Today we’d like to introduce you to Kim Guthrie.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I was blessed to get accepted in to an art High School-High School for Performing and Visual Arts in Houston Texas, and studied art in Lacoste ,France. Upon returning to the US I went to visit a class mate in Florida and not knowing my future as an artist, I answered an ad for an apprentice sign painter. Sign Painting led me to Mural Painting and I made a living and raised my kids with this lifestyle in the deep south for over 30 years.
After being traumatized by hurricane Katrina I began to question life and my artistic choices. While I was thankful to make a living as an artist, I longed for the opportunity to paint what was “in me” and the luxury of time to do that. My prince charming ( a newspaper man) whisked me away to uncharted waters of the North East Coast and told me “here’s a brush and canvas,make all your dreams a reality”! Easier said than done, and in my quandary to find “Me” , I took a class on paper mache! Voila- it all fell in to place! I have always loved the whimsical side of life and prefer to laugh rather than cry.This comes out in my whimsical characters that come to life whether through oil paint or paper mache.
Please tell us about your art.
I paint in oils (as my grandparents did) but I prefer to use a palette knife to slather it on instead of a delicate little brush. I suppose it makes me feel like I am still doing a mural or Faux Finish (my comfort zone) when I use my whole arm motion.One of the blessings from doing murals everyday for 30 plus years is that I can adapt or paint any subject matter, although I typically prefer animals. I think I am drawn to their diverse colors and textures.I typically take the subject matter that I am painting and make a 3D Paper Mache of it. I will usually exhaust that subject matter by making and painting it multiple times- as to “get it out of my system”. Someone said to me one time, “Oh you must be so lucky to be an artist”, I immediately replied, well…It’s more like a disease and I just NEED to get “it” out of me so I’ll feel better.My hope and message with my art is that it can make people laugh. That my characters can just transport you for a minute out of the “muck and mire” that can occasionally be life and that the viewer would just smile or maybe even LOL!
We often hear from artists that being an artist can be lonely. Any advice for those looking to connect with other artists?
Wow, I feel sad for those artists that say it is lonely. The act of making art could be considered a lonely experience. Sometimes you have to pull away from society and social media to really “get in your own head space” to focus enough to produce. I really think though that every town has artists and art resources. You just need to put yourself out there to find them. Go to classes,shows,the library, galleries, festivals,etc and ask,network. Even social media platforms can connect artists now that were never connected before. I really have the opposite problem, I have so many local artistic friends and entity’s , that I am really torn which ones I have to give up just to carve out time to produce art.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
www.kimguthrieart.com
http://fineartamerica.com/artists/kim+guthrie
My Local Venues to view
and purchase art
The Last Art Gallery
Louisiana St
Off the Square
Downton McKinney
http://www.lastartgallery.com
The Cove
402 N. Tennessee St
McKinney TX
Open most Friday and Saturday nights
http://thecovemckinney.com
Diggin’ It
507 N Tennessee Street
McKinney TX
http://www.thedigginitshop.com
Hugs Cafe
224 East Virginia Street
Mc Kinney, Texas
http://www.hugscafe.org/
The Mary Karam Gallery
404 W Main St,
Denison, TX 75020
http://www.marykaramgallery.com/
https://www.etsy.com/shop/KimGuthrieArt
Instagram : Kim Guthrie Art
Facebook : Kim Guthrie Art
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kimguthrieart.com
- Email: haveit4paint@yahoo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimguthrieart
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kim.guthrieart
Image Credit:
Kim Guthrie
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