Today we’d like to introduce you to Kayla Trammell.
Hi Kayla, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
As a little girl, I was an only child until about the age of 5, and I suffered from a serious case of asthma. For this reason, I spent a lot of time inside, entertaining myself, writing stories, and drawing pictures. From a very young age, I discovered that I had a love for creativity, and I continued working on my creative skills trying different outlets and techniques. Throughout school, I was involved in art and always participated in activities that involved being creative.
I’m not sure if any of the readers will remember walking around school with the binders that had those clear cover inserts that I believe were intended to identify the subject the binder was for. However, when I was in school, everyone walked around with something I drew for them in the inserts of their binders. After high school, someone inquired about custom-painted nursery letters for an expecting parent. This is when I realized I could paint in much more detail, and I could paint surprisingly well. I continued doing this for many years.
Shortly after, I gained a larger interest in photography and digital design work, which I continued doing for multiple years until I decided to go back to working a 9-5 job.
After abandoning my love for art for several years, working in a bit of a stressful industry, and going through COVID by mental health started to suffer and my anxiety began to be something I was unable to manage on my own, and I felt the need to find my joy again. I came across textured art on Instagram around the end of 2022 and started to experiment with it. From here, I have been able to expand on the textured art style, and I am now working with a more textured abstract art style. The opportunities that I have been exposed to have been a dream. I have again found my joy, something that is mine, and it comes with the most amazing community of support from fellow artists and has become something truly rewarding for me.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
To put it bluntly, no. I am a self-taught artist, I have never been to any training or had any educational instruction. This means I have had to learn the hard way by practicing, researching, and tons of trial and error. Not to mention, I am absurdly hard on myself. I suffer from this thing called perfectionism and imposter syndrome. If you are a creative of any type I am sure you know about that all too well.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Right now, I specialize in abstract textured paintings, but I never contain myself to one specific style or technique, and I think that can set me apart. I love being challenged by my clients because I feel like when I have to push myself outside of my comfort zone, that is where my growth and confidence happens.
Approximately 9 months after I started doing textured art, I was contacted by Tappan Collective on Instagram. They were hired to find local artwork for a Capital One Cafe near where I live. When they came back to me asking me to make a custom piece of artwork that was 60″ x 48″, I was floored!!! But I put my big girl pants on and took on the challenge, which I am so glad I did because now I have my artwork hanging in the cafe, and it has opened up more opportunities for me.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
This is a tricky question for me because I do not do art to make a living. I honestly do it more for my mental health and to make anyone I am lucky enough to make artwork for happy. Therefore, I do not push myself or my art to the next level. I am always open to any opportunities that come my way, and If, by any miracle, I was ever able to do artwork full-time, that would be a true dream of mine.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ktartdesignco/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KTartanddesignco/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayla-trammell-90b826271/
Image Credits
Kayla Trammell
