The moment we stepped foot on the property, Kandis’s husband Bob whisked us over to his yellow plum tree to share his bounty. A humble man with kind eyes and a generous spirit, he then walked us over to his mulberry bush for samples off the branch. I bet he did that for everyone over the three-day period.
He pointed us down the gradual hill to a pond with a lazy willow tree overhanging a picnic table, and told us to veer right and up to Kandis’s studio from there. It was like a storybook kind of acreage, big and beautiful but also very private. The kind of place you’d like to fluff out a blanket and have a picnic for the afternoon.
When we turned right, we came upon a little fable-like two-story house – the bottom floor an art-making room and the top floor a mini art gallery of her work.
Kandis taught us how she makes her paper creations.
She then took us upstairs to view her finished products.
Her heart is definitely in her work, as she tries to affect negative situations with positive change through her art. Her large pieces take at least 300 hours each, one of which was made after she watched Ai Wei Wei’s Human Flow documentary about refugees.
What a welcoming, serene experience. Bob even made sure to hug us before we left, inviting us to stop by anytime for more fruit samples in the next few weeks. Now that explains why his son, Uzek, our town’s kind and meticulous mechanic, is such a great guy. The plum didn’t fall far from the tree.
To see more of Kandis’s unique and fantastic art, visit her website here.
