The world is asking for you to listen

my interview with artist Kat Kinnick

Kat Kinnick, Standing on the Mesa. Linocut, 3 x 3 in

This week I’m sharing a conversation with artist Kat Kinnick.

Kat Kinnick is bright, bright, bright. She’s spilling over with beauty and wonder. In the interview you’ll hear her lovely generosity of spirit and sparkling curiosity; it’s truly a delight to be around her. Here we talk about how to listen to the natural world, and how that kind of listening is a kind of creative practice in itself. We explore the depths of tenderness, until tenderness opens into something fierce, mysterious. Punk, even.

Listen to our conversation, here:

And here’s an outtake, caught on Zoom. I’m pretty sure this is just what Kat’s life is like. All the time.

“The animals look at you, you are seen by them, and they ask you to, likewise, see them. The world is asking for you to listen, and each of our wild, timeless souls inside of us are asking us to listen.”

Here’s a look at the vase Kinnick mentions in our conversation:

(The song (from the border of Finland and Russia) that Kat had on repeat while creating the imagery for the vase, if you’d like to hear.)

Kat Kinnick, Our Disappearing Neighbors. Two-color lithograph on Rives BFK. 22 x 30 in

If you’re in Santa Fe, stop in and see Kat Kinnick’s new show, Sophisticated Tenderness, which will be up through October 23.

Kat Kinnick at Hecho a Mano Gallery

Illustrating wildlife and wilderness of the high desert of New Mexico, Kat Kinnick works to inspire a culture of fondness and connectedness to nature. She’s inspired by the magic and inexplicable qualities of childhood and is drawn towards expressing playfulness and curiosity with a folk art inspired aesthetic. Kat mostly works as a painter/illustrator, printmaker, and ceramicist. Her work is a celebration of the unique ecology in New Mexico, and its abundant diversity. You can also find more of Kat’s work and goings-on at her website, here.