Kat Shevchenko, Artist & Illustrator

Rough pencil sketch for a painting...an orchid with male & female counterparts emerges from an earth full of feasting worms...this is being made for an gold leafed oval frame I found at the flea market.  

First photo is one I  shot of the creepy spider I found living outside the doorway of my house.  The second is an ink drawing comp on the panel, ready to get its first layer of ground and white egg tempera paint!  There will be a web painted in later after the sky is completed. And last, the white egg tempera value painting is done, now the color glazes need to be added.        

This past few weeks I have been working hard at creating some new works to show for the NG III exhibit.  I am delighted to be participating in.... Nueva Generacion III Curated by Alex Rubio Art opening at the Lone Star Studios. Adriana Corral, Alissandria Munoz, Raul Acosta Palacios, Ashley Sanchez, Kat Shevchenko, Raquel Zawrotny, Vanessa Centeno. ONE NIGHT ONLY, 7PM-10PM. 107 Lone Star, San Antonio, TX 78204 "The Black Rose" oil and egg tempera on panel, 6/2010  photos to be  posted afterwards!

My latest oil painting  entitled,  "A Beautiful Poison" oil and egg tempera on masonite, approx. (16"x20").  This piece was inspired by a sad personal event in my life some years ago, and the image of  a sleeping bird, half dead/asleep came up and then I eventually combined it with the poppies, which are symbolic of sleep/death....as they languish there, there is the realization that everyone can become a slave to their poison, which can be anything in life-drugs.sex.power.food.money.,etc...it is so alluring that it is so easy to become blissfully unaware of the true state of your addiction.

Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen. -Leonardo da Vinci

Here is a shot of an under painting of an almost finished painting called  "A Beautiful Poisen."  I started this one a while back and it is almost finished!  Here you can see the white egg tempera underpainting on the red earth ground.  This is the early first layer stage of the painting that will provide the foundation for the colors.  Sorry for the awful photo w/ the shadow.   

Here is the final painting...finished. For the holiday gala. Title: "The Prisoner" oil/egg tempera on 12 x 12 canvas Depicts a dove, trapped, in a tower-wearing a inquisition styled cap a nod to Goya`s Los Caprichos etchings. Holding a tarot card of The Tower-which has many readings-Oppression,Calamity,Imprisonment...and various other disasters... Event details---> Sa n Antonio Art League Museum: Fundraising silent auction happening at their first annual holiday gala.  The cost of the event is free. The gala will be at the Radisson Hotel, 502 W. Durango Blvd, San Antonio TX (the name of the hotel is changing sometime in Dec.) December 3rd 2009 from 6 to 10pm. Hors d'oeu'vre , beer and wine complementary and cash bar will be available.