Left to right: Ellen Howard, Tia Kratter, & Kim Lordier
The subtitle of our new show “On the Threshold,” is “3 Women, 3 Mediums, 3 Views.” My last two blog posts featured two of those three women—Ellen Howard, and Kim Lordier. As we approach this Saturday’s opening and artists’ reception—from 2 to 4; I hope you’ll come!—I wanted to turn the spotlight on a piece by the third painter in the group, Tia Kratter.
I especially loved framing “Serengeti Reflections.” The 17″ x 12-1/2″ watercolor shows off the artist’s extraordinary painting skill in regards to handling, suitably enough, both water and color. The vibrant beauty of a traditional African textile (evoking for Tia several memorable trips to Africa) is multiplied and magnified by its distortion through clear liquid and glass—a fairly astonishing technical feat. The rich patterns provided ample inspiration for the frame.
The angularity of the picture’s design suggested the molding profile—a slope with a beveled back and chamfered sight edge. The wood for the 2″ frame is mahogany, simply oiled and waxed, except for the sight edge chamfer which Sam painted with dark charcoal grey milk paint. 
I’d been playing around a bit with chip carving, and the zig zag patterns in the painting offered the perfect chance to use a simple carved triangle pattern. I especially like how it complements the angular profile.
“Serengeti Reflections” exemplifies the show’s threshold theme, and Tia’s artist’s statement:
Threshold: that sensitive fine line between abstract and reality; what we think we should see and what is reality. There’s an opportunity to look more carefully at that tipping point; whether it’s a reflection, a play of light, or perhaps the translucency of objects. I aim to look for visuals that blur the line between real and abstraction.
Through a career that began with her studies at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and more than three decades working in animation with Disney and Pixar, Tia has honed her skills and artistic sensibilities to an extraordinary degree. In addition to its amazing technique, “Serengeti Reflections” demonstrates another wonderful and distinct aspect of Tia’s work: her unique and compelling compositional sense.
Just finished framing and hanging “On the Threshold: 3 Women, 3 Mediums, 3 Views,” and we are delighted with it. Come to the opening this Saturday, July 22 from 2 to 4 to meet Tia Kratter, Ellen Howard, and Kim Lordier and bask in their beautiful work.
Process shots—
