The Daily Bulletin Archive

By Tony Astran

Breaks from the daily routine to focus on something that brings joy to life are essential. Katherine Hartman, associate professor of art education and coordinator of student teaching, understands this well. And she recently had the opportunity to practice what she teaches in theart therapy minor program while on sabbatical.

Hartman initially said she wanted to accomplish a number of different tasks during early proposals for her sabbatical. But what she really wanted, she discovered, was to create her own artwork.

Her colleagues also recognized that a sabbatical would allow her time to refresh her own talents as well as to grieve the loss of her mother and a few close friends, all of whom have died recently. Hartman said she was grateful “beyond words” to have the college’s support for a sabbatical to focus on creating works of art.

“Art moves me through conflict and grief; it keeps me moving forward,” Hartman said. “Through my works, I came to realize that life is dark and light—but at the center, there is hope.”

Raised in Utah, Hartman met her husband at the University of San Francisco, moved with him to Buffalo, and has since taught at Buffalo State College for nearly 30 years. And right before the start of her fall 2007 sabbatical, Hartman’s youngest child moved from home to attend college. So she took the opportunity to travel westward and rekindle the passion from her early years of professional training.

Hartman rented an apartment for a month in the heart of San Francisco and lived on her own for the first time in her life. She gathered a number of mixed media—journal writings, oils, acrylic paints, inks, photos, newspaper clippings, even tree bark—and began pouring her emotions onto canvases. She continued her work in her home studio in Buffalo; by the time her sabbatical ended, she completed more than 10 pieces.

One of Hartman’s pieces is about her mother. “I created it to honor the slow, painful death she experienced and to pray for the peace she so deserves,” she said. Other works include Kindness Saves, Motherhood Totem, and I Believe in Miracles. Hartman is investigating displaying her works publicly.

“The sabbatical gave me a renewed commitment to creative activity and helped me realize what an impact it has on my life,” Hartman said. “In my classes, the work shows students how my style has changed over the years. I hope they can realize that they can find their own style and also learn to explore using different types of art materials.

“I tell my students to honor their pain—it is a commandment of mine,” she said. “Doing so with soulful words you’ve worked so hard to get to, and exploring the words with images and art materials, results in profound outcomes on all levels of being.”

------------------------------------------------------------------

Read previous Focus on Sabbatical stories:

Felix Armfield
Betty Cappella
Ann Colley
Rob Delprino
Musa Abdul Hakim
David Henry
Wendy Paterson
Stephen Phelps
John Song
Carol Townsend
Jonathan Thornton