SIL Sept/Oct 2019

Artist Spotlight
Awed by Sunlight
The plein air paintings of Kazhia Kolb
Kazhia sketching in her yard
The iconic Overlook in
Leavenworth, with its panoramic
view of the sweeping curve of the
Ohio River, is, for Saint Meinrad
artist Kazhia Kolb, a favorite spot to set up
her easel and paint en plein air.
“From there, I can look down on the
river and fields on the opposite bank,”
she said. “The scene is never the same:
The light, the mood, the atmosphere can
change moment to moment. Painting on
location allows me to imbue the work
with these elements. I don’t paint from
photographs because that is not how I
see.”
When looking at Kolb’s painting
“Leavenworth Overlook” (a 22-by-60-inch
oil on canvas), the viewer can see — in addition
to the river scene — the painter’s
mind while she is creating, and it is alive,
full and joyous.
The artist occasionally sketches diners
inside the Overlook Restaurant who
are lingering after a meal, watching the
river and engaging in casual table talk.
Her work named “Dining Out” (a 16-by-
20-inch mixed media piece) was painted
from a sketch done inside the restaurant.
The relaxed poses of her simplified figures
set against the background of a bright river
scene create an impression of an easygoing
Sunday afternoon.
Bluegrass on the Square in downtown
Corydon is another Southern Indiana
setting where Kolb likes to sketch.
“This kind of on-the-spot drawing is more
suitable for me than using a model who
can become stiff and lifeless after sitting
still for hours,” Kolb said. “When the musicians
are in their zone, and they don’t
know I’m there, I can better capture their
personal sparkle and feeling for their music.”
Kolb’s painting “Music in the Park”
(a 16-by-24-inch egg tempera on wood) is
a triptych, with three panels painted from
Story by Judy Cato
Photos by Lorraine Hughes
sketches of members of the audience and
band at the Corydon festival. Egg tempera
is an emulsion of egg yolk and pigment
that Kolb grinds herself. This was the primary
method of painting used in the West
until oil paint gained popularity in the
15th century. Kolb likes to use it because
it is good for simplifying — capturing the
essence of a figure in a few brushstrokes
instead of painting all of the realistic details.
Kolb’s studio, attached to her home,
is on a scenic country road off Ind. 62, just
past the stunning Saint Meinrad Archabbey.
This quiet setting, Kolb believes, is
suited to her artistic spirit. “These rolling
hills make me think of the simple hills in
the paintings of children,” she said. Sheep
graze in the valley next to her home, and
dozens of irises bloom outside her studio
window, planted there, Kolb said, “so I
can see them while I’m working.”
Both Kolb and her husband work at
Southern Indiana Living • Sept/Oct 2019 • 31