Meet Kathryn Tubbs

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

Hi Kathryn, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I was born in Cypress, CA, and attended Cypress High School, I went to Northwestern University in Evanston, IL for undergraduate, got my MFA in printmaking at CSU Long Beach, and afterwards studied Cultural Studies at Claremont Graduate School. I started my career teaching art at Whittier College, but quickly found I was happier in the business world. I have since worked in the financial services industry for over 20 years, all the while making art in my free time.

My artwork creates beauty from what is often considered grotesque. I depict disease, injuries, scars, and the body’s interior and microscopic matter. I make mixed media drawings and paintings to create messages of hope, beauty and positivity. My exploration started in graduate school while my family was caring for a terminally ill niece. The surprising colors of her disease made a deep impression—whether from side effects of chemotherapy or diagnostic medical imagery. Non-traditional color choices freed my images from the emotions generally associated with disease. Having spent much of my adult life in competitive sports and with severe illnesses myself, I have my share of bodily scars and medical imagery to draw from. Years spent in the physical and emotional no-man’s land of recovery from illness and injury inform the tension in my art. Images feature depictions of inflammation. bulging shapes, stretching, compression, and decay. All of this filtered through my desire to create beauty. Making artwork has been a great tool for me when my body cannot physically do what I want it to, and it offers positive mementos to trauma survivors, their families and doctors.

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 am the only artist that I know of who concentrates on creating abstractions from medical imagery for the specific purpose of translating trauma into beauty. Most artists work in isolation while I often work in partnership with survivors of injury or disease. I am proud to create a safe space for individuals to tell their story and I am grateful for the trust they place in me to depict their story through art.

I have consistently made art my entire life, but it has only been in the last 7 years that I have exhibited regularly. I found that solitary time essential to really developing my own visual language and skillset to produce good artwork. Very few artists make a living wage from their art. I needed to find a career that I enjoyed and also provided me time and space to make artwork and have the resources necessary to seek shows. I work in the financial services industry and love my “day job”, but it does involve long hours, especially earlier in my career. When I turned 50, I reworked my priorities to spend more energy on my art career. I created a small art studio in a guest bedroom of my house and found that once the dedicated space existed, I spent more and more time there. For me balance doesn’t mean I make art every day, but I do think about it every day and usually get in the studio 4-5 days a week. I also maintain a regular cadence with the art business side of things, going to shows, meeting artists and gallerists, submitting proposals. You never know which connection will lead to something great, so consistency is key. One lesson I have learned and took to heart is to be your own #1 fan. Nobody will be as engaged with your artwork as you are to it. There is no room for doubt or insecurity when you are passionate about something.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am a bit sweet tooth, so I am going to give you a tour of Los Angeles through its best bakeries and sweet shops! Malibu Country Market for the best crispy chocolate chip cookies
McConnell’s Fine Ice Cream in Pacific Palisades
Compartes Chocolatier in Brentwood
Deluscious cookies in Hollywood
Fat + Flour for pies in Echo Park
Sprinkles cupcakes in Beverly Hills (and all over)
Gjusto Bakery in Venice
Porto’s in Downey (that’s the best location with the shortest line!)
Dipped Ice Cream in El Segundo…gotta mention my hometown!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Twist Out Cancer is a non-profit organization that provides psychosocial support to individuals touched by cancer through creative arts programming. I learned of Twist Out Cancer’s Brushes With Cancer program while searching for art exhibition opportunities outside of Los Angeles. The organization was a perfect match for what I had already been doing over the past two decades with survivors of injury and disease. Thus far, I participated in 7 Brushes with Cancer programs over the last several years and will continue to do at least one per year going forward.

Home

January Arts is a Los Angeles based arts non-profits building community among its member artists. The organization has helped me with understanding the business side of art and how to get my artwork out to a greater audience.

https://januaryarts.substack.com/

Website: www.ktubbsart.com

Instagram: @ktubbsart

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ktubbsart/

Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ktubbsart/ 

Image Credits
Only my headshot needs a credit, Rebecca Little the rest were taken by me.