Chatting with KL Bailey Art

It's Wednesday and that means a second day with our Artist of the Week, K L Bailey Art! If you missed yesterday's post, well it was chock-full of eye candy so you might want to check it out. And now let's learn more about Kirsten, shall we?

1) When did you know that art was going to be a significant part of your life?

I think art has always been a part of my life. I've loved drawing and painting as long as I can remember, and used to ask for crayons and coloured pencils for Christmas. I only recently began to consider art as anything other than a hobby. When my husband and I first moved in together, I painted lots of things to decorate our home with (we couldn't afford to buy any art so I made it instead!) I always thought that no-one else would want my paintings, and it was just something I did for me. Then one day a friend asked if I could do a painting for her house, and then another friend did the same. It gave me a confidence boost and I started to enter exhibitions and to sell my art.

2) Where do you go or what do you do when you need to recharge your creative spirit?

When I need to recharge my creative spirit I do one of two things - look at other artwork (I am addicted to browsing on Etsy and love to visit art galleries), or go out into the garden or for a walk. I get a lot of inspiration from nature so going out into nature is a great way to recharge my creative batteries. I do tend to create in spurts though - I won't do any painting for ages and then will have lots of ideas all at once.

3) How do you maintain a balance in life between your artwork and other obligations?

Maintaining a balance between my art and other obligations can be difficult at times - although I don't have any children yet and I'm sure that makes things a lot easier! I am a primary school teacher full time and so I usually paint in the evenings or on weekends and school holidays. I'm a real night owl and can't get to sleep most nights even when I want to, so I often stay up and paint into the night.

4) How do you see the art world changing or evolving?

I haven't been involved in the art world too long so it's hard for me to gauge how it's changing, however the main thing I have noticed is the sense of community I have with other artists. Everyone you meet on art websites is supportive and encouraging. I have participated in several group art exhibitions and have found that artists really support one another.

5) Who are some other artists, musicians, or authors that you find to be particularly influential?

I don't think I have any particular artist who is influential in my work (at least not consciously). I think I have many different sources of inspiration. Having said that, my earliest memory of becoming really interested in art was when my teacher showed me a picture of Van Gogh's sunflowers and I was mesmerized!

6) What are some of your hopes or goals for the future?

I sell art because I love to create it and I absolutely love the idea of someone having a piece of my artwork on their walls. My main dream for the future is to have a success in selling my art to people from all over the world.

Thanks again to Kirsten for taking the time to do the interview. Remember to head over to her shop - she's offering all of you 15% off your orders if you mention "Green and Pretty!"

(All images via KL Bailey Art)