Today we’d like to introduce you to Kat Gomez.
Kat, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Work hard, never stop creating and always be kind. My parents instilled this in me at a very young age, in the rural town of Waxhaw, North Carolina. My mother is an immigrant from Guadalajara Mexico and my father was born in Los Angeles California. Since I was a child, they have always submersed me in the arts, they themselves are artists. Both of my parents inspired me. Not only in their art, but with the drive to always create something original.
Fast forward to my twenty’s. I am right out of high school, I had no plan, was bursting out of the closet and hadn’t even bothered to do the S.A. T’s. Never the less I was still producing pen and ink work, inspired by my oldest sister Violeta. I had finally found the medium that I love and could say I was good at. As an artist, it feels pretty damn amazing to look down at a piece and say, “I love it”. I was still living in white bread North Carolina when I had the grand scheme that I would be a famous tattoo artist. But on the other hand, I couldn’t wrap my head around someone telling me what to create, what to draw or even where to permanently tattoo on someone’s body.
After studying traditional tattoo artwork, my style started to change. In 2010, I found wood burning. It was like falling in love all over again. The texture, the smell. I thought to myself, this is something I would purchase. Suddenly it’s 2015 and my partner and I are packed up and moving to Atlanta to both pursue our artistic careers. Atlanta’s bright energy and creativity re-stimulated my artistic process. My journey has been a struggle, but I will continue to perpetually develop my artwork. Whether I am drawing on watercolor paper or burning some birch wood slices, for me it is therapeutic, it’s calming, and I love to do it.
Has it been a smooth road?
My strength is not without a struggle. My mother was diagnosed with Type 2 Bipolar suprizlingly in her late forty’s. Then in my late twenty’s, I dealt with a slew of medical and dental issues that put myself and my wife in finical distress. Yes, things have been hard, but I would not be the badass, queer Latina woman I am today if it wasn’t for those experiences. At the end of my eight-hour workday screen printing at an amazing job I smile. I have a beautiful, supportive wife, a city full of friends and a family who loves me.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
My new business comprises of hand wood burned boxes, plaques and wood slices as well as pen and Indian ink paintings. I have had the opportunity to produce very fun commissioned wood-burned pieces. This year my goal is to begin larger scale wood burnings, and as the recipient of the Barb Seegert Memorial Lesbian art grant, this will be possible. I have been featured in such events as The MET ATL, ATL Indie Market and The Deep End hosted by Wussy Mag. You can always check in on my Instagram page for up to date events and artwork. One of the reasons I started wood burning is because I wanted to create something I haven’t really seen before. This powerful tool gives wood these deep grooves and texture. I just couldn’t get it from paper. Working with wood is a process. Sanding, painting, staining… it’s a bit much. But it’s never a copy. Each one was handmade, every piece is an original piece. You can’t sell a copy, of wood.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
How do I pick just one? I spent most of my childhood in our first house, the house my parents had built in Waxhaw. At age seven I met my neighborhood best friend Daniel, the little bleach blonde boy from down the street. Everyday over the summer from sun up to sun down, we were poolside. Perhaps now and then being thrown over the volleyball net by the lifeguards…what more could you ask for?
Contact Info:
- Phone: 704-577-7399
- Email: kathryne.gomez@yahoo.com
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Instagram: @katgomez_art
Image Credit:
Kat Gomez
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