Some Highlights from February 2026.
This year I think I’m going to try to make art that will work as static pieces that can be put in zine form but also be looped into a short animation. I’ve been inspired by the work of some paper cut out artists, printmakers, and public domain images of snowflakes and fireworks. Here is the animation for February 2026. Art made using a grid I put together in Inkscape. GIF made by putting together the finished images together using ezgif. Inspired by these French floor tile patterns from the 1940s. A zine of the animation elements can be printed out for free here.
The abstract series I’ve been doing every month are called sketchbook because they started out in sketchbooks. So this year I am going to work in a sketchbook again. Check out the February 2026 Series and print out a free zine of the art.
Over the last few years I wrote poetry based prompts posted on mastodon by a community of writers who share haiku prompts everyday. Read the haiku here. I finished putting together a book collection of this poetry, Minor Transient Documents of Everyday Life, three line recipes, short stories, jokes, riddles, science projects, love notes, horrors, confessions, and memories. buy it here through blurb. If you are interested in selling this book in your book store on consignment, please email me at KatherineMontalto@protonmail.com.
I’m too much of an introvert to go on a book tour so I’m sending this Haiku Machine out into the world for me. It’s like that Zoltar thing from the movie Big, only instead of granting wishes it just dispenses haiku that gives you a little insight into my strange mind. And a piece of candy for your trouble. If you’ve got a space that can host a residency in Metro Detroit, drop me a line, You can keep the quarters. Alternatively, If your space already has a machine (anywhere in the world) that can handle 2 inch gumballs, I would be happy to fill it with her haiku candy capsules.
The Haiku Machine is currently doing a residency at Whistler’s Daughter Books, 703 Livernois Ferndale, MI 48220 until April 26, 2026. Before that it was in residence at Kitty Deluxe (22202 Harper Avenue in St Clair Shores, MI 48080) from October 2025 through January 30, 2026.
My book, Minor Transient Documents of Everyday Life is available at the Warren Public Library, which means, if you have a library card in the suburbs of metro Detroit, you can check out through the inter-library loan system! Check it out now! It’s coded 811 M in the poetry section of the Arthur J. Miller Branch Library.
Starting last year, I thought I might experiment with form, but it turns out, all I’ve written are non-rhyming sonnets. 14 lines, 10 syllables each. 3 Quatrains then end with a couplet. Read all the 2026 poetry here.
This month I made a zine of a flash fiction story I wrote in 2014 about two red macaw parrots who find love in a bird sanctuary. You can print out a free zine and read here.
Zine libraries are welcome to print out my zines and put them in their collections. Please contact me to let me know.
It’s winter here in the northern hemisphere so Get my art on sweat shirts and hoodies in my redbubble store.
Here are my newest Redbubble designs:
2026 02 01
https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/178751717
2026 02 07
https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/178751823
2026 02 Sketchbook 02
https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/178752328
2026 02 sketchbook 03
https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/178752539
You can also find my art on stuff in my TeePublic store.
Subscription Package
Here is the subscription box for February 2025.
If you’d like to support me on a continuous regular basis you can set up a monthly donation to my art supply fund. There are levels of regular donation you can contribute, everything over a dollar comes with rewards. If you’d like to make a one-time contribution go to PayPal, Ko-fi LiberaPay
All of my original artwork, writing, and music are available for purchase and for licensing. I am available for other creative services as well. See them here. If interested please contact me here.
