my services (in a nutshell) with a bit more

My name is Kari Maxwell. Allow me to introduce myself.

I am just your average joe (or the female version of joe), living with my husband and our dog and cat in our modest bungalow in a humble neighborhood in Minneapolis. It took me forever to fall in like with Minneapolis (I grew up near the ocean and went to college in the mountains) but now I think I am here to stay. I love the creative, artistic people and opportunities that literally abound here. I like the idea that Minneapolis will probably never be a trendy place to live (it's too midwest and just too flat in geography). I love that it has the perks of any city (with the food, the art, the institutions) but can also feel like a big small town. I LOVE the ethnic diversity. It's unbelievable and powerful. I mostly take pride in the politics of the state too. Can I tell you something I don't like? I don't like the extreme weather (really hot summers and really cold winters) and the lack of sun (which usually sums up the daily weather pattern here). This truly effects me. REALLY. I love me some sun!

I am an artist (a painter, more specifically) who became a "professional" (that means I started paying self employment taxes) back in 2003. I am particularly known for painting cows and I am represented by galleries in the midwest. I get asked this question often: Why cows? You can read the best answer I have to this question (to date) here and here. You can also view over 100 cows here.  I am an abstract painter as well who was featured on mnartists.org. My most recent body of work is titled urban earth.  You can read my artist statement and view images for these paintings here.

I came into art later in my life and believe in the power of creating every day. I have come to understand my art making rhythm and know that painting at an easel every day doesn't work for me. What does work for me is creating everyday in a variety of different ways (an extremely important process for me that takes precedence over house cleaning). I usually develop my own creative commitments. For me, creating everyday indirectly primes the pump and then, all of the sudden, a new body of work is born (which seems to happen out of nowhere but what it seems like and what it truly is are two different things aren't they?) I have been a source of inspiration to close friends and colleagues who feel challenged to show up for their art/creativity everyday and this is one of the reasons why I started my blog and started teaching an online class in 5 day segments for those who also want to participate in creating a daily creative rhythm of their own. I was a Montessori Children's House educator for over thirteen years and also teach an intuitive art class for children in the Seward neighborhood of Minneapolis.

I have launched a creative coaching business. Encouraging and supporting the creative process for people of all ages and backgrounds is one of my absolute favorite things. Although creating can be extremely healthy and healing for many people, it can be a frightening and lonely practice if one isn't part of a strong creative community. With the proper encouragement and structure (individualized for everyone), creating doesn't have to be as frightening. Creativity can be inspiring and can open up new avenues of awareness and discovery.

What inspires me? Nature, simplicity, authentic relationships, emotional truth, good music, inspirational people, people that listen to that inner calling inside and follow it (despite what it looks like on the outside), laughter (laughing is seriously one of my favorite activities and it usually happens OUT LOUD, everyday. I feel lucky), good friends (I have SUCH good friends - yep, more feeling lucky). I love animals and am so intrigued by what I believe they can teach us. Good food inspires me (although I don't cook and it's really important to me that I eat well) I love good books and have mentioned many of them here. Seriously, if you dropped by one day you might find me giddy with delight under afghans (I LOVE these too) supported by a ton of pillows while indulging in "the luxury of reading". I love to journal and write. I have heroines that aren't that mainstream. For many years now they have been Georgia O'Keeffe, May Sarton and Brenda

Ueland. I love that in their era and time they were not afraid to express their own truths as persons and women. I love the visual image itself and LOVE social networks for this reason (as well as pinterest).

I experience challenges all the time. Small bumps and LARGE ones REGULARLY. My life isn't all sunny and warm and skipping through the fields of life (although, when it is, it REALLY TRULY is). I also take life and how I choose to live it seriously - VERY seriously. In fact, sometimes too seriously. I stick around here, living this life because those truly amazing times (when I find myself skipping) make all the challenges worthwhile (don't mean to sound cliche again and, by the way, you happen to be catching me on a "good" day).

There is absolutely no way I could encapsulate the entirety of me in this introduction but, I hope, for now, I've created a start. Thank you for reading. I will keep on keeping on. You keep on keeping on too.

My Products and Services

creative commitment challenges:::::::::::::::::::20.(20 days)

create everyday online classes::::::::::::::::::::::35.(5 classes)  

21 days of creative coaching:::::::::::::::::::::::199. 
breakthrough! workbook:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::20.
the new year creative workshop::::::::::::::::::::35.-175.

art workshops for children:::::::::::::::::::::::::::55. (3 hours)

studio art classes for children::::::::::::::::::::::::::::160. (4 - 2 hour classes) 
children's WEEKDAY WORKSHOPS:::::::::::::::::::95./2-3 hour classes
children's birthday parties:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::250./8 participants
create everyday with cocktails:::::::::::::::::::::::::::45./participant
private art instruction:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::68./1.5 hours

original paintings and drawings on paper:::::::::::::45.-150. 

art commissions and fine art :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::350.+

an avalanche of water won't make an impression. 

a consistent drop of water will.

create...every day.
www.karimaxwell.com