Meet Kristal C. Coles | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kristal C. Coles and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristal, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I don’t remember a time when art wasn’t a part of my life. Drawing and creating wasn’t something I discovered or ‘tried one day.’ It’s just always been there. And I have the artist’s bump to prove it!

As a young adult I allowed other things in my life to take priority out of necessity but could still never relegate my passion of creating to a hobby. I didn’t know exactly what to call it but I knew it was more than that to me. Gradually, I started to own my talent and began to tell people I was an artist. I stopped diminishing the hold art has had on me and began to share my work more openly.

Eventually, I realized if I wanted to feel whole I needed to stop dividing my art life from my professional and family life and blend them together. Art didn’t have to be something that took me away from more important endeavors, it could enrich all the facets of my life. I just had to figure how.

I am a completely self-taught artist so the process can be slow at times. There are as many ways to make a career with art as there are colors, shades, and shapes – it’s endless. I have enjoyed the process of figuring out how I fit in that world as an artist and business owner as I’ve transitioned from strictly commissioned work and doing what others have asked for, to finding my own style and voice. It is certainly not a passive process or industry and it is always evolving which makes it incredibly exciting!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I used to talk myself out of being considered a ‘real artist’ because a majority of my work would start as someone else’s idea. Clients would ask me to create an image based off an idea or event, etc. and then I would put my twist on it. I couldn’t afford to just paint anything and hope it sells so I thought I didn’t have a unique style developed.

With the perspective of time, age, and a growing portfolio I was able to see not only do I have my own style, it comes from more than just a technical application. I can now see the influence of living in many communities and the way I see people come through in my art, commissions or otherwise. I love taking many concepts and combining them or using seemingly unrelated materials and creating a cohesive piece.

My process for creating a composition can be directly compared to the Double Diamond design process. It wasn’t anything I had been taught but happened to evolve that way. I take in as much information as possible about the subject and usually end up with dozens of ideas and designs for that one work. Then I have to edit – a lot! The third step is my favorite: taking the final idea and problem solving how to make it work. Because much of my work involves three-dimensional components or may have to endure the Arizona sun, math, science, and engineering become just as important in my studio as paint and pencil. The final step, the actual painting and making of something, typically takes the least of amount of time but is all most people see.

That is my style – I am a visual storyteller and problem solver. I felt if I were to add anything new to the overwhelming plethora of art choices, it wasn’t artistic technical skill, it would be the storytelling portion. I help other people and communities share their voices, passions, and histories and bring people together.

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.
I’ve lived in seven states and two countries in two separate hemispheres so when people visit I love showing them the unique splendor that is Arizona! There is so much that can only be experienced here and nowhere else. We generally do a tour of the National Parks with some day hikes mixed in. If we have to stay local, Usery Park is a great way to show off the desert and many varieties of cacti all in one place. We often will escape the summer heat in Payson or try and hunt down autumn foliage in Prescott.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Part of my process to become more involved in the art community beyond my own studio and work has been to join and learn from other local artists. The Maricopa Friends of The Arts has been an amazing source of experience and encouragement on my journey.

Website: www.kccolesart.com

Instagram: @kccolesart

Twitter: @kccolesart

Facebook: K C Coles Art