Love rocks, literally!

A selection from the Love Rocks series

This summer, I set out on a search to find talented artisans who are designing unique heartfelt products that focus on art, fashion and design. My hope was to find creations that nourish, harmonize and enhance the body, mind and spirit and I have not been disappointed. Along this journey, I crossed paths with Kathy Morawski, a well known equine and collage artist with works in many collections worldwide. Spend some time with us here as we explore her work...

Kala: Hi Kathy. I discovered your work online and was touched by your use of natural elements to express strong heart-centric expressions of love and joy. Tell us, how did the inspiration begin for Love Rocks?

Kathy: It’s great to be here, Kala! I’m honored you were touched by the Love Rocks. Their inspiration initially started in the aftermath of my mother’s sudden death. I began encountering angel and heart references seemingly everywhere and wasn’t sure of the source of these synchronicities but they were comforting. Then I started finding heart shaped rocks on my walks and began collecting them. It wasn’t until I was preparing for an art exhibit and acting on a spontaneous whim, I made a music themed collage titled “Love Rocks!” featuring sheet music and some of these rocks. Since most of my work incorporates words, for my next show I wanted to use the rocks in more of a text based way, but in a simpler format than a collage. I edited down as much as possible, substituting the letter O with a heart shaped rock and thus the Love Rock plaques were born!

Kala: You’re a talented artist, (mixed media collages, black and white and color pencil portraits) with a sincere love for horses. Your painted ponies jump off the cover and I connect deeply with the colored pencil horse portait. Your eye for detail is inspiring. How did your career in art begin?

Colored pencil horse portrait drawing

Kathy: Thank you. I’ve been drawing ever since I can remember and my favorite subject was horses. I was always attracted to details and rendering them myself, so the fact I’m a Virgo seems appropriate! I was also incredibly lucky to have parents that nourished my art and called me “the artist of the family”. As a kid I painted on rocks and took orders for drawings from classmates on the school bus. I studied art and then worked professionally with an amazing art director who expanded my knowledge and took me to a level I would not have obtained otherwise. Over the years I continued creating my art and commissions while working my way up to being an art director myself in the publishing field. It was at this point when my mom passed away prompting a reassessment of my own life and I left the corporate cubicle world to do my art full time. It was a huge leap of faith but I knew I was loved and protected so I jumped.

Kala: In many ancient wisdom teachings, it is said there are four animals who are here with the purpose to be of service and connect deeply with humanity. They are the horse, the cow, the dog and the cat. With this in mind, how have horses touched and inspired you in your life?

Kathy: Well, there’s no doubt which animal I resonate most closely with! Looking back at the many horse references in my life it’s obvious that horses are my totem animal. I was born in the Chinese Year of the Horse in a state claiming the horse as its state animal and my high school mascot was a horse. I got my first horse in another Year of the Horse and was invited to create a horse sculpture for a national art project during yet another Year of the Horse. The horse in my life now, Skip, is a true inspiration and helped me to open my heart again after the death of my mother. He was an older horse who’s owner had just died and no one wanted him. Initially thinking he was too old, I didn’t want to put myself through the possibility of getting attached only to lose him too. But he taught me that wasn’t a way to live and constantly amazes me in how two completely different species can clearly communicate with each other. Horses have the ability to mirror us – you can’t hide, lie or B.S. a horse, they’ll call you out on it every time. Riding and trusting my horse with my life is an honor as it means he trusts me as well. Recently I began volunteering for a therapeutic riding program and am witnessing yet another aspect as to how horses enhance our lives. Horses truly help us in so many ways, spiritually, emotionally and physically.

Kala: I was born in the Year of the Horse too and agree horses have so much to teach us and to share with humanity. I can see your love for horses in your work, tell me more about your inspired “Quarter Horse’’ design…

Detail of original Quarter Horse sculpture
created for the Trail of Painted Ponies

Kathy: I remember first encountering the life sized painted horse sculptures on display for an art for charity program called Horse Power New Mexico (later to be known as the Trail of Painted Ponies). It was July 2001 and I was standing on a Santa Fe sidewalk when suddenly the words “I want to do this!” came unconsciously flying out of my mouth. After returning home I started working on sketches but when the events of 9-11 occurred, I set them aside as now designing a horse specifically for America became my creative outlet to deal with the confusing times. After weeks of many new ideas and sketches still nothing felt quite right. Then one night I had a dream in which I was reading a newspaper article about a woman creating a new design for the American quarter and woke up wondering why I was dreaming about coin designs when my problem was coming up with a horse design. I immediately gathered a bunch of quarters, cleared my mind and stared at them. One quarter with a dark tarnished patina caught my attention so I began experimenting, focusing on the eagle and selected words of the reverse side of the coin. The discovery of the opportunity to reflect a theme of national allegiance and unity hit me. E Pluribus Unum. Out of many, one. That was one of most memorable inspired Ah-ha! moments I ever had.

Kala: Your latest creation is Love Rocks. I love how many words you’ve worked the rocks into… love, hope, yoga, om, joy, and many others. When I look at them, I see the stone… as being strong, enduring, and long lasting and the clay plaques as being of earth, warm, fragile, and encompassing. Together, they hold love. Perhaps the two things most needed during this time on earth is love and kindness. What do you wish for each piece as you create it and what are your hopes for the world?

Kathy: I love your take on this! For me they are also like condensed versions of affirmations. Many times they are often messages or reminders I need for myself. Since words conjure up different meanings and reactions in people I think their simplicity has a pure essence. It’s also interesting to see how people, especially children, are instinctively attracted to the rocks. There is something grounding and reassuring about rocks. The words aren’t set in stone, rather the stone is set in the words and the heart shaped rocks only help to reinforce the words. I want to share and remind others that we are all loved with the idea that the heart shaped rocks are angelic offerings echoing my own hopes for the world to include love, peace and respect for the Earth and all of its inhabitants.

Kala: You also work in mixed media and an author, I enjoyed your Food for Thought design. As a creative person, you’ve found many outlets to share your talents with the world. How do they differ and how are they the same when you are expressing yourself? 

Food For Thought,
mixed media collage

Kathy: I’ve accepted that I have many interests and facets to my personality and need various ways to express them. My collages are always intuition and process based and made from found and recycled materials. I literally will start with one object that captures my attention and then build a piece entirely around that, often inserting words or hidden messages in them. I have absolutely no idea what the end result will be and the entire process is a dance of the divine, with me constantly asking, getting out of the way and letting the inspiration guide me. The way I work on them is a great reminder and metaphor for how I try to live life. The horse portraits are more straight forward as they are mostly representational commissioned pieces and I generally have an idea of what the desired end result is. But these drawings are the most meditative to work on and I love being able to capture the essence of the horses and why their owners love them. The Love Rocks are my most restrictive pieces as the words must fit in my predetermined plaque sizes and contain a letter O which can be replaced with a heart shaped rock. Sometimes too many choices or options can overwhelm the creative process so working within narrowed parameters allows simplicity to emerge. These are also the pieces where I am most out of the way as they speak for themselves and people will extract their own personal meaning from them. But the spirit of love is literally embedded in each one.

Kala: Do you accept custom orders for your art and for love rocks? What has been your favorite piece that you have designed thus far?

Kathy: Yes, I have done and do accept custom orders and commissions for all of the variety of my art forms. The Quarter Horse figurine is retired from production but I do have a very limited supply of special editions available for collectors. It’s difficult to say which piece has been my favorite as I love them all for different reasons. But I have a special affinity for the works made as a result of being outraged about something and consider them my art activist pieces. I’m a firm believer in that energy flows where attention goes so I’m very mindful of my creative intentions. I don’t want to make angry negative art, so I try to step back to see the bigger picture and focus on what I perceive a positive outcome to be.

50 States of an American Dream,
rubbing drawing on architectural paper

A piece called 50 States of an American Dream, featuring 50 positive words, or states of being, was created during the heat of the last presidential election and another piece titled Paradise was my response to an environmental issue. These pieces represent my way of enacting Peter F. Drucker’s quote, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”

Kala: Who is Kathy Morawski? If your friends and family were to describe you in five sentences, what would they say?

Kathy: This is great because as for the answers I actually posed these questions to my friends! Though my family is no longer physically here, they always said I was talented and smart and I loved my grandmother telling me I had the Midas touch. My polled friends said I’m compassionate, have a good sense of humor, and am a good friend and offered some responses that were surprising in their depth: Kathy embraces the scared sensuousness of life and is able to tap on a creativity that exists outside of the box while still being able to communicate to the rest of the world in an enlightening, entertaining and expressive way. Kathy is free spirited with a daredevil quality that inspires others and is extraordinarily creative and wonderfully adept at gathering her creativity to make significant visual contributions to the world. Wow!

Kala: What advice would you give to someone who wanted to connect more with their creative side?

Kathy: First of all, I believe everyone is creative, and anything can be done in a creative fashion. Just thinking about how to do something differently than you usually do it is being creative. Immersing yourself in activities you enjoy and learning new ones is a great kick start to creativity as is discovering what other creative people are doing. I’d also suggest slowing down to be aware and open up to intuition by asking and allowing yourself to receive answers in whatever form they may arrive. I find looking for the humor in situations makes life more fun and creativity breeds when you’re in a lighter state of mind. And when you get an idea, instead of dismissing it, act on it!

Kala: Beyond your artistic creations here Kathy, what inspires you? How do you Explore Your Spirit?

Kathy: I also believe spirit and inspiration can reside in anything, it’s the connection that counts. Some things I’m inspired by are music, nature, beauty, truth, books, dreams, great minds that explore the blend of science and spirituality, and words which includes quotes, song lyrics and even catchy lines on junk mail! I’m also moved by moments when humanity bands together to make a difference or help others. Methods that help keep me in that state of being include spending time with my horse, going for walks, listening to music, yoga, traveling, learning new things and spending time with good friends and being grateful for all of it.

Kala: It was a pleasure speaking with you Kathy. Looking forward to seeing more of your work and best wishes for your continued success.

Kathy: Thank you so much, Kala, the pleasure’s been all mine. I look forward to keeping up with you on your work as well! It’s inspiring people like yourself who help raise the consciousness of the planet.

Kathy with her horse, Skip.
Photo by Susan Kozlowski