Something that makes West Virginia artists shine in their talents is the fact that most, if not all, of them are remarkably layered people who excel in not only their art, but also in their daily lives and in the good they do within their families and their communities. Kathleen DeRouen, who lives in Alderson with her family, certainly exemplifies the qualities of not only an exceptional artist, but also of a person who is being the good one wishes to see in the world. 

Kathleen, her husband, Brian, and their children, serve nonviolent women who are incarcerated at the Alderson Federal Prison Camp, and their families at the Alderson Hospitality House. She also was the Alderson Artisan’s Gallery’s featured artist from December to mid-February. I recently spoke with Kathleen about her art, and about her work at the Alderson Hospitality House. 

Can you please tell us a little about yourself, and your journey as an artist?

I started off doing art in art journals, so I have lots of books with similar paintings as what I do now. I work with acrylic paint and stencils, mostly. I do lots of layering with different stencils and colors. I cut out silhouettes of people and use those as a focal point to the art that I do. The silhouettes are a variety of magazine cuttings or pictures of a couple of friends who have taken pictures of themselves for me, in poses they feel really strong in. Then I will blow those up or shrink them down, and cut them out to use.

What is your favorite thing to make?

I guess the paintings are my favorite. Also, I have some journals that I make in the Artisan’s Gallery. But layering and painting are my favorites. When I’m painting, I use it as a time to reflect, whether it’s a good day or bad day, or whatever, it’s just a really nice sort of meditative state that I can get into. That’s why I started doing these in books as a way to journal. I’m not that great with words, but I love to express myself with colors and shapes. So yeah, I paint as a form of meditation, add colors to express my mood, and then the person…even though I have lots of silhouettes cut out right now, sometimes even now, there are none that express my mood. None of them express how I’m feeling, so I’ll go on the internet or find something in a magazine, or I’ll pose or have someone else pose in the expression that I want to make. 

What inspires you the most? Do you have a theme?

Daily life inspires me. Working on becoming a better self – me becoming better as myself. I feel like what I’m striving to be in my own life is a more empowered woman. That is the inspiration I take when I’m doing a lot of the art, is how can I become stronger and more empowered? A lot of the forms I create are things that I aspire to be or moods I aspire to feel. It’s really been a pretty fun journey. I went to a couple of art retreats around 10 years ago, and I’ve always had some type of art or craft project thing happening. My mom paints wood crafts and sews, so it’s always been part of my life. So, when I discovered this art retreat and the theme of using art as a form of prayer, reflection, and meditation, it was a turning point in how I looked at spending time creatively. 

Where can people find your art?

At this point, I have some art at the Artisan’s Gallery. I post stuff on Instagram. Carnegie Hall will be scheduling a showing for me in the summer. (The exact date is currently undetermined.) I’ve also started putting murals up in the thirteen bedrooms here at the Hospitality House. I’ve only done three so far, but I hope to keep doing more and more. 

Would you like to talk about what you’re doing at Alderson Hospitality House?

We love our work! The Hospitality House is a non-profit bed and breakfast for people visiting their loved ones at the federal prison in Alderson. We also have women stay with us the night before they have to turn themselves in to the prison, and then families will often stay with us the night before they’re picking someone up. We have a continental breakfast every morning, and on Saturdays and Sundays, I’ll provide a dinner for people who are visiting, because usually people will come in for the whole weekend. 

We really just be with people. That’s sort of the biggest thing, is to meet people where they are, and help support them through their journey. My husband, who is an activist, spent four months incarcerated for a nonviolent act of civil disobedience while we were engaged. We have the experience of him knowing exactly what it feels like to be prepping to go into prison – the night before, how you feel, you’re so nervous because you have no idea what to expect. I have the experience of loving someone who’s incarcerated, and not getting to visit as much as I want. But, also, just the experience of I was planning our wedding, buying a house, finding a job, and finishing grad school while all of this was going on. It’s not just the women who are incarcerated who are suffering. Their families are struggling a lot, and we don’t necessarily think about that side of it. 

Brian and I moved here on our oldest son’s first birthday, and we committed to two years. Now, our oldest is fifteen years old. We just love what we do and it’s much more than a job. We have raised both our sons here, doing the work. They’ll help us. If you ask them what their parents do, they’ll say “We all run the Hospitality House.” They’re in charge of keeping the playroom clean and organized, and any time kids show up, we’ll call on them to play with the kids and give the parents and grandparents a little break. And as they get older, they’re getting more responsibilities. It’s definitely a family effort. 

Do you have any advice for aspiring artists?

Do it for yourself, and not for anyone else. I don’t have aspirations of being a famous artist, but you can do art even if no one else sees it. I think that’s what’s lovely about it. We’re all made to have some creativity in our lives, whether it’s art, writing, or anything. So even if you just carve out a little time in your life to be creative, I find it so important. I feel like I do my best art when I’m not trying to make something “look right.” I’m just doing it to be doing it. 

You can find Kathleen’s beautiful art on Instagram (artwithoutexpectation), and at the Alderson Artisan’s Gallery. For more information on Alderson Hospitality House, visit aldersonhospitalityhouse.org.