I want to introduce the made’n’found community to Kate Mason, from Adelaide, Australia. Kate is a talented and accomplished artisan whose work has been admired and published globally. Enjoy getting to know this gorgeous girl!
Hi Kate, Can you tell made’n’found about your crafting life - how did it start? What sort of arts and crafts have you tried? What is your current medium of choice?
I’ve been a ‘maker’ forever. It’s a deep need from within and my personal passion. I first recall my passion for drawing igniting at kindy. It was then reinforced by my parents who gave me a suitcase full to the brim of stationery on my 5th birthday. Since then, I have been involved in many crafts over the years but in recent years scrapbooking became a good fit. I also have a particular love for rubber stamp collecting, book making, felting, photography, mixed media collage & making/altering my kids clothes [although I haven’t really done as much kids clothes stuff as I would like yet].
After being selected to be one of 4 members on the 2005 ‘For Keeps’ magazine Scrapbooking Elite Team, I started to get a little more serious about the possibilities that my art & craft hobby could hold for me. I was fortunate to design for a bunch of stores, online shops, magazines etc. At that time, I was published in many Australian craft magazines & co-authored a couple of scrapbooking books: 2005 Elite Team book, “The Times of Our Lives” and with friend Debra Fuller, “The Heart of Design”. I have been fortunate to have many teaching opportunities too.
Currently my most favourite medium is mixed media collage on canvas, with various girly themes. I’m also starting to dabble in jewellery.
What is it about ‘handmade’ that appeals to you?
I’m drawn to feminine, old & worn, whimsical type artwork and have a real soft spot for ‘little details’ - I know I’ll always spend whatever time I deem necessary to add that snippet of yummy to my hand made work OR spend those spare dollars to buy that beautifully crafted found handmade piece by someone else. There’s just something about texture & colour in the themes I love that makes handmade irresistible above anything mass produced. The pieces that appeal to my tastes are designed and/or made with love, there’s no doubting that.
Tell us about your imagery - currently much of your work focuses on Babushka Dolls. What draws you to these images?
One of my latest passions is collaging babushka, kokeshi & Blythe dolls. Hard not to be consumed with all things ‘girly’ when I have 4 little daughters of my own. So these sweet doll faced girls, along with my own daughters, all became my muse & I began painting & collaging them. I also became obsessed with paper patchwork scrapbooking years ago and I use found images, napkins, fabric, patterned paper scraps & ephemera in my collaged patchwork backgrounds. I combined these two things together and now I sell these original works (and prints) on canvas. Often my own girls request mermaids or angels or other, so I dabble in whatever my little misses demand! No doubt my interests will grow & change.
What impact has your personal journey impacted your art work?
Pre-kids, I worked in the ‘busy’ business world for 15 years, the last few years managing Federal employment & training contracts in the private sector. It took 8 years of infertility and a kidney transplant to ‘see the light’ and move forward. Little did I know that resigning from my ‘career’ would be the most important decision and lead to the most gratifying experience of my life. I resigned work to commence uni in a Visual Arts degree and also worked part-time doing graphics for our family printing business. I then fell pregnant with my first & kept producing baby after baby from there…. Uni is now on hold until they are all in school but I still work the graphics part-time & have also started my own little ETSY enterprise, ‘Scrapps Flea Market’, selling my original artworks & prints. There’s no doubting that I’m at my most ever happiest, dabbling in all the things I do. Art & children are absolutely responsible for that. And my hubby too for allowing me to make such a bold move!
How important is “artistic community” to you? What communities do you belong to or where do you get creative comfort and support?
I’ve always been a little bit of a crafting hermit. I create best when the house is sleeping & I’m surrounded by my arty supplies & things, perhaps some chocolate & either music or background TV to keep me company. That is my regular creative community!
I have made many wonderful contacts through scrapbooking but these days, this busy mum of 4, rarely ventures out of home unless its school drop off! But I’m happy with mostly my own company & I’m not really part of any formal or structured artistic community. In a less formal way, arty Facebook connections have been good as has being a blogger. I started my blog in 2005 around about the time my scrapbooking became more than a hobby & it documents my family life & artful journey. When time permits, I like to read a few blogs and draw inspiration from their arty pursuits.As for creative comfort & support, I learned a while back to just make the things that I love & that I would be happy to have in my home. I needed to be secure in myself rather than seek approval/validation to settle my insecurities from the outside world. It can be lonely with so many amazing artists & beautiful things around. One can get lost. So I am happy to be a hermit & plod along with my making in my own merry little world when I can get the opportunity, remaining blissfully unaware of outside forces! OK, so maybe I get some encouragement & praise from my girls - they are my biggest fans! I work for them and for me ;o]
What goals do you have for your handmade art and craft for the future?
Well I will continue to operate my own business ‘Scrapps Flea Market’ [original & print artworks, art supply, occasional kit & teaching] plus work part-time doing graphic art for our family printing business. When my girls leave home for school I’ll also get back to finishing my formal training; degree in Visual Arts. In a practical sense I’d like to expand my current themes in my personal mixed media artwork & see where the journey takes me. I’ll investigate jewellery more & one day no doubt, also look into merchandising opportunities. If I were to dream big for just a second, a licensing agreement & international teaching would be on the bucket list.
I do allow myself to dream big & I have a zillion or more creative ideas. I have few pennies to carry out these creative ideas and even less minutes to spare. But I’m not deterred. I will keep taking my few pennies here and there along with my few minutes and slowly work towards my creative goals.Who in the art/craft world do you admire? What about them appeals to you?
Fave painter: Gustav Klimt. Love all those little rectangles & circles & colour. I have some Klimt inspired works in the pipeline.
Makers: Rebecca Sower, DJ Pettitt & Anna Corba - a few favourite crafters I have admired forever - feminine, old & worn treasures with little details. My type of people!
Artists: Sarah Ahearn, Gustavo Aimar & Misty Mawn for beautiful collage & paintings. Whimsical treasures.
Ali Edwards & Kelly Rae Roberts: fabulous art makers & life recorders AND inspirational art business marketers.
Can you name somewhere in the world you would like to travel to for your art/craft and why?
Any art retreat in any country would be just fine, some day….. USA, Italy & France at the top of my list. I try not to look into what is out there too much as I can’t leave my babies at home for such pleasures right now. But my time will come.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with made’n’found?
”To be a star, you must shine your own light, follow your own path, and don’t worry about the darkness. for that is when the stars shine brightest.” That’s the little inspiration snippet next to my computer today & it seemed somewhat appropriate.
I guess for me it means, go along on your own merry arty way & good things might just happen some day. For me, I am experiencing the best of it all - a full family life along with little snippets of art making fun & small scale success.
Please give made’n’found readers details on where to find your work! (website etc)
You can find my blog & ETSY shop, amongst other links here at: katemason.com.au
