Today we’d like to introduce you to Kris.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
After being featured in Nashville Voyager Magazine back in October of 2022, I have really come a long way. We had not even lived in the state until the previous year. We relocated from the Chicago suburbs in Illinois and have settled in East Tennessee, and we just love it.
At the time of my first interview, I was just going to be in my second art festival ever. Although I had worked in the cosmetics and skincare division of retail for 20+ years, this “festival circuit” was a whole new thing! I really didn’t know what to expect, but I fell in love with doing festivals and talking to people who were interested in my artwork.
After doing a year’s worth of them, I decided to dive into some other things, along with my acrylic on canvas, and got into doing resin decorative pieces. Art is a very personal thing, and not everyone loves every style of art. Some people love the classics and portraits. Others love landscapes. My art is fluid and more of an abstract style.
The resin work I am doing is decorative and “gifty,” and it sells. I have really surpassed what I had ever imagined would happen. Now I have people going to festivals and seeking me out, which is what we all want. That makes me happy, and it also makes my customers happy when they can find “just that right piece” for themselves, or just the right gift for someone on their list. I also opened an Etsy Store, so my works are also available online
This past summer, I began to display my work in a new gallery here in Morristown, where I live. It’s called J. Tilden’s Gallery. They have what is called a “Local Artist Corridor,” and both sides of the long hallway contain pieces of art by artists in Morristown or from nearby communities. I belong to the Morristown Art Association as well. I have made numerous friends in the art community here. There are so many wonderful people and talented artists here. A standout for this year for me and my art is the fact that I won the Morristown Art Association Award at the annual “Mountain Makins Festival” that is held yearly in October at the Rose Center Council for the Arts. I am extremely proud of my award for my submission this year.
Although cutting back my schedule for 2026, I look forward to proceeding with Art shows and festivals. I will be focusing more on my online sales and the sales in J. Tilden’s Gallery.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As I am going on 68 years old, the physical parts of doing festivals can be challenging, as far as setting up, or knocking down displays. Fortunately, I have a wonderful husband who helps me with all of that. With the way my merchandise is, I have to unwrap it all to set it up, and then re-wrap it at the end to pack it away for the next event.
I am going for more indoor events because you can set up the day before, your merchandise is safe inside, and there are no weather issues. Ocassionally we will sign up for an outdoor event, but with the majority of those, you have to set up that morning and not have a lot of time to do it, so it can get stressful.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I started my art journey with acrylic on canvas. That is still where my heart lies. I have adapted and changed the way I do things over the last five years since I began. I have always had an eye for color and what colors work together and complement each other. As I said earlier, I was in the cosmetic industry for many years, and one of my biggest talents there was knowing how to match a customer with the right color foundation and what eye shadows worked best with them. I always had happy customers. I have brought that knowledge of color into my painting and have been pretty successful. I have people tell me all the time that I have such an eye for color. I agree. I could not do what I do if I didn’t. I will continue to do what I do for as long as I can physically do it.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
Honestly, I don’t really believe in “luck” in the business sense. I think hard work, making yourself knowledgeable about how to do things, and how to progress with your work, is what it takes. I am a huge Disney fan and love the philosophy of Walt Disney himself. These are a few of his quotes that I always look to when I feel stuck or unmotivated.
“All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them,” “Curiosity keeps leading us down new paths,” and “The difference between winning and losing is most often not quitting”. He believed in making your own opportunities rather than waiting for luck.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristiskreationworks/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KristisKreationWorks
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/kristiskreationworks
