September 2022
Kathy paints and creates glass jewelry in her studio located right here in Fairview. She and her partner moved to the neighbourhood in 2020, because of the great location. It’s close to everything including her partner’s work. They love going for walks around the neighbourhood and running into all the cats.
Kathy has two cats of her own that work alongside her every day. Savi is her assisstant, and Tango is the quality control manager as he loves to sit next to the printer. Unfortunately, they were unavailable for the interview, so I chatted with Kathy.
When I first walked into Kathy’s studio I was struck by how neat and organized everything was and the bright vibrant colours she uses in her paintings. After speaking with Kathy, I can say that her personality was just as vibrant as the colours in her artwork.
Kathy grew up wanting to be an artist, but her dad suggested that she get a ‘real job’ instead, so she went to ACAD to get a graphic design degree. One of her instructors gave her some feedback she still holds dear to her heart: “You’re so talented, you should really be an artist.” She then focused her last semester on illustration.
Kathy grew up, got a ‘real job’, and became a workaholic. There was some creativity in her day job, but not a lot, and never any free time to work on her own art projects. This all changed in 2008 when Kathy was in a car accident. She was forced by her body to slow down. She came back to painting. Starting with abstract works, she let the painting be part of her rehabilitation and she really enjoyed it. In 2009, she had her first exhibit.
In 2015, Kathy was dealt another blow when she was laid off from her ‘real job’. Being an optimist, Kathy put her energy and new free time into more art. She was still painting, but now had the time to try her hand at jewelry. Her friend was also having a baby around this time, so she painted the first nursery painting. Now the series has over 90 pieces!
Currently Kathy is working in her home studio, on her paintings inspired by Tiffany Lamps. These use acrylic paint and layers of glaze to mimic stained glass and are brilliant in both design and colour.
Busy season is right around the corner for Kathy, with all the Christmas markets starting up. Yes, it’s still 4 months away, but to get orders made and processed on time Kathy has to get started now.
You can see more of Kathy’s work by going for a walk in Marda Loop, where she has done the artwork on three utility boxes. You will also be able find her and her work at the Under 100$ art show in December (https://under100artshow.com). However, if you prefer, there is always the internet! You can see all her work at https://kathylycka.com
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