Kay Foley

When I was a child, I dreamed that my head was a railway station filled with conductors, ticket sellers, and people coming and going to faraway places, with trains rolling in and chugging out. My head is even more full now, much like an old woman’s closet, cluttered with boxes, pots, and jars holding all the colors, shapes, and words that make up my work. Spilling out onto the floor (and into my work) are my love of my three sons, the great old romantic movies of the ‘30s and ‘40s, my accumulated hopes, dreams, and beliefs, my love of the natural world and its changing seasons, the assortment of charming children and adults I encounter every day, my St. Louis upbringing in a big Irish/German family, and oh yes, that place in my brain where I swear I can feel color and light.

I am a lover of paper, color, texture and shapes. I am inspired by the cut-outs of Henri Matisse, the floating people and animals of Marc Chagall, and the whimsy of current artists Pamela Zagarenski and Maira Kalman. My most current works include painted and cut paper landscapes, works that combine handmade papers and vintage papers with paint, ink, and ephemera, as well as photographs and collage with original verse.