Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kelsey Irvin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kelsey, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
I was pretty fortunate and was able to earn a full-time living early on. I graduated collage in 2004 and by 2005 I was making a living as a full-time artist. I had travelled out to California to visit some friends after graduation with no intention of living in California. I had hopes to move to Colorado or Oregon. My mom was a flight attendant so I’d flown out on a pass and hadn’t booked a return flight just yet. I figured I’d stay a couple of weeks. After one week of vacation, I got stir crazy while my friends all were at work one day and decided to do something productive. Even though I didn’t live there, I figured I could get a part-time job to add to my resume. I could always stay the summer if I found something worth while. So, I started calling interior design firms, an industry I thought I may go into. At the time, I didn’t realize that being an artist was even an option. Interior design or sustainable architecture were two fields I considered pursuing. My third phone call was to a small design firm in Newport Beach. They were hiring and invited me in for an interview. When they interviewed me I told them I didn’t live in California and honestly didn’t know how long I’d be staying. They hired me with the understanding that it may be just be a summer hire. A week into the job they found out I was an artist in the most serendipitous way. They saw a small sketchbook that I was working on during at the time and they told me they could sell my work there. A week later they would be having a big Anniversary party and they suggested I get some work ready for sale during the event. My mom was flying a trip out to Marina del Ray that week and I asked her to bring a portfolio of some small paintings I’d done in College. We drove up to meet her and I got those pieces ready to hang. Within no time I was working at their store during the day and painting at night. I landed my first big commission, a 7 foot x 3 foot abstract painting. I didn’t even have a studio to paint it in. I used one wall and about a foot of floorspace in my boyfriend’s bedroom to start the piece, did the next stage in friend’s bedroom down the hall during a week that he’d moved out before another friend moved in. The painting was done between 4 different rooms in that house, none of which were a studio. Things were happening and I loved it, but I never expected any of it to last. My friends had to sit me down and convince me to stay in California, because I was still planning to head to Colorado. They told me I was living my dream, but I definitely hadn’t realized it yet. I genuinely felt grateful for the fact that some artwork was selling but thought it would just be a fun season of my life I’d look back on one day. I never expected anything beyond that. Soon after, an art dealer saw my work and we started working together. Once I started working with an art dealer, things changed pretty quickly. I dove into the work more heavily and eventually spent all of my time painting.
I do believe understanding the business side of the art world is a very valuable lesson for artists looking to make a living in this field. I learned a lot about the art business through experience, it was not something taught to me in college. I’m sure there must be art programs now in Universities that offer classes about the art business. If so, I’d highly recommend any young artist to learn as much as they possibly can about it. Gallery representation and relationships, art dealers, invoicing, incorporating, sales tax, all of it. Making art is what drives artists and the business side isn’t necessarily the fun part for most artists, it definitely wasn’t for me, but it is a pivotal piece of the puzzle in making a living as an artist. The more you understand and embrace it, the better equipped you will be.
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.
All of my work is a combination of drawing, painting, and collage. This combination recognizes the three main practices I’ve focused on and love the most. I use a lot of vintage ephemera as collage materials in my work. This is in part because they hold very interesting stories from the past and add dynamic textures to the compositions. Additionally, I feel strongly that a lot of the collage materials I use will no longer be available to us in the future. So many paper objects are losing their place in our lives due to the digital age. Tablets and screens are replacing books, for example. People send texts instead of written letters. One day books will only be found in museums. That may sound silly but I believe it could be true. So, I try to pay homage to these important objects of our past and present by placing them into a space where they can be appreciated and viewed. I try to give vintage ephemera new life before it is lost or deteriorated with time.
From afar most of my work looks like a painting, made of mostly paint. But as you walk up to each piece you realize that it is comprised of so much more. It is a collection of memories and objects that trigger nostalgia in viewers. In my work you may find love letters from the early 1900’s, vintage movie magazines, parts of erector sets from the 40’s, sand and sea glass from local beaches making up parts of the ocean, vintage dress patterns, a miniature metal license plate that was a Wheaties box prize in 1953, vintage book covers, vintage matchboxes, repurposed fabrics and leather from an old diary or handbag, a film reel canister may be used to represent a headlight on a motorcycle. The list goes on and on. The possibilities are endless and viewing the work is intended to become a treasure hunt of sorts.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The fulfillment you gain from spending your working hours creating something that not only brings joy to people, but gets used and appreciated for decades to come. It is meant to outlive me and get passed down for generations. That alone is really very rewarding. I would create art every day whether I made a living at it or not. To be able to do this for my job is priceless.
Have you ever had to pivot?
I think reinventing yourself and growing instead of becoming complacent is extremely important. The times I’ve pivoted in this industry were all a part of the processes of evolving as an artist. I went from a student artist, to a working artist, to a professional artist. I also became a gallerist and that’s a whole other hat to wear. All are important to me. When any part of this journey became routine along the way I found myself stirring. Let’s call it the seven year itch. Every 7-10 years I’ve noticed I get a little jittery. As if I need to make sure I’m still growing and not becoming stagnant. That’s normal, I think. When I get that way I decide to push myself harder, to make sure I’m not only making work that has a known outcome but also am leaning into the work that isn’t comfortable or uses new techniques. This helps me grow. And growth is important to any artist looking for their work to evolve naturally over time.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kelseyirvin.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelsey.irvin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kelseyirvinart/
- Youtube: @kelseyirvin7521
- Other: Short film, “In All I Do.” : https://vimeo.com/258729079
- Other: Short film, “Preserving Nostalgia.” https://vimeo.com/
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Image Credits
Portrait: By Benjamin Ironside Koppin.