this picture are not enhanced.

On the far side of the top is Butte Lake, with lava beds in the foreground. Colors are enhanced for the lava and trees, but the water is that blue-green.

We took tons of pictures, had lunch, drank lots of water from our backpacks, chatted with other brave souls, most of whom were visiting from other countries. It was exciting for all of us to make a world connection and we all contemplated a successful descent. Going up a hill is difficult, but it's the coming down of a steep mountain that I agonized over. Vertigo. I was SO HAPPY to have my walking sticks, but I was nervous, nervous, nervous. I heard my (deceased) mom's voice in my head telling me she didn't want me to join her this soon and to be very careful going down. My brain saw lots of people who had made it up the volcano with NO walking sticks, many in seemingly worse physical shape than I. From the tippy top of the cone I could see some of those people who made it down the steep hill. So I knew we "should" be able to make it without broken necks. But it took a LOT to conquer my fear of starting down. I practiced by walking up and down the contours of the center cone area. It was time to start. Sticks don't fail me now. I was SO JITTERY! You could not see the start of the path from the top. Michael took video of my tentative, disjointed, steps. One stick followed by my foot, then the other stick followed by the other foot. It seemed interminable. My left knee started to ache and I knew I would not make it using that technique. Then I remembered that as a big-footed gal, I often walk down stairs horizontally instead of vertically, so I turned my feet sideways and started again. Much better, faster, smoother. Going down, we gave comfort to those we met coming up: "It's worth it. You're almost there. You can do it." Then WE WERE DOWN!

Never have I ever been so glad to make it successfully down a hill!

Our reward was to bathe our sore feet in lovely, cool Butte Lake.

We couldn't believe we made it! This was the second time that I thought I wouldn't make it back home, but we persevered and conquered our fear!

We took a nice shower, then a well-deserved nap in the afternoon. Dinner was delicious quesadillas and broccoli and roasted marshmallows for dessert.

The next day was our last but we wanted to see a couple of additional sites on our way out after another great breakfast, this time french toast and eggs scrambled with veggies.

After packing up the car and driving about 10 miles, we hiked a mile or so to the Magical Boiling Lake. The bubbles do not come from an underground hot springs, but carbon dioxide. So we were excited to see such a thing, but, well ... you can see what we saw. Not much.

This whole trip was a marvel. I didn't originally think Lassen Park would be anything special but it went waaaaay beyond anything we could have imagined.

We tested ourselves on many levels and we persevered. We survived! This new-found strength will help us in all future endeavors and renew our appreciation for this world and everything in it!

HOW HAVE YOU TESTED YOURSELF AND WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME?

Mama's Still Got It Going On!

2011-04-09T07:35:00.000-07:00

My mom was, and still is, awesome! April 1st would have been her 77th birthday.

Last weekend, at a show in her honor at the Kuumba Collective Art Gallery, we sold one of her biggest pieces to an art patron who had been admiring it the previous month.

"Festival of Life" resonated with this new administrator of a school in Sacramento, CA. Mom had been a principal at several elementary schools during her pre-watercolorist career, so that really touched the patron.

I just happened to be at the gallery last weekend, during the second Sacramento African American Art Collective (SAAAC) Art Walk, and this patron was there looking at the artwork for the third time.

Serendipity? Perhaps it was mom working her magic from her current plane of existence!

I so enjoyed telling the patron about mom and why this piece, in particular, was so important. It was the first time mom had tried painting a large watercolor. She was so proud of it that she kept it in her bedroom as a reminder that she was, indeed, a professional artist.

I am so proud that mama still got it going on and made this new patron a very happy owner of her work!

STILL TOUCHING LIVES THROUGH THE JOY OF ART

2011-02-27T21:03:00.000-08:00

During the month of January, I always grieve the loss of my mother, gone four years now after a courageous 10-year battle with breast cancer.

But this year a wonderful thing happened to bring me out of my annual funk. The Kuumba Collective Art Gallery in Sacramento, CA, requested to honor my mom as the featured artist for Women's History Month in March 2011. POR SUPUESTO! (Of course!)

So I've been thinking about which in her very large collection of original watercolors she would like me to bring to represent her large body of work.

From an early age, sitting on her tight corner of the sofa in her family-of-7 home, she would draw and paint. She took art classes by mail as a teenager and learned to perfect her craft. She dressed windows at one of the two Department stores in her home town of Mt. Vernon, Ohio.

She was the yearbook editor and used her art skills to make it one of the most memorable yearbooks ever.

Mom doodled faces on newspapers, college homework, napkins, everywhere . . . throughout her work life as a teacher then principal in Sacramento, CA. Yes, she was particularly gifted with figurative work.

But when mom retired from the Sacramento Unified School District in 1989, she wanted to learn how to paint something else. She was great painting flowers and landscapes, but they did not soothe her soul. Mom absolutely LOVED abstract art and she tried numerous techniques for expressing her love of the abstract.

Since this is an African American art gallery, I will certainly bring a good sample of her ethnic work.

I have been asked to give a talk about mom's life and art career on March 5th from 5-6 PM at the Kuumba Collective Art Gallery, 1001 Del Paso Blvd., Sacramento, CA. I think I'll bring my laptop with a slideshow on it. And I, the eldest child, am the keeper of her journals and her early work so I'll probably bring a sample of those treasures too.

I hope you can join me in honoring my mother on March 5th, as part of the African American Art Tour. I will also be at the Kuumba Gallery on March 12th, 6-9 PM, as part of the Second Saturday Art Walk.

The gallery is open every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday form noon to 6 PM.

More of Mary Marshall's original watercolors may be viewed on her webpage: http://www.kanika.us/1MaryMarshall.htm

STILL TOUCHING LIVES THROUGH THE JOY OF ART

TIME FLIES BUT WE NEVER FORGET

2011-01-19T23:16:00.000-08:00

Dear mom,

On January 27th, it will be four years since you joined your deceased relatives. Four years! How can that be, when you are with me everyday? Just looking at these blogs, in the four years the following has happened in our lives:

America voted in a democratic Black president!

Thanks to the former president (your favorite - $%^#@!!!), the country has been in the worst recession since the great depression in which you spent your childhood and modeled your life of living within your means.

In 2007, I turned 50 years of age and went to Las Vegas for the first time.

You got your first great granddaughter, Jazmine, in December 2008, and your second great grandson, Isaiah in February 2010. They are exactly the type of kids that you would love: intelligent, active, interested in everything, generally well-mannered, and very cute. I might use Photoshop to make a four-generation picture with you in it, like we were able to do with dad in real life.

Your grandson "reupped" for another tour in the Marines and is being sent to Japan for three years next month. They packed up their house and are waiting for those orders to come through so they may visit Sacramento one last time before the new tour.

In 2009 and early 2010, I remodeled the kitchen and bathrooms, at your spirited urging.

Dad, THANKFULLY, entered a Memory Care facility in August 2009. He has mellowed some, thanks to medications and the progression of his illness. I enjoy being with him, especially when his fun-loving personality comes to the surface. His wife is certainly the angel who is there with him everyday, making sure he is well-cared for. Yes, your ex-husband is the luckiest man alive. You were his first caretaker who made it possible for him to be the great Ob/Gyn that he became. You were there with him at Ohio State encouraging him to study for his medical degree. You were there with him when he traveled with me to Washington State to do his residency, then my sister was born. You were there with him when he traveled to Stockton to do his internship, then my brother was born. You were there with him when he started his first medical practice on Florin Road near Franklin Blvd and you worked in his office making sure he got paid. You were there with him when he bought his first house in Larchmont Riviera. And you were there with him when he gave us all the news that he was leaving us to be with someone else. And you were there with me, my sister, and brother to ensure that we did not falter, that we became excellent, productive citizens in this great country of ours.

In 2009, I got my first lump and, like your first, it was drained and has not yet returned. But I have already vowed that if I get breast cancer down the road, I am opting for a double mastectomy with reconstruction to get a full size B cup . . . with some cleavage!

In Feb 2010, while watching the Olympics, I finally figured out how to make the African Warriors that I've dreamed of for 20 years: the Warrior Divas were born and shown at the Kuumba Collective Art Gallery for the first time.

In early 2010, I became a metal maniac, learning from my friend Kristen how to weld recycled steel. I made some huge outdoor sculptures! Looking forward to my first welding class of 2011 next weekend. It is possible that my first Kinetic Diva may be sold very soon; I shall miss her so much!

In July 2010, Kanika African Sculptures had a "Legacy" art show featuring your watercolors and my sculptures at the Blue Moon Gallery. We worked hard to display work that was representative of your amazing watercolor style and it was very successful. I put together a video slideshow of your work and you for the patrons to see. Many of your friends and admirers came to honor you.

After being totally run-down because of all the work from earlier in the year, we went on several vacations during the summer of 2010. I thought about you when I found the Nature Cure.

Late in 2010, a gallery approached me about making some breast cancer survivor busts, but of the real women themselves. So I learned how to do bodycasting. Now I need more volunteers to be wrapped!

So a lot has happened since you passed, but you are never forgotten, be sure of that.

Memorializing a Breast

2010-11-07T23:28:00.000-08:00

This morning I received an inquiry asking whether I make busts of breasts. What an unusual question. Or is it?

I remember the day before my mother was to have her mastectomy, 13 years ago. She was overcome with the thought that she would lose a breast. She had never thought much about her breasts before until the time came when one would be forcibly removed. My sister and I set up a video camera in her room and gave her privacy so she could express her feelings of loss and sadness.

I never saw the videotape, but I had wanted to do SOMETHING to help ease her pain. I used clay to start a "Survivor" series of art sculptures and jewelry. I wanted to show women going through the painful "cure" for cancer (chemotherapy, radiation, nausea, skin burns, perceived loss of femininity) that they ARE still beautiful and worthy of being happy. So each survivor necklace is hand-painted with hopeful colors and they sometimes accentuate the missing appendage - a portion of the sales goes to the Komen Race for the Cure Foundation. Each Cancer Survivor Goddess sculpture is shining with positive energy. Each sculptural bust is thought-provoking and beautiful. Mom appreciated the Survivor series and proudly wore the neckpieces with many of her outfits. In fact, "Contemplating old Wounds" won Best of Show at the Valley Sculpture Artists art competition and an Award of Merit at the California State Fair.

But back to the bust for breasts project. . . Without anymore information from the potential client, I assumed that she wanted not just a clay representation of her breast, but maybe a casting of her torso with both breasts intact. A body cast, like what many pregnant women do. For many years I have wanted to explore body casting techniques where strips of plastered-coated gauze are spread over a body part(s), dried/hardened, then filled with 1/4"-1/2" of plaster or concrete or clay which is later fired in a kiln. I have seen demos of various ways of casting, even tried using latex to cast forms, and I have made several plaster molds for some of my artwork.

With the help of the Internet, I did a bit of research on the current methods for body casting and read commentary from others who had hints and tips. After selecting one method to try, I went to several stores to find the needed materials. Then at 4 PM, in the garage, with a black plastic sheet over the floor, I filled a bucket with water and began to cut strips of gauze. Then I took off all of my clothes (yes, I did) and sat on the floor with dozens of gauze strips around me. All different sizes. Very important: use lots of Vaseline on the skin that will touch plaster. Lots of Vaseline, or you may have to chisel the plaster off your skin later.

So after about a hour of criss-crossing plaster-coated gauze-like strips, my torso was covered with a hardening plaster cast.

I carefully lifted it off and set it on top of the black plastic to dry completely.

A few hours later, after dinner, I was dismayed to find that the damp garage actually softened the plaster cast! And some of the layers were coming apart! Squeezing some glue in between the layers, I let the cast sit an hour longer, but luck was not a lady tonight! The glue had not started drying at all. So I brought it into the warm house and let it dry overnight. Guess what? The glue was still almost liquid and the cast still not very stiff. Arrgghh!

Home Depot had to be the answer (as usual). I bought some Plaster of Paris and drywall tape and applied another layer of tape and plaster on both sides. After a couple of hours in front of a fan, it was stiff and dry.

A 3/8" layer of clay was fitted into the crevices of the form, the excess cut away into a pleasing shape, and the form allowed to dry a few hours.

I did not want to wait for it to be leather hard overnight, so I flipped the large form over onto a towel and the clay form popped out, as hoped. Hurrah! After some adjustments to the clay, I took a damp sponge and evened out the rough spots. Voila! My first body cast! Tomorrow the body will get more detailing. The glazing for this one may end up being rather abstract or whimsical, but I won't really know until it happens.

Next time, I'll tweak this methodology a bit, but the first time ended up being pretty darn successful! How exciting! The breast can be memorialized!

THE NATURE CURE

2010-09-30T21:02:00.000-07:00

RENEWAL OF SPIRIT – THE NATURE CURE

After a hectic, hectic first half of 2010 preparing for my “Legacy” art show in July and other art venues, and creating a metal studio and learning how to make half a dozen Amazon-sized garden sculptures, I just sat back and realized that I’ve taken four vacations in the last three months! And what an improvement that has made in my spirit and emotional well-being!

First was a trip to Shelter Cove, along the north coast of California, mowing my dad’s many lawns at his house which overlooks the ocean. Dad is no longer able to live there due to Alzheimer's Disease and every few weeks his wife’s family drives 5.5 hours from Sacramento to care for the property.

So in July, my sister and boyfriend and I volunteered to make the “sacrifice” of doing some very difficult yardwork for many hours, looking at the ocean from the kitchen window, admiring the sunset while eating dinner, watching the stars so big and bright in a sky devoid of obscuring city lights, walking along black sand beach, eating the shrimp and fries basket in the tiny “town” of Shelter Cove, exploring the tidepools, and hiking in the Kings Wilderness area.

And I brought 50 pounds of clay and made several nature-inspired wall hangings which will be unveiled at the Crocker Art Museum Holiday Art Show the weekend after Thanksgiving.
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In early August, I bragged in my Spirituality and Art blog about not doing anything that I had planned to do (no clay, no newsletter writing, no blogging) at our annual vacation in Mendocino, CA, which is 1.5 hours or so south of Shelter Cove and two hours north of San Francisco, CA. It was evident that I was starting to unwind from the frenetic pace I had set earlier in the year.

In mid-September, we went camping for several nights at the Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. We were within walking distance of a creek a long stone’s throw from our campsite. We were near stands of redwoods five minutes from our campsite.

We hiked up to see waterfalls and stunning overlooks to the mountains surrounding Big Sur.

We drove down the coastal highway to visit Hearst Castle.

We went to another waterfall which can be seen from State Highway 1.

On the way back home, we walked around Carmel, CA, and looked at several art galleries.

The weekend after the Big Sur trip, we dressed up and drove back down south for the Renaissance Faire at Casa de Fruta on the Pacheco Pass, meeting my boyfriend’s daughter there. They went on the huge swing and we ate traditional foods such as the Toad in a Hole, huge artichokes, cottage pasties and the like. My favorite African import store was there – “Upsan Downs” – so I got some more African bracelets.

And I got my first tattoo at the Renaissance Faire, to the delight of my daughter-in-law who has been clamoring for us to go together and get tats; mine was only a henna tattoo that time, but I loved it and might make it permanent.

The last trip was to the Evergreen Lodge in the Yosemite area. And what a treasure! The weather was record-breaking 100s in Sacramento and in the low-80s at Yosemite, which was PERFECT! Lots of hiking through unimaginably beautiful and unusual countryside. Parts of the granite mountains looked like we were on another planet.

The sunsets from our room were magnificent. And I cannot even describe the starry starry night above. We even saw the Milky Way!

Have you ever been trapped in a life-sized spider web? The Evergreen Lodge had lots of fun and artsy structures for kids of all ages.

So I took the Nature Cure and am renewed and ready to embark upon a new type of creativity.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and I prescribe the Nature Cure! I also donate 10% of all sales of my breast cancer survivor art jewelry to breast cancer research, so if you're interested, please take a look: http://www.kanika.us/1mastectomy_pp.htm

AN ART BRA THAT SAVES LIVES

2010-09-03T21:32:00.000-07:00

I volunteered to do a clay demonstration at the Patris S12 Gallery Art Preview Night last month. My goal was to start and finish an art piece that would be worthy of contributing to the Third Annual Art Bra Show this year to be held at the 20th Street Gallery, 911 20th Street, Sacramento, CA. Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS) and Albie Aware Breast Cancer Foundation are preparing to host the Third Annual Art Bra Show to bring awareness to the plight of breast cancer in Sacramento and its effects on all women. Please join us for a special tribute art show to help bring awareness and raise funds for these two organizations. Women’s Wisdom Art, a program of SFBFS, and the Albie Aware Breast Cancer Foundation will be hosting Art Bra Show 3 on September 8-30, 2010. The silent auction is on September 11th, from 5-8 PM, but you may place your bids anytime between Sept 8 and 11th.

And so on August 12th, with a 25-pound bag of red clay and a quickly put together round table and stool, I made an armature out of a pipe flange attached to a lazy susan, with a fabric-covered pipe extending from the center. I began to roll some long clay snakes on the tiny table top. I thought it would be easiest to make a coil sculpture since I had such a small space to make it in.

After I had enough snakes, I started forming the basic structure. Round and round the snakes go, using the same overlapping technique that one might use on a pie crust edging.

After an hour or so, the body was taking shape. I made some cross-members to keep the body from expanding too much. I had forgotten my paddles and had to beat and compress the sides with my hands and the water bottle. You can see the overlapping techniques on the top two rows. I also used a metal rib to compress the clay and as the clay dried I was able to use the serrated side of the rib to make a cool texture on the clay. That action served to flatten out the walls of the trunk. Because I spent a bit of time talking with customers and other artists from 5-8 PM, I did not have time to make her head while still at the gallery.

So . . . when I returned home I made a flattened piece of clay, slightly curved at the edges. I accentuated the breasts then cut out an interesting triangle area in the middle of the chest. You tell me what that is for . . . After drying a couple of days, I had to decide what colors to glaze the body. I wanted it to be special for this special fundraiser but did not want the glaze to obliterate the linen-like textural quality of the skin.

So I chose red and black iron oxide brushed on, then wiped off, with a touch of diluted clear glaze over the top to make the natural color of the red clay shine through. But I also wanted a bit of "flavor" so I painted several purple spiral-esque tattoos on her back and the neck. Then into the firey kiln (yes, she was only fired once).

I knew I should have made an egg shape for the head! But I didn't and the head ended up taking me much longer than making the whole body! I ended up welding some steel pieces together, wiring and and attaching them to the clay head. This structure also served to balance the body so it wouldn't tip over.

I wanted the face to have a different sheen than the body so I used acrylics to make her look contented. Sparkle in her eyes. Funky hair of reds, browns and oranges, with a same color bra edged in brown leather. What do her eyes see? What is she smiling about?

And the finishing touch is a necklace that reflects the joyful turquoise and red colors in the tile on which she sits. What's in a name? Everything. I polled my Facebook Friends to help me come up with a name. The perfect name came in after I had delivered her to Helen Plenert, the director of the Women's Wisdom Project: "The Girl from Ipanema" - beautiful brown skin, sitting on ocean colors, skimpy bra top, sun-kissed hair. And my dad's second favorite song in the world.

And I hope she finds the perfect home as a result of the 20th Street Gallery fundraiser, because the money she brings in could help disadvantaged women learn about breast health, as well as learn that they are beautiful, no matter what their present circumstance or malady. I want women to have the hopeful outlook represented in the face of the "Girl from Ipanema."

Layers of Life

2010-07-09T22:44:00.000-07:00

This month "Layers of Life" is on display at the Patris S12 gallery this month: July 8th 6-8 pm and July 10th, August 11th, and September 11th, 2010, 6-10 pm at 1200 S Street, Sacramento, CA.

Click here to read: Kanika's July Newsletter

Remembering Mom

2010-04-05T18:02:00.000-07:00

On April 1st, my sister, brother and I celebrated what would have been mom's 76th birthday with her best friend, Mrs. James, mom's great grandson, and my boyfriend. We went to our favorite restaurant, Crepeville, to reminisce.

We told stories about mom and Mrs. James going to the casino once a month. Don't get in between mom and her Double Diamonds slot machine! (smile). We talked about other friends recently departed. We talked about grand children and great children, the carriers of the genetic torch. We ate fantastic light meals, then before the rain started to fall, adjourned our annual remembrance.

Coming back home, I knew that it was finally time to get started on my project. The Blue Moon Gallery agreed to have a retrospective art show of my and my mom's artwork. She was a watercolorist and I have my mixed media Kanika African Sculptures. I need to provide a couple of photographs showing the best of our respective art pieces for advertisement of the show scheduled for July. Last night, I gathered all of mom's already-matted and framed work, selected about 30 of the best pieces, and took the best pictures I could without removing them from the frames. It was a somber, yet joyful, process to see her work again. Touching each piece was like touching her spirit. Setting the pictures around my livingroom made me remember what a fabulous artist she was, as well as being a phenomenal human being.

Here are a few of mom watercolors that might make it into the Blue Moon show in July:

Starting May 1st, mom's prints and original watercolors will also be on sale at the Kuumba Collective Art Gallery, 1001 Del paso Blvd., Sacramento, CA. They are open from 10 AM to 4 PM, Thursday through Saturday.

Make a Mask with Kanika - A Day to Play with Clay

2010-02-20T19:58:00.000-08:00

It was just supposed to be an art show celebrating Black History Month. The Branch Manager at the Elk Grove Library just wanted her library users to have the opportunity to see some black-oriented art in her beautiful new library at the edge of old town Elk Grove, California. But she and I were concerned that few people would visit the show in their community room. Neither one of us wanted me to be sitting there, probably mostly by myself, for six hours. So we talked about making this a hands-on event: "Make a Mask with Kanika." I would bring some clay and let people carve a little mask. Simple, right? Well . . . because we advertised the event on Facebook, through the local newspaper, to hundreds of people on my e-newlsetter mailing list, and in the library itself, it did not turn out to be a simple day.

The night before, I spent about one hour rolling out mask forms, about eight clay blanks on each of six cookie sheets. I wanted the very soft clay to set up a bit so that it was "leather hard" and better able to be carved. I also brought an additional 100 pounds of clay in case we ran out (which we did) and/or people wanted to roll out their own pieces from scratch (which many did). OK, the prep was done and the car loaded up by 8:30 Friday night. I spent the rest of the evening watching the Olympics.

On Saturday morning at about 8:00 AM, my son, Matthew, got out of his warm bed and helped me to set up my art display at the library starting at 8:30 AM. Pat had also asked one of her student volunteers to help me set up the room (thank you!)

I had carefully planned to use four long tables for the attendees, and a fifth one for me. We put two chairs at each table, but I knew that we could fit one more on the other side of each table if we needed to, for a maximum of 12 people who could make a mask at the same time. I had brought some plastic table cloths to protect the table-top surfaces, an 8.5" x 11" piece of cardboard and a small sponge for each station, and a bowl of water and spray bottle for each table. I also put out lots of assorted tools at each station that could be used to make textures on the clay.

We set up three more tables on the opposite side of the room for my three-dimensional sculptures, African art books, Kanika portfolios, autograph book, and business cards and postcards.

We also set up information from "I Made It" and "Alpha Ceramics", local businesses who would let attendees glaze/color their masterpieces and could fire the masks for a small price. OK, by 10 AM I was ready. And the people started coming. And they came and they came all day long! In fact, all of the following pictures were taken between 10:30 and 11:30 AM or so, because after that the crowd was huge and I only had time to work with them on making their masks.

But by noon, new people were coming far faster than the old people were leaving. So three more long tables had to be set out, handling four people each. And I had to divvy up the tools I brought. From about noon to 3:00 PM, I was attempting to assist up to 20 people at a time who wanted to learn how to make a mask. From the youngest of about two years of age, to many teenagers, to many middle-agers, to several older folks like me, it was a fun and free-wheeling time in the Elk Grove Library Community Room today!!! Pat kept coming in and marveling with me about how successful the event was.

Thank goodness for the Delta Sigma Theta sorority who brought refreshments! I was so busy from 10 AM to 3:30 PM that I only had time to drink about 1/2 cup of water and eat two cookies brought by the Deltas. I didn't realize how hungry and thirsty I was until I got into my car to come home!

So after putting away the sculptures, taking a shower, and eating some quickly-prepared dinner, I reflected on what made the day so special. They are in no particular order, as follows:

*The weather was sunny and bright, no rain in sight as was prophesied by the weather people.

* Many of my customers and friends came to support me and find out how the sculptures are made.

* Each attendee used the clay in amazing ways, either by creating extraordinary textures on the clay or great shapes. One lady made several parts for what will be her entry into the 2010 Art Bra Show in honor of breast cancer. One lady made a face sculpture on the back of a spoon and an amazingly delicate filigree design for the headdress. An initially-reluctant father jumped in and made a cool mask to show his little girls that he was as cool as they were in making a mask. One lady made the most beautiful small face (I later found out she too had taken numerous clay classes from Cosumnes River College Art Director, Yoshio Taylor). Another lady made a heart but added numerous additional hearts overlapping the first one. Another lady decided to try a bowl form. So many ideas that I cannot list all of them.

* The children were ALL so polite, whether their parents were around or not. None were goofing off, yet they all had a ball making masks and other clay forms. Their level of creativity was amazing.

* Pat and one of her star employees helped me break down the display. I felt a little bad for the janitor because many of the black chairs were covered with grey-colored clay and the floors would need cleaning.

* All ethnicities and religious persuasions were represented by the attendees. There was amazing harmony in that room.

* Everyone really seemed to get a great deal from their hands-on experience. And that's what my primary goal was! I left the library with a sense of hopefulness and excitement that so many people were turned on to clay!

Thanks to Mom I Am Exhausted

2009-11-25T06:55:00.000-08:00

Thanks to mom, I have been exhausted everyday getting ready for another art show. Mom gave me the creativity, drive and confidence in myself to be an artist, like she was. She made artistic endeavors a safe haven for kids growing up in the 1960s and 1970s. She lead by example that trying new things was fun and exciting so I relish experimenting with new art modes and subjects ( like water fountains, LED lighted sculptures, metal work, mosaics with a twist, etc.)

Thanks to mom, I am totally renovating my kitchen, from demolition to designing the new space to building cabinets to installing everything myself (and with the help of my boyfriend and son). Mom gave me the skills to plan, organize, and follow-through. She gave me the gumption to do a big project like that and to feel certain that it would turn out well.

Thanks to mom I am exhausted. But it is a good kind of feeling to know how to set goals and be able to accomplish them and enjoy the fruits of your labor. So breast cancer took mom from this Earth but she lives on through her children, grandchildren, family and friends whom she touched with her magic.

Thank you mom!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2009-10-04T21:07:00.000-07:00

At the request of the Kuumba Collective, a phenomenal group of African American artists, my "Two Faces of Eve" sculpture will be shown in a special breast cancer awareness section of their brand new gallery. "Two Faces of Eve" makes us question whether it is ugly, confusing, erotic, calm, elegance, merely a representation of disease in the body, or a pictorial of how cancer makes women feel going through chemotherapy, or . . . . ? You tell me what you think the sculpture represents.

The KUUMBA COLLECTIVE FINE ART GALLERY / GIFT SHOP is located in North Sacramento, at 1001 Del Paso Blvd., Sacramento, CA.

This sculpture will be in the gallery until November 9, 2009.

PLEASE ATTEND THE KUUMBA COLLECTIVE'S SECOND SATURDAY ART WALK on October 10 , 2009 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM

For more information, please contact: iristeagarden@yahoo.com or deanero2002@yahoo.com

YOU'RE DOING A BRA SHOW???

2009-08-02T11:45:00.001-07:00

What’s a BRA SHOW?

The Women’s Wisdom Project (WWP) and Albie Aware Breast Cancer Foundation are preparing to host their second ART BRA SHOW to bring awareness to the plight of breast cancer in Sacramento and its effects on all women. Artists have been invited to sculpt, paint, stitch and/or embellish a piece of artwork that uses the “bra” as a symbol.

The show will be held between Sept 10-19 at the 40 Acres Gallery, 3428 3rd Avenue, Sacramento, CA. Pieces will be auctioned on Sept 12 from 6-9 PM.

Come and see my “Puttin’ on the Ritz” metal and clay wall sculpture and the other interesting bra art there in August and plan to buy some art to further these good LOCAL causes.

Remember that Breast Cancer touches all of us. One in every eight women will get breast cancer during her lifetime. A cure needs to be found and you can help with your art purchase.

The Albie Aware Breast Cancer Foundation is a local non profit 501 (c) 3 dedicated to breast cancer education, outreach and screening in the greater Sacramento region. Their mission is "to save more lives and empower people with breast cancer through awareness, education and support." Please visit their website at www.albieaware.org or call (916) 927-1592 for more information.

The WWP is an art program of the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services, for adult women who want to broaden their creative lives. Women's Wisdom is a free, drop-in program that includes art classes taught by professional artists. The WWP provides a free, hot lunch, a supportive staff, counseling, referrals and a unique opportunity for socialization. They accept women from all backgrounds and walks of life. For more information, please call (916) 456-1980 or go to www.sfbs.org and check out their programs.

For more information about the show and/or if you would like to donate funds ANYTIME for these causes, please contact the WWP program manager, Helen Plenert, at (916) 456-1980 or at hplenert@sfbs.org

A Blast From My Mom's Past

2009-06-24T06:31:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine e-mailed the following Sacramento Bee article about my mother, Mary Marshall, and me. It brought back some amazing memories as mom and I were being profiled for a special showing the Crocker Art Museum was having on our artwork in 2000. I hope you enjoy the article and learn a little about my remarkable mom!

NOTE: The Blue Moon Gallery will feature my and my mom's artwork in June 2010.

Mom's prints are available HERE

SACRAMENTO BEE February 2000, People Edition
By: Celia Lamb

If art is an expression of the soul, then African ancestors speak through the hands of mother and daughter artists Mary and Kanika Marshall.

Kanika sculpts with clay, and Mary prefers to work with watercolors. But they share the goal of creating art inspired by the cultures of a continent they have never seen but are connected to by blood.

In recognition of Black History Month, the Marshalls' Africa-influenced art will be on display at the Crocker Art Museum store Feb. 19 and 20.

Mary, who lives near Mack Road and Stockton Boulevard, began painting about 10 years ago. At that time, she retired from a career in school administration that included serving as principal at Bret Harte Elementary School in Curtis Park, Camellia Elementary School in Elder Creek and Pony Express Elementary School in South Land Park Hills.

Mary always had planned to explore her interest in art after she retired. She enrolled in art classes at Cosumnes River College, experimenting with various media before focusing on watercolors.

"You just can't get any other medium to do that wonderful juicy feel that you get from watercolor," Mary said.

Artistic talent clearly runs in the family. Mary said she encouraged Kanika's childhood interest in art. "One of the things I know I did, and I wish more parents would do, is that instead of just buying the plastic, premade (toys), we always had the crayons and the paper and the pens," Mary said.

Kanika, a resident of Elk Grove, took up art later in life as a means of exploring her heritage. "In the 1970s, when I was in my 20s, I was searching for my identity," Kanika said. "I'm very fair-skinned, so I didn't fit well into either the black or white cultures." At about that time, Kanika read Alex Haley's epic novel "Roots," which told the story of Haley's African and African-American ancestors.

"That got me on a mission to learn more about African cultures," she said.

Kanika studied African history at California State University, Sacramento. She also took a pottery class at CSUS from artist Ruth Rippon. "Pottery was really making cups and bowls and plates, but I wasn't doing that. I was doing this," she said, holding up an African-style mask. "I was trying to do this on the sly."

Later she enrolled in art classes taught by sculptor Yoshio Taylor at Cosumnes River College. "He was just a great inspiration," says Kanika. "He's a Japanese American, so the influences of his culture definitely are displayed in his work."

Under Taylor's tutelage, Kanika said, she began to explore the African influences in her work. She said she is inspired by West African influences, creating proud clay figures wearing traditional brightly colored fabrics and flashy headdresses. Sometimes she depicts people from East African cultures with simpler, lighter-colored clothing. She recently made a figure of a southeast African Zulu warrior carrying a spear and shield and wearing white and blue garments. She also sculpts clay masks and pendants.

Kanika says she likes the tactile sensations of working with clay.

"I don't think a lot about what I do. It comes through my hands," she explained. "It's kind of exciting for me, too, to see what's going to come out in the end."

Many of Mary's paintings depict Kanika's sculptures. Mary also paints images of African people, still lifes and abstracts. Painting abstracts isn't easy, she said. It takes time to develop a style. "If I had my way, I'd do all abstracts, but I'm working my way up to that," she said.

Kanika began showing her work in 1993. Her mother joined her a couple of years later.

Kanika's works have been displayed at the former I.D.E.A. Gallery in Oak Park, the Barton Gallery and the Blooming Art Gallery in midtown, the Sacramento Fine Arts Center in Carmichael and the Auburn Arts Centern. The two women also have participated in various art shows and competitions in Sacramento and the Bay Area.

Kanika and Mary displayed their work at the Crocker Art Museum, 216 O St., in the 1998 and 1999 holiday art shows. February's showing in the museum store will feature only their work, Kanika said.

Celia Lamb

Problems? Suggestions? Let us hear from you. Copyright © The Sacramento Bee

GIRLZ LIKE TO HAVE FUN!!!

2009-06-07T10:19:00.000-07:00

Every year since 1993 I have submitted artwork for consideration for the State Fair Fine Art Show. I have been fortunate the last seven or so years to submit pieces the judges-of-the-year found worthy to be in the show to win awards. There are several different categories among the major visual art arena that artists may enter, sculpture, ceramics, and mixed media. There are also some special categories, such as cultural, wine, and equestrian. Each year, I try to enter at least one of the special categories. This year I tried for the wine category with "The Wine Tasting."

A group of African women in beautiful, long flowing gowns sipping wine. Different types of wines and wine glasses line the right side. Different types of wine grapes align the left side. Yes, maybe this would be best in the cultural category, but it's always fun to try something different!

So why is this on my Cancer Survivor Blog? Why not? It is a celebration of life, of wine, of good friends, of gratitude, or acceptance, of fun.

GIVING AWAY MY HEART TO YOU!

2009-05-13T21:53:00.001-07:00

Heart of my heart. In February 2009, I created a new line of textured ceramic hearts using luscious colors. Chopping up a 25-pound block of red clay into roughly triangular shapes, I rolled it quickly to about 1/4" thick, generally making a heart shape. Then I made and bought several textured rubber and clay stamps. Stamps that look like hearts, lace, and leaves. I stamped the clay with interesting patterns, then used my trusty chopstick to incise more lines. Using a needle tool, I cut the outline of each valentine.

But how to make the texture really POP? I painted a black underglaze lightly over the top of the texture to make the pattern really stand out. The sculptures were fired in a kiln to cone 05 (almost 1900 degrees). After cooling, I painted them with underglazes and cover glazes, using vibrant color combinations. One more time in the kiln. Then I strung copper wire through the holes and attached them in a delicate fashion to form the hanging mechanism. And voila! A great addition to my new romance collection.

In honor of my blessed mother, Mary Marshall's, birthday I shall select one winner among the fans on my Fan Facebook page. SO SIGN UP AS A FAN ON THE http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kanika-Marshall/50402302085?ref=ts KANIKA MARSHALL FACEBOOK PAGE and see if you are the winner on May 31st.

More hearts can be seen (and purchased) from my webpage: http://kanika.us/1gifts_pp.htm.

What is Genius?

2009-04-28T07:01:00.000-07:00

A friend recently e-mailed me a thought-provoking presentation from Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of "Eat, Pray, Love" that lead me to write the following. Listen to the presentation first (click on the tan word above), so the following makes more sense. Or will it?

Interesting presentation. I am normally a rationale, realistic, logical (I think!) person, but I truly do believe that my ancestors work through my fingers to help me create my artwork. I rarely spend a lot of time (any time, really) thinking about what I will create. I simply say to my muse/universe that I would like to make a figurine, or plate, or tile piece, or goddess. Then I get the bag of clay, cut off a piece that approximates the size of artwork that might work, and then I look at the clay, trance-out, dive into the clay (in my mind, of course). Very soon, I receive - from somewhere - how I should proceed. Either roll it out and see lines and shapes in the clay and incise it there, etc. I do not draw a picture first. I do not imagine what colors the finished project will be - I throw glaze on and mix, layer, paint wherever my fingers lead. Almost all of my work is freehand, non-prethought. It makes for a liberating, exciting experience. And I thank my ancestors for inspiration.

But I don't believe in fairies (well, there might be a few of them . . . )

To Artists: Scam Alert!

2009-03-21T00:17:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

A word to the wise: beware of e-mailers claiming interest in your artwork.

I know all about scammers who try to buy your work using a Money Order or Certified Check. I know about scammers who promise to pay you MUCH more than what your product is worth. I know about scammers who steal your digital images for their own $ use. I know about scammers who claim to represent stores or galleries or art shows and want you to send your artwork to them for photography or prizes or advertisement.

Yes, I am wary. But a couple of weeks ago, I received the following e-mail from STEVEN PALLIN (probably not his real name):
Hey There,

Just moved into a new apartment did some search on-line and came across your.I am considering decorating the wall along the stair case with either a painting, ceramic or sculpture. The wall where the item will be hanged is already painted with my favourite coluor ( Cream ) so the displayed item have to be catchy. Am considering a price range of between $900- $1,500 for this commission.

Conversely, most appreciated if you send me a link to your website again or attach and send to me some of the images ( between 3-5 ) of work you may recommend so that i can choose. My address is 1017 Oneida st. Fort Wayne,IN 46805. Your swift response will be appreciated.

Your's Sincerely

Steven Pallin

So the guy left his name, his address, and some detail of what he wanted. The red flags went up immediately: poor spelling, why would he need my website URL again? The only way he could get my e-mail address would be from the website URL. He mentioned prices up front before letting me know which piece he wanted.

So I attempted to qualify him as a bonafide customer by sending him an e-mail asking him to e-mail a picture of his space so I could better choose which of my sculptures might work best. I figured that a scammer wouldn't respond to questions, but he did and indicated he did not have a digital camera. He again asked me to send images of some artwork to his address. I sent another qualifying e-mail asking him to describe the types and colors of artwork he likes (e.g., figurative, landscape, bold colors, abstracts), again thinking he would give up if he weren't legit. But he responded something bright and figurative. So I sent him a couple of low-resolution images with the prices and sizes. He selected one of the artworks that I sent and asked what type of payment I took, to which I responded PayPal. He said he could only do a Certified Cashier's Check. WARNING! I responded that PayPal is all I could accept. I haven't heard from him since.

I have made many safe web sales over the years, but most of the smaller pieces on my website have PayPal "Buy" buttons that allow the customer to easily purchase what they want without my inervention. PayPal verifies their credit card and e-mails me the buyer's contact info so i feel confident that PayPal will deposit the purchase money into my bank account with no problems. Some people do not like PayPal, but bonafide customers would try to work with the artist regarding payment terms. Anyone who insists upon a Money Order or Cashier's Check as the only payment option is likely a scammer. So be careful.

This guy may have obtained my e-mail address from any number of sources. Since I have a new Facebook account, I decided to change my e-mail to something that I can easily identify as coming from Facebook, just in case scammers are using that means to work their dirty business. Be safe out there in the world wide web.

Mental Block Against Breast Cancer?

2009-03-09T19:41:00.000-07:00

I don't know why, exactly, but lately I have had a mental block with talking about the subject of breast cancer. Perhaps it is because I have been concentrating on my new line of hopeful heart sculptures.

Perhaps because I've been more concerned about my dad's Alzheimer's Disease and how to help his wife accept that he will never be the same husband she married. Today, my siblings and I met with her siblings and a counselor who is knowledgeable about Alzheimer’s issues. To try to get through to her, I expressed the sadness that we had when we heard the doctor say he could do no more for our mother’s cancer. Traditional and alternative medicine therapies no longer worked. I recounted that we kids did all that our mother would allow us to do for her during her last months. We sure attempted to find out as much as we could to ensure that she was taken care of the best she could be. We had to face her impending death, but we did it together, and gave mom the grace to die as peacefully and pain free as possible.

Talking about this difficult experience today brought back a flood of memories. Mom would not allow us to get her a helper. She wouldn’t let us stay with her overnight, or bring her meals, or anything. She had been so very independent most of her life that she did not want to “burden” us. So although we desperately wanted to help, we gave her the dignity of continuing to make her choices. But one night mom fell in her house. She couldn’t reach the phone to call for help and had to stay on the cold floor all night long. When I came to see her the next morning, she was nearly frozen, sprawled on the floor. She had hit bottom, literally, figuratively, mentally, physically. She accepted that she needed help and we got her what she wanted.

I shared this story today at our intervention in hope that my stepmother would accept that she cannot fix dad’s medical problem and that they both need help. The counselor urged her not to wait until something bad happened - like dad falling down the stairs at their house. Unfortunately, my stepmother is simply not ready to deal with her reality.

It was an exhausting experience, to be sure. But I was glad both families got to talk about the elephant in the room. As my stepmother takes dad back home tomorrow, 5.5 hours away, overlooking the ocean, we hope she will think about all of the information she was given. And that’s really the moral to this story. When we are beset with a setback like breast cancer, learn about it, stare it in the face, fight it, and ask for help. Namaste.

A New Year Brings New Hope

2008-12-26T08:46:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year One and All!

Not only will 2009 see the installation of the first black President of the United States of America, it will also bring a new sense of hope for the future.

Many of us have lost our jobs and our homes in the economic downturn of the past two years and families are still losing loved ones to cancer. The entertainer Eartha Kitt, age 81, recently succumbed to colon cancer, and there are many other reminders that more miracles are needed.
The good news is that the 5-year relative survival for localized breast cancer (malignant cancer that has not spread to lymph nodes or other locations outside the breast) has increased from 80% in the 1950s to 98% today. The 10-year survival rate may be about 80%, according to "Cancer Facts and Figures 2008." Hopefully 2009 will foster a gradual improvement in our country's economy, our status around the world, and the health of Americans and other world peoples.

Each year I donate at least 10% of all sales of my Kanika African Sculptures Survivor Art purchases to breast cancer research. The latest news is that the tide of new breast cancer reportings is starting to turn for the better. With our continued vigilance in leading more healthful lives and escalating medical breakthroughs into disease as a whole, we will hopefully see a reduction in all kinds of cancers.

Wishing you health and happiness in the new year. Sincerely, Kanika Marshall

4th Floor Art Show Adjunct to Freedom's Sisters Show

2008-11-11T17:30:00.000-08:00

On October 25th, there was a fabulous gala reception for the Freedom's Sisters Show, as detailed in my Spirituality and Art Blog. Unfortunately, the local artist show on the 4th floor was not opened during the gala. I just had an opportunity to go to the 4th floor of the Sacramento Main Library (828 I Street) to view the local art show that accompanies the Freedom's Sisters Show. I enjoyed seeing the artwork of other female artists, especially those I did not know. I look forward to meeting the other artists, and I invite you to meet them too, on December 6th at 3 PM. We artists will have a round table discussion about our inspirations for the artworks. Come and bring your questions and give us your feedback.

The art show is open every day that the Main Library is open. Do check it and the Freedom's Sisters Show out. And bring the kids and grandkids so they can learn about an important part of African American history.

Kanika's "Fetish For a Cure" will be in the Freedom's Sisters Show

2008-09-30T20:15:00.000-07:00

I was honored to be asked to participate in the amazing Freedom's Sisters show from October 25, 2008, through January 4, 2009, at the Sacramento Public Library, located at 915 I Street. Part of the Smithsonian Traveling Show, and developed at the Cincinnati Museum, this show celebrates the great achievements of 20 African American Women, including Mary McLeod Bethune, Myrlie-Evers Williams, Sonia Sanchez, Charlayne-Hunter Gault, Dr. Dorothy Height and Kathleen Cleaver.

Ms. Gloria Burt and her husband, Burt, came to my studio last week to select some of my sculpture pieces for the show. One that they selected has never been seen in a show before. Part of the mastectomy and Earth Mother series, it is a striking, somewhat disturbing figurative piece. The body is reminiscent of a strong periwinkle-colored tree trunk with a suggestion of legs and muscles pulsing upward to the pendulous breasts. Blood red feathers form a halo around the head. There is a suggestion of arms, or are they wings?

But the most arresting attribute, perhaps, is the left breast which is cut and flopped to the side, uncovering a brilliant blue color underneath. Instead of recoiling from the piece, though, Gloria found it interesting. I had no name for the sculpture. Burt suggested "Fetish" and Gloria put it all together by calling the sculpture "Fetish for a Cure." PERFECT!!!

Layers of Life

2008-06-30T19:56:00.000-07:00

I have desired to create really tall sculptures for years, so preparing for my gallery show was the time to start! I wanted an all-tile six-foot tall sculpture that could be used indoors or out. But how to do it? I had to figure out what shapes and foundation would be the best, but not be so heavy that the finished sculpture couldn't be moved. My first effort resulted in a stella/obelisk out of pine; it was so heavy (33 pounds) that I could not add heavy clay tiles to it. I decided to make a 4" x 4" x 6' foundation out of OSB wood and affixed it to a strong 12"x12" base on a turntable. This framework was only 15 pounds and was ready for tiling.

It took about one month to make hundreds of 4.25" tiles using my extruder and slab method. They were catalogued by color and set in boxes on the workbench in my studio. I thought it would be simple to cover the structure with tiles, but was I ever wrong! First of all, only one side could be done at a time, so the structure was laid on the worktable and I began experimenting with which tiles looked best, row after row. Clay swirls, faces, glass baubles and other items were juxtaposed next to the tiles along one 4"x6' side, then adhered in place. The adhesive had to dry for a couple of days before the structure could be turned one-quarter turn. The second side was more difficult, for I want to have some measure of continuity of color and texture and shape between the sides. Arranging, rearranging, adhering. All three remaining sides were finished over several weeks time. Then grout was applied and other finishing touches.

On top of this colorful tower is a breast cancer survivor, inspired by my mother, Mary Marshall, who battled breast cancer for ten years. She is on top of the tower (her life), surveying all that is around her from her lofty position. Underneath her are the memories, or layers, of her life - both the good and the bad, the happy and the sad. She is satisfied with her present status. Confident in her nakedness.

This was a labor of love, to be sure. I held a contest with my customers to come up with a title for the sculpture and artist friend, Dianne Mattar, came up with the winning name: "Layers of Life." This monolith was featured in the 2008 California State Fair.

The tile structure was complex, interesting, colorful, dizzying even. But it simply was not enough. I needed something to tie it all together. So I topped the stella with a simple female form from my mastectomy series. She is relaxed, leg crossed, comfortable with her naked self, sitting on top of the world, in control of her life, loving the color and texture of her life. She is the epitome of "Layers of Life."

We all have complexities that put roadblocks in our way. It is our job to figure out how to deal with the good and the bad, the yin and the yang.

WHAT DO YOU SEE IN THIS SCULPTURE?

Here are pictures showing the progression of the creation:

Kanika in her studio, surrounded by boxes and boxes of clay pieces and tiles that she made, glass, stone.	A wooden form is underneath the clay pieces.	Sample of one of about 15 boxes of clay pieces made by Kanika.

May is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2008-05-20T21:40:00.000-07:00

Perhaps the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is the most well-known of fundraising efforts for breast cancer research. In Sacramento, California, the annual race is usually on Mother's Day weekend.

This year, as in past years, thousands of women and their families and friends dressed in pink hats and pink bows to walk and run to make money for this worthy organization. After the spirited warm-up that starts the event at Cal Expo, the colorful throng proceeds through the streets for several miles. Serious runners, quick walkers, relaxed amblers, all spending their morning with supportive people. Doing their part to search for a cure.

Kanika Marshall donates at least 10% of all wearable survivor art sales to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Many more beautiful survivor necklaces are available on the Kanika African Sculptures website.

Julia Child - An Inspiration

2008-04-24T21:57:00.001-07:00

Tonight I watched a retrospective on Julia Child, the "French Chef." Besides being an accomplished chef after many years of cooking school and lots of trial and error, she was also a down-to-earth teacher, college graduate from the 1920s, world traveler, and lover of all things French. And she was a coot o watch on TV! So personable, so approachable. Who can forget her dancing chicken show where she propped up a raw chicken and lifted it by its wings to pretend it was a dancing marionette? SO FUNNY! So Julia!

But Julia Child was also a breast cancer survivor. And in the 1960s when she was diagnosed, medical knowledge about the disease was not nearly as adept as it is now. Scary! Julia lived another 35 or so years after her mastectomy. And what a full life it was! Several television cooking shows, 12 cook books (first of which was the million seller "Mastering the Art of French Cooking", and still wildly popular into her 80s, Julia Child was indeed an inspiration!

The Madonna Chronicles

2008-01-31T20:18:00.001-08:00

Perhaps an unusual piece of survivor art, this Black Madonna is ________________ (you fill in the blank).

A New Year

2008-01-03T06:53:00.001-08:00

We at Kanika African Sculptures hope 2008 brings more breakthroughs in research to quell breast cancer. Here is a beautiful piece that portrays that hopefullness.

The Wound That Heals

2007-11-11T23:47:00.000-08:00

This unusual breast cancer survivor art pendant is a graphic portrayal of this disease. The blackened wound. The hole. The residue of radiation. Yet surrounded by brightness and beautiful colors.

What does this sculpture bring to your sensibilities? Ugliness? Beauty? Disease? Healing?

Pretty in Pink

2007-10-14T11:12:00.001-07:00

Contemplating Old Wounds

2007-09-29T10:40:00.000-07:00

The fact that my mother - an active tennis player, golfer, and nonsmoker - was touched by cancer deeply affected how I viewed the world. The morning of her mastectomy surgery in 1996, we contemplated her life as an effective educator, her love of bridge, and her promising watercolor art business. After the surgery, months of chemotherapy and radiation scarred her body, but not her soul. This ceramic sculpture represents one woman's journey from loss to acceptance. The glass marbles in one breast symbolize the international radiation symbol; the hair texturing is full of the peaks and valleys of life; and the beaded earring evokes a sense of elegance and style.

"Contemplating Old Wounds" won the Best of Show in the 2004 Valley Sculpture Artists art competition and an Award of Merit at the 2004 State Fair. It was the first in a series of breast cancer sculptures honoring my mother, Mary Marshall. Size: 12W x 16H. Click for more breast cancer art images.

Mary Marshall, My Inspiration

2007-09-28T22:22:00.000-07:00

The last year of my mother's life was one of dignity, pain, memories, assistance, sadness, humor, and appreciation for a life well lived. Mary Ellen Carter Marshall had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996 at the age of 62. She did not smoke, drink, or take drugs. She was the most physically active woman I knew, being an avid tennis player, golfer, walker, and bicycle rider. She was a Silver Master bridge player. She ate nutritious food (aside from the occasional See's chocolate!). She dedicated her working life to serving Sacramento's children as a teacher and principal at numerous elementary and middle schools. She volunteered her time at the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority's Oak Park Preschool and other community organizations. After retirement in 1989, she pursued her lifelong hobby of portrait drawing and developed it into a full-fledged and profitable watercolor art business. Her three children and three grandchildren observed an unusually active mother and grandmother who played tennis with them, encouraged them to paint, beat them unmercilessly at Scrabble, and . . . made the occasional batch of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

A lengthy course of chemotherapy and a mastectomy seemed to chase the cancer away and seven years had passed cancer free giving her an almost normal life again. However, the scourge came back during the summer of 2003 migrating from her breast and filling her lungs with poison. Herceptin - an inhibitor against breast cancer, chemotherapy, and radiation seemed to nip it in the bud again during the winter of 2003, but it came back stronger and stronger each summer, until 2006 when the doctors said it had spread throughout her brain. The next six months - her last - zapped her ability to care for herself. Bedridden and unable to move her limbs, she still entertained with dignity the many friends and family who loyally visited her everyday. She never lost her spirit. She never stopped trying to be a contributing part of this world.

This great lady joined her deceased mother and siblings on January 27, 2007. This blog is dedicated to her and all who have fought, or who are still fighting the fight with breast cancer.