Meet Artist Kinsey of Kinsey H Designs

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF

Hi, I'm Kinsey. I'm from a small town called Weston just outside of Boston, MA, where I was raised until I went to school at the University of Vermont.. I studied the Chinese language and then moved to Shenzhen, China, after I graduated. I spent two years there teaching English and backpacking throughout Asia. After that, I moved to Australia for one year and worked various jobs while living in a van and traveling from the East Coast to the West Coast. In 2017 I came back to New England and drove from Boston to California, where I lived for two years teaching Art and English classes. There, I got to spend a lot of time in the desert, along the coast and exploring the western part of the country. I first moved to California in 2017, which is when I got into illustration and graphic design. I attended the University of California, San Diego, for a graphic design program and began working freelance. Since then, I’ve been living throughout the US, mainly in the New England area, where I work freelance and at a web design agency. I spend a lot of my free time in the outdoors in the mountains, hiking, camping, and fly fishing or at the beach.

Tell us a little about your artistic journey?

My art journey has been a great and steady one. I always loved to draw when I was younger and create with my hands. When I went to college, I found a love for the Chinese language, which was my major, because of how artistic the language is. Once I fully dove into illustration and graphic design, I began experimenting a lot with different styles and eventually evolved into the minimalist style I have now. I’m always looking at other art and styles and techniques that inspire me and trying new things.

What has shaped your journey to where you are today?

I believe all the solo traveling, living in various places abroad and in the US over the past seven years has shaped me into who I am today. Coming from a really small town, I always wanted to see lots of places and explore as much as I could. I think taking the time to solo travel, see places, and meet new people truly gives you a different perspective on things and showed me how I truly want to live my life. A lot of the places I’ve been able to see have had a huge impact on my art as well.

From where do you draw your artistic inspiration?

The traveling I’ve done and the places I’ve lived in have inspired my art. Seeing such beautiful places throughout Asia, the United States, and Canada has been eye-opening. I also think other artists’ work has inspired me so much; there are so many amazing artists and designers who have such beautiful styles and work. Two main things inspire me: One is seeing other people’s work and feeling inspired by their style and what they create. I know there are many artists I look up to, and it brings me such joy to see what they make. Secondly, just being in the outdoors all the time and traveling inspires me a lot.

Who's your biggest role model?

My biggest role model would definitely be my father. However, his career has not taken him to art until now, where he works for the Ringling Museum in Florida; I know throughout his life he’s worked so hard and never given up on anything he set his mind to. He’s also taught me to find what makes you happy because it gives you purpose in life. I remember when I was younger, and I was getting stressed about what I would do with my life, he would say, “Kinsey, if you don’t like something, just change it; it’s that simple.” I’ve always remembered that and tried to live by creating a life that brings me a lot of happiness and is filled with things I enjoy. He has also always been so supportive through every journey I’ve ever taken. I owe a lot to him!

Tell us a little about how you create your beautiful artwork, and your process?

I usually work on art pieces by starting with an idea - some inspiration for a desert landscape, an object, a place I miss, a song lyric, or a van I recently saw. Once I have that in mind, I open up my iPad or Illustrator and start drawing it out. Once I see it laid out, I usually make some tweaks and kind of play around with it like a puzzle until I get exactly what I want. Sometimes that means adding text, multiple color changes until I find the right combination, or sometimes that means scratching it and using a tiny piece of what I thought I was going to make and creating something completely different. I love that the process can take you on such a wild ride from what you thought you would make to what you end up creating and loving.

How has your art evolved?

My art has become more minimalist and simplified; I think I started off trying to create so much in one piece that it was so overwhelming and lacked balance and flow. Once I found the minimalist style, I’ve adapted my art into what I create now.

We know artists block can be very real. Has this happened to you, and how have you overcome it?

Definitely! Usually, if I’m feeling blocked, I will do one of two things - Take a break and step back from what I’m working on. I do this by either changing the location of where I’m working, so if I’m at my desk, maybe ill go work at the park, coffee shop, or beach. Or sometimes get outside and go for a walk, grab a coffee, talk to a friend or get my mind off it somehow. Secondly, I love using other artists’ work as inspiration. Sometimes that’s through social platforms like Instagram or Pinterest or opening an old art book and looking through the pages.

What's the biggest challenge to face as an artist/entrepreneur ?

As an artist/entrepreneur, the biggest challenge is getting negative feedback on your work, especially when you thought it was great work. I know it can be so helpful and constructive, but it’s always a little bit heartbreaking when you put all your time, effort, and heart into creating something, and a client or someone you know just flat out doesn’t like it.

Best piece of advice you've ever been given?

I think the best piece of advice I’ve ever been given was by my dad, which I mentioned earlier - if you don’t like something, change it - I think this advice can be applied to many different situations. You have a lot of control and power over what your life can be. Some things may take a lot of hard work, and some things may be easy, but if you put all your effort into something, you can change it and create the life that’s best for you.

ONE THING ON YOUR « BUCKET LIST »?

There’s a ton of things on my bucket list, but I think right now, my biggest one is going out and hiking Mount Whitney in California. 

YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE?

Me, my old man, and the open road

ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO SHARE:

From making a career in art and graphic design, I’ve learned that it’s so important to focus on doing what makes you happy. I’ve been so fortunate to find that making art gives me so much joy, and I can make a living from it as well, which allows me to be remote and travel, which also brings me so much happiness. So if there’s anything you can do to create a life that brings you the most happiness, I’d say go for it! :)

I also want to thank everyone who has appreciated and supported my art over the past years, it means a lot, and it makes me so happy to know that something I create that brings me such joy can also bring other people joy.

Be sure to give Kinsey a follow on instagram : @kinsey.h.designs  

Website : www.kinseyhdesigns.com