Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathleen Krueger.
Hi Kathleen, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I have enjoyed creative endeavors since I was a child – drawing, painting, writing, sewing, and crafts. As adult life became busy with work and raising a family, I had little time for those creative pursuits except on a practical level. I still did quite a bit of sewing like making dresses for my girls or doing small craft projects. When I entered my sixties, I gradually cut back on work and began pursuing artistic hobbies again. I discovered abstract painting was more fitted to me than realism. As I experimented with different mediums, texture became an important part of my creations.
It was interaction with other artists in the Brainerd, Minnesota area that began exposing me to other mediums and forms of artistic expression – needle felting, acrylic ink, pastels, and a variety of mixed media styles. It was the textile work of a fellow artist that inspired me to get out my needle and thread and begin embroidering on denim squares I had on hand. Instead of using a pattern, I just selected colors and started stitching my own designs, occasionally adding buttons to the mix for a more 3 dimensional look.
As my collection of embroidered squares grew, people asked what I was going to do with them. It was then that I decided to combine my squares into patchwork denim hobo bags.. From there I began stitching my designs onto ball caps and sometimes including patches of fabric with what is referred to as slow stitching. Now I am selling my hats and bags online and in a local boutique. Plus, I have started stitching on upcycled clothing or favorite pieces of clothing that others want embellished.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Artistic endeavors are always a journey of trial and error. I am not a perfectionist or a detail orientated person. Textured abstract painting fits well with those traits. However, hand embroidery has historically been an art of detail, requiring small even stitches. When I allowed myself to embroider my own designs instead of following a pattern, I also let go of the idea that my stitches needed to be even or straight. Abstract designs started to emerge and combine with typical floral embroidery. The imperfections of my stitching became a style instead of a negative.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I continue to experiment with texture in my acrylic painting: highly textured waves surrounding lighthouses, cracked backgrounds, palette knife painting of both floral and abstract subject matter. The deep texture that draws people to reach out their fingers to touch the surface is what I am most known for in my paintings. For my stitching projects, it is the raw fabric edges in my patchwork and the uneven stitches that give texture and create interest. The incorporation of buttons in my designs, especially on ball caps and bucket hats also offers the uniqueness that people are looking for in their wardrobes.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
The active arts community is one of the things I love most about Brainerd, MN and the surrounding rural area. We have many talented authors, poets, and writing groups. Visual artists also gather together to share their knowledge and encourage one another. Opportunities to share artistic talents abound in every area from music, theatre, literature, pottery, and visual art of all kinds.
The long cold winters and short days of sunlight during that time are one of my least favorite aspects of this location. But I have lived here all my life, so I guess I should be used to it by now.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kathleenkrueger.com
- Instagram: @kathleenkrueger.art
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kkruegerwriter
