Rising Stars: Meet Kaitlyn Blade of Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaitlyn Blade.

Hi Kaitlyn, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My name is Kaitlyn Blade, I’m a visual artist with a concentration in traditional oil painting. I also create videos, focused on both the artist lifestyle and artistic process. I have always been a creative person, so drawing and crafting always came easy to me. I started my business selling art shortly after teaching myself and falling in love with how to acrylic paint. Not having many people or artists around me to use as reference definitely slowed down the progress of my art career, as I had to learn how to communicate in the art world, create artwork efficiently, and make sense of what work I actually want to do forever, mostly alone. I had to decide if my future was making art and if that was a reasonable career choice. When picking my major for college I was still unsure, until basically the first day, where I switched from a computer science major to obtaining my Bachelor’s of Fine Arts with a concentration in Drawing and Painting.

In college is where I learned to oil paint, met and learned from various artists, and explored and expressed my identity through my self-portraits, octopus imagery and concepts. I started gaining traction on my social media pages in 2020, and since then, have been sharing my experience as an artist and human with deep emotions. Through my figurative and surrealistic pieces, videos of my process or painting explanations, and now teaching, I show the world who Kaitlyn Blade is. That it’s okay and important to feel deeply and openly. I have grown a community online that relates to my creative work in numerous ways, and one of my goals as an artist is to connect people together while also expressing myself unapologetically. My business and brand is still growing and I’m expanding upon those ideas of human connection, emotion, community, identity, and expression every single day.

I got to where I am today by never stopping. With the career that I have: being my own boss, painter, editor, educator, and assistant all at once, there is so much to do every day. Through everything in life, like the pain of heartbreak or the mistakes we make within our careers or social life, the one thing that remains constant for me is creating. In the past, especially post-grad in 2021, I have doubted and overwhelmed myself with the amount of ways to complete a task or market a business. It’s important to remind yourself of your goal, and see the bigger picture. I am building ‘KBladeArt’ up every chance I get, and much like life, there is beauty in pain and trial and error. I don’t lose, I just win and learn from every mistake.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
With this type of career it’s very rare for it to be completely smooth. Some struggles I’ve faced are self doubt, an inconsistent income, and the “burden” of owning your own business. Beyond making art, artists must market their work, communicate with clients, collectors, and gallery owners, and have a social media presence. All of this and more can take a lot of time from just making things. It’s often difficult to separate the business side from what is, at its core, a passion.

I’ve found that the key to overcome these struggles, is to stop scrolling, and keep making. Create over consume. Self-doubt is me thinking way too much, instead of expressing myself or reminding myself of the mission at hand. This day and age has a way of making us feel behind, but it’s so important to slow down and go back to the basics.

Another key is to stop seeing it all as a burden. I am blessed to have the career and workload I have prayed for. It’s fun to learn, create, and share something new everyday.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a visual artist, contemporary oil painter and multimedia creator. My work explores vulnerability, identity, and human emotion through surreal figurative imagery. Each piece contains elements that relate to my interest in light, color theory, traditional oil painting, and dreamlike imagery. I explore different narratives and themes in my work, especially using my reoccurring octopus motif, along with myself, as frequent subjects. Combining traditional studio painting with behind the scenes video content, I invite viewers into the intimate process of creation and to explore the intersection of technique and emotion. My art is a highly personal reflection of myself. What sets me apart from others is the ability to form a connection with the viewer with little to no words. What starts as an experience that’s personal to me, becomes an oil painting, and then becomes a place for viewers to land, reflect, and relate to. It’s beautiful and also what I’m most proud of. When people come to me explaining that a video or painting has made them feel something so deeply or seen, it pushes me to keep going and is a reminder that I’m doing the right thing, living and doing in my purpose.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
A few select college art professors for giving me different perspectives, that I either wouldn’t have gained or it would have taken YEARS for me to understand. And for teaching me the beauty and many techniques of traditional oil painting.

My family for constantly supporting a career that’s difficult for many people to support and grasp. For being there to critique my work and help decide compositions. And for being there to run to when I have no idea what I’m doing (which is like 90% of the time).

My friends and relationships – those I’ve lost, gained and are growing through. Heartbreak puts the “pain” in painting. Thank you for leaving if you have and for being here to cheer me on if you are. Thank you for showing me different personality types and ways to grow. Social situations and human emotion motivate a lot of my work!

My therapist for showing me the beauty of self improvement, emotional and self awareness, and healing my sad and insecure heart. It’s still healing, but so much inner work has influenced my art work.

My followers and supporters of my work and message for being a part of my community and seeing me change and rebrand so many times.

Without any human connection, past or present, I would not have the courage to put myself out there and create what I have so far. There’s still so much more to go, and I’m so excited for what’s ahead.

Pricing:

• Prints, Starting from $15
• Stickers, $4
• Paintings, DM or Email for Inquiries

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kbladeart.square.site
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kbladeart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576845850503
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/kblvde
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kaitlynblade
• Painting Course: https://www.skool.com/kbladeart-school-5384/about