Saturday, June 19th, 7:30p
Ohio Northern University: Jazz in the Abstract: 
> View Kathy's artwork online. Click here. <
Improvisation on Canvas Clinic
Students will participate in a "Painting to Jazz Music" class.
The focus will be on the freedom of expression in the abstract, using texture and colors to guide them.
We will utilize several jazz artists of the Be Bop era... IE, Thelonious Monk , Charlie Parker, Dizzy, Miles, etc. Students will paint totally from the intuition.
Acryllic, Oils and Watercolor can be the medium.
For Immediate Release
Contact: Veronica Lujic 248-582-9999
Jazz in the Abstract
Can you hear color? Can you see music? For critically and nationally acclaimed jazz vocalist Kathy Kosins, it comes naturally. “I paint the sounds that I hear,” says Kosins.
"Strains from Miles Davis' trumpet, Charlie Parkers' sax and Bud Powells' piano translate into color and texture," explains Kosins, who is also a composer. "For me, painting is simply an extension of the music I love to listen to and perform."
Likewise, Kosins' songs are imbued with the hues she envisions. "When I perform, if I blow a scat solo or improvise on a melody, I 'see' grades of color in those notes, and that informs the texture of my phrasing.
Kosins has been singing and writing for more than 30 years. She has been painting in the abstract since the late 1980s, around the time she began composing what would become her first CD release, "All In a Dream's Work," a tribute to Miles Davis' 1950s and early 1960s productions.
"While listening to Davis or other period bop artists, one can see whatever their imagination will let them. I happen to see their notes as color, form and texture.
"Like jazz giants play their solos, I use as much depth and layering as possible. It's about nuances and dynamics."
Kosins says her painting is total improvisation. "I never have an idea or color scheme in mind when I pick up a brush. I paint strictly from my intuition," she says, adding that the hardest part is acknowledging when a piece is done. "It was no different with the old jazz masters. They could play endless solos all night, using the same form."
Commissioned paintings by Kosins are held in private collections throughout the United States.
Kosins will debut her new album and have her first solo exhibit at State of the Art in Ferndale, Michigan. Owners Veronica Lujic and Nicole Rafaill have created a space that invites local and nationally recognized artists and art lovers to share a dynamic experience.
“Kosins is a very talented and soulful vocalist, it’s only natural that her spirit and soul flows into her provacative and textural paintings” states Rafaill.
“What an amazing experience, to hear her expression of music, and how she sees it,” adds Lujic.
Paintings by Kosins will be on display at State of the Art, October 24th - November 29th. An opening reception will be held on October 24th from 6 - 10 p.m. and a special vocal performance will be held on October 25th , for more information or tickets for the performance please call 248-582-9999 or visit www.kathykosins.com.
State of the Art is located at 918 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale, MI 48220.