new site and lots to do

Happy Holidays! I wanted to share that I finally got my site up and live! It is named Heart & Craft Creative and will hopefully be a name I can use for all of my art and design work into the future. It's still in the early stages and has some kinks to be worked out but it is finally out there living on the web. With the year coming to a close and this big task being almost crossed off the list, I am deep in reflection and planning mode. Planning next steps; such as bringing the new brand look across all platforms like here and my shop, and reflecting on what I've done in the last year since quitting my teaching job, taking on more freelance work, and going back to school; but that's another post for another day- maybe in another year like 2014.

Please take a second to pop over to my site and check out some never-before-seen work and projects. Cheers!

Bird Print for sale on Brickyard Buffalo!

Good morning! For the next few days my Bird Print is up for sale on the amazing pop-up shop site Brickyard Buffalo! I love this site, they feature such a great collection of items, and I was so happy to be contacted by them about selling one of my prints. Even more exciting- you can customize your own color of the print! I have a color chart with 30 color options so you will definitely be able to find something to perfectly match your style, mood, or home decor. They're really discounted, only 7.99, and there is a limited amount so hop over to Brickyard Buffalo and check out the sale!

Crop Hunger Walk and Run

Just a quick pop in to say a little bit about this great event that I was lucky enough to design this year's shirt and artwork for! Taking place on October 20th, the Greater Greensboro Crop Hunger Walk and Run is a 5k event that is so impressive because it has an impact here locally in our little part of North Carolina but also globally. This year's theme is One World, One Community, One Step. Here are some details straight from the Greensboro Urban Ministry site:


The Greater Greensboro CROP Hunger Walk and Run is a 5k (3.1 miles) community event that raises funds to fight hunger. 25% of the funds raised go to Potter’s House Community Kitchen at Greensboro Urban Ministry. With the 75% going to Church World Service to meet human needs and foster self-reliance in over 80 countries.

Pretty neat, huh? Also, here is a nice article that I was interviewed for to promote the event and share the story about the inspiration behind my shirt design. Find out more about the event or sign up to participate, donate, or volunteer here.

Print Collective

You guys, I have the most exciting news! After almost two years of contributing to this project, Print Collective, is finally here!  Print Collective is a book of Screenprinting tips, projects, and techniques that I was asked to be a part of, along with nine other (such talented) artists from around the world. It hits the market on October 1st and you can order it right here or here. Crazy, right? People keep saying "you've been published," and it sounds ridiculous every time I hear it but it's true! Along with the two projects I contributed to the book, I also sent in tons of images, doodles, and designs that are now part of a CD that comes with the book that you can use to make your own prints. I worked with the nicest people, especially Jenny Doh and Lark Publishing, during this project and I can't wait for it to be out to the public.


Here is a more-detailed description of the publication:

In recent years, printmaking- and screenprinting in particular- has been experiencing a renaissance among crafts, designers, and artists. The popularity of designer printed fabrics, limited edition runs of tees, art prints, and more has fed the interest of crafters.

In Print Collective, each featured printer provides readers with a project of two that teaches a core technique. Examples include overprinting, screenprinting text, painting your prints, creating high contrast prints, using alternative exposure methods (like cyanotype) and more. You can truly choose your own printing adventure; in addition to the technique, each artist provides 15-20 motifs on the enclosed CD.

And a sneak peek of a couple of my pages!

Pattern Play

It's been a long time.  As in months.  But in my defense I have been transitioning jobs, going to school full-time, and doing an internship at a design firm one town over.  It's been great fun, lots of work, but most of all it has been eye-opening.  One of the things I have found myself most interested in working on over this season has been creating and playing with visual patterns.  Sometimes one repeated shape, other times several sketches growing into a larger design.  I can't get enough of playing with proportions, balancing positive and negative space, and manipulating color.  I just wanted to give you a little peek into what I've been up to and in the next weeks hope to share more of the specifics of some projects I've worked on and some of the exciting things that have been happening around the studio and the rest of life here lately.  

forming thoughts and making work

I've been doing a lot of reading lately about the process of design, not actually designing, but just the way we go about thinking, drafting, planning, and creating in the design world. Way too often I get wrapped up in having so much to accomplish, so many projects to finish that I don't really allow myself the time to just think about the design. My mind goes on autopilot, pulling inspiration from god knows where, and I end up churning out a design I am only halfway pleased with. The articles and posts I've been reading lately have inspired and challenged me to go about this whole process differently. To put the time into letting inspiration grow organically so your results don't feel like a hodge-podge of ideas you've seen somewhere before; and to just think about the early steps of design as being just as important as that moment when you sit down at the computer to execute an idea. I feel like this way of processing information and inspiration will also lend itself to a little more balance between life and work. I have a hard time processing inspiration I encounter on a day to day basis because I'm so rushed to instead be working, but now I plan on giving a little more breathing room to the simple acts of idea creation, sketching, and reflection.

Here are the readings that I am referring to, see if you can find the quote that I did the design below from.

AIGA: Beyond Craft & Tools

Inspiration vs. Imitation

The Fresh Exchange

Also a great video interview with Paula Scher.

What are your thoughts on finding inspiration, waiting for ideas to strike, and getting to work on any of your creative endeavors?

finding the light

 

The last month has been spent navigating the waters of this new schedule and new lifestyle of mine.  I've lost track of dates and have been working harder than I ever have before, but somehow enjoying every moment of it.  There is a feeling of calm and freedom that I have never enjoyed before; no matter how busy I am get; and that is priceless. 

Here are a few moments from the couple of last months, shot with my new 50mm lens that seems to discover in the most beautiful light ever.

28 & 2013

Yesterday I turned 28 and officially started the new year.  I was a little behind getting my 2013 started because a lot of big changes have been happening; good, life-affirming types of changes.

This month I quit my job of full-time art teaching to pursue a career in art and design. It's been a change that I have been needing, wanting, craving, working towards, and hoping for for far too long now.  It's taken the mister and I years to get to this place where we feel comfortable and settled and ready to take this big step, I'm so lucky to have his support in my life.  And it wasn't until yesterday that I felt ready to sit down and reflect on the past year and look towards the future ahead of me, because my last day of work was the day before my birthday, hence the new year and birthday joint celebration.

Before I talk about goals and plans to come, let me take a step back.  As 2013 started I was transitioning from being a full-time teacher to a part-time student and part-time freelance designer.  I was working 40+ hours at my job while also going to new classes in graphic design and still working on projects for various clients.  The last few weeks were crazy, a whirlwind of tasks that were so spread out I didn't know where to place my focus or my energy.  While teaching was a wonderful opportunity for me, a job that paid my for school the first time around and an experience that took me from being a child to an adult with a real career, it just never felt like the right fit.  My heart and creative mind were always somewhere else- making, planning, aching.  So with this switch into a new phase of my life I am finally able to slow down and think and gain a little more perspective on what I want out of the future.

My plans in the next month, year, and years to come are not set in stone yet but I know that I will be more fulfilled in doing something I can truly enjoy, the exact thing I was trying to teach my students over the last 6 years!  So now I'll be working on expanding my own design and illustrations, building my etsy shop into what I've long wanted it to be, sharing my work here with you as well as on various client projects, and most importantly, I'll be gaining more knowledge as I put some time, money, and effort into my own education.  I can't tell you how excited I am for all of this and I'll be sure to share the journey here with you.  It feels good to do something good for yourself every once in a while.

xo- kat

instagram photo from my pre-birthday weekend with a dear friend at Wrightsville beach.