Katie, for me, is what the internet is all about. I would never in a million years have met her in Real Life but we connected online 10 or more years ago and have been friends ever since. Her talents are many...mixed media artist, collaborator, podcaster, upcycler...but it might be as Zombie Christmas Village creator (be sure to check this out on insta!) that has become an annual tradition I cherish and truly makes my heart sing. Who else could be guaranteed to super glue her fingers together or with whom I could ponder why 12 year old boys are so smelly? She is the kindest, most warmhearted "goblin" you could ever hope to call friend and I'm so glad she agreed to answer 10 Questions for Artists.
1. Favourite artist. Living or dead.
I think the artists I am most inspired by are people whose skills and interests are varied. William Morris is a prime example of this because his work spanned from writing, to print making, to textiles, home décor, and painting…I very much enjoy the idea of wanting to make something, and just being able to do that no matter what it is.
2. What's one thing in your studio you REALLY should throw out?
Oof! I save a lot of weird crap because I “might have a use for it”, but I think my inability to throw out broken electronics is becoming a problem.
3. Best studio snack. (creative nutrition is important!)
Depends on what I am doing/my mood. I always have some kind of chip in here, but I also like to keep a stash of my favorite childhood candies like green apple Zots or cherry Pop-Rocks.
4. Favourite studio smell.
I LOVE the smell of a hot iron on cotton fabric! So much so that I wish I could find a perfume that mimics the scent.
5. Least favourite studio smell.
I have a collection of antique and vintage beads that I use often and I hate they way they smell. It’s like old pennies and bitter dirt, and reminds me of stinky little brothers dirtying up my stuff.
6. Most used art related app on your phone.
I use the Color Viewfinder app all the time. It allows you to take a picture of something that catches your eye, like a sunset, or flowers, and then it creates a color palette based on the colors found in that image. You can store the image of the palette on your phone for later inspiration, and the palette even includes color hex codes.
7. Top song in your studio.
Oh! I recently moved my record player to my studio so it would get more use and I’ve been playing Cindy Lauper “She’s So Unusual” a lot. The entire album is a banger and I had forgotten how much I love it. Like seriously, not a single bad song!
8. Favourite art-related author, podcast(er), YouTuber.
I’ve been really into polymer clay recently and I believe Ace of Clay’s Youtube channel may be solely responsible for this.
I also took a class by Ten Hundred recently and his YouTube channel has been inspiring me to experiment more with my painting style.
9. Least favourite part of art-making.
Imposter Syndrome. I really dislike the feeling of self-doubt, and if I allow myself to get too into my own head about it throws me into mad artistic block.
10. Describe THE thing that would make you think: "I've Made It."
If I managed to make a living from my art I would feel this. I’m not talking about becoming independently wealthy or anything, but if were ever in a position that allowed me to pay my bills without worry, I would defiantly feel like a truly successful artist.
More about Katie:
Katie Cahill is a mixed-media artist; writer, designer, podcaster, professional weirdo, and general purposes mess maker from Portland, Oregon. When not chasing down all her wild ideas, Katie enjoys long conversations with her cat, and collecting any/all shiny found objects like the goblin she truly is.
Thanks so much, Katie!
Email or message me and I'll send you the details!