Kirsty Hall is a very talented artist whose creativity  is out of the box. The projects she takes up needs real commitment and extreme hard work. They might take a long time to complete but the outcome is exceptionally beautiful.

"I am prone to obsessive art projects that take years. My family likes to say that I’m never happy unless I’m doing something until my fingers fall off," says Kirsty.

She also draws different patterns and do a lot of writing on her blog. Her very recent project '365 Jars' uses a very unique concept and consistent inputs by Kirsty makes all the more attractive.

We contacted her for a small interview to learn more about her and her artwork and she has been really kind to spare some time out of her busy schedule. Lets tune into her interview below:

Kirsty, please introduce yourself to E-junkies.

I’m Kirsty Hall, an artist & purveyor of mad obsessive projects living in Bristol, England.

You say you're prone to art projects and obsessive about art. Take us on the journey when you stepped into this art world till present date.

I’ve always enjoyed art. As a child I drew and made things a lot and was fortunate enough to have a grandmother who was into crafts and art and who encouraged me in my interest. After a somewhat twisty life journey, I finally got my art degree in my mid-30’s and I’ve been working as an artist ever since. Because of the sort of materials and processes I use, my art isn’t very easily saleable, so I don’t make a living at it but I am very committed to my work.

What project are you working on currently?

My current project is called 365 Jars. It’s a daily project based around the idea of gifting and treasure-hunting. Every day during 2011, I’m going on a walk to release a numbered art jar into the wild for people to find. The jars are then documented on the project blog: http://365jars.com/ and people who find the jars can record their finds. It’s going really well so far, although it’s a vast amount of work.

That sounds really cool and unique. How did this idea occur to you?

It came about for two reasons, firstly, I wanted to get out and walk every day. I’d been spending too much time in front of the computer and I needed more fresh air. I knew that if I made it into a New Year’s Resolution that it wouldn’t happen but if I made it into an art project, it would.

I also wanted to do another daily art project. I did one in 2007 and I was ready to do another one. I hit on the idea of using jars because I wanted something that would both protect the art and tie the whole project together thematically.

You're a great artistic person. What motivates you everyday?

Sheer bloody-mindedness! Some days a daily project like this is easy, other days it’s very hard but knowing that I’ve committed to doing it and having people following along online means that I don’t cheat. Plus I know that even if I’m feeling rotten, making art almost always makes me feel better.

Is there any role model you look up to? Who is your inspiration?

From an art viewpoint, Eva Hesse – she was an artist from the 1960’s whose work I very much admire. I’m also inspired by people who just crack on with it: I feel a kinship with obsessive hobbyists who build detailed models in their sheds and basements.

You do a lot of drawing as well. What do you love to draw the most? What is your favourite subject on drawing?

Most of my drawing is about pattern, particularly abstract natural forms. I look at nature a lot but then I let it sit in my head for a while before drawing from my memory and imagination. I can draw realistically but I find if I draw directly from life, I put far too many details in.

Which creation of yours is closest to your heart and would cherish lifelong?

Oh, unfair question! I tend to be most passionate about the thing that I’m currently working on but I must confess that both 3 Score & 10 and Quiver have a very special place in my heart.

You're a passionate blogger too. What do you like the most about blogging? Have you confronted any of its consequence also?

I’ve always enjoyed writing and at one point considered becoming a journalist or a writer and blogging gives me an outlet for that. I love the way that blogging connects you to an audience and allows you to talk directly to people without having to ask for permission to publish or conform to someone else’s agenda. I haven’t encountered many downsides to blogging, other than never having enough time for it. I’m lucky to have found a largely supportive audience online, although obviously I occasionally come across trolls and unpleasant people.

Let's talk about the services you offer like Bespoke consulting and The Artist's Eyeball.
I’m currently only offering the bespoke Internet Hand-holding consulting – I had to drop the Artist’s Eyeball service because the jars are taking up so much of my time and energy. Internet Hand-holding is a one-on-one consulting service for artists who are struggling with the internet. I help them to work through their fears and come up with a practical plan for their internet strategy. It’s an effective way to get unstuck, I usually find when people are stalling about their internet presence it’s because of an underlying fear or a mental block. For example, artists are often scared that the internet will take up too much of their studio time or that people will steal their images.

On your website, you sound most excited about your upcoming website http://artistarsekicking.com/. What is it all about?

Alas, this is another casualty of the all-encompassing jar project. I had planned to start Artist Arse Kicking this year but it’s been postponed until the start of next year. When it does happen, it will be an online art club for grown-ups that will involve monthly projects, weekly prompts and ongoing support from me. It’s for people who need a bit more playfulness and art glitter in their lives. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.

What is the sponsorship scheme all about you're just going to launch?

I developed the Adopt-A-Jar program after several people asked for a way to donate to the project. People can ‘adopt’ a jar on the date of their choice. They get mentioned on the jar post and on the upcoming sponsorship page and get secret updates when their jar has been found or goes missing. There are various levels of sponsorship and I’m about to introduce the option to pay a small monthly subscription after feedback on Twitter.

The top level of sponsorship is called The Medici Package, where for a large amount of money I will come to your town to go jar walking with you. It’s kind of crazy and I don’t really expect anyone to do it but hey, you never know. I figured if I didn’t offer the option then it was certain that no one would take me up on it. And it makes people laugh because it’s quite audacious.

I take a very experimental approach to what I offer online – so I try stuff and if it doesn’t work, I just shelf it and try other things. The internet is so new and changing so quickly that we’re all still trail-blazing ideas for making a living online. The costs for doing stuff online can be fairly low, so it’s possible to experiment as long as you don’t mind getting things wrong in public, which fortunately I don’t.

Please share your views with us on Social Media as a promotional tool.

It can be very powerful when done well but it does take time and it’s easy to get it wrong, especially for companies who have a fine line to negotiate between being approachable and being unprofessional.

I advise people to be aware of why they’re using social media, who they want to talk to and what sort of time they have available. If you want to start a conversation with customers, then it’s important to find a space where your customers hang out. If you’re more interested in making deeper connections with peers and colleagues in your field, then you need to identify where they are congregating. It’s also important to find a channel that you enjoy using – for example, if you hate Facebook, then you’re always going to struggle to spend time there. Twitter is a good fit for me but not everyone likes the speed of it.

You handle so many things at one time and you are equally good at each one of them. Many of our readers would draw inspiration from you. What would you like to advise them?

Gosh, I don’t know about being equally effective at them, from my point of view it always feels as if something is falling off the bottom of the list. At the moment, I’m cutting back on a lot of things so that I can concentrate more fully on the jars. So my current message would be ‘you only have so much time and energy to go around, are you spending it on the most important things?’

Thanks for a wonderful interview, Kirsty! You're absolutely an inspiring person. All the very best!

Visit Kirsty's website at KirstyHall.co.uk.


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