Kit Porter and Sea Transformation
Kit Porter is a mixed media artist who looks at the way an object left on the seashore wears down as a result of time. It’s no accident that she’s working in Beaufort, South Carolina, in the heart of the Sea Islands and South Carolina Lowcountry. Her creative process mirrors this natural setting and is a reflection on the delicate experience of life itself.
How did you come into painting and art making? Have you always been creative?
I believe all children are born with creativity. I also believe that when creativity is acknowledged, encouraged and nurtured, it will continue to develop. I am fortunate to have had many people support my creativity throughout my life. Beginning with encouragement from my mother, followed by art teachers from elementary school all the way through university. Now that I have the support of gallery owners who are willing to share my work through their extended network, I feel so fortunate that my creativity has been nurtured and encouraged to grow.
Porter in her studio
Did you have any artistic relationships that helped encourage your direction and path to become an artist or define your creative identity?
I have been fortunate to hold several jobs in different areas of the art world that were instrumental in giving me the confidence to pursue work as a full-time artist. After college I worked in an art gallery for several years where I was able to get to deeply know and support other working artists. Seeing the dedication to their craft was deeply inspiring, and gave me the confidence to seek out opportunities and relationships to support my own practice.
Still Remember
48”x48”
acrylic on canvas
What do you think is the greatest duty of an artist?
I believe it is an artist’s duty to share the unique way they see and understand the human experience. Whether expressionistic or representational, an artist must share their point of view through their chosen medium and personal artistic language.
When you go into the studio, what does your day look like? Do you have any routines that you like to stick to? Do you sketch and then paint?
I like to begin several large canvases simultaneously, with a couple of small canvases on the side, laying them on the ground and working from the aerial perspective. Color choices in one piece inform decisions in the next and as works progress, they each begin to move in their own direction.
Fragmented Field
36°x48°
acrylic on canvas
What things outside of the studio spark joy and inspire you?
I have lived by the coast most of my life, and it is a constant source of inspiration. My childhood is filled with memories of collecting treasures on the beach with my mother -- a meditative experience that I now share with my own children. There is something about standing in front of the ocean, looking out to the vast horizon that puts a lot of things in perspective. I find comfort in the rhythmic force of nature.
You share a little bit about your interest in the sea and the worn out objects that are products of this type of environment. Have you always been drawn to water and this kind of natural process? When did this creative interest start for you?
As my work has shifted over the years, the thread that ties my work together remains. And that is the impact that time and environment can have on the physical world. From paintings of aerial landscapes that observe the way water carves through a land mass, to a series of marine debris paintings that examine the way an object left by the sea is broken down as a result of its environment, I’ve refined my painting technique to mimic a process similar to erosion. I am currently applying this technique to objects that are more delicate and fragile, such as leaves and flowers, to further explore the ephemerality of nature. By painting a subject that is associated with life and growth, I am able to demonstrate the fragility of life, and the way I see the world – shaped by time and environment.
Living Here
48”x48”
acrylic on canvas
Who are some artists that you are in awe of? How did you come across their work?
I tend to be drawn to mixed media artists, especially textile and installation artists. I adore the large scale installations of environmental artist, Jean Shin; I am mesmerized by the intricate weavings of fiber-artist, Mimi Jung; and at the top of my personal wishlist would be a vinyl/wood wall sculpture by Derrick Velasquez.
What are your favorite creative exercises that help you get the flow going?
I like to leave the studio each day with something set up and ready to go for the next session. If I have a work in progress, I leave the brush and paint right where it needs to be so I can jump right in where I left off. I don’t waste a lot of time when I get into the studio. I don’t paint with the end goal to complete a work. I paint to grow my ideas and to refine my language.
Have you ever experienced a creative block? What are some strategies that helped you resolve that “blocked” resistance?
If things are not working, it is in my nature to put my head down and keep going. Sometimes I find myself working on a painting that I know is never actually going to come to fruition as a finished piece, but I won’t stop because I know that without fail, at some point in the midst of working on this bad painting I will realise there is something else I want to do, and I will have this incredible release. I will just set that bad painting off to the side to revisit the next time I get blocked.
Lead Me Through
36”x36”
acrylic on canvas
If you could speak to your younger creative self, is there anything that you’d want to say or share that you wished you’d known back then?
You are doing great -- keep going!
What are some challenges that you’ve faced, professionally or personally, that really helped shape your identity as an artist and individual?
I was diagnosed with breast cancer in November of 2020. As I embarked on the uncertain nature of treatment, I gave myself a lot of grace, and lowered all expectations for how much work I would be able to realistically produce. I mentally prepared myself for the fact that there could be days when I might not feel well enough to paint, and I also embraced the notion that my work could change significantly, given the nature of the life-changing experience I was having. By releasing personal expectations, I found a new freedom in creation, and really leaned into the therapeutic nature of my practice, immersing myself in my work as a means of escape from the discomfort of what my body and mind were experiencing. I can easily say that my artistic practice helped me not just survive, but thrive throughout a very intense and emotional year.
Found
60”x48”
acrylic on canvas
What are some ways that your artist community can best support you?
Reach out to me and say hello — I would love to hear from you!