Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristy Edgar.
Hi Kristy, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
What brought me to where I am today is a bit of a complicated path. I never truly considered myself an artist, at least not professionally or in the classic sense of what I would consider fine art. I went to school to study English and secondary education, entering the adult world as a high school teacher. And that’s what I did for 12 years (although that did change slightly to teaching middle school history rather than high school, which was an upgrade in my opinion).
While teaching, I would make portraits for my family and friends, occasionally getting friends of friends asking for a project, but I never took my art seriously. I didn’t believe I was a valid artist (After all, I went to school to study Shakespeare). The things I made weren’t captivating still-life bowls of fruit or tasteful nudes in provocative poses: They were cartoons of my friends and homages to cartoons I like. Things you wouldn’t find in a French gallery any time soon.
Things changed when my husband got a new job that forced us to move from our Texas home to the Midwest, and forced me to leave the classroom. It was then I had to fully embrace being an artist. And while I still don’t look at my collage of Bob’s Burgers characters and think “Oh yeah, THIS is art”, I have enjoyed growing in my artistic skill, meeting new people, and coming to terms with introducing myself as a caricaturist.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It hasn’t really been smooth or bumpy, more so winding. Like trying to turn a double-decker bus. In the 10+ years since graduating college, I’ve moved to three different states, taught in 4 different schools, learned 3 new subjects, got married, had a son, and completely changed careers. If I were to say anything was challenging it was the ability to manage the stress of major life changes happening what seemed like every year for the last 10 years.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
In terms of my style, I think the most obvious element that sets my art apart is the fact that it is constructed using paper pieces. This creates some limitations but also some great opportunities. While the designs themselves tend to be more simplistic, the effect of layers and colors add a degree of depth to the pieces. The style is minimal, the process can be long, but the joy is genuine in every picture I make.
I’m most proud of kind of every paper piece I’ve made. As vain as that sounds, I get so attached to each piece. The idea evolving into a design, transitioning into pieces of paper and finally assembling into a recognizable piece of art. I love the journey that each piece takes and thinking about the home it will eventually live in.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
When I think of success I think about an Earnest Hemmingway quote (I seldom get to use my English degree so when I see an opportunity, I’m gonna take it). He says, “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” To me, I feel most success when I redo a piece that I did years ago and can see my growth. Success comes from the accomplishment of learning a new skill or technique. It comes from making new connections with other artists and getting inspired by their work. Success is all about getting better.
Contact Info:
- Email: khageru1@gmail.com
- Instagram: @frompentopaperstudio
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/frompentopaper2
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/FromPentoPaper?ref=shop_sugg
