We recently connected with Kathryn Crawford and have shared our conversation below.
Kathryn, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
The most meaningful project I’ve been a part of, by far, was a mural initiative in Asheville, NC at the Mission Hospital cancer center. A group of artists came together and painted the interior of the parking deck that greeted patients, families, and everyone going to work there. I collaborated on a piece with two other artists, and we decided to paint a phoenix. Because they are associated with hope and healing, it felt like that could be a powerful image. With any project that has so much importance, I think there’s a tendency to be hyper-aware of how it will be received and to hope that it will make someone’s day at least an ounce better. Ultimately, all the murals received amazing feedback and I was completely honored and humbled to have been a part of that.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Kathryn Crawford, and that’s the name I go by with my art. I was raised in a pretty artsy family. My dad is a self made set designer, and my cousins are both incredibly talented graphic designers. I’ve seen them all accomplish really important things in their careers and it was (and still is) genuinely inspiring. I was always testing the waters of different kinds of art. My dad always had things for me to create with – fabric samples, lettering books, blue print tools, and all kinds of art supplies. In high school I was really into film photography, and ended up going to college for a BFA in graphic design. After graduating, and a few years of traveling and bartending jobs, I decided to take painting more seriously. Through friends in the art world, I found my way into painting murals. After years of hard work and part time jobs, I was able to take my art career full time in 2020.
My style is sort of abstracted realism dreamscapes, with a heavy focus on florals. My background in graphic design shows up in a lot of my paintings through composition and shape. Right now, I’ve been super inspired by art deco and mid century modern design. I love pastels, arches, vintage lamps, architecture, nostalgia, seeing new places, and of course flowers. Palm trees show up in almost every painting. I am forever inspired by Italian renaissance & baroque art. I remember learning about Bernini in an art history class (specifically the sculpture of Apollo and Daphne), and that moment really ignited an admiration for sculpture.
I’ve never really been the type of personal to have a life plan, so I can’t say I ever expected or thought about my life being taken down this path. However, now that I am fully in it, it’s really exciting, and I’ve had the opportunity to work with some really amazing clients. I still pinch myself thinking about the idea that people want to look at my art every day, or have their art on their business. I’ve gotten to live paint murals during music festivals, people’s private homes, local businesses, and worldwide brands. I’ve worked with companies like Starbucks, Credit Karma, Allspring, and next month I’m painting a mural for Patagonia.
It’s super validating to be recognized, because I’ve worked really hard this far. This career makes me accountable for myself, and I want to show up every day to do the best I can. And in all honesty, imposter syndrome is a real thing, and I’m sure if you’re reading this you know what I’m talking about. But I’m really proud of what I’ve accomplished, and excited to see what I will accomplish in the future.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
There’s a couple of things that genuinely fulfill me in this career path. The first is all the opportunity to travel and connect with people from all over. If you could have asked me what my dream career would involve 15 years ago, I would have told you it would have something to do with traveling – it brings me to life. My career has given me the opportunity to paint in places like Naples, Italy, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, etc. Along with that comes meeting people from all over the world. I’ve made some of the best friendships with people I would have never met otherwise. It feels like such a solid and supportive community, which is incredibly rewarding. I can’t wait for the opportunities in the future to paint in new cities, meet new people, and revisit places I already have painted. I definitely hope to paint more murals abroad in the near future.
Lastly, I love to challenge myself. I first became interested in doing murals because they felt larger than life. I had barely even picked up a can of spray paint before doing my first mural, which is now how I paint every mural. Looking back on it, it’s crazy to see how far I’ve come. But I’m proud of myself for taking every chance. There seems to be a never ending learning curve with art, and working through something new and difficult is a great feeling. There’s always an opportunity to grow and learn, and there’s always new ways to challenge yourself.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
To build upon what I said in my last sentiment, in almost every piece there is a story of resilience. Painting murals is a pretty intense job. It’s really physical and emotional. It’s long hours in all different types of weather. It’s displaying your vulnerability in front of the public in almost a performance type of way. It’s being completely filthy and putting your body in positions that probably aren’t the best. Almost without fail, in each job there is a day (or more) where I feel like I’ve completely forgotten how to paint, I blew it and I’ve ruined the piece. It’s an incredibly stressful feeling, but it always comes out on the other side. I think that’s the feeling that has me hooked, the feeling that you’ve overcome your own self doubt.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.KathrynCrawfordArt.com
- Instagram: @KathrynCrawfordArt
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathryncrawfordart/