I first met Kathryn along with a few of her classmates along with Naomi McClure (who's also doing good things at the moment, check them here) when they attended a special artist talk at Kekun Studio. We we're chuffed to have some new faces visit our studio but also to get their view on art in the city. After following Kathryn on instagram it was clear that she was savvy on social media not only sharing images of work in progress and finished pieces but also offering work for sale. This might seem like an obvious thing but there's a balance to be struck in trying to maintain the integrity of your practice in the digital realm which lets face it is kind of essential in this day and age but I'm amazed how many artists pages are filled with selfies and images which for me distract from their work. I always think having a seperate personal page is better so followers can focus on your creativity. Sadly it does seem like a selfie will always do better on likes than a photo of an amazing piece of art but that doesn't mean you're creativity is worth less but more we need to work harder to recognise and appreciate artists and makers when we see them on social media platforms.
That's my old man opinion out the way so back to 'The Lewis Collection'. The paintings are the result of a two week jaunt around the island camping out in her trusty van. For those who don't know, the Isle of Lewis is located in the Outer Hebridies and only accessible via ferry or plane from the main land. I have fond memories of sitting in the front of the ferry departing from Ullapool harbour, it wasn't long before a ripple of vomiting overtook many of the passengers, myself included (check out my photos from the trip here). It's interesting that during almost a year of isolation Kathryn felt a draw to such a remote location where even on a busy day you might only meet a handful of people, especially once you get out of Stornoway. Kathryn said of the trip:
"It was such a reflective time to be away in the van for two weks completely isolated after a year where everything has changed. This was the trip I dreamed of pursuing when I made the jump to painting full-time and after all the plans that got postponed and cancelled during the year, I was so pleased to pull this one off. These little glimpses of my time on this magical island deserved to be seen in their own right. Some pieces I made there in situ watching and listening to the waves, the light and the day. Others have kept this wonderfully freeing time alive since returning to the studio at the start of this year. Filled with wonder, longing, love and sadness for the year that we all experienced, this collection of 18 paintings mean a lot to me."
I spent many a day exploring those beaches up near the Butt of Lewis and taking in those sunsets, a strange phenomenom for an East Coaster like me but so beautiful. And these are some of the moments that are captured in the paintings. I think that Lewis is a place that once experienced, the island stays with you. Certainly for me it's the closest I've come to finding a 'spiritual home'. I'm enjoying the fact we also get to experience it through the digital window of Kathryns experience, analogue paintings from a real life trip, digitised and disseminated through screens and social media but it doesn't lose anything for it. There hasn't been a lot to get excited about over the last year so small scale events like this really do resonate with me. Although I might have been sitting on the sofa for 12 months its nice to know that life is happening outside and beyond our screens, I think its one of the aspects of the last year that has gotten me down and that undercurrent of things being a bit shit deserves a bit of acknowledgment as then you can try to change it for yourself and perhaps for others.
With restrictions starting to ease there is indeed hope on the horizon and there's a lot of things to be thankful for still. There's also a lot to be pissed about and that's ok too. For me I'm thankful that I was able to visit Lewis and feel the warmth of the island and friends who lived there during what was a really difficult time in my life all those years ago. A lot of emotional wounds were healed on those beaches, the power of nature and the ocean helped me to process some grief and guilt and I came back a slightly different person to when I arrived. Through Kathryn's paintings I'm reminded of that trip but also finding joy in her experiences on the island. It sounds like she needed it and she's all the better for it too.
I'm glad she's shared these works, 18 in total and made me feel like an event was happening so be sure to check them out via her website. I hope everyone is able to find some small comforts and joy in these strange times but once our towns and cities are bustling again post lockdown I think ill head for some more isolation and pay a visit to some special friends in the Outer Hebridies but this time I won't be sitting up front on the ferry, a valuable lesson if ever there is one!
