Episode 010 - Katheryn Krouse

In this episode, I welcome Katheryn Krouse! She shares her journey from studying to become an art teacher to a full-time professional artist, and how her diagnosis of Stargardt disease led her to her unique take on painting and artwork. She also shares how her cat, Ewok, has been her inspiration too! 

 

Get in touch with Katheryn Krouse: https://www.facebook.com/Katheryn.Krouse.Art | https://www.instagram.com/kkrouseart/ | https://www.etsy.com/shop/KatherynKrouseArt

Artfully Told links: www.facebook.com/artfullytold | www.artfullytold.podbean.com | elevateartskc@gmail.com

Schedule your interview with Artfully Told! https://calendly.com/artfullytold/podcast-interview

Arteza: Arteza makes art supplies affordable to creators with every budget. Art is about the journey. They provide the tools – you steer the way. Click here and use promo code PB8PROMO for 8% off all purchases!

 

Intro & Outro Music Credits:

Bad Ideas (distressed) by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3412-bad-ideas-distressed-
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

 

SHOW NOTES:

Episode 010 - Katheryn Krouse

Lindsey Dinneen: Hello and welcome back to Artfully Told. I am so excited to be here with you today. I'm Lindsey, I'm your host, and today I am delighted to have Katheryn Krouse on the podcast as my guests. She is a beautifully accomplished visual artist and she does a lot of different paintings, and she's going to actually share with us all about it. So I don't really want to spoil it very much, but she is local to Kansas City and a lot of her work is actually based in the Kansas City area. But anyway, thank you so much for joining me, Katheryn. I'm so happy that you're here.

[00:00:40] Katheryn Krouse: Aww, thank you for having me.

[00:00:42] Lindsey Dinneen: Of course! Well, I wondered if you wouldn't mind just sharing just a little bit about yourself and maybe kind of what you're up to, you know, nowadays, especially in this kind of odd time of life.

[00:00:55] Katheryn Krouse: Yeah, it is, it is a really bizarre time. But yup, I'm a local artist. I grew up in Overland Park and then I went to school at KU, and after graduating in 2012, I moved into my downtown apartment, which is also where I operate out of, and as my art studio. So I've been doing this full time since 2013 and I just, I just really love how that Kansas City kind of allows and can afford enough opportunities to make all of that possible.

[00:01:28]Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Super supportive of the arts.

[00:01:30] Katheryn Krouse: So it's kind of a bizarre time, you know, with the quarantine. It's also kind of, you know, enjoyable too though. I mean, it allows us artists to really be able to focus on our art and even experiment and try different things. And it's just, it brings us back to really focusing on the process and the creative, you know, experience behind it. I actually love working from home. So while it's an interesting a adjustment for a lot of other people, I, I have actually gotten really good at it. And I, and I enjoy it. I love being able to like take little breaks and cook a nice lunch or prepare, you know, I just love operating out of my home.

[00:02:10]And I get a lot of inspiration, you know, out of like the views, and you know my apartment's right off 11th and Grand. And so it overlooks downtown North and West, and I've always wanted to kind of capture the views that I get so much inspiration from, you know, whether it be during a storm or sunset or different, different lighting. I've always kind of wanted to capture that.

[00:02:33] And so I'm actually working on a series right now that kind of addresses quarantine. But it's just my house plants in the windows overlooking, you know, downtown. So each wall, each painting is a little composition of the window, but the plants are in the foreground and they're very textured, very thick impasto paint, which is really luxurious for me to work with. And each one together, they tell us a narrative that kind of captures this bizarre time where the streets were very quiet. There's there's no traffic. But inside, the plants are thriving and full of color, full of light. So it's kind of a fun series.

[00:03:14] Lindsey Dinneen: Absolutely. Yeah, well, that is a great, I love that idea of having such a dynamic contrast between, like you were saying, the outside and the inside, but they're still full of life. And, and I think that's actually--I actually really love that as a metaphor, just in general, as, as you know, as an artist you're still dedicated to kind of bringing that beauty to, to the world, no matter what the circumstances are. I think that's really neat.

[00:03:42] Katheryn Krouse: Yeah, absolutely.

[00:03:44]Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Well, I'm curious to know kind of even, your backstory a little bit. How did you even get involved with art in the first place? What led you to a career as a professional artist?

[00:03:56] Katheryn Krouse: So really I've always made art. Even as a little girl, I loved getting, I mean, those were my Christmas gifts and birthday gifts were always some form of art materials or art supplies. I, I've just always loved, started off painting my cat or painting, you know. I wanted a dog really bad, so I would start drawing the different dogs that I might want and, you know, just, I loved  and coloring and drawing, from as long as I can remember. And I remember in high school actually feeling this pressure that I think a lot of people can relate to where we're just pressured and were asked over and over again, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" And how intimidating that felt? And I remember looking around and I was actually very close with my high school art teachers and they were so silly and fun and our class was always a good time and they just loved what they were doing.

[00:04:53] They had summers off for summer vacation and they're able to sell their own art on the side at art fairs and different galleries and whatnot. And so I just, I just love that that really appealed to me and it, and it seemed feasible way to kind of continue doing art and also enjoy what I'm doing. So I actually, I went to school at KU and I studied that. I studied art education for three years. And then, and during that time really enjoyed all the studio classes I took and the art history, and I just really enjoyed and really felt confident that that's what I wanted to do.

[00:05:34] However, my junior year, I was actually diagnosed with this eye condition called Stargardt's disease, which, you know, no one in my family knew what that was. No one had ever heard of it. It just seemed really bizarre, but basically I was having a hard time reading size 12 font on the computer screen. So I was used to writing papers and filling out, completing assignments. And I was realizing that I was getting closer and closer to the screen and I would strain my eyes.

[00:06:05] And so we went to our family eye doctor, and it just became one referral after the next to different retina specialists. And I was diagnosed with a severe case of Stargardt's disease which is a macular degeneration in my retinas. And the best way I can describe it is that I interpret my light values to be a lot brighter and my dark values a lot darker.

[00:06:31] So for example, if it's really bright outside and someone is standing in front of a window, that contrast makes it really kind of difficult for me to recognize them or right away kind of adjust to that. And so that became something that I really enjoyed communicating through my work. I started experimenting with really vibrant color palettes that kind of communicates a visual vibration for the viewer who's not visually impaired. Like it still gives the viewer something different visually. And that's also why I like working with a lot of texture. I think that gives the piece something different for the viewer to look at whether they're close to it versus for far away, it kind of evolves under different lighting and that all kind of started.

[00:07:21] Then I started, I had this like really weird year. That meant like processing all of this, but I also started making really, really cool art and that became healing. And it was really about experimenting with texture and experimenting with different colors that it just became really a lot of fun. And also during this time I became skeptical that being an art teacher was really what I wanted to do. I was taking higher level courses about and learning about the curriculum and also learning about how competitive it was going to be to land a good job in a good school district. Unfortunately a lot of the schools are getting cut budgets, you know, that they're losing their budget for theater, art music.

[00:08:11] And so it was very competitive, and I believe still is, to get a job like that. And, frankly, I didn't have the best grades that year. That year it was a difficult and took a toll on my grades certainly. So it just, it wasn't seeming so realistic. And then at the same time, my eye condition was progressing. Within six months, I wasn't able to drive. So it was kind of bizarre. I'm not running into things, but I have what's considered low vision enough to the point where I can't drive. So it wasn't feasible, it just didn't seem feasible to be driving in and out of, you know, suburbia to these good schools that I'd hopefully land a job.

[00:08:53] And so I ultimately made the decision that I didn't want to be a teacher at all anymore. I just, if I'm going to be competitive, I'd rather just be a full-time artist. And that's kind of also--I moved downtown to where I am because I'm very mobile. At one point, every bus route in Kansas City stopped at 11th and Grand. I'm just a couple blocks away from the street car. I mean, I love being still independent in that way.

[00:09:18] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. And so you changed direction. Did it take you--you mentioned like a whole year being really challenging, of course, as you're wrestling with this and trying to figure out, you know, what that means for you as an artist, but, so, so then when you change directions, you kind of dove right into your--

[00:09:42]Katheryn Krouse: Yeah, I took a nose dive. It was the summer in between my junior and senior year that I did my very first art fair, which was the Missouri Wine Festival in Excelsior Springs. And it was at the Elms Hotel. And before that, I mean, I had no idea that this would really work. I mean, I, I think I had about 10 or 12 paintings and they were all only priced around a hundred dollars, but I sold all of them and it was like, "Oh my gosh, $1,200."

[00:10:12] I mean, I felt like such a victory that I was like, "Oh my gosh, if I just do enough of these art fairs, and have a better inventory and, you know, get a better booth." So that it's, it only becomes easier. I, it really occurred to me that people actually do buy original art and they do like having a connection with the artists even, and that you can achieve all that at these art fairs.

[00:10:38] So, I think it was really--all that kind of happened at the same time. Like I was becoming skeptical that I really, that I was a good fit to be a high school art teacher. And also like that I could actually pull off being an artist full time and that that's, you know, that's another reason I love Kansas City so much is that I can afford a lovely apartment downtown that has, you know, the master bedroom is my studio space.

[00:11:07] So it's on a corner unit. So it has four huge windows that natural light just pours in and, you know, to have a workspace like that is just so valuable to me. And to be able to operate full time out of this, but to have enough opportunities in Kansas City, that it can really afford me to do this. I mean, I've, I've considered moving to Austin several times. I do a show there twice a year. So this Pecan Street Festival I've done 10 times, and just going twice a year, it usually ends up being about a third of my income. So I actually quit. Yeah. I've thought about, maybe I should move there and do a couple shows in Kansas City. But the thing is, is that it's so expensive.

[00:11:52] I mean, there's no way to just afford to do this full time. I'd have to have another job, much smaller apartment, a much like, a much weaker studio space. Yeah. And it's just like, wow, that does make Kansas City just so charming. To both have to both be affordable and have that many opportunities still.

[00:12:13] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, that's something I've always appreciated about Kansas City since moving here. Cause I'm, I'm not a native, but when I moved here, I realized immediately how strong the arts community is here, but also how, how supportive of the arts community Kansas City is. So even if you're not necessarily an artist, I mean, you're participating in art in some way. And I love that.

[00:12:38] Katheryn Krouse: Yes. Yeah. That's so cool. I mean the different events, I mean the Kansas City Fringe Festival, I mean, there's so many events that make it so accessible to everybody that it's, it's inclusive and, and a lot of the artists are that way too I've noticed. I mean, I've met some of my best friends through, through doing this that's all people that are doing the same thing. And, and I just love it that so many artists here have share the attitude and that we're all in this together. And that there's enough room for all of us and it's right, you know, it's competitive, but it's also very, very inclusive in nature.

[00:13:13] Lindsey Dinneen: Yes. Yeah. I highly value that. I haven't found that anywhere else so far yet. But yeah. Yeah, no, that's amazing. So then I know that, because you've been on the road quite a bit and, you know, you have all these different festivals and art fairs that you participate in. I'm sure that. Some pretty interesting stories have emerged just from, you know, having to, having to deal with different aspects of, I don't even know because I'm not a visual artist, but like transporting your art, and I'm sure all of that plays into some interesting times.

[00:13:51] Katheryn Krouse: Yeah, it sure does. I mean, one of the things I can say is that it's definitely handy to be resourceful because it always seems that something's coming up to make it more difficult. I remember when I first started dating my boyfriend, we went out like a year before I even let him come close to an art fair because I didn't want him to really see how, how brutal it actually is. I mean, he thought that being an artist was like a glamorous thing. And so, the very first art fair I actually took them on was a trip to Chicago and it was for an art fair. So we put a hitch on his, on his car and we, we're hauling all my stuff up and I just remember wanting to impress him. Like I wanted it to go so smooth. I wanted to have everything just ready and just very easy.

[00:14:40] And of course the whole trip, it couldn't have been anything further from that, but like, you know, I'm running behind and we weren't able to leave on time and my paintings weren't dry. So it was all the typical things that I was really hoping to avoid this time. And we get there and this show in Chicago, it's set up is especially, I'm trying, it's very unorganized and it's just part of it. You just have to kind of get there and laugh with it and not let it bother you 'cause it's a long day. It's like early morning set up and it's just not worth getting all worked up over. And it's like that every time.

[00:15:18] And so we get there and we're in line for set up and it just starts pouring rain. And we're talk...we're laughing or we're telling ourselves, oh well, at least it's not thundering. And then of course it starts thundering. I mean, I think it started raining for a little bit and we're just waiting, pulling up closer, closer to our booth setup. I mean the whole show. Yeah, set up couldn't have been worse, like yeah, of course.  It was also the first year that I expanded to a double booth. So I was used to having a 10 foot by 10 foot booth space to work with. I was very familiar with like how much art at that takes to fill up and all of that. But since I just expanded to a double booth, I was still unsure that I had enough art.

[00:16:02] I was stressing. I was like, "Oh my gosh, I don't have enough art. I don't have enough art." That's why we didn't leave on time. 'Cause I was still finishing things and I actually made this painting not too long before this for my bedroom. And this was a painting I really painted for me. I didn't have the intention of selling it and it was very large. It was 42 by 70, and it's this beautiful, colorful, loose rendering of a nude and the way she is, it looks like she's kind of looking out my window in the bedroom and it's just like a very fast paced, loose, colorful painting, but I really did paint for me and it was a healing piece, but because this was the first time I'd had a double booth, I was thinking, "Oh, I'll just bring that with me, just in case I don't have enough art." I'll put a really high price tag on it, because if somebody does love it, I would feel good about selling it actually, but I really kind of just want to bring it up. And somehow we lost that painting. I mean, it was the funniest, this is our thing. We're, yeah, and I don't know whether it happened during takedown, but it ended up being a great show.

[00:17:09] I did have enough art. The storm cleared up and it ended up being a very, very good show in sales and everything. And it was good for my boyfriend to kind of experience that all in its entirety. And we're just exhausted and we're driving back home and we're about halfway, we're about halfway home or in St. Louis. So all of a sudden my trailer breaks down. The wheel bearing, it turns out gave out or broke, I'm not sure. Matt was driving and he all of a sudden sees that the wheel is just all over the place and we're in a bad part of town. We're in East St. Louis, it's getting late and we have to pull over to denny's in the parking lot.

[00:17:56] And he says, "Yes, we can't drive with this." And I'm just like, "Oh man, this is the worst thing I can imagine happening." And, we, we weren't sure what to do. I was actually already in the market for another trailer, this trailer that we had, I had had for a long time. I bought it when I was getting started and it was a great deal. It was actually a trade. I think it was like $500 and a painting, but it was for a good, enclosed five by eight trailer, but it was a Harley Davidson trailer and it was very heavy. And so it's a lot of wear and tear on whatever vehicle is pulling it. And it was just time for an upgrade. It was a great thing to get me started.

[00:18:37]But I wasn't sure, you know, we were in East St. Louis. It's getting late. Like what do we do? It occurred to me: we could rent a U-Haul trailer, but that just seemed awful. 'Cause we'd have to unload it, load it, get to Kansas City, carry that all up into my apartment. I mean, that just sounded awful. So I ended up getting on Craigslist and finding a trailer. I bought a trailer. I had made just enough cash on me from the art fair in Chicago that ended up buying, I bought a trailer on Craigslist right there. So we have to unload everything from the trailer. And it's just this big pile of debris. I'm sitting in my director's chair and not having the idea that we should, we shouldn't just leave the trailer here. And I just wasn't in a position where I could necessarily afford towing it. Really, it took all my cash to buy this trailer on Craigslist.

[00:19:32] So we had the good idea to take it to a junk yard and sold it for scrap metal and for the tires. And then, then he came back with the trailer that I had bought from Craigslist. And this whole time I'm just looking, overlooking all my stuff. I'm watching the storm come in and I'm like, that's certainly not going to hit us. And sure enough, it starts raining and pouring it. So I'm pushing all my stuff under this awning at Denny, and I'm looking around and I'm grateful. I'm like, Oh, good. That big painting for my bedroom, that must be in the vehicle, 'cause it's not here looking at all this stuff under this awning. And when he came back with the new trailer, I noticed that it wasn't in the car.

[00:20:15] It wasn't in the vehicle. It was, it, there's no explanation for that. I mean, I don't know. Maybe it went in the trailer and maybe we just didn't quite get that out during the transaction. I have no idea if we might've lost it during set up or not set up, but take down, you might have lost it during take down. Yeah. I don't know, but how do you lose a 42 inch by 70 inch paint on wood panel? I don't know. So it wasn't the end of the world. I ended up painting another one and it's, it makes my bedroom look just as good. Still, it was like the first thing I did when we got back. My whole bedroom just looked so sad without it. Oh my gosh, I can't handle this, like we would have to replace that.

[00:21:04]Lindsey Dinneen: Oh, my gosh. Ah, that sounds like a Murphy's Law trip, especially like, Oh my goodness. You know, I understand wanting to--it's so funny, you mentioned earlier, sometimes the perception of artists, maybe from people who haven't been as involved, you know, is that the life is very glamorous and, you know.

[00:21:28] Katheryn Krouse: Yeah, Instagram posts and things where we're dressed up and we're cleaned up, but they don't see--I mean, it's just so funny when people see me-- they just, they're so used to seeing me dress up all the time, the dress, and they don't realize I'm like, I'm in nasty paint clothes all day, every day. If I'm going somewhere, I do like being thoughtful in what I wear. I'm not in nice clothes all the time. It's actually the office.

[00:21:55] Lindsey Dinneen: Right. Yeah. I remember one time being told something like, "Oh, well it just must be so amazing. You know, such a glamorous life. You get to do your dream job." And at the time I had just finished like a couple hours worth of scrubbing down our floor like on my hands and knees, right? And I was like, you have no idea. This is like the most unglamorous...

[00:22:23]Katheryn Krouse: I mean, set up for an art fair, it's just so much work. I mean, when I first got started, my booth was so much work to set up. It was, you know, I couldn't afford the pro panels that are lightweight and beautiful. So I kind of imitated them and made, made my own. And it was out of heavy plywood and fabric that was stretched over it. And it, and it was two by fours and four, but it was building a deck every weekend. I mean, it was so much work in the heat, in the rain. Yeah, it's humbling for sure.

[00:22:55] Lindsey Dinneen: Yes, yes. Yeah, artists are very, very normal people doing, you know, sometimes I guess we get to do some extraordinary things, but on a daily basis, it's, it's just, it's just it's work. You know, it really is.

[00:23:12] Katheryn Krouse: And. I mean, we don't have photographers and designers, so it's everything. I mean, it's like, we're doing the marketing, we're doing the, you know, framing. So I, I don't stretch my own canvases. I generally buy them, but I mean, I did for a long time and it's a lot of work. Your hands get beaten up. I mean, it's just, that's a lot.

[00:23:29]Lindsey Dinneen: So for somebody who doesn't understand what that means, can you tell me about what stretching a canvas? Like what is that process?

[00:23:37] Katheryn Krouse: Yeah. Okay. So stretching your own canvas is really building it up from, from nothing. So you're, you're buying the wood and a lot of times you can buy it so it's, it's already angled. But basically you have to, you're taking loose canvas and pinching and hammering it and into its form over the woods stretcher. So if you're building the woods stretcher, it means constructing basically a wood frame and then taking the canvas that's cut and stretching it, stapling it, and, and then priming it with primer. And the bigger the canvases are, the harder that gets. It's difficult. Yeah. I mean, it's not that difficult. I'm just not good at it.

[00:24:23]I can be way more productive if that that's already done. Yeah, but there's a lot of other, you know, handiwork that goes into--it's putting on hang wire. It's maybe putting it in a frame or, you know, all the hardware. I always save all of that for the very last. It's like, I'll end up doing like 30 paintings, little eye hooks and hardware and hang wire all at once. And by the end of it, my hands are all torn up. I mean, it's just like, I just did this as I go.

[00:24:52]Lindsey Dinneen: Oh my goodness. Well, and that process is actually a good segue into my next question for you. I know that probably pricing your artwork is kind of an interesting challenge sometimes because, you know, it's not just a matter of making sure that you're covering for the supplies used and the, you know, the hours of time that you've put into it. But also, I mean, it's, it's all of the learning that you have done as a professional for years. Right? It's you having invested, yeah, in yourself. And so I'm just curious. I mean, what, how does that process kind of, kind of work for you?

[00:25:29] Katheryn Krouse: Yeah. I mean, it is different. I definitely consider my work to be more on the affordable side. I work very quickly and, and oftentimes I have several pieces that I'm working on all at once. Like I'll whip up a beautiful color of violet or green and just be like, okay, who else? Who all needs this? You know, and kind of go through and get it on everything. It's so, it's hard to say exactly how much time I spend on one painting.

[00:25:55] It generally is, I think, on the quicker side of creating things, but, and it's, it is, it's a tricky question, especially when other artists are getting started and they're not sure what to price it at. But I know for me, I like to stay busy. I like to kind of have a good turnaround. I don't love taking the same paintings to art fair after art fair or First Friday after First Friday. I kind of like having a fresh inventory and because I work quickly, it affords me to be able to kind of price them moderately and still move them for a price that can afford me to do this full time. So I think it's also having different price points.

[00:26:37] I mean, I, I don't feel good about a show unless I have really at least three big paintings to sell, but it's also about the little ones too. It's about prints. I mean, I sell--all my prints are really like about the same size 11 by 14, and those are just $25. So people can buy those and sometimes even pair them or just buy a few of them and cluster them together. I mean, that's a really lovely look and also makes them accessible. Everybody can have it.

[00:27:05]Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, I love that. I think that's really great because you know, everyone does have a little bit of a different budget. And so, I think it's really lovely that you are able to cater to that and you know, somebody who can't afford the large, original yet might still get to enjoy some of the prints.

[00:27:25] Katheryn Krouse: Yeah. And the, and the prints are great too. Cause they are, you know, they're 11 by 14 they're standard size. They don't have to go custom for framing. You know, you can get very inexpensive, but nice frames on sale at Michaels. So that makes it affordable.

[00:27:38]Lindsey Dinneen: Well, I love that. So, okay. So I know from a previous conversation with you that you're, you have a cat, is that correct? That that is involved in your creative process?

[00:27:51]Katheryn Krouse: He is a part of it. He's a part of the process. He follows me around everywhere I go. I mean, studio, if I'm taking a bath, he is right there next to the bathroom. But so when we're in the--he loves our days where we're just in the studio for hours and hours and hours. And sometimes all night, I mean, he loves it. He, I've got the--I got this little chair on Facebook marketplace in the corner and that's how he thinks that's for him. That's his place, but he's also, you know, he can also be a pain too.

[00:28:21] I mean, there's been times where I have a painting that's drying, leaning up against a wall. And he just thinks it's a good idea to just brush up against. I'm not giving him enough attention. It's like he gets into, he gets into all of it and then I have to absolutely stop what I'm doing, clean him up. Yeah. He's a funny one. And then he gets in all my pictures. It's like every time he sees that I'm trying to photograph my work, he thinks it's his moment. To sign and, and he's not wrong. I mean, it's so funny to me how I can make a post, and if he's in it, I get a better response. It's like more more people like it. So I call him my assistant 'cause he really kind of is.

[00:29:00]Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. He's just, he's another artist, right? He's a model.

[00:29:05] Katheryn Krouse: He is, he absolutely is. It's really funny because he's so expressive and he's always looking at the camera to see what we're doing. Oh, he makes everything better.

[00:29:15] Lindsey Dinneen: So has he been the subject of some of your paintings or a subject in any of your paintings?

[00:29:22] Katheryn Krouse: You know, a little bit. I, you know, I told you when I started off as a little girl, kind of painting my cat, I actually got a resurgence of pet portrait commissions out of nowhere in the last year. And so I kind of have had fun doing people's pet portraits. They want them very colorful and expressive and, you know, their fur is often a good opportunity for texture and things like that. So I did paint a couple paintings of my cat, Ewok, just to kind of promote the pet portraits. And I swear that has like taken off. And so I was like, why didn't I do that sooner? It was just a funny thing that kind of came up really in the last year, but it's a fun, it's a really fun project, and everybody, people love their pets. People would want a portrait of their pet, but they do dog, cat likes being the place of that.

[00:30:13]Lindsey Dinneen: That's wonderful. I love it. You know, it's so funny too, because I feel like sometimes it happens as an artist is you think you're going in one direction, and then the market may shift or just, you know, your direction may change. And all of a sudden you think, "Oh, I did not expect to be doing this, but here we are."

[00:30:35]Katheryn Krouse: I mean, they're fast paced too. And because those don't take me very long, I mean, those are priced pretty fair, pretty affordable as well. So it's a good little favor.

[00:30:47] Lindsey Dinneen: That's great. Well, I have a couple of questions that I always like to ask my guests if you're up for that

[00:30:52] Katheryn Krouse: Of course.

[00:30:54] Lindsey Dinneen: Awesome. Okay. So first, how do you personally define art or what is art to you?

[00:31:01]Katheryn Krouse: So I think I would define art as a thoughtful form of expression. I think it doesn't have to necessarily be creating a painting or writing a song or a poem. I think it can also include how you dress or how, how you cook, how someone cooks can be a form of art. I think that it can be anything or any way that one chooses to carry themselves--how, you know, how they decorate or different, different things. I think all of these are good forms of art.

[00:31:39] Lindsey Dinneen: Absolutely. And what do you think is the most important role of an artist?

[00:31:46] Katheryn Krouse: I think an important role for an artist is to just be authentic and true to, true to themselves. And even if that's not always the most likable approach to things, I mean, I think that that's an important role.

[00:32:04] Lindsey Dinneen: Absolutely. Yeah, I completely agree. Okay. And then my last question is, do you think that art should be inclusive or exclusive? And just to give some context on that for anyone who might not know what my terms mean-- so what I'm kind of referring to is exclusive meaning that the artist puts a piece of work out there into the world and doesn't necessarily provide a whole lot of context. So perhaps, maybe it doesn't have a title or we don't know the inspiration behind it. It's, it's more for the audience to get what they will, versus, an artist who has an inclusive approach and does provide some context for it.

[00:32:46] So maybe that's the inspiration behind it or, or a title of a piece or program notes, kind of, depending on the art form, so basically helping the audience to understand what the artist was thinking or what their intention was behind it versus, not having that context.

[00:33:03] Katheryn Krouse: Yeah. That is a really good question. I think a lot of it depends on the art. I think that, for example, more abstract art or even dance or something like that--I think it is a little exciting at times to not have a context to it. My work, for example, I, I consider it to be very literal. It's a lot of cityscapes, it's pet portraits, it's, you know, the human form, and so I, for that reason, I mean, my titles even tend to be pretty direct as to what is being captured in the painting.

[00:33:42] Lindsey Dinneen: Sure.

[00:33:42] Katheryn Krouse: Yeah, so I think a little bit of exclusive and inclusive is kind of a fun balance, I think.

[00:33:48] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, absolutely. Wonderful. Well, thank you so much.  I just want to say, first of all, thank you so much again, for being part of the show, for joining me and for sharing about your art and your stories where I think everyone can relate. I think everyone can relate to those moments where you're just like, "What is happening here?" And I appreciate your, your, realness, because I think that's, that's really--Ugh. I'm glad it worked out in the end, but oh man.

[00:34:22] Katheryn Krouse: Yeah.

[00:34:24] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. And you know, I, so since I'm also local to the Kansas City area, I've actually had the privilege of seeing quite a number of Katheryn's works over the last few years, 'cause we're both part of the Kansas City Fringe Festival every year. And I actually think that's kind of where I first started to get to know your work, but, it's just gorgeous. She has the most lovely approach, seriously, I think to her paintings and... So she talks about them being literal and, and the are, but I love the fact that they're so vibrant and textured and the things that make it unique and glorious. So thank you for sharing art with the world.

[00:35:05] Katheryn Krouse: Thank you so much. I really do have a lot of fun making it.

[00:35:09] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, absolutely. And on that note, can we get to see any of your work? I mean, is there a way that we can kind of connect with you, to be able to see maybe where your next show is, or purchase art online or anything like that?

[00:35:24] Katheryn Krouse: Yes, yes. Please follow me on Facebook. And my, my art page is Katheryn Krouse Art. So K A T H E R Y N, Krouse is K R O U S E Art. And then Instagram is K Krouse Art. And, I do also have an Etsy page that just has my prints on it and that, my Etsy shop name is Katheryn Krouse Art.

[00:35:48]And then the next show is a little bit unknown. I have been doing a lot of work, or I have been selling my art through, any, any form that anyone wants to commission art through an email or reaching out on Facebook or Instagram. I'm even offering curbside pickup. So you can come pick up your painting while social distancing, right there in front of Jimmy John's on 11th and Grand. And I'm, you know, it's just so unsure of when the next show will be, that it kind of, it is a good time to get good at selling online and finding other ways to be resourceful. Yeah local art. We're all online. We're also, it's very, it's a great time to commission art from your favorite local artists, because we have time during quarantine to really put a lot of love in it.

[00:36:33] Lindsey Dinneen: Absolutely. Perfect. Well, thank you. And again, thank you so much for joining us and for sharing about your art. And, I just really appreciate, like I said, everything that you bring to the world and I. Just want to say thank you to everyone. Also, who's listened to this episode and if it has left you as inspired as it has left to me, I would love if you would share with a friend and we will catch you next time.

[00:37:05] If you have a story to share with us, we would love that so much. And I hope your day has been Artfully Told.

[00:37:16] Hey, Artfully Told listeners. I'm excited to share with you a little bit about one of my very favorite resources for artists. It's a website called Arteza. They have incredible products, but what makes this company really unique is that they have supplies that are affordable to creators with every budget. So whether you're just starting out, or dabbling, or you, or you do have that budget available to you, they do you have options for every budget level. They provide the tools, but you steer the way. Literally you can access hundreds of thousands of high quality, unique products through their website. And right now they are offering a promo code to receive 8% off of any purchase and you can access the link and the promo code in my comments and show notes.