Meet Cat Babbie | Fiber Artist & Creative Project Manager

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cat Babbie and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cat, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
As an artist who also has a full time job, (I’m a creative project manage by day) I think a lot about work life balance! Because the majority of my week is obligated to my job, most of my creative work happens during my lunch breaks, weekends and some evenings. I have learned to balance out my need to create with the demands of a 40 hour work week, there are a lot of little moments that slowly build up to finished art pieces.

I try to keep space and grace for ebbs and flows in my studio practice. It’s very dependent on what else is going on in the rest of my life. In moments of transition I find my energy for large-scale work shifts towards smaller sculptural work and painting. When I’m energized I tuft more, it can be physically demanding so I have to be careful to not overwork my hands when I’m in tufting mode. In quieter times, I paint with watercolors and use them to play around with color, which informs my tufting. I dye all of the yarn I use, and painting is a safe space to experiment before I head to the dye pot. Sculpture is also an important part of my quiet time artwork, stitching beads and thread into woolen shapes is another way I “relax” while also being productive. It’s a tricky balance, and I definitely overwork myself, but I’m getting better at learning to really rest.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
The biggest thing that sets my art apart from others is that I dye the majority of the colors I use, depending on what I’m working on. All of my tufted and wool sculpture work is 100% dyed by me, in my studio. Could I save time and buy blue yarn? Yes! But what I would miss out on is the variation in colors, being able to get exactly what I want, not to mention I’m never going to discontinue my favorites! Dying my materials means I can give each piece its own character, plus it is one of my favorite parts of being a fiber artist! It’s like a painter mixing their own colors, but I paint with yarn.

My art is where it is today because I put in the time, and do my best to apply to opportunities as often as I can. There’s no magical formula to create an art practice, it is about showing up even when you don’t feel particularly inspired. Keeping your muscle memory honed is a huge part of being able to act when the ‘muse’ shows up. If I find myself in a sticky project, I’ll shift to another one, or leave part of the next steps that are clear unfinished. That way when I come back to the studio, I already have part of the solution in my head. Time away can also help clear out the stuck feelings!

All of my work is motivated by color, it’s my first point of inspiration, bringing exciting colors together to see what sparks!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We would spend a LOT of time playing around in my studio at VAPA (The Visual and Performing Arts Center)

Any first Friday is always spent well visiting Good Year Arts and the McColl Center.

The Mint Museum and the Bechtler are both great visits, too!

For food- We’d get sandwiches and drinks from Common Market Oakwald on the regular. If we want to enjoy local beers and art (of course we do) Free Range Brewing is the best! Alexander Michaels and the Workman’s Friend are my favorite cozy spots. If we were getting fancy, Dot Dot Dot would be on the top of the list.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This is hard to answer quickly! The artistic community overall in Charlotte is amazing. There’s a deep culture of sharing opportunities, and lifting each other up in success, and support when we get stuck in the blooper reels.

My personal shining star is Laurie Smithwick. She’s a painter and printmaker and she’s one of those rare people who I became instant best friends with when we met. Laurie adds so much balance to my entire world- she’s great at things I struggle with, and vise-versa. We make an excellent team, and even run a small business, LEAP Goods, together!

I also can’t imagine my life without my inspiring studio friends at the Visual and Performing Arts Center (VAPA)! The people there are super awesome and dedicated to their creative practices.

Website: www.catbabbie.com

Instagram: @catbmakes

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