Kathryn Crawford

◼️A little bit of both. I have a BFA in Graphic Design, and the college I went to was really hands on in terms of requiring classes like painting, drawing, sculpture, etc. That was a big reason for me choosing that school. I've always had a passion for art and design, and being trained in both was really appealing. I had a few graphic design jobs out of college, but ended up focusing on painting, and ultimately murals. Since there was no course in spray painting or murals in college that was a new learning curve. There were people in my community that took me under their wing, and I learned a lot from them in my first few years. Since then, I feel like I'm always learning new things about painting large scale and a lot of that comes from problem solving and experience.◼️

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To commission a piece or to learn more about Kathyrn visit her website or email her:

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KathrynCrawfordArt.com  

KathrynCrawfordArt@gmail.com

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◼️I remember painting a piece during a mural festival in one of my first few years of painting, and someone yelled out of their car to me, "You're going to make it!" I felt like such a rookie at that point, but that one sentiment meant such much to me, and I still think about it almost every time I'm painting a piece. Having someone believe in you, no matter how well they know you, can make so much of a difference.◼️

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◼️I've always loved things that are larger than life. I remember seeing murals before ever even thinking about that being in my future and feeling really moved by them. When I became more serious about painting, I made friends with some muralists in my community. I was so impressed by the challenge of that kind of art, and when my friend passed off a mural job to me, I took it. I have always loved to challenge myself, for better or worse, so I jumped right in and haven't stopped since. And still, to this day, it can be a challenge and a way of overcoming my own self-doubt.◼️

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◼️I feel like I knew about this somewhat early on, but I'm a big fan of chalk lines. I use them not only to make long straight lines, but also to make a big circle. I also love pre-taped plastic. It's the simple things! Haha◼️

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◼️Bad days are inevitable, and I feel like I have at least one on every job. To keep myself sane, I have to work out almost every morning. I'll wake up early and do yoga, or I've got the Alo Moves app on my iPad and I'll do a class on that. On jobs out of town (which are most of them) I always bring my yoga mat and make time to move in my hotel or Air BnB or wherever. Another thing that keeps me motivated is just the need to show up for myself. I have no one else to hold accountable except for me, and I want to do the best every time. I know that the bad day will pass, and the feeling of working through that is kind of the best feeling.◼️

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◼️Don't be afraid to ask someone with more experience for advice. Don't be afraid to challenge yourself or do something out of your comfort zone. Also take it from me, you'll be working more for yourself than you ever have for someone else. A lot of people think that becoming self-employed means more time to do whatever you want - NOPE. You'll probably always feel like you're on the clock, and you'll definitely have to make some sacrifices - but they are worth it. Sometimes that sucks, honestly, but at the same time, no one day is the same, you have the chance to travel all over the world, and experience building something for yourself that I bet you'll be proud of.◼️

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To commission a piece or learn more about Kathyrn visit her website or email her:

KathrynCrawfordArt.com  

KathrynCrawfordArt@gmail.com

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