See Me Touch Me: A 3D Art Expression by Kathy Small

Born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, Canada by parents of Caribbean heritage. I was always creative; my favorite classes were Art and Math. My initial dream was to become an architect but those ideas were quickly pushed aside, “that is too competitive for a woman!” my mother would say, “you need to become a nurse!” In 1992 I graduated from Nursing school and passed the Nurse’s Boards. God’s plan is never wrong as I also LOVED my career as a nurse! I always dabbled in the arts, self teaching until I discovered my passion for painting (oils). I found my solace, peace, restoration, and survival. By 2015 I was the mother to 4 young adults, a tween and a 4-year-old grandson-still working as a nurse in the field of Oncology. But the itch continued, and I started to offer a mobile paint party/session service just as the “Painting with a Twist” was becoming a household name. I created an LLC in 2017-Smallxpressions Art Studio-“Bringing your Visions to Life!!”- offering a virtual gallery of unique oil/acrylic paintings for purchase, commissions service, mobile paint party, prints/T shirt with images of my art works. Fall of 2018, I started on the Art Festival circuit and showcased in many shows; I was also featured in EVDG magazine in Philadelphia. Spring of 2019, I was also a contractor where I offered paint sessions for the attendants. In 2019, I added creative unique gift items including my recycled jewelry line, wine glass and coaster sets, acrylic pour holiday ornaments, and stand-alone coaster sets using resin. By March of 2020, all came to a halt due to the pandemic and it has been a struggle-my main exposure and new client acquisition was in person and being a nurse, I was a front line worker, which left little time to pivot to a mainstream online presence. As the cities start to open, I look forward to re-integrating with my audience offering the resumption of showcasing in Arts and Crafts shows, 1:1 mentoring/instruction, and continued evolution of my craft!