A catch up with Katie @Local Hotel Parking

Katie is ridiculously obsessed with construction cranes, an avid collector of Charles and Diana wedding memorabilia (including an engraved house brick) and she once stood on Julie Walters' foot by accident in the Scottish Highlands.

Why collage?!

I’ve always been creative but can’t draw or paint to save my life, discovered I was pretty nifty with a pair of scissors and that naturally snowballed into the creative outlet I know and love.

How do you approach your work when you have a creative block?

I remove myself from my studio, go and fill my mind with something else (cooking, popping outside, procrastinating) then come back to look at it with a fresh pair of eyes. Most of my work is very organic so if I’m not feeling in the creative spirit one day I’ll achieve nothing, but there’s nothing wrong with that.

You must work at your own pace

How has lockdown inspired your work / changed your perspective?

After a turbulent start to lockdown, it’s actually been quite refreshing to not be in a day job for 40 hours a week. I’ve had a lot more time to experiment with my styles and creative output, I’ve started embroidering and using my sewing machine, spending days in my studio creating an expanding my output.

My work has definitely been affected and its a lot more somber, melancholy and wistful.

Which designers & artists inspire you?

Going way back, I was fascinated by the work of @bethhoeckel and @jessetreececollage; these two ignited my flame for the art form! I follow thousands of collage artists worldwide and am constantly inspired by them. The collage community is really strongly knit and we all look after each other, share ideas and support each other, I’m so proud to be a part of it.

Can you share tips on selling at markets as a maker?

Travel as light as you can but know your best sellers and take enough.

Practice your set up before and browse it as if you were a customer and clearly price label everything,

Charge a battery pack for your phone/card reader, take snacks (or you’ll end up spending your profits at the food traders stalls).

Be in a positive mind frame, chatty, and jovial.

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