KcIllustration creates truly unique work. Some of her pieces are filled with vibrant color while others are more subdued. All of them, however, have life as well as personality. Read below to find out more about KC.
How long have you been creating art?
I have been creating art ever since I was a small child. I had tons of journals and sketchbooks where I would write down poems and snippets of prose (sometimes original but more often from books I loved) and illustrate each page accordingly. All of my fondest memories of childhood have to do with either art or books (or both). I decided I wanted to be an artist when I grew up when I was in middle school. My parents warned me I would be poor in between giving me praise and more art supplies, so of course all I heard was the praise. For a little while I thought I wanted to be a photographer. My father gave me a manual Cannon camera and I had began taking black and white photos and developing them myself in the school photo lab, but eventually I realized I was not destined to be a photographer because the photograph was never the last step for me. I always found myself wistfully imagining the photos as paintings, so I began to copy them. When I went to art school I majored in Illustration and minored in Painting. And yes, I am poor, but my life is rich in so many other ways.
What inspires you the most to create? How do you find inspiration?
I am inspired by just about anything but it takes more than that to apply myself and create without giving in to distractions. Being a good Illustrator also means having a good work ethic. You can't sit around and wait for inspiration when there are deadlines to be met!
What is the biggest challenge you face with your art?
I would say I have two challenges I face with my art. The first challenge I face is just getting started. A blank canvas is kind of a terrifying thing to me. I have discovered I can remedy this problem by painting the canvas a pretty color that will beckon me instead. In the finished product often nothing remains of that first color I put down but that's the only way I can deal with all that glaring, empty canvas.
The second challenge is deciding on a style. There are so many ways to do one thing that when you really start to think about them it can become so overwhelming its difficult to do anything at all. A teacher told me once that you find your style by just working, and it will come to you naturally...I feel like I am still waiting for one, but for now not having one can be a strength too, it means I am versatile!
How would you describe your color palette?
I don't believe I have settled on a color palette yet...it really depends on what I am doing. I feel like I tailor things like style and color palette to each particular project/story.
What is your favorite medium? Least favorite?
My favorite medium is whatever I was last using because my hand will still have a feel for it, which is why I go on using the same medium for long stretches. Right now I am oil painting and I love everything about oil paint. The smell, the sheen...the fact that you can never get it off your clothes or off your dog...
But I hate using chalk pastels and vine charcoal.
How do you work best? Do you have access to a studio?
My house has a second bedroom that is currently my studio. It's a lovely room with big windows and built in cabinets and I have a drafting table but somehow I always end up working on the cold, bare floor hunched up in a little ball over my canvas. I choose to be uncomfortable when I work but I do not know why this is.
What is your favorite subject matter? Least favorite?
My favorite subject matter is anything alive—people, animals, plants—soft, organic shapes. My least favorite subject matter would be anything involving straight lines like precise, architectural drawings. Hell day for me was when we had to sit in the hallways at school and draw them with a ruler to practice two-point perspective. Rulers are instruments of torture. I would literally turn around and walk out of class on those days.
Would you say that your pieces tell a story/have a narrative? If yes, explain.
My pieces definitely tell a story. Everything I sell on Etsy is an Illustration of some sort whether it be of a fairy tale, a Bible story, an opera, a personal memory etc. If you cannot figure out what someone is trying to say through a work of art it is perfectly fine to come up with another story in order to understand it better. Besides, I always fall in love with other people's pieces that connect with a narrative I carry inside myself. It's how you make them your own...
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
I suppose I should add that I recently started taking commissions on Etsy to do pet portraits and am truly enjoying it more than anything else. It would be lovely to be able to paint such sweet faces all the time.
To see more of her work or find out more about her, you can click on KcIllustration or on one of the pictures above.
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