Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathryn Maxwell.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I cannot remember a time I wasn’t drawing or creating something as a child. I loved the bright colors of Peter Max and the 1960’s, going so far as to paint my bedroom in a rainbow of concentric colors.
I was fortunate to attend a boarding school for high school where the art teacher saw my drawings and thought they would translate well into screen prints. She didn’t know how to do this, but she went with me to buy supplies and we figured it out together. Printmaking became my passion after this introduction.
I never planned on being a professional artist though. Originally, I thought I was headed toward law, sort of the family business. Once in college at Northwestern, I found I couldn’t sign up for any art classes unless I was an art major. My desire to create was too strong so I signed up as a major and completed a degree in art, eventually completing a graduate degree in printmaking at the University of Wisconsin.
While I have certainly had moments of doubt about being an artist in the years since, the truth is I could not be anything else, since creating is so intricately connected to who and what I am.
Please tell us about your art.
My artworks combine painting, drawing, collage –and often a range of other materials, such as petri dishes or gel wax. However, it is the graphic language of printmaking that has always been at the core of my art practice. The ability to create and change images in a range of marks or photographic images, continues to challenge me conceptually and aesthetically.
- M Forster wrote, “only connect,” a quotation that I take to heart. Profoundly influenced by journeys across the globe, from India and Bhutan to Peru and Easter Island, I recognize the similarities of the human desires for belonging, connection to a greater whole, a sense of purpose, and a desire for beauty. Through both my journeys and my artwork, I hope to connect to others and provide them some sense of the wonder and connection to the wider universe.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing artists today?
I believe the biggest challenge for any artist is learning to trust one’s inner creative voice, to put aside the doubts and criticisms from within and without, and trust you have a contribution to make to the world through your artwork.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
The most convenient method of viewing my work is online at my website, on Facebook or on Instagram, although these indirect methods of viewing do miss subtleties. It is possible to support my work by following and liking on these sources as well as learn about upcoming or ongoing exhibitions.
Currently, my online store is under development but I will happily provide purchasing information to any inquiry as well as provide layaway options. The best support is always when a work finds a home where it is loved and appreciated.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kmaxwell.net
- Email: kathryn@kmaxwell.net
- Instagram: kmaxwellstudio
- Facebook: Kathryn Maxwell Artist
Image Credit:
MIchael Perrino
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