𝓅𝑒𝓉𝓇𝒾𝒸𝒽𝑜𝓇

katherine hirsch thirty-eight director of catalina art gallery

[kathyhirsch]

sterling--foster​:

Sterling had rolled herself out of bed this morning and felt, not for the first time, that she needed to expand her horizons today. Art was a good way of doing that. Paintings, sculptures, mixed media, music, all were ways that she grew up and formed her relation to the world around her. She thrived on creativity and creation; things that made her truly feel. Art museums were favorite treasured places that Sterling frequented often whilst in New York. She didn’t want that to stop now that she lived in Catalina so she headed to the nearest art museum with the most reviews.

Standing in front of The Birth of Venus, a favorite of both her and her brother, Sterling was overcome with emotion at the sight of the mural. She hadn’t seen it in several years - the last time had been when she’d come to this very same museum with her brother on vacation. The influx of emotion brought tears to her eyes and she hastily wiped them away, embarrassed. Glancing around in insecurity, she caught the eyes of a woman before glancing away. She glanced back just as quickly, eyebrow furrowed in surprise before she made a small step towards the woman. “Are you… Is your name Katherine?” @kathyhirsch​

.

It’s easy for Katherine to feel rattled when things don’t exactly go the way she has planned. Outwardly, it doesn’t show — she’s good at that, keeping up pretenses — but inwardly it feels like she’s just about ready to snap. Her habit of perfectionism in work hasn’t died down from when she was younger, and although she likes to think she’s getting better at letting go of the tiniest details in life, it doesn’t exactly translate well into work. “It’s fine, don’t worry. I’ll take care of it,” she smiles without a hint of strain at the art handler, who had unfortunately forgotten to ‘take care’ of a piece she has assigned them to. Kathy can’t even fathom those who’d simply neglect the one job assigned to them.

She waves the newbie away with a reassuring beam, and then allows herself to let out a small sigh once they are finally out of sight. Deciding to let matters sit for now, she walks around and spots a curious figure perusing one of the gallery’s collections. Now, that’s someone with taste, she praises, though alarm quickly fills her at the sight of the person’s tears. Or perhaps not? “Ah— yes, yes,” she replies distractedly. How the other woman figured out her name becomes the last priority in the face of Kathy’s concern towards the woman’s hidden distress. Kathy simply surmises that the other must’ve seen her name near the gallery’s entrance. “But more importantly, do you hate Botticelli that much?” she attempts at a tease, although not without worry furrowing her brows.

[1617]

i’m such a “no no, it’s okay” person with tears in eyes

[kathyhirsch]

marcoriccix​:

Katherine’s words brought a smile to his face, but Marco shrugged his shoulders. “Apparently I do with everyone’s dogs,” he answered her, “Just don’t have time for one myself.” When she joined him on the sand, he loosed Spike again, letting her take charge of him once more. He did love animals, but it would be completely unfair if he were to get one himself, he’d never be home and he wouldn’t have been able to put them first —- he wasn’t that cruel. “Two months ago sounds right,” he agreed as he moved to stand again, although some days the months and weeks blurred into one. Admittedly, he felt bad he didn’t see people a little more frequently and go out of his way to make time. “Decided to give myself a rare afternoon off,” he said with a smile. “Where were you guys heading?”

.

she vaguely remembers marco loving animals, a memory from long ago. for a split second, she wonders why he doesn’t own a pet — since any kind of companionship would be good to those who live alone, which katherine presumes marco is. but then she concludes that he simply doesn’t have the luxury time, with his schedule more packed than hers. a thought pops in her head that perhaps marco feels as though he’s in no position to take care of someone else, when he can’t even properly take care of himself. she doesn’t give the highly presumptuous thought any more attention, though. she is really in no position to assume that of him.

an idea sparks in her mind. “i was gonna bring spike home, and then get some groceries, and then cook & eat at my house...” she gives him a hopeful smile. “think you can spare me a little of your time and help me pick fresh produce?”

[kathyhirsch]

jackadler​:

♪

The ocean promises refuge, something his universe has lacked. These days have been filled with vital but jarring revelations. Jack feels as though he’s been standing on the edge of his emotions within each passing moment. There were moments where he swore he might fall right over this edge, toppling to some final and inevitable demise. But, no, he was still here, staring out at the ocean that once calmed him. Now it comes to him as an escape. 

Like clockwork, his thoughts are soon interrupted. A dog comes racing up to him, plopping into his lap and then rolling in the warm sand. At first, he jumps out of his skin, inhaling sharply at the impact of this action. But he soon laughs, releasing a sigh of relief. The singer shakily reaches out to ruffle the dog’s fur, “Who do you belong to, huh?” He questions, allowing his free hand to carefully grasp the dangling collar that wraps around his neck. Katherine Hirsch is the name on the little pendant. That’s when he hears the plea into the air and he assumes the woman had to be Katherine. 

Jack hoists himself to his feet, plucking up Spike’s collar, jogging over to the brunette. “He yours?” He asks with a smile, brushing some stray sand from the bottoms of his pants.

.

katherine starts to give chase to the lab, but then a kid latches onto her and asks for help with his inflatables. she doesn’t have the heart to leave the kid alone — where was his parents,  anyway? — and decides to leave spike to his fate. she’s sure that no one here would hurt a dog, no matter how naughty said dog may get . . . right? but her worries were put to rest immediately at the appearance of spike, happily leaping after a stranger — or maybe not so stranger.

“heartbreaker?” she blurts out, and straightaway gets embarrassed. she must be tired, for her to have spoken like that. “i’m sorry, i swear i’m not a groupie. it’s just, i’ve been listening a lot to your 4th studio album.” she probably shouldn’t have said the number. “anyways, yes! this impish mutt is mine. thank you for bringing him. i hope he didn’t give you too much trouble?” she then feels a tug at her shorts, and instantly feels guilt for forgetting about the kid.

“oh, wait just one second,” she coos to the child and gets down to his level. two arm inflatables, she notes. “could you please hold on to spike a little longer for me? thanks,” she directs to jack. blowing air into a float until she’s red in the face is not exactly the best image she wants to present, but whatever. children are more important.

[kathyhirsch]

astridmcss​:

She should be working. She has half a book worth of edits to get through and the merciless deadline is breathing down her neck. They’ve waited this long for the damn book. What’s a few more weeks? Months? Years?

Instead, Astrid finds herself stretched out in the sand. Because what’s the point of living so close to the beach if you don’t let yourself enjoy it. Her book, abandoned, rests open and face down across her flat chest. Her eyes are closed as she tries to relax. Though, that would be easier if there weren’t children shrieking all around her. Astrid pulls herself upright and crosses her legs beneath her just in time to see the dog barreling towards her. 

Her hands fly up to protect herself, but the dog stops just short. “Hey there,” she says cautiously, reaching out to scratch behind the animal’s ears.

.

katherine manages to keep track of spike, wincing as she watches him bound up to an unsuspecting victim but unable to do anything. she sighs in relief soon as it was clear that he wouldn’t pummel towards the poor person. catching up to them a few seconds later, she acquiesces his unspoken wish to remain in his spot since it seems that he wouldn’t be budging anytime soon. “sorry about that. he gave you a fright, didn’t he?” she says, shooting him a look, but sits down beside him. “hope you don’t mind if i sit here for a while. i’m katherine, but you may call me kat or kathy, whichever’s fine.” she takes a good look at them. “you know, you look really familiar.” her eyes travel toward a book near the other when something clicks and her face lights up in recognition. “oh!”

[kathyhirsch]

mayawollman​:

๑

Maya was so damn clumsy. So much so that it shocks her when she has days where she isn’t tripping over her own feet. The woman is sat on the beach, bandaging and cleaning her bloody knees with a few Paw Patrol bandages from a mother nearby who was kind enough to lend her some. Maya winces as she pours some water from her water bottle onto her scratches up knees, carefully opening the bandages and placing them over her wounds. 

It doesn’t take long before Maya’s luck runs out once more. A large, cheeky dog comes sprinting towards her, tossing sand into the air, landing in her giant head of hair. “Shit,” She murmurs to herself, brushing some grains of sand away from her face and neck. The dog was cute, at least, which earns Maya to release a nervous chuckle.

She moves to stand then, brushing any remaining sand from the back of her jean shorts. Her gaze averts to a woman a couple feet away. Maya reaches down to carefully take his leash into her hands. “Over here!” The brunette calls out to the woman, making sure her dog doesn’t go running again. The dog jolts a little, earning Maya to almost trip once again, making a hoarse squeak sound from her throat. 

.

katherine is really not cut out for track. she tends to move so slow when work is not involved. so it’s no surprise that soon as spike dashes away, she loses sight of him. she takes a few good minutes looking for him among the throng of people, until someone finally calls for her attention and she runs over. “oh my god, thank you!” she exclaims to the woman who took the time to watch over spike, even for just a short while.

kneeling down to pet him, she chuckles as she notices that spike seems somewhat placated by the other woman’s presence. “alright, alright, i’m sorry, i won’t get distracted again,” she promises. “i think that’s why he ran away in the first place. he looked for somebody else who can give him the attention he deserves,” she explains to the other person, but when she looks up from spike and sees the other woman’s bloody knees, she gasps in horror. “you’re bleeding! wha— ” she exclaims, pulling down the woman before protests could be made. “i’m really sorry. spike made it worse with the sand. do you have water? i’ll clean this up for you.”

[kathyhirsch]

junisantoso​:

☼

Juni should’ve recognised the woman right away, but it’s not until she’s up close that it clicks. “KAT!” she practically screams as she throws her arms around the woman and pulls her into a tight hug, “Oh my god! When did you come back? Does dad know? Why am I finding out this way?” The string of questions are only broken by a deep breath from the young girl, but the smile widens in the silence as she takes a minute to regain composure.

“In my defence…” she trails off in thought, “Okay, yeah I can’t even defend myself.” Kat was a familiar face through her life and one that was subject to all her speeches and the occasional rant well before she hit the streets of Catalina, all thanks to her dad’s helpful nature. “I’ll spare you the talk since it’s definitely one you’ve heard before.”

Relaxing her stance, Juni lowers her clipboard and exchanges her enviro talk for a lighter conversation and a much needed catch-up, “What brings you back?” she asks, “I’m thrilled, by the way, if that wasn’t clear, surprised but thrilled.”

✯

katherine laughs in delight as the girl smothers her with a hug. always in high spirits, this one, she thinks fondly. ❝ oh, well you know! just been back a few months or so... ❞ she feigns hurt, but her eyes twinkles. she grins as she watches juni tone down from excitement, but the lightness of the moment remains. shaking her head at juni’s giddiness and energy, she answers, ❝ previous director of the art gallery retired so they called for me and, well, i wanted to do this last stint before opening up my own, you know.  ❞

glancing down at the clipboard the other girl was holding, she asks, ❝ you don’t need to get my signature? what’s this for anyway? ❞ she inquires, genuinely interested. ❝ a personal advocacy or... academically required? ❞ she says the last part in faux horror. ❝ are you doing well in college? ❞ she can’t help but barrage juni with well-meaning questions, acting like a mother hen without even realizing.

[kathyhirsch]

marcoriccix​:

*

Having a little downtime this afternoon, Marco had taken the opportunity to head to the beach and take a walk. Constantly busy with work, it was rare he had a chance to call back on his love from when he was younger and simply enjoy the ocean and all it had to offer. Walks on the beach were the closest he got right now.

As he strolled, feet submerged in the water, he heard the cry and looked up to see exactly who it was that shouted. Then he saw the lab racing in his general direction and a small smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. Several moments later he’d managed to catch a hold of him, muttering soft words of comfort and giving him a good fuss. As Katherine appeared, he flashed a smile and called out, “I got him!”

✯

katherine chases after spike, only to see him get buddy-buddy with someone. it’s not just anyone though, but marco ricci, a familiar and surprisingly comforting face. relief is clear in the way her shoulders loose tension, and she lets out a laugh. ❝ you have a way with him, marco,  ❞ she greets. ❝ he can get really rambunctious, but that’s what makes him so lovable. ❞ she kneels down on the wet sand and strokes spike around the ears. he seems calm enough now. standing up, dusting the sand from her knees in vain, she smiles at him. ❝ haven’t seen you in a while. not since i ate at your restaurant, i think? two months ago, yes.  ❞ she notes, slightly wincing. although he’s her ex-husband’s friend and therefore wiser to avoid him, she thinks that it wouldn’t be so bad to strike up a friendship with him. they’re both similar in the way they get so hung up on work, and perhaps they can get the feeling of camaraderie from each other because of that. ❝ finally have time to laze about? ❞  she quips.

[kathyhirsch]

ardinhirsch​:

–

Ice cream is bad. He has to tell himself this multiple times, but that doesn’t really stop him from actually going to the goddamn creamery. His body will reject him for it later but he’s not going to listen. For now, he’s just going to enjoy the delicious taste of mint chocolate chip, while going through some emails on his tablet. He was in here way more than he should be for an old man that was developing an intolerance to dairy.

Clearly, though, that wasn’t the only punishment that the world was giving him. It came in the form of a little keychain, hitting his face and knocking onto the table. He gasped, shaking with the fight of being startled, but the voice of the one who’s caused it, made his blood rush from his face. He clears his throat, looking up to see Kitty, in the flesh. Guess she’d go by Katherine now, though. “Are you, though?” He questions. Unless she’s somehow changed in all those six years, or tried to pass this off like he knew nothing, he would argue she wasn’t graceful in the way she’s meaning it here. Graceful in beauty, yes, but not quite this way. He presses his lips together, looking down at his ice cream. “Couldn’t resist Scoops, huh? Can’t blame you.” 

✯

❝ i— ❞ katherine starts, taken off guard & momentarily confused as to what he’s trying to get at. am i, though? she sometimes forgets how much ardin actually knows her, the sides to her that people normally wouldn’t see. she chuckles anyway, though even to her it sounds strained.  ❝ are you calling me a liar? ❞ she manages to tease, and this time without a hint of tension. ❝ why would i even try to resist scoops in the first place? ❞ she replies, trying not to wince at her implication. of course, she’ll try to avoid this place, even if just subconsciously.

she proceeds to order at the counter for a mint chocolate chip. there’s a second where she just stands and contemplates on what to do, but ultimately steels her heart. see, she’s not running away. she might regret this decision later, but right now she sits down opposite of ardin, without invitation. ❝ working? ❞ she lightly probes, eating a spoon of her ice cream. ❝ it’s good to see you, ❞ smiling softly, she realizes that perhaps it’s true. she can’t really get a grasp of ardin’s sentiments towards her, ever since she sent him a gift on his birthday, but she’ll take his civility as a good sign. ❝ but wait, are you alright?  ❞ she remembers at the sight of the keychain, and slightly leans in closer, face furrowing in concern.

[kathyhirsch]

@catalinastarter / open

location: step beach setting: any time

katherine rarely had — or more like allowed herself — idle hours before moving back to catalina. she supposes she should feel grateful for having the time to relax, but she can’t help feeling restless, as if there’s something else she should be doing. so she walks her dog, a chocolate labrador, to dispel the uneasiness.

getting distracted by the shrieks and laughter of children with their parents, she loosens her grip on the leash. spike, the cheeky dog, takes this an opportunity to run off. ❝ spike, no— ! ❞ she calls after in vain, but the dog takes no heed, reveling in his freedom and the sand.

[kathyhirsch]

@jasminevolkan​

location: the brunch club setting: late morning

nothing beats a stressful early morning than some good food, or so she thinks. when katherine arrives at the establishment, she finds the place almost filled to the brim, with barely any unoccupied tables left. well, she supposes she could go to another restaurant for brunch, but she’s really not in the mood for the cuisine the other places in ventura offers. plus, she rather not go too far from her workplace. and so she decides to stand at the side and queue for a table, a wistful look smearing her face.

[kathyhirsch]

duncanstewart:

@kathyhirsch

location: streets of ventura, near catalina art gallery.  date: friday, september 18th. morning. 

“Kathy,” Duncan says, by way of greeting, as he turns a corner and spots an old friend. His introduction is short and clipped, as always, though a small quirk of his brow hints at his amusement. If there’s one good thing that had come out of his visit to the island, it’s reconnecting with a friendly face. Damn shame Kathy had moved when she did, really, given how she’d been of the few people he managed to be friends with while in Manhattan. And, if he were feeling less generous, just about anywhere. 

“Here’s hoping your connoisseurship extends to food,” he begins, his suggestion for breakfast drawn between the lines. “Between hospital food and hotel room service, I’m at the end of my goddamn rope.” 

✯

❝ really, that’s it? where’s the excitement? ❞ she jests — knowing that was the best duncan could manage, the poor man — and gives him a one-armed hug before he could protest. ❝ but impeccable timing, as expected. i was just about to go grab breakfast. ❞ she shoots him a worried look at his last statement, but refrains from asking. best not to overwhelm him for now. she isn’t familiar with his current situation, has no idea as to what he was doing in catalina, and so seeing duncan disconcerted her, to say the least.·

❝ i guess we’ll have to wait and see! ❞ she exclaims, her statement cryptic, and proceeds to her car. her want to get a reaction out of him other than distant politeness outweighed her need to impress people — although the same could not be said years ago. when they arrive at the place after a short drive, she enters without so much as a glance towards duncan, pointedly ignoring what his reaction will be. ❝ i live around this area and recently found out about this place. ❞ she explains, holding out the door for him and grinning. ❝ yes, i’ll admit that it looks dingy, but i promise the food is good. ❞ they serve the best breakfast fare around — despite udon being their staple — and surprisingly not too greasy.

[kathyhirsch]

@ardinhirsch​

katherine liked to believe that she does not run away from places and circumstances. she takes a breather, yes, but she knows she’ll eventually come to. even if it takes her six or something years. and so when she has a sudden craving for the ice cream selection that only scoops can offer, she tries not to heed the fond memories the place brings. nothing shall stop her from getting that ice cream. arriving just short of the door, she casually tosses a pink pom pom key chain she had bought a few moments ago ( and now has no idea what do to with it ). when she overestimates the weight of the pom pom while throwing it up, it inevitably flies off and hits someone. 

❝ oh! sor — ❞ she begins to apologize — wincing at the thought of the metal part of the key chain hitting their eyes — and stops abruptly when she realizes whom she had hit. really, she thought she had gotten used to their small encounters, but the uneasiness still lingers in her gut. still, she ends up chuckling in disbelief at her poor display of motor skills ❝ i’m usually more graceful than this, ❞ she remarks, shaking her head.

[kathyhirsch]

junisantoso​:

for: OPEN / @catalinastarter​ location: meteropole market place when: saturday, 12pm

Yes, Juni did have nothing better to do on a Saturday, because she was already doing the best possible thing.  Having to do this for extra credit did take the joy out volunteering a little, but she hands down could say that this was the easiest way to boost her grades. Spending the majority of her childhood days and much of her adult life getting folk to listen to her talk about various environmental issues prepared her for this moment. Getting 20 signatures was easy-peasy. 

Juni knew this wouldn’t be everyone’s way to spend their time, and she also knew not may people would be willing to talk either but, that’s why she picked the market place. With its constant hustle and bustle of people, surely luck would be on her side. A few walked by politely declining, some even turned and walked the other direction when they saw her,  but eventually, she caught the attention of a passer-by, “Hi, hello,” she said rather enthusiastically, “Do you have a minute to talk about the environment?” she asked, flashing them a smile. 

✯

there is no better place in catalina than the metropole marketplace for finding all sorts of obscure art. the place garners a huge amount of tourists, which means some painters & artists would set up mini exhibitions in the hopes of selling, or perhaps even getting sponsored. a rather outdated method of promoting one’s art, but still effective. katherine sometimes make use of her saturdays to peruse what they have to offer, simply for the sake of appreciating art.

when someone tried to catch her attention, she fully gives it to them. recognizing the owner of the voice, she returns the smile, equally enthusiastic. ❝ hey there! ❞ she greets. juni’s dad has helped kat countless times when she first moved back into lafayette square, and even before that. ❝ well, that depends. is it something i haven’t heard from you yet? ❞ she banters, eyebrows raising in expectance. in the short time she has known the younger girl, juni has drastically raised kat’s awareness of the environment. kat finds it amusing, but also remarkable.

[dappledwithshadow]

Andrew Wyeth

[timbradford]

[theroncharlize]

Anne Hathaway in Ocean’s Eight (2018), dir. Gary Ross