Today we’d like to introduce you to Kjaisa Gifford.
Kjaisa, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I have two main artistic passions: ceramics and murals. I got into painting walls four years ago when I switched rooms with my sister. I didn’t like my new room, so I decided to paint my walls. I had an idea for a pattern, and when I tried it, it actually worked!! I was hooked, and within a few months, six walls in my house were painted, and I’ve been hunting walls to paint ever since. My other passion is ceramics, which started three years ago when my mom bought a kiln and encouraged me to make something to be fired. From the very start, I loved it! Since then I have made hundreds of pieces, each one unique (there’s no fun in replication). I love sharing my work with others and seeing my joy of creating translate to joy in others. I have other artistic outlets for personal expression such as self-portraiture and poetry, and I can’t wait to see what avenues of creativity I pursue in the future.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I create because it’s fun. It’s a productive way to spend my free time. It gives me pride in myself and my craft. It gives me space to reflect. It gives me a material item that captures an idea, thought, or feeling in time.
It is also helpful that I never have to wonder what I’ll give someone as a gift. Whether they want it or not, they’re getting a piece of art.
I want people to understand that there’s no difference between me and them. If you want to create, you can do it. I have no inherent talent that makes me good. I have skills that I taught myself and refined over many enjoyable hours of practice. My art is straight from my brain, so if you want to be creative just think of what you want to do and do it. Comparing your art to others will only rob you of the joy that comes with creativity. Get in the habit of making your ideas reality, and you won’t regret it.
In your view, what is the biggest issue artists have to deal with?
It’s hard for people to find artists, and it’s much easier to know you can get cheap generic art from a department store. Being visible to the people around is a huge barrier if an artist is trying to make money. I know that if people could see my work and know I exist, I could maybe live off my earnings as an artist. But I am not there yet, and I have been struggling to get there for so long that it’s hard not to give up hope entirely. I wish money weren’t part of the equation, but it is. Being an artist free of money is the greatest challenge, either free because you choose not to sell (sparing yourself lots of grief, believe me), or because you find a way to make comfortable money from it.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I post regularly to my Instagram, and that is where you can see pictures of my art, videos of my process, and read captions about each piece. Support on social media is encouraging and motivates me to keep it up.
If you want to buy my work, its a matter of demand. I don’t sell my ceramics online, and I only paint in person (haven’t found a way around that yet). If there are enough Dallas folks wanting my work, I make time away from school or work to paint as many walls and sell as many ceramics as people will take. I go where I’m wanted.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.kjaisapaints.com/home.html
- Email: kjaisapaints@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kjaisa.paints/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kjaisapaints/
Image Credit:
Kjaisa Gifford
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