Make To Showcase

Next up on the Maker Show reel is  @kymberlykatkins

https://www.instagram.com/kymberlykatkins/

Kymberly recently studied Surface Pattern and Textile Design. Kym's work is heavily inspired by the great outdoors and often focuses on texture and basic shapes. Kymberly enjoys experimenting with different media but is often more drawn towards paper cuts and screen-printing, she has also always had a love for color and takes delight in coming up with unusual color ways. Recently she has delved into rug tufting and created this piece of work.

1. What value do you believe art holds in the world? 

The arts play a big role in the world with how humans see and interact with others. Art can help us emotionally, financially, and psychologically. As they say ‘’The Earth without Art is just Eh!’’

2. What would you say is your biggest strength/weakness?

My biggest strength would have to be my eye for details in my work but which can also be my downside as wanting everything to be perfect in my sculptures.

3. What made you choose the course you studied or if you didn't what started your journey into art?

Purely because it was the furthest I could get away from parents as after that is the sea!! Truthfully it was the only college in Ireland at that time that also taught throwing pottery on the wheel.

4. What's the best art show you've been to? 

It has to be a tie between Collect, London, and Gifted, Dublin. Each showing a lot of amazing artists in both places. 

5. If you could work with an artist who would that artist be?

I would love to collaborate with Michelle Maher, with her ceramic sculptures being absolutely beautiful especially with her installation process outdoors.6. In the future where would you like to see your work shown?

I am hoping to eventually have a go at selling my work in the Gifted, RDS show the next time it will be allowed to run. It would give a great deal of experience with the quantity making process, pricing, and selling.

7. Has there been anything pointed out about your work that you yourself haven't seen or intended?

 Not that I can think of right now.

8. What would you say is the biggest misconception about being an artist?

When you believe that all of your art will sell immediately anywhere, which is never really the case. Some people will like your work, others won’t. Probably the best way is to build up your profile by going to shows, markets, and galleries.followed by meeting and conversing with the customers in person.

9. What is your own experience is the hardest part of being an artist?

Staying motivated all the time, as I don’t find it to be easy to be creative 24/7 that sometimes it’s better off to have a break from what I am making and to go back to it again another time.

10. Why did you choose the material you work with?

I love the fact that with a ball of clay you can simply push, press, and mould it to nearly any form you want, and on the plus side if you are not happy with what you have made all you have to do is squash it down and go again. 

11. If you could go back in time, what advice would you give to yourself?

Is to keep going with what you love and are passionate about and not to listen to anybody who believes you are not good enough.

12. What's your favorite artistic quote?

Well, I am not so sure if this counts as an artistic quote but it’s something I replay in my head when I am in an anxious moment or doubting myself. From one of the most famous fishes of all time as Dory always says…..Just Keep Swimming, Just Keep Swimming, What do we swim, swim, swim. Reminding me to keep moving forward and to believe in myself.

13. What's been your biggest achievement so far?

 I guess once I finally graduated from college with my degree after being the first person in the family to have achieved that.

14. What has been your biggest regret so far?

Probably when I doubted myself too much and overthinking if my work is good enough and will people like it.  

15. What would you like to get out of MakeToShowcase if you were to become a Long-term supported maker?

To be able to share each other’s knowledge and processes, basically building a group that helps and works with each other. 

16. Do you have a particular signature to your work that makes it instantly recognizable as yours?

First of all, I don’t have any professional stamp on my work, I simply just using a potters knife signing all my pieces with my initials KV. But when it comes to my design, I guess for my colour palette and the forms I make to create my sculptures.

17. What would you say makes your work unique? 

All of my work is created from a cartoon-like form of animal and nature, nothing is ever really as I want it to be whimsical giving the impression that it’s playful and hopefully bring some form of childhood memories back.

18. What advice would you give to future individuals looking to start a career in the arts?

https://www.facebook.com/kendravaloryart

https://www.instagram.com/kendra.valory/

Kendra’s most recent work has been looking into whimsical decorative garden gnomes, making many different forms and designs to suit the time of year. She is also continuing to make more swimming fish and jellyfishes. Kendra hopes to be able to take part in the big art show that happens each year in Dublin, Ireland around November.

Kendra’s artistic influencers are Grainne Watts, Jenni Ward and Michelle Maher. These artists all show a great deal of color and patterns in their sculptures. I especially love the fact that Jenni and Michelle both use the outdoor as the place to photograph and exhibit their work, making it look as if it’s part of the natural environment. This has greatly influenced me to also photograph my work outdoors using the world’s natural beauty.

(Maker 4:Maker work) (Kendra Valory) 

https://www.instagram.com/kendra.valory/

Kendra is highly influenced by the nature that surrounds her. Each piece she makes is hand build, followed by Bisque firing to 1000 degrees in the electric kiln. After glazing, she then raku fire her pieces using newspapers and sawdust as her combustible materials for reduction. Kendra quotes ‘’Raku firing can be quite unpredictable, leaving a unique outcome every time I open up the box after the reduction process’’.

To see more of Kendra and MaketoShowcase's social media content check out the links below. Finally, come back tomorrow to see which artists inspire Kendra Valory.

https://www.instagram.com/kendra.valory/

https://www.facebook.com/kendravaloryart

And were back with the week long feature check out our fourth 2021 Maker breakdown show reel  Artist Kendra Valory.

https://www.instagram.com/kendra.valory/

To find out more about Kendra check out our other social media and keep an eye out for posts throughout the week breaking down everything from ideas to final forms.

Next up on the Thursday Maker Show reel is @designbynicholson.

https://www.instagram.com/designbynicholson/

Lauran creates jewelry that evokes the beauty of nature something that has been a keen interest since childhood whilst also ensuring everything is as environmentally friendly as possible. For the particular series of work pictured Laura has focused on the environmental impact of the design and manufacture process such as the electricity for the tools to the carbon footprint of imported timber.

Next up on the Monday Maker Showcase is @jessmcgowandesign. https://www.instagram.com/jessmcgowandesign/ Based in North England Jessica is a freelance illustrator/surface pattern designer with experience with design for record labels. Jessica's work focuses on themes such as science and technology with bold use of color and detail.

Next up on the Thursday Showcase Maker feature is Ceramics artist @oliturnpenneypottery.

https://www.instagram.com/oliturnpenneypottery/

Oli's work as a ceramicist exaggerates the handmade through the use of 3D printing and digital software. Using these two different skill sets as the antithesis of each other allows forms that challenge and compliment whilst being complete opposites.

Next up on the Monday Maker showreel is jewellery artist @rachelbutlin93.

https://www.instagram.com/rachelbutlin93/

 Rachel through her practice challenges the concept of contemporary jewelry to create high-end mixed material pieces. Through her practice based in Staffordshire, Rachel's ideas come to life creating unique jewelry pieces through material combination and placement that evoke curiosity and exploration between the piece and the wearer.

Kendra studied Contemporary Applied Arts specializing in Ceramics and Raku Firing. After graduating in 2019, Kendra set up a small studio continuing to use nature and animals as her inspiration in her work. Kendra’s work is being sold in cafes, galleries and hopefully in some markets and art shows in the future.

Next up on our feature maker showreel is @bethanyatesglass. 

https://www.instagram.com/bethanyatesglass/

Bethan creates contemporary glass pieces through architectural and studio-based processes with the main focus of translating stitch and embroidery into glass. Combining these two different practices, materials and processes interests Bethany allowing the combination of textures, layers, and colors to explore how these react and play with light.

Next up a bit later than initially planned but here's our new maker feature @freyahillart. 

https://www.instagram.com/freyahillart/

Freya graduated in 2019 from Bath Spa University with a keen interest in Oil painting and a strong focus on blue/turquoise in experimentation practice. As well as Blue Freya focuses on landscapes and seascapes as well as coastal locations using brush marks and color on canvas.

Welcome back after a short pause to the maker show reel allow me to introduce the first of the May makers Emily Whitworth.

https://www.instagram.com/emilywceramics_/

Emily's work explores the energy and vibrancy she sees in the world that surrounds her. The work is a mirror of the qualities Emily sees. Using extruders, slips, and glazes she creates pieces that contain the potential for change. The hand-building process allows her to create forms that can be twisted and morphed and easily grow. The forms are decorated with texture and bright slips that make the pieces crack and ooze, this idea intends to insight curiosity and intrigue, for the viewer to be drawn in and create their own compositions, to encourage a viewer to become creatively involved.

You can see more of her work on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/emilywceramics_/  and later on in the year a more in-depth look into her practice as a graduate ceramicist. 

Best of luck with the rest of your studies Emily and I look forward to hopefully working with you in the future.

Hannah is a First class 2020 graduate of Textile Design from the University of Derby. Hannah thrives on all things interior-related due to previous studies in interior design which has helped develop a clearer vision of her work in a client's home. Since the end of her degree, Hannah has been busy creating unique pieces for clients that incorporate abstract and hand-drawn flair as well as texture and mixed media where possible to create a unique visual and physical experience.

https://www.instagram.com/hannahelisabethdesigns/

Alongside the week long artist breakdown show reel Make To Showcase also showcases features for artists to show images of their work. These one post features are for recent graduates or those who wish to develop there practice further before moving into a bigger feature.

Initially prior to the Covid pandemic this feature was used to highlight artist's whose work would be featuring in one of the Showcase shows. However due to restrictions has altered to allow those who would not get the chance to have a Degree Show to reach a larger audience and hopefully after lockdown be part of a degree show outside the degree format.

Now with a better understanding of the different formats allow me to introduce the first Maker Feature Artist 

Olivia May

https://www.instagram.com/oliviamaystudio/

  Olivia as a designer focuses on multidisciplinary design to provoke contemporary ideas out of selected commonly available materials. This blend within the work challenges sensory qualities allowing the viewer an unfamiliar understanding of design concepts whilst also allowing discussion and playful interpretation to brought to the front of the discussion