We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kelly Austin-Rolo. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kelly below.
Kelly, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
I keep my creativity alive by constantly creating. Having a set schedule to work and be in the studio specifically to create is important to me. I always have more than one piece or series being worked on at a time. This allows me to move from one piece to another if I feel the need to slow down and observe a work for a while. If I feel stuck or blocked I will draw or paint with no intent of creating a finished piece. I have a quote by Rick Rubin in my workspace, “Inspiration tends to show up in play.”
I consider myself somewhat of an intuitive artist, focusing on the process before the outcome. I let the beginning of my work inform what happens next. I am constantly thinking about and researching how to better or change my process or create a new way to create.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I moved to Denver with the intention of becoming a full-time artist. My previous career was as a corporate interior designer, morphing into my own boutique design firm creating high-end residential spaces and furniture. Becoming a full-time artist had been a dream of mine for some time and at the end of 2016, this dream became a reality. I work primarily with encaustic as a medium. Encaustic is a beeswax based medium. It involves using heat and painting in the molten form, typically on a wooden substrate.
I also use the same medium, encaustic paint, in a hot printmaking process, to make encaustic monotypes. A monotype is a one-of-a-kind print: an original piece of art created on paper.
I started teaching encaustic workshops in 2022. In 2023 I became an Advanced Certified Artist Instructor for R&F Paints. R&F is the premier manufacturer of two distinct paint lines: classic wax-based encaustic paint and linseed oil-based Pigment Stick. I design and teach workshops and present demonstrations representing their product lines.
I teach at Prism Arts Workshop, The Art Students League Denver, and at my Studio at 910Arts, 910 Santa Fe Drive, Denver.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1. I have learned that I am worthy of putting myself first sometimes.. This allows me to show up in the most positive and effective way for the other most important people in my life.
2. I talk to myself the same way I talk to others in my life that I am supporting on their creative journeys. This is self love; loving ourselves and our art. Having belief and trust that we can create good art is having artistic confidence.
3. Learn to ask questions and to ask for help if you need it.
What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?
As an artist it is important for me to improve on skills that I’m not strong in. I am confident about my art and art making. I need to become more well versed in the business of art.
I want my art out in the world on others walls. The first step in marketing my art relies on me. I can very easily get caught up in the creative process and not pay as much attention to the business side of my work. I have learned ( and am still learning) to step out of my comfort zone and go after what I want in the art world.
I also have learned to find help, when needed, for tasks I need help with such as marketing and website upkeep.
Contact Info:
- Website: kellyaustinrolo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaustinrolo/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaustinrolo
