Sunday, May 29, 2011

"Roses In Vermont 2010"
© Nora Kasten 2010
Oil on linen  (10"x10") For sale at The Brown County Art Guild, Nashville, IN

"The art world still seems so far away for me but I am not without hope.  If this continued grief is self pity (and I think it must be),  my heart will surely accept the loss of my Beloved Karl soon so that  a new life without him can begin.  He died nine and a half months ago and though I have some days without tears, they still erupt too often.

Last week I read (listened to on the IPad) Joyce Carol Oates "A Widow's Story"/March, 2011.  Her beloved husband, Ray, died in February, 2008.  I'm not experiencing guilt but other than that our lives and emotions during the first year of being a widow seem to parallel, even the things we've done.  The book was very depressing for me to listen to but toward the end she firmly states "The value of suffering itself, physical pain, emotional and psychological pain, is there any purpose to it?  Then at the end she says, "Though I am writing this memoir to see what can be made of the phenomenon of grief in the most exactingly minute of ways, I am no longer convinced that there is any inherent value in grief.  Or if there is, if wisdom springs from the experience of terrible loss, it's a wisdom one might do without."  Oates words inspire me to get on with the new life God has for me. . . . .  but what is it?"




Friday, May 13, 2011

"Run For The Roses" Art by Artist, NORA KASTEN


"Run For The Roses" 
Art Exhibit, May 7, 2011
SHELDON FINE ART GALLERY,  Naples, Florida

Featureg Artist
NORA KASTEN


Wednesday, May 11, 2011

"Watermelon" Beginning Oil Painting by Artist, NORA KASTEN


Beginning of "Watermelon" Painting
"I blocked this in one afternoon, over a week ago and not sure if I will get back to it since the watermelon is long gone to the trash.   My interest turned to fashion and design and below is my latest creation."


"A page (below) in the May issue of Town & Country magazine was my inspiration.  I had this pink linen Lauren blouse that I liked but didn't like to wear because the linen fabric wrinkles so badly.  It doesn't show in the photo but the fabric for the skirt is 100% cotton, quilted squares . . .  and yes, I laundered the fabric before cutting out the pattern.   For this leisure wear evening dress, the wrinkles won't matter to me.  Do any of you watch the Food Channel?  There's a cooking program called "Semi Homemade".  That's what I'm calling my new dress, Semi Homemade."


Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Oil Paintings by Artist, NORA KASTEN, to Sheldon Fine Art Gallery, Naples, FL / "Run For The Roses" Show

Visual arts
Opening this week

“Run for the Roses,”
 exhibit by local artist Nora Kasten, 9 a,m.-9 p.m. Sundays through Saturdays, today through May 10, Sheldon Fine Art, 460 Fifth Ave. S., Naples. 639-6255

Ten Paintings Delivered to Sheldon Fine Art Gallery










"These paintings were delivered to Sheldon Fine Art, on Fifth Avenue today for Saturday's show, "Run For The Roses".   Saturday, May 7, 2011."