{"id":798,"date":"2008-07-29T19:03:59","date_gmt":"2008-07-29T23:03:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/catchingfireflies.com\/blog\/?p=798"},"modified":"2008-07-29T19:03:59","modified_gmt":"2008-07-29T23:03:59","slug":"anahata-katkin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.catchingfirefliesgifts.com\/blog\/2008\/07\/anahata-katkin\/","title":{"rendered":"Anahata Katkin – Papayalicious!"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n\"P1\"<\/a>
<\/span>Meet Anahata Katkin of Ashland, Oregon.  She is the inspiration behind a lovely line of uplifting goods called Papaya!.<\/p>\n

A portion of her bio reads, "I have had a passion for collage since I was a kid. I cut up words and magazines for comfort. And the tradition lasted as I got older. I turned to sketchbooks and journals as early as third grade for that morsel for expression that magically seems to balance things again. \"P4\"<\/a> <\/p>\n

I don't know why cutting things apart to reassemble them has made the world right side up for me- but at times it has literally done just that. \"P2\"<\/a>
I have a little training in fine arts.  Most of what I create now has been a necessary process of exploration in mixed media and art journaling over the years that developed mainly out of creative isolation. (Having to figure out new materials, sizes and techniques is a wonderful way to develop your own style.)\"P8\"<\/a>
After many years of keeping art journals my mother and I decided to launch an arts business in the stationery industry. Translating original artwork into digital renderings for greeting cards. \"P6\"<\/a> <\/p>\n

It has been an incredibly wonderful way for me to express myself as an artist. A great bridge for me between my creative life and my mundane life. I have been able to remain creatively free and self directed using the same formulas that kept me company years ago on the couch with only a journal, a cup of tea and some paint to overcome a stressful day.\"P3\"<\/a> <\/p>\n

Overtime I have fallen in love with digital arts and see it as a the ultimate tool. Today much of what I create at PaPaYa! is digital or a combination. I love this balance. When I burn out with digital artwork I play with my hand work. And vice versa.
\"P9\"<\/a> <\/p>\n

To me the beauty of so much of the mixed media and journal arts movement is the personal quality of it.  I try very hard to create artwork for myself and nothing more. And when I succeed in getting out of my own way- I share it with the rest of the world. That's my formula."
\"P7_2\"<\/a>We're proud to carry a few of Anahata's journals<\/a>, magnets<\/a> and 'The Art of Mail' stationery sets <\/a>(I'd love to get one of those envelopes in my mailbox!)<\/em> online and a number of her canvases and other designs at our Rochester and Berkley locations.<\/a><\/p>\n

Enjoy reading about gals who follow their bliss<\/strong><\/span>? Stay in the loop by s<\/strong><\/span>igning up<\/strong><\/span><\/a> to receive these colorful posts in your email inbox!<\/strong><\/span> <\/p>\n