Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background in the arts?
I’m Katie, a full-time artist living near the New Forest in the south of England with my partner. I’ve been freelance for almost three years and before that, I was a graphic designer for almost a decade after graduating university with a degree in graphic design. I worked in agencies and in-house designing things like holiday brochures and shop displays! I was creating and drawing for myself in the evenings and weekends before taking the plunge to go full-time as an artist. Other than painting, I love walking, baking and spending time with family!
What inspired you to pursue a career in the arts?
I was always very creative growing up and wanted to either be an illustrator or designer. I chose designer as it let me do both and set me up for my career! It also meant I learnt a lot of helpful things that make life easier as an artist, such as preparing art for printing and how to edit photos.
How would you describe your creative process?
A bit wild and free! I don’t follow specific steps when I create - as I use mixed media I often switch my materials often, from paint to pencils, to brush pens and then back to pencils. It’s quite an intuitive process so I just try to go with the flow!
Can you walk us through a typical day in your studio?
I always start my day with admin tasks - the quick wins I can tick off my to-do list like replying to comments, emails and messages. Then I move on to packing any Etsy orders and finally, around late morning, I crack on with my daily art practice! After that’s painted and photographed ready to post on Instagram later that day, I have lunch and settle into some bigger tasks in the afternoon, such as filming for Patreon or YouTube, or editing videos. Then I post on Instagram, reply to comments and browse my IG feed before ending the working day!
Pinch-me career moment?
Working with Tate Modern at the end of last year! It was such an amazing opportunity and a real privilege to be chosen by Tate to create some content for them. I created three reels inspired by their Cezanne exhibition and gained so much inspiration from him in the process!
How do you handle creative blocks or artist's block?
I try to work through it - the daily art challenge means it comes up a lot and it’s a totally normal part of being an artist. I do find taking a break helps but usually it’s just a walk and some fresh air rather than a longer break as I find the motivation comes when I create, not when I wait for it. I find artists' work I love and really lean into what excites me - then I try to create that myself. Sometimes it’s a colour palette and sometimes it’s texture, but focusing on elements like that feels less daunting and helps me feel less blocked.
How do you stay motivated and continue to grow as an artist?
Like I mentioned above, I really try to focus on what excites me as an artist. It means I follow my own little sparks of creativity and compare less to others, although the inspiration from other artists definitely helps fuel my passion! I’m constantly inspired by seeing other people’s work, especially on Instagram, and I always want to improve my artwork. To do that, it means a lot of practice and experiments which is always fun!
What advice would you give to young artists?
Create as much as you can, don’t be too hard on yourself and keep going! Your style will come naturally as you create more and more, and keep tapping into what makes you excited and follow those sparks of interest.
How would you describe your Patreon community and how often do you dedicate time to your community?
It’s such a wonderful community, full of other artists and encouragement for each other! We do a lot of online drawing livestreams and it’s so nice to sit and draw with other people and collect feedback together. I’m on Patreon every day for comments and messages, but I create exclusive content (like a livestream, a video tutorial or a blogpost) at least once a week.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
I’d love to live in Japan! I find it such a fascinating place and I loved visiting and gaining inspiration there. So many cute mascots!
Quick fire
Favourite artist
Isabelle Arsenault
Favourite museum
The Met, NY
What should we be all listening to right now?
I’m a sucker for listening to the same thing over and over, and at the moment I’m loving the song ‘River’ by Leon Bridges.
Favourite tv series?
The Office, US!
If you could have dinner with 3 artists (past or present), who would they be?
Paul Cezanne, Vincent Van Gogh and Isabelle Arsenault
Favourite ABT shade
126- Light Olive
Best advice you’ve ever received?
Don’t worry about what anyone else is doing, just stay in your own lane and keep going. (This is often easier said than done but the best advice to keep in mind!)