Coming fresh off the heels of our group show COLOR felt like the perfect time to introduce our latest Well + Wonder artist Kim Hassold! Kim continues to wow collectors all over the south with her amazing ability to incorporate and play with color in her mixed media paintings! We are thrilled to have Kim join the collective and were even more excited for the opportunity to step inside her sunny Greenville, SC studio and learn a little bit more about the artist behind the paintings. Kim was such a sport during our rapid-fire interview read her responses below. Thank you, Kim!
What is currently on your nightstand?
At least two half-finished water bottles, a hot pink lamp, a plant that never gets watered and a Bible.
Who is your biggest influence as an artist and why?
Several years ago I joined a last-minute art workshop when a friend canceled. I wasn’t painting regularly at the time and didn’t know what to expect. Alice Williams was the artist. Her style is magnificent--colorful, loose, and so much movement. We hit it off immediately and she became a mentor to me. I love her and her work equally.
Tell us about your childhood. What is the most memorable moment as a young person?
I grew up in a beautiful, small southern town. Very Friday Night Lights. Every day my grandmother told me my job was to “give my gift” to anyone who needed it, so I was convinced early on that I was put here to encourage. I still believe it.
If you could only have one supply in your art studio, what would it be and why?
Heavy structure acrylic paint. Sometimes I get in a panic that they will stop making my favorite brand.
What is your favorite room in your house? Describe it.
It’s called the “sleeping porch” and is the smallest but the best room in my house. The walls are the palest pink with one single bed and a black and white patterned rug. Big colorful paintings and three white resin deer hang on the walls. Everyone in our family has taken a nap there at one time or another.
What is your biggest score online?
Once I found a girl who had owned a shop that sold unusual furniture and accessories. She was going out of business, so I bought 10 ghost chairs and a long emerald green campaign dresser for $200.
What is the benefit of buying art through a collective? What do you recommend for those that are new to buying original art?
It can be intimidating to see all of the art out there and try to choose what you love. Having a collective is like having a good trusted friend who knows about art and is willing to narrow it down for you. I always recommend going with something you love and then finding a place for it.
If you have the entire day to spend in an art museum, which one and why?
My husband and I went to Musee d’Orsay years ago and I’d love to go back now. Seeing the familiar art in person is almost surreal.
What is your favorite hotel and what makes it special?
I have stayed in a lot of hotels in the last few years while traveling to different art shows throughout the Southeast. My favorite ones have coffee available by 5 am that you don’t have to get dressed to find. I am not that hard to please, but I do need my coffee first thing.
If you were a lipstick color would you be red, pink, or clear and why?
I would definitely be pink, or if available, coral. It’s my favorite color!
I can never get on a plane without
Something to read.
How did you get into the world of art?
I love anything creative, so I’ve always seen the world that way too. It is endlessly fascinating to try to get another person to understand what you’re saying through words or paint.
What do you do to relax?
Run, laugh, hold babies.
When do you get the biggest surge of inspiration?
Every morning usually. I do a lot of thinking and looking at things before I ever start to paint. By the time I get to the studio, I have a good idea of what I will do.
Prediction for the Color of 2021?
I’m always hoping for coral.
What is your idea of a date night? Dinner and a movie or dancing all night?
I’m good for all of it, but only until about 9. I’m an early riser.
Tell us about your favorite painting that you have created.
My favorites are the mixed media ones because of the texture. I paint the paper and then work it into the painting. Double the challenge.
One piece of advice for buying original art?
Save up until you can get what you really want. It’s like eating graham crackers when you really want cake. You will eat a lot of them, but never feel as satisfied as if you’d had a little cake.
