KC Christmas is a contemporary painter and collage artist living and working in South Carolina. Known for her portraits and floral art, she tries to find a balance between old and new. Her work combines inspiration from art history, symbolism, and relevant topics. These topics vary - from deep, personal struggles and local scenes, to our obsession with dessert and social media. Her work has been exhibited in many shows across the United States as well as other countries including Egypt and the United Kingdom. Recently, she had her debut solo show "Selah" in Greenville, South Carolina. She has also been published in Tapas Magazine and TWIRL: a Decade of Artist Interviews.
Published on March 23rd, 2022. Artist responses collected in months previous.
What are you currently excited about in your art practice?
One of the biggest things I am excited about is how my art practice has taken off. This is my first year focusing solely on art and seeing the dedication and hard work pay off has been so rewarding. This year alone, I had my first solo show, was accepted into a very prestigious, regional show, and have received many inquiries.
Another thing I'm excited about is the new style of work I am pursuing. I call it "collage painting," but it is a layered, mixed media technique. I feel the style effectively communicates what I'm passionate about.
What were some of the challenges you faced last year as an artist? Was your work/ art practice affected by the pandemic this year, if so how?
Compared to many, I feel very blessed in terms of how the pandemic has treated me. Yes, there were cancellations for shows and I wasn't able to visit many people I loved or cared about. However, the silver lining in the pandemic was being able to work with few interruptions on my artwork.
The biggest challenge I faced this previous year has been the injury to my arm. I overworked my arm in preparation for my solo show and was diagnosed with tennis elbow. The solo show was completed on time (the last piece being finished 3 days before it opened) and I have been able to focus on smaller works, but I am still recovering from this injury.
What does a typical day in the studio (or wherever you're making work) look like for you these days? What time of day are you at your studio, what are your studio must haves (ex: music, coffee, tools, etc), and what does your creative space look like?
A typical day in the studio starts around 8 AM - 12 PM and then 6 PM-9 PM. I'm more productive in the morning when the light is just beautiful in my studio. My schedule is really flexible and it will adjust depending on what's going on with my family.
My creative space is rather cluttered, but I swear I know where everything is in the room. There is a large, round table in the middle of my studio that serves as my main workspace. I have a few drawers dedicated to collage paper materials and then a few shelves dedicated to paint, wood panels, and paper. There's also a bookshelf on the side filled to the brim with art and art history books.
When I work in the studio, I have a few must-haves: a cup of tea (preferably Earl Grey) paired with a piece of chocolate, my Spotify playlist, a cardigan, and the studio pup, Odin.
What resources for artists have you found helpful that may be helpful for other artists?
Asking other artists for advice has been my biggest resource. It can feel really intimidated at first, but it is such a gold mine of information. I have reached out to artists both in-person and through social media to ask questions. Also, reading or listening to artist interviews is so helpful. The Jealous Curator, I Like Your Work, and the Do it for the Process podcast were a few that were very formative in my early years as an artist.
What in your art career are you looking forward to in the upcoming year? Do you have any specific goals or projects in mind?
In this next year, I am hoping to take part in another solo show opportunity. There is a new gallery space opening in the Upstate of South Carolina and they have already contacted me about exhibiting my work.
I'm hoping to make another painting and collage series, as well as continuing my collage painting series. There are a couple of smaller things I hope to accomplish, but I hope to maintain the same amount of energy into the next year.
What are you currently excited about in your art practice?
One of the biggest things I am excited about is how my art practice has taken off. This is my first year focusing solely on art and seeing the dedication and hard work pay off has been so rewarding. This year alone, I had my first solo show, was accepted into a very prestigious, regional show, and have received many inquiries.
Another thing I'm excited about is the new style of work I am pursuing. I call it "collage painting," but it is a layered, mixed media technique. I feel the style effectively communicates what I'm passionate about.
What were some of the challenges you faced last year as an artist? Was your work/ art practice affected by the pandemic this year, if so how?
Compared to many, I feel very blessed in terms of how the pandemic has treated me. Yes, there were cancellations for shows and I wasn't able to visit many people I loved or cared about. However, the silver lining in the pandemic was being able to work with few interruptions on my artwork.
The biggest challenge I faced this previous year has been the injury to my arm. I overworked my arm in preparation for my solo show and was diagnosed with tennis elbow. The solo show was completed on time (the last piece being finished 3 days before it opened) and I have been able to focus on smaller works, but I am still recovering from this injury.
What does a typical day in the studio (or wherever you're making work) look like for you these days? What time of day are you at your studio, what are your studio must haves (ex: music, coffee, tools, etc), and what does your creative space look like?
A typical day in the studio starts around 8 AM - 12 PM and then 6 PM-9 PM. I'm more productive in the morning when the light is just beautiful in my studio. My schedule is really flexible and it will adjust depending on what's going on with my family.
My creative space is rather cluttered, but I swear I know where everything is in the room. There is a large, round table in the middle of my studio that serves as my main workspace. I have a few drawers dedicated to collage paper materials and then a few shelves dedicated to paint, wood panels, and paper. There's also a bookshelf on the side filled to the brim with art and art history books.
When I work in the studio, I have a few must-haves: a cup of tea (preferably Earl Grey) paired with a piece of chocolate, my Spotify playlist, a cardigan, and the studio pup, Odin.
What resources for artists have you found helpful that may be helpful for other artists?
Asking other artists for advice has been my biggest resource. It can feel really intimidated at first, but it is such a gold mine of information. I have reached out to artists both in-person and through social media to ask questions. Also, reading or listening to artist interviews is so helpful. The Jealous Curator, I Like Your Work, and the Do it for the Process podcast were a few that were very formative in my early years as an artist.
What in your art career are you looking forward to in the upcoming year? Do you have any specific goals or projects in mind?
In this next year, I am hoping to take part in another solo show opportunity. There is a new gallery space opening in the Upstate of South Carolina and they have already contacted me about exhibiting my work.
I'm hoping to make another painting and collage series, as well as continuing my collage painting series. There are a couple of smaller things I hope to accomplish, but I hope to maintain the same amount of energy into the next year.
Find KC Christmas on Instagram