Introducing Kym from KymCo Handmade. Where every item is handmade!! From her home in Melbourne, Victoria, Kym hand makes all of her amazing creations.
Find out why Kym started creating and why she is so passionate about the value of handmade.
Tell us about your creations and your handmade process.
I paint abstract mixed media art. Some pieces become wall art and other work is transformed into jewellery. I paint my best work when the process is full of play - moments of joy, delight, wonder, discovery and curiosity. Letting go of expectations and being present in the process then becomes the process. Given this, my art is very inituitive. I often know where I'm starting but not what the end will look like.
I paint on paper, canvas and board and I use acrylics, inks, collage, watercolour and more. I love texture and movement, colour and contrast. Then wonderfully, the pieces that aren't suitable for wall art, are often perfect for earrings and pendants - sweet little canvases all their own. Each month I release a new collection of art jewellery, each collection with its beginnings as original abstract art. I mount the original artwork on a lightweight timber base, then seal the art with clear resin. The colour pops even more with the resin layer!
Tell us a bit about your journey to becoming a handmade artist.
I can't remember a time when I wasn't making something. My childhood is full of memories of creative projects at home, with friends and at school.
Being creative is a part of who I am.
I picked up a paint brush recently, for the first time since high school and I haven't looked back. I'm very much enjoying the balance of painting artwork as well as making jewellery with my art. I love functional art so my art earrings make for perfect wearable art.
What is your inspiration or where do you find inspiration?
My creativity is an expression of my spirituality and my faith in God. My art practise is an avenue to process the highs and lows of life and find a peace and rest beyond my imagination. I find myself inspired by creation - the light filtering through the leaves, native birds in flight, the myriad of colours in a gum tree's leaves and trunk, the vast expanse of an ocean view and the tiny details on a butterfly's wing.
There is colour and contrast, light and shade, texture and beauty all around us and if I can capture even a small glimpse of this in my artwork - well, how glorious!!
Where did you learn your craft?
I'm still learning my craft and I hope I'll never stop! My art tuition began as a child beside my grandmother, learning to paint sea views with oils. I had wonderful experiences of art classes with my high school art teacher, Mrs Paynter (yes, that was her actual name!) where I was encouraged and inspired.
Recently, I've had wonderful direction with both alcohol ink and mixed media intuitive art from fellow Australian artist, Ange Miller. I've attended both online and in person courses and I've grown as an artist and a person as a result. I continue to learn so much in the doing, through consistent play and experimentation.
Why is handmade artistry so important to you?
I love the creative space because it's where I feel like my truest self. And if I can paint from this place of authenticity and vulnerability, then I am more likely to connect with others through my creativity. For me, that's the beauty of handmade - that there's a story, that can lead to shared stories. That there's an opportunity that something from my heart might connect with someone else's, and well, for me, that's a little miracle shining bright in the middle of my everyday life.
Handmade artistry within the context of the Madeit community is a dream! To be part of a community of Australian artisans, supporting and cheering each other on in our own unqiue creative expression - it's both humbling and a privilege.
