This spring we hosted embroidery artist and owner of Ink and Honey, Kat K at Getaway Starved Rock outside of Chicago. After her stay, we sat down with her to hear more about her creative process, her connection to nature, and her Getaway. Here’s what she had to say.
Nature has always been a dear friend of mine. My earliest childhood memories were being raised in New Hampshire amongst the mountains and the cool seaside. My parents encouraged time spent outdoors and living in lush New England it was not hard to enjoy those pink summer skies. From camping trips in the White Mountains, to surfing in the Atlantic I loved my time out in the wild. And believe me it doesn’t take long to get used to running barefoot foraging for mushrooms, swinging off of treehouses, or hunting crabs in the rock pools, on this side of the coast. Nature will always keep you a kid at heart.
I’ll never forget some of my first fishing trips with my dad, these are the moments you get lectured on about life’s lessons.. And I was taught that everything has a cycle, a purpose, and that this ecosystem benefits each other – including us. We all have a part, and if you take care of nature, nature takes care of you. At an early age I started to really appreciate and respect nature because of this. As a kid, and even now, I find myself nose deep on the shore collecting shells, raising-up caterpillars in my garden, or having stacks of science books by my bedside. What I love most about nature is that you continue to be a student, always learning from it.
Once I moved to Chicago for college I searched to pick up a new hobby and connect with my Ukrainian heritage so I started embroidery, and now 10 years later it has stuck ever since. As a city dweller I still run back to my sanctuary, whether it is the mountains or the sea, and when I can’t, working on my embroidery feels like my little connection back. Having those moments out in the wild helps fuel my creativity and marry my two passions together. After creating embroidery for some time I decided to give back to the land and a portion of my embroidery sales were put towards planting new trees across the globe. I never did shake off that child-like innocence and volunteered my time at the local nature museum as an assistant entomologist in their butterfly lab. It’s important for us to preserve and learn from nature what we can, and as long as we are here on this earth. Having a gift is not for us to keep, but to share.
When you’re in nature it encourages you to concentrate, and be calm – which for me produces more creativity. Those are my two best assets when creating art. I remember my first piece of embroidery was inspired from pressed wildflowers and I used them as my muse. And now I find myself immersed in my art as much as I am when I’m in nature. It’s not hard to find my next subject when observing the wild – it breathes inspiration everywhere I look. However, I do find myself picking up on forest plants and animals often. There’s something about the woods that is easier to produce directly from the heart of nostalgia.
Getaway was one for the books! It was one of those trips that you still reminisce about saying “..remember that cabin getaway we had? That was so nice, I miss that.” It was exactly what was needed to take some time away from the hustle and bustle of the city and be still. From waking up to deer crossing in the misty fields to bonfires at night it was the embrace of nature we were looking for. I truly loved the cabin, it gave off a rustic touch but with modern amenities.
Our stay at the cabin was during mushroom season, in the early days of March so my four mushroom stitch was inspired by this time of the year and how it is so special to me. It’s important to know what your native plants are and some of these mushrooms like the morel and chanterelle are charms to find out here in the Midwest. My style was influenced by vintage mushroom textbook prints that were used as mushroom guides for generations of the past.
“Exactly what I needed: peace and quiet in nature with my pup. I loved sitting at the large window with hot cider, watching the rain in the morning, and cooking s’mores by the fire at night.”
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