Interview

Oct 1

Kimberly McGuiness

Kimberly McGuiness is a digital, mixed media, and illustration artist and uses a naturally inspired approach to her art. As a child, she spent many weekends latch-hooking rugs and colouring at her grandmother's dining room table. Even today, she enjoys the smell of crayons. She also used to play with Spirograph sets when she was a child. Making her designs with the gears and coloured pens and seeing how it all came together completely fascinated Kimberly. In fact, she admits to still playing with it from time to time as well as colouring, which is always on the menu.

Could you tell us a little about yourself? How did you start your journey in the art world?

“Over the years, I’ve realized that my true love is drawing and painting. I enjoy using acrylic paint, latex, watercolour, ink, crayons or coloured pencils to bring the idea/vision to life and tell a story with the work. For me, drawing and creating art has been a passion since elementary school.
My artwork received 2 Certificates of Achievement from the Florida Winter Park Arts Festival in the USA in 1976-1977 when I was in early elementary. Throughout high school, I explored art and developed my creativity even in creative writing.
In 1988, four years after graduating, my life took a completely different turn with the birth of my daughter Julia. She is a ray of sunshine full of an infectious loving spirit who is living with deaf autism.
I put my art on hold as I tended to the needs of my daughter Julia until 2008 when I started back with art journaling. Using the journal as an outlet allowed me to experiment with techniques, materials, and mediums and to get my hands moving again in drawing.
Julia's education unfolded, and I realized I needed a 'safe place' which helped me release the emotions, disappointments and frustrations while managing her disability and other day-to-day challenges. To me, the canvas was my 'safe place,' where I could just let it all out without fear of judgement. Throughout the years, there have been pieces that have been so full of energy and the depths so deep that I've had ceremonies to send them on their way, and it has been such a healing experience.
In 2020, I began a new painting on New Year's Day and kept it on the easel in the studio for the entire year to work on whenever I needed a release. It was an incredible journey in personal growth and self-discovery. To allow the depths of the layers of my painting to travel on their way, I burned it on the winter solstice, signifying the closure of what no longer served me. I still follow this method today. It evolved into listening to it, then waiting until it flowed magically from the brush.”

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What inspires you to do what you do?

“In my creations, the foundation and starting point is formed by contemplative moments in my mind, when vision and energy undergo gradual metamorphosis. Nature, cultures around the world, inspiration from others, and my own imagination have all been major influences on me. Flowers have provided a lot of my grooviest inspirations. The beauty that can come from the tiniest of seeds fascinates me deeply. It is simply amazing. This lovely texture and colour make for a great beginning for some of my more whimsical pieces.”

What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?

“There aren't many themes that I pursue per se, but I have been creating series around the circus and Hundertwasser. The circus has always intrigued me since I was a child, especially the clowns and their masks, red roses, horses, and peacocks, and lately, the sacred heart, the lion, and the wolf often make an appearance in my artwork.”

“Whenever I create a piece, I see it as an expression of my soul. The story has a different message for every viewer, but one they are meant to hear at that moment.”

How would you describe your work?

“My style can be described as eclectic and organic. Eclectic in the sense of drawing inspiration from nature, other cultures, research, images, words, or even conversations. My definition of organic is the absence of perfection, flowing lines, and placements of objects and colours that are unexpected or unnatural.”

Can you tell us more about your creative process

“The process of creating for me begins with an idea accompanied by a drawing. The idea is then transferred to canvas or paper and drawn in pencil. Occasionally, though, an idea will just keep floating around in my head and I'll have to just jump on the canvas or paper and let the pencil do the talking. My drawing is inked after it has been laid down, and then I paint over the lines. After the piece is completed, I clean up the lines again with ink. When I add the ink again at the end, I have such a sense of accomplishment, knowing that what's in front of me has gone through the process from conception to completion and that it truly is a unique, one-of-a-kind piece.”

What’s your favourite artwork and why?

“The fact that each piece holds its own meaning makes it difficult for me to choose a favourite. I think my new piece 'There Is Strength and Wisdom in Freedom' is my favourite at the moment. This piece contains symbolic imagery alluding to ancient wisdom and sacrifice and the lessons we can learn from our elders and ancestors in this present moment.”