Blessed Hands Inspired by Art, Photography, Knitting

I find it amazing the things artists can create. One such artist is Kathy Dismus. Her loving and blessed hands not only create beautiful works of art, they also care for precious rescue kittens. 

 I am so inspired by Kathy’s beautiful spirit and light and also by her many talents. And I am happy to call her friend. She is peaceful, wise, witty and fun. I once shared with someone that she is my Maya Angelou. {No pressure there Kathy ❤}

{Knitting and Photography by Kathy}

    
Name: Kathy                       

Hometown: Atlanta, GA

TLC: What initially inspired your love for the arts; drawing, photography and knitting?

Kathy: It amazes me how subtle the seed voice can be, but over the years I’ve learned how to detect silent threads that lead to huge passions. I believe that they are an aspect of the spiritual path- a process of our unfolding. We are innately drawn to beauty and an essential part of the human experience is creating beauty. Rumi said ” Let the beauty we love, be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground” As a child we do this naturally-there are no filters. When I look back on my life I can see that my desire to have the largest set of crayons and a ridiculous amount of coloring books was a gateway into art. My fascination with string games (cats cradle) was a gateway into knitting. My love for photography came much later. I didn’t even see the signs for this one. I just walked into a camera shop with my first humble paycheck from my first humble job and bought a 35mm camera. I worked in New York city at the time and would spend hours photographing people in Washington Square Park.

TLC: How long have you enjoyed knitting, drawing and photography?

Kathy: I have been knitting and crocheting since I was 8 years old. It has led me into various branches of the fiber arts-sewing, surface design, embroidery, improvisational patchwork and weaving. My love for photography really began to blossom when digital devices came on the market. I soon began a knitting blog ,”The Fifth Wondrous Place” {http://katnap.wordpress.com}and naturally photography became a companion to writing, art and knitting. Drawing had been a back burner occupation that went briefly in and out of my life, but an undercurrent fire was always burning. I loved visiting museums and art stores (even though I never bought anything nor had any knowledge of how to use all those luscious colors) At the age of 50 I heard an inner voice say ” draw” , which has led to an intense 5 year love affair with charcoal, graphite, paint and paper. 

TLC: Do you have a favorite subject that you like to photograph? Draw?

Kathy: My favorite subject to draw is the portrait. On a more subtle level, I would say that I like to draw the soul resting behind the face. I photograph EVERYthing, but there are a ton of pictures of my cat, because she is always around and can stay in one place for hours. In general I love photographing light.

TLC: Is there anything you find challenging about being a photographer? Illustrator? Knitting? How do you overcome each of the challenges (if any)?

Kathy: There are a ton of challenges and a multitude of things to learn in all three of these crafts. They all require patience and technical skill. I am not a “gifted” artist, but I am passionate about art and have an insatiable curiosity. As a child my pictures looked like the rest of the class-nothing special going on there : ) Passion and patience are the two companions that get me through every challenge. Also, there is always something in the back of my head saying, “You can DO this!”

TLC: Is there a favorite quote or saying that inspires you during these challenges?

Kathy: Knitting is a repetitive inherently rhythmic and easily lends itself to mantra practice. When knitting gifts, I often say healing mantras with each stitch. The garments I give to friends are visible forms of prayer. For further examples of my knitting you can visit my project notebook on Ravelry http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Katnip

Photography and drawing are more personal tools of expression that I use to communicate the truth of what I see and feel. They also fine tune my eyes and heart to see the interconnection of all things and the beauty of Spirit.

 

TLC: Is there anything else you would like to share with The LOVE Channel?

Kathy: The light in this photograph reminds me of a Buddhist concept that states that through-out our life, we are all held perpetually in a golden light. It supports all we do. The name of my blog, “The Fifth Wondrous Place”, is a reference to the fertile ground in Buddhist mythology where we come into our fullest potential. It is where we “Let our life force bloom.” I am an enabler of the creative spirit in everyone I meet and would like to leave your audience with this sentiment. Listen to your inner cues. Sometimes it speaks loudly, sometimes, as in my case, it is a quiet voice. You never know where your passion will take you. The path of progress is not always straight. It is a dance of 5 steps back, 8 steps forward. Do not be discouraged. Let your passion override your fear and NEVER underestimate what you can and cannot do.

 

My heart and soul are enlightened and I feel the freedom to be. Thank you friend for sharing your love and wisdom. Kathy #UInspire ❤