An Interview with Kirsten
Q: Do you work in any other mediums?
A: Yes! Acrylic and watercolor painting, fiber art, costume design, sculptural work... I am a certifiable jack-of-all-art! I'm down to play in any art medium and often love to find ways to apply what I develop in one medium to another. This is how I created the stained-glass effects on my mugs - from working and playing with actual stained-glass techniques. I also find paintings with underglazes very reminiscent of paintings with watercolors. However, they dry about ten times faster than watercolors when painting on bisque, so you have to work quickly. But, working with translucent paints, from your lightest colors to your darkest, provides lots of crossover between watercolor painting techniques and ceramic painting.
Q: How would you describe your work to potential buyers?
A: My top sellers, by far, are what I call the "Zendoodle Mugs." What started as random doodles on mugs using French Dimension "puff paint," then flooding between the lines with underglazes, resulted in a bright, bold, colorful, stained-glass effect that is stimulating to the touch. Making your morning cup of joe that much more joyful!
Q: What inspires your work?
A: Teaching inspires my work. Without fail, when I lack direction in my creative life, getting into a classroom setting and breaking down the steps of creation for other people always slows me down enough to allow my mind to wander and creative ideas to pop up!