EP #92: All Painting Art with Style with Kathy Knopp & Rudi Arnstein
Apr 09, 2024
When Kathy Knopp's world was turned on its head by a brain surgery, she found solace and resurgence in the vibrant hues of her impressionistic oil paintings. Our guest on the Good Neighbor Podcast, Kathy, from All Painting Art with Style, vividly recounts her transformation from a lighting design expert to a painter whose canvases echo the healing power of art. Her journey is a mosaic of resilience, business savvy, and the embrace of a life that celebrates every brushstroke with her husband Rudi's complementary photography. Their collaborative dance of color and composition not only reflects their talents but also encapsulates their profound personal bond, reshaped by adversity and triumph.
Embracing the abstract beauty in the everyday, Rudi's innovative birefringent photography turns discarded plastics into visual symphonies that Kathy further enhances with her artistry. Together, they lay bare the intricate narrative of their lives, from shared passions for the arts and nature to facing the transformative challenges of health scares. This episode is a heartfelt exploration into how art can be both a personal sanctuary and a shared journey of discovery. Join us as Kathy and Rudi reveal how gratitude, survival, and a candid honesty permeate their work, inviting you to appreciate the profound connections between art, love, and life's unexpected turns.
When Kathy Knopp's world was turned on its head by a brain surgery, she found solace and resurgence in the vibrant hues of her impressionistic oil paintings. Our guest on the Good Neighbor Podcast, Kathy, from All Painting Art with Style, vividly recounts her transformation from a lighting design expert to a painter whose canvases echo the healing power of art. Her journey is a mosaic of resilience, business savvy, and the embrace of a life that celebrates every brushstroke with her husband Rudi's complementary photography. Their collaborative dance of color and composition not only reflects their talents but also encapsulates their profound personal bond, reshaped by adversity and triumph.
Embracing the abstract beauty in the everyday, Rudi's innovative birefringent photography turns discarded plastics into visual symphonies that Kathy further enhances with her artistry. Together, they lay bare the intricate narrative of their lives, from shared passions for the arts and nature to facing the transformative challenges of health scares. This episode is a heartfelt exploration into how art can be both a personal sanctuary and a shared journey of discovery. Join us as Kathy and Rudi reveal how gratitude, survival, and a candid honesty permeate their work, inviting you to appreciate the profound connections between art, love, and life's unexpected turns.
Speaker 1:
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Stacey Risley.
Speaker 2:
Hello friends and neighbors, welcome to North Atlanta's Good Neighbor Podcast. Today we're here with Kathy Knopp, with All Painting Art with Style. Hi, kathy, how are you?
Speaker 3:
Hi Stacey, Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it.
Speaker 2:
Well, it's an honor to have you on. We haven't had too many artists on the show, so I'm really excited to have you here today. Well, kathy, if you will go ahead and tell our listeners a little bit about your business.
Speaker 3:
Okay, well, it's an LLC and I do oil paintings and I'm pretty much an impressive impressionistic artist. I love Monet, so I do that type of work. I do some abstract. I also sell note cards and canvas prints and prints of my artwork and collaborate with other businesses that want to help them and myself together. So I'm very diversified and I'll ship anywhere in the United States, you know, and I actually do appointments. I have a studio in my home so I work from home and you know I just love my art so I do commissions. People want me to do commissions. I love to do pet portraits, so if that helps people, you know, and people love their pets. I don't have one right now, but pets are like you know, they're unconditional, no matter what, they don't care if you don't paint their nose, perfect.
Speaker 2:
Isn't that the truth? They're not going to be, they're not going to be your most critical.
Speaker 3:
No, no, and that type of thing. So it's, you know, art is just art. I love it and I love to paint, I love to share, and I'm in a couple different venues and there's a Booth Museum up in Cartersville and the Antworth House and wherever. It's, you know, easy and fun, and that's the thing about art. You want to make it fun. If it becomes too hard, then you, you know, you really have a hard time. It's like everything's hard, but art is something that you really have to work at, and all the social media takes a lot of effort and then to be creative at the same time. It's, it's, it's a challenge.
Speaker 2:
Well, speaking of challenges and I imagine with art there are quite a few, but tell listeners about your journey into this to where you know. I know that during the pre-interview we talked and I know that you started kind of in lighting design industry and so like, how did that form into this new career that's all centered around art this, this new career that's all centered around art.
Speaker 3:
well, it basically came from a headache situation I had and then I ended up having a congenital problem and ended up having to have brain surgery. So the art was something I did a painting for my neurosurgeon a month after my surgery and he still has that painting hanging in his office today, after 20 some years. So art is just something that's very creative and very healing and and my neurosurgeon even told me, said, artists live longer. So well, thank you for that.
Speaker 2:
That's true. Art does I mean mean generations and generations, from centuries to centuries. Art has been around longer than any of us. So when you had the surgery and you painted that first painting you know for your neurosurgeon, was that the beginning of of art for you, or had been an artist before then?
Speaker 3:
I've been an artist all my life. That's what I always wanted to do and I just lighting was part of my career that, thank goodness I had to pay for my bills and everything, cause you know, being an artist is not easy, to be a full-time professional artist. It takes a lot. So I ended up having a very good job and I worked with designers and builders and architects and, and so I was able to do my art on the side and I always took lessons. I always worked on my own and I'm a self-taught artist and I have a propensity towards it, so I love it. So it's just something I do.
Speaker 3:
But that's what's really the creative process and your brain works in ways you. You work from the left side of your brain to the right, and not everybody works that way and it's just. It's a different view, it's a different visualization, and I was really good at lighting. I was one of the top salespeople in my company. End up having to go through like starting all over is very hard after 25 years of that kind of thing. But anyways, I'm fine and everything's perfect at this point and I'm just very blessed and grateful that I can do this and my husband and I you know, are evolving more because he's a photographer and that helped.
Speaker 3:
he helps me with his work and and with doing the photography and everything's original. We don't copy anything.
Speaker 2:
Everything is from where we've been, so it's it's a so I'm going to take, I'm going to steer off our normal path here for just a minute, but I'm cause I'm going to bring Rudy, your husband, in as well. I know that you said that you're that you normally I shift and we do the hard. We do a question about a hardship or challenge, and since your journey is so intertwined with this, I kind of want to go ahead and skip to that question now.
Speaker 4:
That's okay with you.
Speaker 2:
We're going to kind of change the order for just a minute, If that's okay with you. We're going to kind of change the order for just a minute and tell us go ahead and tell our listeners since we've touched on it now a couple times and tell our listeners about the hardship or challenge that you've faced, a little bit more about that and how. Now, for having been through that experience, you're stronger for that today, Because that piece of your journey kind of brings it all together for our audience and it helps them know how you and Rudy started kind of working together with him as the photographer and all of that. So go ahead and tell our listeners about the, the hardship that you faced.
Speaker 3:
Well it was. It was a hardship my poor husband had to deal with while he was working and you know, I was put in a situation where I had to have a neuro the surgery on christmas eve of all things, oh, gracious yeah, it was.
Speaker 3:
It was. You know it was difficult. It took about five years for me to recover. I mean, I had to go through a lot but I in the interim I painted, did everything and he worked and we did travel as much as we could. But you know little, because it was just. It was just hard. I mean I'm fully recovered and I'm just blessed that it was water on the brain and and they were able to put an internal shunt in. I didn't have to have the other type where you know more infections are involved. And then he got involved in his art and I said, well, it's time you retire, I don't want anything to happen now.
Speaker 3:
It's time for you to retire full-time now too well, and then he got involved in photoshop and all that and he became very good at it. But that's not what he does now. He basically does other things. If you want to ask him what he does, he can put it in better terms than I can, because it's called bifringent art and it's more abstract, but it's very to me. It's complicated because it's a digital world now.
Speaker 2:
Well, sure, well, rudy, go ahead. And if you will share your role with us, how did you come alongside Kathy and how do you guys work together with this art?
Speaker 4:
Well, kathy and I have similar interests. We both enjoy art. I've been in the field of art since the age of seven and I progressed through some art courses and I was a sculptor in steel and then I had to somewhat give it up because of work demands and I put it in the back burner. Right around when Kathy had her brain surgery I decided to pick up again and I bought a camera and I reintroduced myself back into photography or to the creative world and I've always had a tremendous sense of composition and so I started exercising my sense of composition. And so I started exercising my sense of composition and Kathy took interest in my fortunes and we traveled and I started taking pictures and I started teaching her how to look at things, how to look at things mathematically, look at a composition not only from a gut level but from a mathematical standpoint. And she understood that.
Speaker 4:
And we've traveled and I have photographed pretty much mountains or cityscapes or people. And we always told her what makes a good photograph, what address, what addresses a good photograph? Take, what are the properties. And she caught on very quickly and she started painting and she paints a lot. What I photograph, usually when, um, uh, when we're in our journeys and I decided all of a sudden to go off on my own. I don't want I want to develop it in a way that my wife could not no longer take advantage of me see, I knew bringing him on the show was a good idea.
Speaker 2:
First, she recruits you to be an artist in the first place, and then she takes advantage of the world.
Speaker 4:
I wanted her to go on on her own. Uh, uh, do you do?
Speaker 3:
by friends and talk about your.
Speaker 4:
I want her to develop her own skills. I don't like being a derivative. I don't. That's one word. I absolutely when somebody says I'm a derivative. I say no.
Speaker 2:
I'm making a note right now Do not call Rudy a derivative. Do not.
Speaker 4:
I started photographing what people throw away, what we discard, what is the value that we discard, and through that I discovered plastics. And then I started messing around with the property of plastics and how to photograph plastics. A we've always seen these groovy photographs of acrylic spoons in multi-colors. That caught my eye, so I developed on that theory and that's called bifrinching photography. So I took that as the beginning of my path and now I'm probably one of the. Now I'm probably one of the sole and lonely by friendship photographers.
Speaker 2:
At least you'll never be called a derivative. No, you're going to be sole and only ones. That's right.
Speaker 4:
But it's being well-received. Currently People just don't know what to make of it, but they know they love it. They love the colors, yeah it's very interesting and they love the spontaneity of the composition. Yeah, and I do have control and it's taken me maybe seven years to actually gain control or form of discipline into this type of photography and I get many accolades online to my abstract work. Certain galleries are still scratching their heads.
Speaker 3:
We're trying to get him out there.
Speaker 3:
Well, so your work together as a couple, so you take a photograph of somewhere that you guys have been or traveled together, and then, kathy, you pick it up from his photography Lots of times I photograph knowing on my mind this is something that she can really enjoy painting, and we're to always together yeah, well, and I can take the photograph of a different angle, because he usually takes an angle that's more complicated, but we work it out she, she does take the camera out of my hands but no, he's very good at what he does and we're having fun with it. I think that's where we have fun. We enjoy that process. It's just when it gets down to all the social media. That's the hard thing. I'm enjoying hearing about the process.
Speaker 2:
I'm able to visualize this quite well and you would have to. I love what you just said, rudy, about that. You're always together, so you guys are seeing things you know from your own perspectives as as people. But then I imagine you know Rudy's perspective through the lens is is different than your perspective as a painter. So that is really neat to bring that all together and then being able to create a piece of art that someone you know can enjoy from their living room couch or from anywhere.
Speaker 3:
I try not to make it look like, I try to do my own with it and make it look more, because I work in oils and that can be a more vivid representation than just trying to do a photo from a photograph. You know, you basically have been there, you have the sights and the feel and the sensations. So I take, I remember, that when I do the painting it's different than just looking at a photograph. You've been there, you have the wind that was in your hair, you know. You just, you know what to expect. It's just totally different. But he's wonderful at what he does. I mean, he's way out there.
Speaker 2:
Well, he's very near, not too way out there.
Speaker 3:
He'd be a derivative I'm just saying he's very good at what he does and it absolutely hard to imagine how we can get these, these uh colors from what he does with with polymer well, I'm.
Speaker 2:
I love that y'all are in business together doing this, uh, so, um, what about when? And I know that travel is going to be part of the answer to this question. Well, but when you and rudy are not working, kathy, what are you guys doing for fun?
Speaker 3:
Well, we watch a lot of movies. Covid kind of did that.
Speaker 2:
To us all, I think.
Speaker 4:
My wife spends roughly six hours a day out in the yard, when, he feeds birds.
Speaker 3:
he loves the birds. We have a big yard so we feed birds. You know, we take care of our environment around us so, yeah, we enjoy being outdoors.
Speaker 2:
I know that we've talked about this somewhat, but now we're going to kind of come back to this again to tell us a little bit about how the challenge that you faced, your brain surgery that you had to have unexpectedly I'm assuming if it was Christmas Eve how has that made you stronger for today? Hmm?
Speaker 3:
Well, you, just you get over any limitations you have and you realize you're blessed that you're still here, that you're still breathing and above ground. Yeah, you have to be very grateful for all the things you know, because there's an. I have an awful lot of friends at my age that aren't here now because of whatever issues that have happened, but I've just I was very fortunate that I ended up having good doctors and good healthcare at the time.
Speaker 4:
One thing Kathy says since her brain surgery. She doesn't hold back. She's always honest and upfront.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, I'm very direct, sometimes a little bit too direct.
Speaker 4:
Yeah, that's just the thing. That's probably for you, rudy. Sometimes it's it's brutal, she's being honest.
Speaker 3:
Well, I can't help it. It's just, it's what happened. I mean, when someone goes in and does something, you know I'm thankful that I still have my long-term and the short-term memory is still there, but there's some things I just don't remember way, way back. But you know it has caused some, you know directness that I can't help and maybe I wasn't so direct before, but I am because I guess you figure, after you've had brain surgery, nothing else matters.
Speaker 4:
There's no hidden business with that.
Speaker 2:
It's all straight up.
Speaker 4:
Sometimes I learn from it because maybe I should live a little bit like that, because it never leads anybody to doubt.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, that's true, though I mean I like that the business includes right then, and there.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, this is where you stand and this is Well but you know I still go with integrity and I'm nice to people. But it is hard because I've had a rough time, but I'm stronger for it. I'm definitely stronger for it.
Speaker 2:
Well, you seem stronger for it to me, and I love the dynamics between the two of you and can only imagine how much fun it is to hear some of these art debates or going back and forth between the two of you, because you guys sure are fun. Oh, my goodness. Well, is there anything else that you would like our listeners to know about your business?
Speaker 3:
Well, we're available to do commissions. Rudy loves he makes his own frames. He makes his own custom frames for his work. His work is metal prints and he makes his own design floating frames for it. Now he can do them for me, but lots of times I use the gallery wrap. So you know we're open, we're adaptable, we're able to, you know, do art of all different things canvas prints, metal prints, acrylic prints. You know that type of thing and it's art is necessary. People need art. So you know we appreciate it when people go to real artists, local artists, and help the local artists in the town. For sure.
Speaker 2:
And I really do love that you guys are working on this together and bring your different perspectives and your different you know, just your different views on one particular scene, you know, could really bring a lot and add a lot of dimension and depth to a piece that might otherwise have been one dimensional. You know, in a way, if that makes sense, maybe that probably does make sense to you guys as artists, but well so if listeners want to reach out and they want to learn more, what is the best way for them to get in touch with you?
Speaker 3:
Well, probably through my Instagram, which you can also get through to my husband and myself, and I can give you both of those. Do you want me to tell you those now? Sure, yeah, go ahead and share those with us now. Okay, it's just wwwinstagramcom slash Kathy Knopp, and then the cell is 678-595-7951. That's my cell.
Speaker 2:
Wonderful. Well, thank you both so much for being here. Rudy and Kathy, it has been a pleasure to have you on and to hear your story and the story behind the story, so I really appreciate you guys being on the show today. Well, thank you very, very much. You're so welcome, and that's all for today's episode, atlanta. I'm Stacey Risley with the Good Neighbor podcast. Thanks for listening and for supporting the local businesses and nonprofits of our great community.
Speaker 1:
Thanks for listening to the Good Neighbor podcast North Atlanta. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to GNPNorthAtlantacom. That's GNPNorthAtlantacom, or call 470-946-7007.
