A dream of hope from the start…
When Kathleen first started painting, she would tuck herself away in a drop cloth-covered corner of her bedroom and work away. Sometimes the inspiration would wake her or take her well into the twilight hours. She worked as quietly as possible so as not to wake Galen, but the paint fumes, brushstrokes, and task lighting would sometimes give her away. In this quiet corner of her private space, Kathleen would create the most alluring and ethereal pieces of art. Using mostly paint on canvas, her amazing visions would come alive. In her art, Kathleen’s journey to the edge of life, to new realms and beyond were depicted in vivid arrays of color and mercurial brushstrokes. Some pieces showcased scenes of a pleasant pre-injury memory while others unveiled the dark places she often found herself while recovering from her severe traumatic brain injury. In her art, Kathleen found hope and solace—hope for a better day, one free of pain and of the injury that took away so very much of her life. With canvases lined up many deep, the family home was out of wall space to display her many creations. Kathleen looked to a new space in which to create her masterpieces and share her passion with others. With plans in the works for years, Studio of Hope broke ground late in the fall of 2018 and was completed in 2019.
The Studio of Hope is Alive
Today, in this new space, Kathleen looks to give her art a new home and her inspiration a beautiful place to flourish. The swirls and circles of a concrete walkway lead into her studio, these custom-designed in collaboration with Kathleen by local concrete artist Bernie Apodaca of Concrete Remodelers, mirror her artwork, leading to a door that opens into a new world of hope and inspiration.
One quick look and you will be overcome by the heightened ceilings holding some of Kathleen’s most prized works of art. Her easel sits facing the Fallbrook landscape of avocado trees, vineyards, and rolling hills—seemingly worlds away yet not too far from her local community.
The double French doors lead out to an expansive patio where the fresh breeze of nature surely guides Kathleen’s next piece—or possibly a moment of tranquility from the daily TBI aches and pains she suffers. Back inside, the remaining area of the studio is aligned with art pieces of past and present, and a Murphy bed is part of Kathleen’s alone time to rest and recover before and after her time painting.
Come Away with Kathleen to a Healing Art Experience
In this studio, Kathleen finds solace, joy, and happiness. She also resets from hard days which can be attributed to the change of weather patterns or her immunity. The beauty of the Studio of Hope is a place that Kathleen will always have to showcase her art, and a door that is always open to TBI survivors and patrons who want to make a difference in their lives just like Kathleen has in hers. This is the Studio of Hope—where survivors can express through art what they can’t explain in words.