Featured Artist - Kim Smith

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT:
KIM SMITH

How did you find Paper Traders? 

I was referred to the group a year or so ago by someone I knew from another yahoo group...she has since left PaperTraders and I don't recall her name. I loved the variety of swaps that Papertraders offers and also that they are rated for skill level. It's a very nice group to swap with!


How long have you been a member?

 I joined about 2 years ago, was inactive for a while and now am an active member once again.


Where do you live?

 I live on a small hobby farm in Gettysburg, PA but I am originally from Baltimore, MD.


How have your surroundings affected your art? 

 Our property includes a small patch of wooded area so I get alot of inspiration walking in the woods. Also taking care of our horses and my dog Bear really help me to stay centered. I tend to be a bit scattered at times and being outdoors really helps me to find my creative muse, especially when I'm feeling a little 'dry'. I also love to wander all the great antique/thrift stores in our area....I get LOTS of inspiration and ideas from browsing antiques and vintage odds 'n ends.

Please share a little about your own art experience. 

 I have been creating for as long as I can remember. I loved  to draw and paint when I was in grade school. I was considered artistically gifted and went to summer school at the Maryland Institute College of Art for two years. This was around 1966 and it was so cool going to an art college in downtown Baltimore when I was so young. I saw alot of amazing art done by the older students during that time and I think that exposure has influenced my mixed media art now. I stopped drawing and painting when I was a teenager, something I now regret. But at the same time I found that I loved to make things....so began doing needlecrafts, sewing, crochet and mosaics. In my thirties I learned to weave and to make soft sculpture dolls. In my forties I went thru another dry spell and then one day I came across an issue of Belle Armoire magazine and there was a crocheted shawl on the cover. I made that shawl and then started looking at the other Stampington magazines. I bought an issue of Somerset Studio and I've been obsessed with altered art/mixed media ever since!


Do you have a blog or photo site?

http://www.tabithalenox.blogspot.com


What are some of your favorite techniques or genres?

I adore anything to do with beeswax and am currently learning to do encaustic painting, something I've always admired. I am very simple when it comes to creating...give me scissors, a glue stick, vintage paper/images...and something sparkly and I'm a happy girl!  I also would like to learn how to solder but I don't have much patience when it comes to things like jewelry making. As anyone who's been to my blog knows, I take ALOT of online workshops. I learn so much from each and every class. My current obsession is altered tins so that has been taking up most of my creative space these days. I also have several altered books in progress but they take a little longer so I try to have smaller projects to work on in between so I don't get burnt out. I love vintage, gothic, steampunk, grungy as themes for my art. I like art with a sense of whimsy, with lots of layers to pull you in and a touch of glitter...can't forget the glitter!



Who are some famous artists whose work you admire and what especially appeals to you about this?

I love Mark Ryden's work, although his art is a little strange sometimes...but his faces and the use of color are so beautiful. I love Mucha, Waterhouse and the illustrations you find in vintage fairytale books.


Describe your work area... Do you have your own studio or craft room?

I have a small spare bedroom to use as my craft room but it doesn't have much natural light so I do most of my art at the dining room table or kitchen counter. My computer, printer and tv are all accessible from the dining room so it works really well. I painted the spare room pink so my hubby and son wouldn't be tempted to put anything in there and that's where I store all my art 'stuff'. I also collect vintage dolls and clothing so I keep that in the 'pink' room too!

What tips or tricks have you found to help carve out a niche for your supplies and art?

Clean out your stuff and give away what you are no longer using or no longer makes you excited! I do a blog giveaway occasionally where I clean out my art stuff and sort it by color...the winners choose a color and get a box of art stuff from my stash. I have found it's one of the best ways to motivate myself to try something new, by cleaning out that unused stuff and clearing the energy for something new to come in.

Please share a little about your family and pets...

I am happily married to a wonderful man who supports my art obsession and we have a son who will be 21 yrs old in December. He commutes to college and is a great kid. He is into computers, video games, etc.  He doesn't 'get' my art but he's also very supportive. We have our dog, Bear, who is the sweetest, happiest dog I have ever met. He's an Alaskan Malamute, weighs over 150 lbs and is 3 1/2 years old. He likes to go to Petsmart because they always give him dog treats and one of  his favorite things to eat is the roses in my garden! 

This is Bear!

We have three horses....my horse, Scout, is an Appaloosa gelding, a very, kind gentle soul. And then we have two Haflinger geldings, Jake and Micah. They are very sweet but always in some kind of trouble. Having horses keeps me very busy but I love it!

One day I would like to have miniature horses...goats or chickens might be fun....and pot belly pigs are growing on me, they look so cute in the pictures I've seen! I love animals and would like to have a larger farm one day so I can grow my 'herd'.