Meet Blake Kathryn | 3D Artist

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

Hi Blake, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
There’s a few ways to interpret that.

On the most initial translation, I’d say I find joy in what I do and that keeps me going even when inevitable roadblocks occur – for example, currently social media is not kind to indie creators/artists. Alas, I don’t throw in a towel because of a lack of immediate work or a hit of dopamine, as the work I produce gives me that most intimate feeling in full. My favorite moment with every artwork I’ve created, zero exceptions, are when I complete a piece and only my eyes have seen it. It’s a holistic practice.

As for my second interpretation of this question, it’d be when is a piece complete vs. do I keep working on it. I heard this forever ago at a talk when I was a green little nugget, but it has stuck with me since: when you’re editing to the point you’re making it worse, it was complete several steps ago. To this day that rings true, sometimes the simplest advice is the finest of wines.

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.
Thanks so much for your interest. As a whole my artwork’s concepts and general direction is akin to a dream diary.

Outside of the occasional study or quick practice, my works each invoke a subconscious yearning to manifest a visual I can’t quite put into words. I’ve been fortunate to where others have found comfort in my practice to where overtime I began being hired to quite literally create what I daydream.

I have to credit the mid 2010’s social media boom for allowing a late bloomer to be able to have enough of an “audience” for lack of better words to make that personal to professional leap. I don’t know if I’d have the same fortune today.

Since I was already working full-time as a graphic designer, I wouldn’t say my journey was easy or hard, I simply enjoy creating in this medium and was able to eventually go from moonlighting to full-time over the course of several years in what I do today. I still enjoyed being a designer, but was very conservative with taking the leap so I could build up a financial security blanket up until I hit a breaking point and had to make the difficult decision to invest fully in my craft.

Lessons learned are more straightforward, the most true being: don’t be a dick. I genuinely enjoy the folks I have the pleasure to work with and positivity feeds into more positivity. Are there folks who don’t like me? Absolutely, alas I sleep comfortable and live contently with like-minded individuals. Other advice would be to have faith in your vision and don’t succumb to trends or an algorithm dictating your work. There was a half decade at least, myself included, where everything was bisexual lighting and retrofuture without being reinventive. Hard to differentiate when you’re another cog in the machine, let your lil freak flag flow.

As for a legacy of sorts, I’ll be happy if my work is able to stand through the eras when I’m simply stardust. Even if it’s a single work, it’d be lovely to have a dose of immortality through a long lived and hopefully appreciated artwork that was a time capsule of myself in the moment it was made.

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?
Oh love this. So assuming it’s a friend with common interests my go-to is to first off: avoid the beach haha. I’m from Florida, so the novelty of the coast never really draws me or my close ones.

For day one, it’d be lunch at Tsujita on Sawtelle for tsukemen, stop in Giant Robot to see the current gallery selection and buy an enamel pin or two, then walk around Santa Monica Blvd in WeHo for some bar hopping and to check out the library. I think West Hollywood has my favorite library in LA. For dinner perhaps back to where I am now, North Hollywood, for Salsa + Beer (no. 2 location) ending with a movie or some trash tv on my projector.

Day 2 would be a largely downtown day. Starting with lunch at Far Bar, making another book stop at Kinokuniya, followed by some apparel browsing at PopKiller. Hit up Arts District Brewery and play some skee ball/axe throw. If time allows a rooftop bar moment after to enjoy the brightly lit views. Then circle to k-town to enjoy a little Wii Spa and Parks BBQ for dinner. If not defeated at that point end at the Resident back in DTLA.

Final day, as we’ll just assume we stan 3 day weekends here: museums. I love doing the Academy Museum and Peterson Museum as a double feature, a nice dose of films and car culture not to mention walkable to each other. From there can dip in and out of LACMA and the Tar Pits as well for a well balanced day of feeling like I didn’t just eat, drink and shop the past two days. If I have an extra ambitious day, I would do the first two museums at a brisk pace then instead of the latter two go to Huntington Gardens and enjoy a nice Chinese meal after walking about near the sunset hours.

Folks in general have every right to hate on LA traffic but by doing the city geographical bucket by bucket you end up having the best time and cars are not the stressful personality one might fear in a trip.

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?
I’ve been very fortunate to have had a support system since I realized I was drawn to the arts, which was initially graphic design.

My parents were very generous in that they said as long as I did a public university in-state they’d support my major on the caveat that I graduate with a job. I’m blessed to have been able to accomplish that.

My partner, whom I met in college, has been equally supportive in when I began moonlight practicing, on top of a full-time job and freelance, to learn 3D. It wasn’t all roses, he didn’t love the hustle, yet he was patient and understood it was feeding my soul in a manner I hadn’t had the opportunity to experience yet.

I also owe endless gratitude to countless colleagues who have simply allowed me to be my most gremlin-y of self and find a community in that kinship. Those colleagues include and are absolutely not limited to (in alphabetical order so I don’t look like I have a favorite hehe): 550am, Adam Priester, Aeforia, Billelis, Daniel Taylor, Jason Ebeyer, Justin Maller, Maalavidaa, Robbie Trevino, Wvxii. I’ll forever be grateful for your presences.

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Image Credits
© 2024 Blake Kathryn