Creatively Featured: Kristin McCulloch

I love Kristin McCulloch's whimsical girls and she is our creatively featured member!
Thank you Kristin, for taking the time to interview with us.

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1. Tell us about blogging and how it's worked for you.

Listening to the Squeak started in my head two years before I had the courage to sign up for a blogging account.

When I first started blogging I wasn’t sure who I was as an artist or a writer, but as I kept writing and sharing my life and art. I didn’t really care if any one read my blog, although it’s awesome that I have so many people sharing with me! I think it was more of way for me to found my ‘voice’ creatively.  I have received amazing support and feedback from other artists and bloggers, which has really inspired me and helped my self confidence.

And during the tough days, when my inner bitch has taken over, it is so nice to write about my insecurities and worries, and know I don’t sound crazy because there are others out there that have been through similar days.

2.   How did you discover your favorite art medium? 

After high school my confidence was at an all time low and I didn’t create anything for years. When I restarted, I used graphite pencils, but I always wanted to add some colour to the picture. I then I tried colour pencil, but my shading and consistency irritated me. I love promarkers, I think they are like painting but I felt I had more control and I loved the way they flowed. I had a brief fling with scrapbooking, but the one thing I never really tried was painting, because I didn’t think I was a painter. Paint was scary for me.

Some how I found Tam Laporte (willowing.org) and completed her free art, heart and healing course and slowly gained the confidence to use acrylic paint, (which wasn’t so scary!) and although I occasionally dig out my markers I now rarely do anything else but paint.

3.   What inspires or influences you artistically?

There are so many artists that are currently producing amazing art, who are inspiring to me but the long term influences would include Roy Lichtenstein’s and the whole pop art genre, the romance of the impressionist painters and I have always loved - Loved -  Japanese Manga/ anime + graphic novels. I have been totally inspired by Natalia Pierandrei’s self taught gothic/ comic style.

I am inspired by things in every day life, something my kids have said, a half heard conversation, the patterns on a wall, a magazine advert, song lyrics, books I read, other artists techniques and their art. Everything is fair game - I think it just depends on my state of mind at the time.

    4.   Which aspect of your art do you enjoy most? 

I love the feeling of switching off - it is meditative for me. I love seeing paint on my hands and under my finger nails, I love seeing an idea take shape on the page, I love seeing something in front of me and knowing that I made that. I love when Bean comes into my studio and tells me my paintings are wonderful and that she wants to put them in her room to decorate them.

   5.   How do you see your future work and style developing?

I have no idea, I didn’t expect it to evolve the way it has. It’s an process I guess and I am sure that in some ways it will keep developing and evolving.

  

6.   How do you manage your time?

By nature I am not an very organised person, and I can be a huge procrastinator, but the only I survived school was to learn to be organised and write lists (oh god the lists! thanks mum - I am now a compulsive list writer!)

I usually spend an hour Sunday organising my week. I am up at six most days and spend half hour organising myself and mainlining caffeine before the kids get up. Most days the kids sleep/ rest for two hours over lunch so I grab some time in my studio then, (that is if I don’t get caught up in a book or pinterest. I can get lost in both!) and then because they are early to bed kids, I can also manage to spend a couple of hours in my studio at night once they’ve gone to bed.

7.   Do you work to a design or theme or just go with the flow…or something else entirely?

Its a mixture. Sometimes I can see the whole painting before I have even started, but other times I slap some back ground paint down and go from there. Sometimes it works, other times it goes in a box to be dealt with later!

8.   Is/was there a significant turning point or defining moment in your style of work? 

It took a long time of copying other peoples styles before finding my own. But as I gained more confidence, my style developed. I do remember being in McDonalds one rainy day with my feral children, and pulling out a sketchbook and drawing. That was the start of the style I that I paint today and was totally significant for me because I was drawing from my head (and heart) rather than what was in front of me.

 9.   What have you done this past year?  I have gone from doubting my abilities to knowing I am on the right track. I am owning the label ‘Artist’. I have become more goal focused, I have started selling my art on etsy, I have started helping a friend find her own creative feet, which is hugely rewarding so far. And I am doing the year long Life Book 2012 course (but have fallen a bit behind at the moment!)

10.   What artistic plans do you have for the coming year? 

I have so many plans and ideas for next year! We are expecting our third child New Years Eve (Oh the timing!) so I would love to take some time off and refocus. But I want to paint more, (and sell more!), explore larger canvases, and inspirational mini canvases. I would like to start producing some cards and calendars - some of my friends are wanting custom made phone covers so I am looking into that as well.  I want to join life book 2013 (but should probably finish 2012 Lifebook!) I would like to help others who are struggling to find their creative feet. And of course I want to keep strengthening the friendships that I have developed online, and in the artistic community.

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Listening to the Squeak blog: http://kirstinmcculloch.blogspot.com/

LilliBean Designs Shop:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/LillibeanDesigns

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LilliBeanDesigns

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lillibeandesigns/

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/kirstmcculloch/