Meet Kathryn Fell | Artist, Designer, Craftsperson

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kathryn Fell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kathryn, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I have been creating art my whole life, but it hasn’t always been an easy journey for me. I went through college unsure of my skills and not trusting my artistic vision, and that doubt followed me for many years afterward. While I do have a creative day job, it still does not facilitate my love for draftsmanship or storytelling as much as I’d like. This resulted in me using my time after work to keep those skills fresh and focusing on art that made me happy. Miraculously, it made other people happy too. I started making stickers as gifts for loved ones, and eventually had enough ideas to consider selling them. This recent year I was offered some incredible opportunities to sell my stickers (and any other merch I thought of) at conventions and markets, and I didn’t want to let those opportunities go to waste. And since then the flow of ideas has not stopped, and so neither has my momentum. All of my work that I sell is felicitous, with the intent of making myself and others happy. The fact that my art sells at all is a huge deal to me because it means something about myself is connecting with others, and that’s all I’ve ever really wanted from my craft. My ultimate hope is that my art continues to resonate, even when it evolves and shifts with my interests.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art often ends up being born from personal epiphanies and humor. Everything I make is ultimately a little piece of myself, a reflection of what I see and think within. Looking at my body of work now, its a journey of skill and technique, the ebb and flow of how learning in art works. Some of my best work simply starting out as a form of practice that took on a life of its own. The desire to learn and get better is at the core of my portfolio, and has always been my strongest driving force. The road to self improvement is never easy and it took me a long time to come to terms with how slow it can be, and how draining. The way I overcame that was acknowledging that we all learn at different paces, and I that I didn’t have to rush. In fact I can learn as slow as I want, take my time, and I would be happier for it. Once I stopped trying to keep up with my peers, I was able to enjoy the process for what it was: self discovery. And the best thing about learning that was knowing that that can be applied to any craft or skill, and that anyone can learn this way.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Denton is full of wonderful little places that I enjoy introducing to people. Some of my favorite must-try spots are Golden Boy Coffee, Loco Cafe, Komodo Loco, Thai Ocha, Bewitched Denton, Sleeping Lizards, Juliet’s Jewels, Recycled, Denton Thrift, Ruth’s Room, Hauoli Poke Teppan, and Patchouli Joe’s. Outside of Denton, I often suggest Carrollton for their incredible variety of food and stores, including Kinokuniya, Tom n Toms, Mozart, Spa Castle, Babe’s Chicken Dinner House, Tiger Sugar, TeaLatte Bar, and Gong Cha.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to shout out Alexandria Clifton aka Loafing Around Confections. Baker, artist and bestie, she is my roommate and my rock. So much of my direct input and encouragement is exchanged with her and I doubt I would have had the guts to do any of what I do now without her. I also want to shout out the incredible Denton maker and artist community, who has welcomed me into their fold so generously. Woolen Witch Crafts is a notable local artisan who has given much to that community and is an inspiration to many who live in Denton and make their own merchandise. Her products are beautifully natural, crafted with care and intention, and she’s a joy to talk to. Lastly I want to shout out Thee Art of the Collab, an incredible production of content creators working together to create even more content. Many photographers and cosplay models in DFW have been to one of their hosted photography events that make use of beautiful scenery and sets, as well as incredible talent to work with. I’ve worked with them for several projects and am always amazed at how much they do.

Website: http://iamluckykat.carrd.co