Humble Narrative

We’re ‘walking by faith, even when we cannot see’.....

- 2 Corinthians 5:3 -

My name is Katie Mester. My precious little family and I live in rural Clare, MI.  We are dedicated Christians who love God, love people, and love being outside. The following is a humble summation of the inspiration and foundation behind Canvas & Cuttings. 

An ambitious branch of the ‘original oil paintings on canvas’, Canvas & Cuttings is a new avenue in my passion for art. In a sense, my artistic gift is now also flourishing in the flower garden just outside the studio. I find myself fervent to experiment in creating masterpieces with this new delicate medium of fresh cut flowers. My studies of magnificent pastoral and floral oil paintings of centuries past have continuously coincided with my passions in life: rural countryside, farm life, and…. rambling old-fashioned gardens. My humble vegetable patch was the same story every year: the weedy consequence of an overly ambitious plan for a massive plot of roots and greens of every variety. Late summer brought a relaxed mass of overgrowth, undergrowth, and….. flowers! A produce basket was never complete without an armload of vibrant annuals atop a pile of misshapen cucumbers, overripe tomatoes, and sunburned peppers. I even purposely left my ‘blue ribbon’ onions unharvested to enjoy their tall white blossoms in the subsequent year! Lovingly, my husband would joke that my ‘vegetable garden’ always produced many more flowers than actual vegetables.

The appreciation for locally grown seasonal blooms has only recently come to my attention with this venture. My first short season was overwhelmed with community response! Elementary explanation: It was like a scratch n sniff sticker that proved strong enough to fill a room! Ha! I was astoundedby the outpouring of support and excitement for my limited prized blooms.

How wonderful that the Lord would look upon my endeavor with such favor and blessing.

Still, I must admit that I have much much more ambition and vision than fine vibrant images of beautiful events past where my bouquets adorned long candlelit aisles and crystal laden tables….. ah the dreams, what a sight I behold when I lay down and close my eyes for sleep ;)