Interview
Kay Stewart
Living in Frinton-on-Sea, Kay works from her garden studio surrounded by nature. She loves animals and as well as working on a commissions, she’s also creating a range of cards and home decor. Kay describes her commission work as capturing memories and she just loves that.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I grew up in the East End of London; I think I used art from an early age to escape the grey of the city and to live in a more colourful world. Drawing was something that came naturally to me, even at a very early age my teachers were telling my parents that I showed potential in art. By the age of sixteen, I’d completed my Art A level and was applying for colleges to study art. I was accepted in to all of the ones I’d applied for, but this was the 80s and the country was in recession. My parents couldn’t afford to pay for my fees and so I had to get a job instead. I carried on with my art though in my spare time but its only been the last few years that I’ve taken the leap and start my business and fully invest in my artwork.”
What inspires you?
“Colour, animals, shapes, light - it can be a number of things. Something may catch my eye and my mind starts whirring, thinking about how I can apply that to my art.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“I’m really into my pet portraiture at the moment. I find animals fascinating and I just love all their quirks and foibles. When I draw them, I’m not just after a likeness, I’m after capturing what makes them unique to their owner. I don’t think there’s an underlying message in my work, other than capturing what makes the pet so special to their owner. It’s the soul of the animal I’m after - whether they be funny, sad, daft as a brush or a grumpy bugger. These are the characters that the owner loves about them and I think that’s really important to capture that for them.”
How would you describe your work?
“I’d describe my style as modern realism. I don’t want to make it fully realistic, I like it to have a quirky edge to it. It sort of developed over time and I love that it can go into a more modern home décor. I want people to smile when they see my work. It’s a miserable world at the moment and if someone can look at my art and it makes them chuckle or smile when they look at it, well that’s just a lovely thing to be able to do isn’t it?”
Which artists influence you most?
“I don’t tend to follow well known artists, instead Im inspired by other pet portrait artists like Bonny Snowden and Sema Martin. They’re like me, just trying to make ends meet, improve their art and send some joy out into the world. Although their styles are more realistic than mine, I do find them inspiring and I often see one of their pieces and think – that’s nice I might try that with mine.”
“My creative work is always deeply shaped by my experiences, emotions, and unique perspective on the world around me. I often draw inspiration from moments that resonate on an emotional level, allowing myself to fully sink into those feelings and channel them visually.”
What is your creative process like?
“I’m quite structured with my work process. It starts with a tidy up of my studio, I find it helps clear my mind. Takes away the ghost of the piece I’ve just completed and lets me start afresh. I then decide which paper to use, mostly I work with pastelmat; then I choose the pencils which I think will work best. Line art is next, whether it’s a straight copy of the line art or using the grid method. The first thing I draw is the eyes, I don’t know why – probably because I love eyes so much as that’s where the character comes through most.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“A lot of people think an artist’s role is to challenge, to make people think, but I also think it can just be fun. There is nothing wrong with bringing joy to someone through art, and I think we need to see more of that going forward. I sometimes feel that if an artist isn’t ‘political’ then their work gets overlooked; but it shouldn’t. There is a place in the world for ‘gentle’ art. Sadly, I think that the more political and outspoken work will carry on taking the limelight especially while world politics are as volatile as they are at the moment.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I think people need to start supporting local artists more. Everyone wants to see the big names in arts exhibitions, and while I understand this, there won’t be any new big artists if we don’t support them at grass roots. Galleries all over the world charge a fortune for prints of ‘known’ artists, yet there are hundreds of local artists whose work is as good if not better that don’t get the chance to exhibit. Making art elitist is a huge mistake and I think galleries and exhibitions need to include local artists much more.”
Website: www.kaystewartartwork.com
Instagram: @kay.stewart.artwork
