by Tammy Peacy

“I was born in Encino California. I have spent all of my life creating art. I was never formally trained; I never attended a fancy art school. I have had two individuals impact my work the first was a college art teacher who taught me how to not fear making a mistake. He aggravated me and challenged me. He broke my ego by telling me my work was terrible until I learned that it was a great thing to make a mess out of my work and then work it until it became art. The second person who influenced me was a crazy artist who showed me how to express the passion in my work. Until I met this man I spent my life trying to be perfect in my work, always striving for perfection. Art is not perfect it is expression of feelings. Feelings are not perfect therefore no art form can be perfect. The imperfections are what make a great piece. I am always trying new ways to express myself through art. I paint to set the feelings in me free. I can capture a likeness but you will always see what I feel about the person in my portraits not a mirror image. That is what a camera is for. I paint landscapes if they feel like something that moves me. I paint abstract work to express my passion. It may be serene or explosive. I work in all mediums. I love to experiment with different mediums. I sculpt; work with glass and anything else that comes to me. I woke up one morning and thought I must sculpt today, went and found soapstone bought the tools to sculpt with and started sculpting. That is how it works with me. I just feel it and it becomes. I have been an artist for my entire life and I will always be an artist it is what defines me. I create because I am.” -
Kim’s Artist’s Statement
T: You moved here from California. How long have you been in Kenosha?
T: So, a while. What brought you to Lemon Street?
T: That’s been fairly recently then, if it was with Franco?
T: When will you have a show there?
T: That’s exciting.
T: I went out with Franco last night, so maybe he’s there, [laughs] maybe he’s not. Mostly you’re painting. I saw [in your portfolio] some sculpture. Do you sell the sculpture at LSG also?
T: How long have you been sculpting?
T: Aw. Don’t you wish you still had that turkey?
T: Where do you find inspiration for your abstract work?
T: How do you spell that?
T: I read your bio and it says you haven’t had any formal training or anything. Have you taken any classes anywhere?
I’ve always had the inspiration to create art. I can’t remember a time that I didn’t have a pen, pencil, crayon, something in my hand doing something. Even at work, my desk planner has doodles all over it. People all the time are like, “What art are you creating now?” It’s just who I am.
I got married very young so I didn’t have an opportunity to go to college right away. When I was in my thirties, I wanted to go to school for art. It was something I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve always tried to go to that next level and perfect myself. At that point I was very uptight about perfectionism and realism, that’s where the portraiture and landscaping came from, because I was trying to create something that looked like something. I was almost trying to create that photographic painting. So when I went to college I went for art. It didn’t last very long because I was a single mom trying to raise a kid and I was working three jobs and it was insane. I encountered my first art teacher, his name was Tom Watts in Newport News, Virginia. He assaulted my ego on a daily basis. He saw my talent but he couldn’t stand the fact that I was so trying to be so perfect. One of the things in art is that it is not perfect. So he basically would come to a piece of mine and dip a brush into paint and [Kim makes a flicking motion] and walk away and it infuriated me. The thing he taught me was to make a mess and then create art out of it. He broke the mold of I have to be perfect. It actually took me to a whole other level as an artist.
I did a lot of self study as far as I would buy books on Van Gogh and I would look at Renoir and Monet and I would look at their work and try to figure out how did they do this?
I didn’t finish school, because I couldn’t afford it. So that was my limited exposure to classes. Then I met this guy that I got into a relationship with. Was with him for about four years. We’re still very close, good friends, because he’s a crazy artist as well. He’s quite talented, but at this point he’s not doing anything because he’s totally nuts. That’s really the best way to explain it. He’s very well known in Milwaukee. He was an abstract artist. When I met him I was trying to break out of realism and get into abstract art, but my abstract was very immature. I really didn’t know how to go about doing it.
Abstract work is not just throwing colors on a canvas. It’s very difficult, because you have to make it look like something. People look at it and say, Oh, anybody could do this. But where does that come from? Where do you come up with the concept to put the colors in that way? There’s so much to it.
So him being the abstract artist that he was, got me drunk one night, got this huge canvas and handed me my paintbrush and said, “We’re cranking up the tunes and we’re putting paint on this canvas.” I was very intimidated, because this was a big four feet by four feet piece. At first I was like, “I can’t do this.” Like you said, where does the inspiration come from? I got very frustrated and I started putting color on there and the next thing I knew I had this amazing piece of artwork. As time went on, he would do this with me and then he started showing me different techniques that go into an abstract. So I learned a lot from him in that regard and he helped me to express my emotion on canvas. Because prior to that my expressing my emotion would be doing a portrait of someone and it would be if I was sad it would be very dark, depressed kind of piece. Now when I do abstract I can put it in some form of art.
T: Do you think it’s pretty apparent when people see your work what emotions you were feeling? Or is it more of a private thing where you know and maybe some people might get it?
T: Is there, let me think of what I’m trying to say, is there emotion or feeling tied into like the brush strokes?
Through my art I’ve learned to cope with my reality. You know, we have to live in the real world. If I had my choice I would do nothing but create art, but that’s not real in this world. Everything that I go through in life I tend to express in my work and it’s very therapeutic and healthy for me. You know rather than bottle those things up and walk around all, you know, upset or whatever, I’m able to get it out. And once I get it out I’m okay. It’s kind of like therapy.
T: You’re living in Burlington, but what do you think of the things that are happening in the arts community in Kenosha?
Kim Rahal you have been “exposed”
Kim has a show at the Pollard Gallery 3/1-5/2. The reception is March 7th and will be from 6-9pm. This is a shared show with Kate Fallucca.
Visit Kim’s myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/prosephene





7 comments ↓
You are a very talented artists d getting better every day. Keep it up
I am so THRILLED that the rest of the world has the chance to see the woman who I have had the great pleasure of knowing in the midst of some frothy years, all grist for the artist’s mill, all certainly a part of your vision and creative excitement. Kim Rahal, dear folks, is exceptional and I can’t wait to see the show!
Kim, I’m so very proud of and thrilled for you!!! How wonderful and exciting to see your talent being more widely recognized and to see things moving forward in your art career. Even back when we were in junior high together you were always doodling on something. I can’t wait to have some of your beautiful creations hanging in my home! Congratulations, my precious friend!!!
Great interview!
I am looking forward to the art opening on March 7th!
We are very proud to have Kim as one of our collective of artists at Lemon Street Gallery and look forward to sharing her artwork with the community.
Great job done Kim! I am really excited for you and looking forward to this art show.
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