Tools of the Trade

Kansas Painter Jane Booth Creates A Studio Large Enough For Her Work

By • May 13, 2015
Julie Denesha / KCUR

Kansas artist Jane Booth specializes in large, abstract paintings. When she outgrew her workspace, she created one that could expand her reach. As part of our occasional series called Tools of the Trade — about artists and their relationship to the tools that make their work possible — we visited Jane Booth's new studio.

One early morning, Booth is out on the back porch of her metal studio in Spring Hill, Kansas. She’s dressed for work — jeans and a smock splashed with layers of paint. The prairie is alive with birds and Booth is just starting a new painting. As pigment moves across the fabric, Booth begins to get excited about what she sees.

“I mean, you know, can you even stand it?” says Booth. “I just love what happens right there. Where that water is and isn’t. So, we’ll come back in a little while.”

WATCH: How They Frame A Wall-Sized Work Of Art In Kansas City’s West Bottoms

By • Dec 5, 2014
Julie Denesha / KCUR

Frames have been used for centuries as decoration or to heighten the drama of a piece of artwork.

As part of an occasional KCUR series called Tools of the Trade — about artists and their relationships to the tools that make their work possible — we'll take a look at the complex creation of a very large frame.

WATCH: Tools Of The Trade, A Ballet Dancer's Shoes

By • May 15, 2014
Julie Denesha / KCUR

The modern pointe shoe has kept ballerinas on their toes since the early 20th Century.

Each delicate, custom-made satin and leather shoe endures a punishing routine that begins even before a dancer places a shoe on her foot.

As part of an occasional series called Tools of the Trade about performers and their relationship to the tools that make their work possible, I talked to members of the Kansas City Ballet about shoes.

WATCH: Pianist Garrick Ohlsson On The Challenge Of A New Piano

By • Feb 26, 2014
Julie Denesha / KCUR

Touring for any professional musician can be challenging. But for concert pianists, it’s also about adapting to a new instrument at every stop.

American pianist Garrick Ohlsson is a frequent soloist in Kansas City. The Friends of Chamber Music presented Ohlsson in concert in January.