Today we’d like to introduce you to Kim Roberts.
Hi Kim, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Well art isn’t something I ever thought I’d do. It’s certainly not what I went to school for. I was a nurse for many years. I’ve always loved crafts or creating things of some sort, but never dreamed it would be what I would do one day. I’ve never taken any kind of art lesson at all, so painting totally took me by surprise. We’d been homeschooling our boys for several years when I realized we really had not done anything “art” related. So one day I decided we’d put the books away and do a little art challenge. We found a painting we liked. Each of us would try our hand at painting and whichever one looked the closest to the original would be the winner. When we revealed the paintings mine looked the closest to the original painting. My boys were shocked when they said it looked exactly like the original. My husband agreed with the boys and asked if I could do that again. I had no idea I could even do that! After that, I started painting most every night after the boys went to bed. At the time my husband was always traveling with his job so painting kept me company in the evenings. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing what I could create and trying new things with it. After a while, all the painting I was doing started piling up. My husband suggested selling it. I tried Etsy but wasn’t very successful on Etsy. Then we moved back to TN where I discovered the “maker world.” I rented a space in a Grit & Grace Market in Cleveland, TN, not far from where we lived and had great success with that. They started doing outdoor markets and I loved them. Eventually, I found outdoor markets closer to home in Maryville and surrounding Knoxville area. That’s pretty much been my love ever since.
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?
There are always bumps in the road. At first I think it was finding my own style but that came naturally the more I did it. The family is a big struggle. When the boys were little there was very little time to paint. As I said before, we homeschool our boys, so my days were busy teaching them, running to activities, doctors visits, cooking meals, taking care of the household things, you know, all the “mom stuff.” As they got older and could be more independent, I had more time to spend on painting and while those struggles still exist, they have gotten easier too. Probably my biggest struggle is learning the business world of it. The selling, promoting, marketing, social media- all those “businesss type” things. That part isn’t my forte. Learning to navigate that is definitely a challenge for me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I paint what I love- flowers! My yard is full of flowers. I absolutely LOVE them. Once I was covered in mud from digging holes for flowers and my oldest son came outside to see what I was doing. He took one look at me and said, “Ah! You’re in your happy place I see.” I also love things that remind me of summers as a kid on my grandparents farm, things like old barns and little chapels. Recently I’ve started painting mountain landscapes. I mean when the Smokies are your backdrop, how can you not paint that, right? I’m a texture girl too. I love using different textures in my paintings. Many of them you can run your hands across and feel it as it stands off the canvas. I guess that’s why I like to lose myself in a completely random piece of abstract art from time to time. I’m not a fine art artist. My style is more impressionistic, I guess. I’m going to give you my impression of a flower or landscape but you’ll definitely know it’s a flower or mountain. I hope that in some way my art brings joy to those that see or buy it, whether they’re having a bad day or a great day. I hope it will always bring a smile to their face and that in some way it points to our Creator and ultimately gives Him glory.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I could not do any of this without my husband’s support. He’s been the biggest backbone of it all.Sometimes he’s my biggest obstacle when he says “no that’s not possible, you can’t do that,” which of course, only spurs me on to meet his challenge, but most days he’s my biggest cheerleader. Not only does he cheer me on, but he also packs the car for every market, helps haul all the “stuff” to and from, he hangs out at the markets (even though he’s bored) so I can have a bathroom break, and packs it all back up to go home at the end of the day. He didn’t even mind when I took over the dining room and turned it into a home studio. I’m sure my “mess” probably gets to him but he’d never let on that it does. He encourages me to try new things things with my art too. He’ll even make handmade wood frames for any painting I ask! He pretty much rocks! My fellow maker and artist friends are also very encouraging. It’s definitely helpful to bounce ideas off each other to find out how someone else struggled with an obstacle, etc.
Contact Info:
- Website: ArtworksbyKim.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artworksbykroberts
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArtworksbyKRoberts/
Image Credits
Mtnmoverphoto.com
