Two years later with Kris Loya
Big news! Two years ago this week I started Swatch & Repeat. Back then I had no idea how to set-up a blog, or even a clear idea of what I would write about. And never in a million years did I think I would interview designers in this space. But oh how lucky I've been!
Today, I'm thrilled to share with you another interview with Kris Loya, two years later. Kris was the very first person I interviewed for the blog (I think she took pity on me). And it was in part thanks to her that I have continued to move this blog forward for two years.
Kris is a gifted artist, and as you will see below - a savvy business person. She sees opportunities and grasps them. Something I think we can all do more of. Enjoy!
Hi Kris! It has been a few years since we last talked. Can you tell us a bit about how your creative business has evolved since then?
Hi Jen, thank you for following up with me. I can’t believe it’s been a few years already!
My creative business has grown and changed quite a bit since we last talked. For awhile I focused primarily on showing my work at galleries and fairs. I was a busy lady, preparing for, promoting, and attending events. Because of this I had little time to devote to creating new art. So last year I decided to concentrate largely on commissioned work and have decided to scale back to refocus on Surface Pattern Design.
Any career highlights?
Well, I had my artwork printed on beautiful headbands for a wonderful organization called Healing Headbands. That was an amazing experience! It definitely inspired me to get back into surface pattern design.
I also began teaching watercolor. A group of local potters asked me to teach them how to paint watercolor flowers so that they could transfer the designs to their pottery. This started me down the teaching path. I had no clue (absolutely no clue) how much I would enjoy it and I feel incredibly lucky to be able to share my knowledge and love of watercolor. So much so that I have since taught many classes and have partnered with the local library system in our county to teach a much wider audience.
Kris Loya Artwork
How would you say your style has changed? Any new interests?
I believe my style has simplified a bit. More white space. I don’t feel the need to fill every nook and cranny with something. I also incorporated gouache into my work late 2018 which pushed me to think in a different way about layering. It is different than with watercolor and has been a fun challenge! I’ve also dabbled in different subject matter as a result of doing the MelsSat challenge with @meldotyart on Instagram.
And, big news! One of the galleries that I showed with asked me to come on board to manage gallery operations and marketing. It has been a dream job! While it is time consuming, it allows me contribute to the local and regional art community. I get to be around art 24/7 and have wonderful talks with many creative people.
What have you learned about running a creative business that you would like to share with readers?
Stop thinking about it and just do it. We can spend forever talking ourselves out of it and finding reasons not to do it. The technical parts of starting a business like sales tax and forming an LLC (if you choose) can be overwhelming but there is a ton of information online and local small business resources as well. Break things down into smaller steps and enjoy checking it off your list.
Having your own business is liberating and wonderful but can also be stressful and all consuming. In the beginning it’s pretty hard to get away from that but, I promise there comes a point when you can carve out some time just for yourself (before you dive into something else, ha!)
It is absolutely necessary to keep filling up your well, creative and otherwise. When you’re the accountant, marketer, social media manager, maker, shipping department, etc it gets hectic but you learn to create your flow and always remember that you’re in control. You don’t need to post on socials every five seconds and it’s okay to take a break when you need one.
Kris Loya Artwork
What plans do you have for the future?
I’m working on launching a new part of my business. I’m at the ‘brainstorming the logistics’ stage so I don’t want to say too much. I can say that it involves video. Sorry for the tease! I’m also diving into fabric design. That headband got me hooked!
Want to learn more about Kris?