Three Spring Seedlings

I’ve been pretty quiet on here lately and its because I’ve been very busy planting seeds. Not the kind that go into the ground to grow into beautiful flowers (although I’m sure I’ll be doing that sort of planting soon as well). No, the seeds that I have been cultivating are three big projects for 2026 that are just now starting sprout into seedlings. I can’t share all the exciting details yet, but let me share what I can:

The first bit of news is that one of my paintings went on a big adventure across the world this month. My watercolor/gouache painting “Eisenhower Park Rose Garden” was purchased by the City of Abilene’s Sister City board and delivered by a delegation to our sister city Omitama, Japan in honor of “a shared meaningful international relationship, grounded in mutual respect, cultural exchange, and friendship.” (From the City of Abilene’s Proclamation). You may recognize this painting as the piece that I painted plein air at Eisenhower Park during the ‘Petals at their Peak’ event shortly after I moved to Abilene. This is the first in a series of four seasons paintings that I will be creating for the Sister City board, highlighting the natural beauty of Abilene, Kansas as it changes with the seasons. I’m honored to be a part of this gift and I have fond memories of teaching a painting class to the Omitama delegation when they were visiting Abilene in 2024.

Its always exciting to know that one of my paintings is traveling far away, like a piece of my heart is going with it. There are pieces of my art that have been sent all the way to Australia, South Korea and now Japan. My art is more well-traveled than I am at this point! (You can still get your own print of this painting on my page here: https://www.heatherkatrinia.com/product-page/eisenhower-rose-garden-giclée-prints)

The second bit of exciting news is also related to plein air painting. April 25th, I will be teaching a plein air painting class at the Seelye Mansion, sponsored by the Arts Council of Dickinson County. The Seelye Mansion is a historic landmark here in Abilene, built in 1904 for Dr. A.B. Seelye, a patent medicine magnate. The gardens at the Seelye Mansion feature an arched bridge and goldfish pond framed with flower trees and a weeping willow. The scene reminds me so much of Claude Monet’s Japanese Garden in Giverny, which inspired his beautiful, and gigantic Water Lilies paintings, and given the time period when the Seelye’s gardens would have been built, I imagine that those paintings had some influence on its design, considering how much Monet’s work dominated the art world at the turn of the century. These paintings have been hugely influential on me as well, and so I’ve been working on some Monet-style impressionist paintings of the Seelye’s beautiful gardens to help inspire our painters who join us for the Plein Air painting event. I can’t wait to share these pieces with you as soon as they are finished.

(You can find more information on this event here: https://www.facebook.com/share/1CFDJKd561/ or call the Seelye Mansion to reserve your spot today: 785-263-1084 )

Third little seedling that is about to sprout is a very BIG art project I am working on for our community right now. I can’t share many details at this point, but I can show a photo of the biggest package I’ve ever had delivered at my house before. You’ll have to keep an eye out on this page for updates on when this massive piece will be installed and publicly unveiled.