KathieSalfi

A freelance artist. Who loves to paint on canvas, glass, slate, wood, ceramic.. Basically anything.. ♥
Hand Painted Wishes
Freelance Artist · 1990 to present
It was Early December of 1990, and I decided to give my parents a Christmas gift that came from my hand. We have a huge family, I am the youngest of 7. I wanted something unique, and I came up with the idea of designing Christmas Balls for everyone of us. I already had the Balls and the paint, so I sat down and started painting. The first 3 were for My Mother, My Father And My Grandmother. They are the only ones that are completely different . Over the years the style of paint I use has changed, My painting has become more refined, and the Christmas Balls are added to each new marriage, each new baby. My tradition is, if you are not married into our family then you do not get a ball to hang on the tree. It is now 2013 and we have over 40 Christmas Balls on the tree hand painted, they vary through the years and last year My mom requested I repaint them, The Ornaments are showing their age, and she would like each family color coordinated. So this year as my family joins us they will receive the original and Mom and Dad will get the New ones.
I have painted hundreds over the years, from everything to Memorials to Pets, to Jelly Beans Dancing Around A Jelly Bean Tree, to Teacher Related Ones , to Winter Scenes, and so many more. I do not have a favorite one to paint. I have not come across the hardest one yet, and I have had to many fun ones to name. I look forward to the ones that are out of the ordinary and I hope that they give as much enjoyment as I get from painting them. To me each ball is a little piece of History. Representing everything from New Homes To Birth, To yes sadly even Death, but every years when the Christmas Decorations are brought down from the attic or in from the garage, and the tree is sitting there waiting to be dressed, boxes get opened and memories come pouring out. That is what I want, a legacy to be passed down through generation to generation. Traditions born and memories captured in time on a Christmas Ball Hand-painted with Wishes.