A couple of years ago, over on Seattle Mamas, I started a series interviewing local powerhouses who started with an idea and turned it into a crazy reality.
It was so popular, I thought to myself, 'hey self, you should do the same thing, except this time, you should stalk some more of your favorite bloggers from all over'. So, I created the Makers + Shakers Series: 8 Creatives You Should Follow.
The series was so popular, I decided to continue it with 8 more creatives!
This week, we are meeting Kori Clark, of Kori Clark Design, an illustrator and watercolorist, who specializes in custom graphic sets, watercolor portraits, graphics for brands, designers, and stylists.
I've known her since she was the blog Paper & Pigtails and sharing printable party designs. Her work has been featured everywhere from DIY Network to Martha Stewart Weddings. Since then, she has become so much more.
Read on and find out what makes Kori creatively tick...
Please tell our readers a little bit about who Kori is.
Okay! Well, I am a Southern Girl, Wife, Mother, Illustrator, Designer & Watercolorist. I love animals and the country. My goal is to create both art and a life that is filled with joy!
We go waaayyyy back...but tell all my readers how KoriClark.com began!
Haha! Yes! We sure do! Crazy how long we have been on this road now! I actually have a degree in graphic design, but studied drawing and painting growing up. After college I worked as a graphic designer and when I had my daughter, I decided to try my hand at freelance.
It evolved over time and I began doing more illustrations and watercolor graphics, in combination with my graphics. KoriClark.com is place I can share my work, some of the brand projects I work on, and my Pup Products!
From working on custom watercolor illustrations for Kori Clark Pup Products to magazine and online features for big names like HGTV and Martha Stewart, and a family that includes 3 dogs, how do you balance it all? Or do you?
I have picked up several tricks over the years! For me, the key to balance is know what I can let go…. and when. There really is a time for everything, and when my kids come home from school in the afternoon, my most important job is talking to them, helping with homework, and being the best mom I can be without looking at my email, social media, etc. I have to “let work go” for a while and be focused on them.
When they go to bed, I often have to finish my work day. I also try to schedule things in a way that makes sense and brings joy. For example, I LOVE doing my watercolors. They relax me and help my soul settle, so I usually paint at night to wind down. I am not a big fan of doing some “business things” like taxes or website tweaks, so I try to tackle those early in the day to get them finished and off of my plate. Oh, and lists… I make a lot of lists!
Speaking of fabulous projects, I know there are so many choose from, but which is your favorite and why?
The watercolor pups are my current favorite. I have always been a huge animal lover, but I especially love dogs. My hope is that they bring joy to other dog lovers!
Readers see beautiful, styled photos but we rarely see what is going on behind the scenes or how things didn't turn out quite the way you planned. How do you handle having to kick into Plan B or Plan C? Do you have a 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger' experience to share?
Oh gosh… that happens A LOT! I have had quite a few brilliant ideas that were total flops when I tried to execute them. Remember a couple of years ago when melted crayon art just started getting popular? I thought it would be cool to make a template and melt shaved crayons over it, so that when you removed the template, the canvas would be full of pretty melted wax leaving a white figure in the middle. Lets just say that they turned into a hot mess… a hot melted mess.
I am inspired by things around me...a pretty pattern may spark an entire party theme. What inspires your creativity?
Nature, movement, and travel tend to spark my creativity. Travel sparks creativity in a different way… as I feel more creative because I have more “white space” when I travel. I am not “working”, so I draw and paint from the heart instead of an order. I also have time to “daydream” and tend to come up with some of my favorite projects then! When I say movement, I mean that watching the way clouds move or waves hit the shore inspires patterns and designs in my mind.
Do you have favorite blogs and/or websites you like to visit when you have a moment?
I do, when I can! I love both In Honor Of Design and Waiting On Martha, along with mom blogs, craft blogs, and interior design blogs!
I love to ask everyone I interview: if you are stranded on a desert island and can take one item and one meal, what would they be?
Little miss practical here… If I couldn’t bring a person for my one item, I would choose a big knife and my meal would be cured meat. This way my meal wouldn't spoil so I could save it for a while and I could use the knife to make an assortment of items! If it was just a short term stranding…I would certainly choose differently! =)
Practical beats starving any day!
Follow Kori on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Thanks for sharing a little handdrawn fun with us!
