Karin Hammler says she does not consider herself a skilled artist.
“I’m just a humble ‘heartist’ trying to do something that gives me peace and pleasure,” says Hammler, describing a word she defines as art from the heart.
Hammler, who was raised on Long Island, relocated to Vero Beach in 1990 and was hired by the School District of Indian River County, where she continues her employment as a K-12 District Literacy Specialist. Her parents would later follow her down to the area.
Her interest in art began at age 8 when, in an effort to emulate her older sister Birgit, she stole her paints and dashed away to paint her first creation.
“My sister was a prolific painter, and I wanted to be just like her. We were 10 years apart, but it was something that we connected over,” says Hammler.
She painted what she called her “first Monet” that day, and still has the painting. Later, she would study the works of the Old Masters to hone her skills.
She channeled that sisterly bond into art after her sister was diagnosed with breast cancer and used art to reflect her personal feelings about her sister’s struggle.
To illustrate her angst, she painted her breasts and put them against a canvas. “I made one all red, and my sister named it ‘Boobilicious.’”
As girls, Karin and Birgit called themselves the ‘mermaid sisters,’ so that was the theme of another painting.
The mermaid was initially a different color, but after Birgit described her chemo treatments as making her skin feel like it was on fire, Hammler changed it into a pink mermaid they called “Pinky.”
When Birgit ultimately lost her courageous battle, art became a significant part of Hammler’s grieving process.
“I painted because that was the only time that my mind was quiet. You can’t think of anything else while you are painting,” she explains.
Hammler had posted her ‘Boobilicious’ and ‘Pinky’ paintings online, where they were seen by Adriana Ford, founder of the Breast Cancer Art Project, whose mission is to “provide a platform for those affected by breast cancer to express their experiences of cancer through art.”
Ford reached out and invited her to show her pieces at the 2019 BCAP exhibit at the University of Cambridge in England. Although primarily a virtual platform, they periodically organize physical exhibits as well.
Hammler would like to host a similar type of art project here, calling it ‘Feel the Heal,’ as a way to give others the same opportunity to express their feelings through art.
“People, whether you are a caregiver, have breast cancer, or are in the midst of any kind of cancer, would get to have a voice,” she says, noting that there are likely many people who are struggling in our community who use pottery, painting, woodworking or sculpture as their respite.
Hammler’s earlier affection for mermaids hasn’t waned, and today her depictions of the fishtailed mythical creatures are often juxtaposed with items that are identified with cancer.
“One might have an ostomy bag while another has had a mastectomy. I like mermaids because I have so much latitude. Nobody can tell me what she looks like because they aren’t real,” she explains.
While vacationing in Highlands, N.C., she met a kindred spirit at a gallery called Easely an Artist, and later partnered with the owner for a ‘Mermaids in the Mountains’ show, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting breast cancer research.
Although COVID has meant that Hammler has had to put any exhibits on the back burner, she still wants to help people who are struggling by providing an outlet where they can tell their stories through art. Just as she has channeled her loss and grief into artistic expression, she wants to encourage others to step into a safe space and ‘feel the heal.’
“That’s where you make the real connections,” says Hammler. “We release our pain by joining with other wounded souls traveling similar journeys. To feel the heal by sharing and supporting each other through the power of art.”
To achieve that, she has begun teaching classes in acrylic crayon melting at the Vero Beach Art Club Annex on 14th Avenue in Downtown Vero Beach.
The classes incorporate some bonding activities that are meant to help students open up about their feelings. One activity, she explains, begins with students putting stray marks on a canvas, and then switching that canvas off with another student, who is then asked to create something from it.
Although Hammler also dabbles in acrylics and oils, she says she was drawn to crayon melting because of the process, which involves blowing hot air, such as with a hair dryer, to melt the crayons onto the canvas and also using it to manipulate the design.
“You have to totally focus. Melting that crayon and directing that air; when I’m trying to move the blue, the red melts a little too. It requires control but also letting go.”
Hammler says that the most important aspect, for her, is being able to express herself through her passions – cooking, writing and painting.
She has authored several nonfiction books, primarily teaching support books, and her entrée into fiction came with “Chef Nutmeg: Knuttin’ to it,” a book for middle graders. The story has Chef Nutmeg and her cat Cinna Min, along with another character, Sir Spatula, who try to bring a zest for learning back to Orange Peel Elementary.
“I’m not trained in any way, but you don’t have to be trained to rise to your gifts or do something that gives you passion. I don’t bake well, but it doesn’t stop me. I still eat what comes out of the oven. Expression comes in many forms. Whether I’m making bad brownies, painting or writing something, I love trying things. I like that sometimes they’re epic fails, and you laugh,” she explains.
“It doesn’t have to be great. It has to be great for you. Different times in your life call for different things. I’m poised for the next thing. When you’re ready to envision a new chapter, fate points you in all the right directions.”
Hammler’s next Feel the Heal class at the VBAC Annex begins on Oct. 5. To register, visit verobeachartclub.org.
Photos by Kaila Jones
