We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kathy Cornwell. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kathy below.

Kathy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you feel you or your work has ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized? If so, tell us the story and how/why it happened and if there are any interesting learnings or insights you took from the experience?

I mischaracterized myself by living for years with the belief, “I’m not good at physical tasks. My talents are solely cerebral or interpersonal.” Hah! Working as an artist has helped me understand that just like everyone, certain things come easily to me and other things take longer to master. As my hands become less nimble due to arthritis and aging, I find myself modifying my methods of mark making, and I’m just as delighted with them as the marks I made when my hands were in their prime. I’ve also increased my capacity for solving the problems that arise with physical tasks. I no longer throw up my hands and blame myself, but rather I keep on trying and I look to other artists for advice.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’ve felt an inescapable pull to create art for over three decades, but I spent many of those years searching for the right medium for me. Finally at almost 50 years old I discovered printmaking and mixed media collage, and my art practice took off. It was worth the wait. Printmaking and creating collages with my prints provides me delight and challenge while allowing me to reveal my true self to the world. My work has been in exhibitions, galleries, and international art publications—and I’m just getting started!

My intention with my art is to help the viewer notice and appreciate the beauty and mystery in the most mundane of objects. In doing so, one’s mind can be opened to wonder and awe.

I’m a daily hiker, and much of my art includes ground-level inspiration from the plants I encounter. I’m inspired by weeds, bark, fungi, and leaves that have been munched by insects. At the same time, my work includes trash items that I find while hiking or in my home. My art expresses the conflict between my joyful celebration of nature and my dismay about man’s negative impact on it—including the damage that I am personally responsible for.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I’ve found that hiring a coach has turbo-charged my growth and kept me from stalling out. I’ve worked for several years with Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, an artist, teacher, and coach. it’s incredibly helpful to receive honest feedback and support from someone who has a lot of experience. I can show Julie my work for critique, ask technical questions, get grant writing support, and receive encouragement to keep going.

Top athletes have coaches, actors have coaches, public speakers have coaches… having a coach doesn’t mean you’re not a professional, it simply means you are committed to your own growth. That’s something to be proud of! Hiring a coach was one of the best decisions of my life. If you’re a creative who’s struggling or feeling stuck, get yourself a coach who knows your field.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I’ve had a number of different careers in my life, and none of them inspired the ambition and drive that being an artist gives me. I find that being an artist is like rock climbing: the fun (and sometimes scary) challenge of finding a foothold and then reaching for a handhold that will take you to the next level. This is true both in artistic skill development and also in art career activities. I am constantly challenging myself to make my best work while also pursuing more and better opportunities for sales and exposure. It’s absolutely thrilling!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.KathyCornwell.com
• Instagram: @kathy.cornwell.art

Image Credits
Photo credit for all images: Nova Soul Imagery