We chat with artist Krystee Iris.

“Amid the joyful chaos of motherhood, she seamlessly weaves her love for painting into her daily life, cultivating a creative lifestyle that serves as an inspiration to all. Not only is she a talented watercolor artist, but she also plays a role in nurturing creativity in others.”

Photography by Krystee Iris

Can you explain your work and what you do/make?

I have been exploring painting with fluid mediums for over 18 years. I began working with a medium called ‘Encaustic’ through my Fine Arts Degree, which is working with melted beeswax, adding pigment and pouring the wax on boards to create final artworks. I fell in LOVE with the natural forms, shapes and sense of movement created from the ‘pouring process’. Through the season of motherhood and raising children at home my creative practice needed to evolve. Working with hot wax + children at home did not mix too well, I needed to broaden my practice to help sustain creativity in my everyday life. That is where I began teaching myself Watercolours from home... Over ten years ago now, I began exploring the new medium, working in themes from nature painting botanicals and abstract landscapes.
Although a lot of my creative practice is teaching and painting with Watercolours, I also do small and large scale mixed media/acrylic works. These are usually commissions for homes. With my Fine Art background I enjoy working in a range of different mediums in my creative practice to keep techniques fresh and creatively inspired.
www.krysteeiris.com

Tell us more about the business. How did it start?

With a keen interest in Visual Arts when leaving school, I studied in Sydney, Waikato and Wellington to finish a Fine Arts Degree with a Post-Graduate Diploma in Teaching. I have always had a passion to teach and inspire others in their creativity, becoming a teacher felt like the best step to incorporate my two passions.
I had been painting and selling my artwork from a young age. While I was on maternity leave I wanted to begin to take my art ‘more seriously’ and decided to set up a separate Instagram from my personal one to begin profiling my work. On my IG Bio I put… ‘Available for Workshop’s’ in the hopes that one day I may run some workshops and teach Watercolours. One month later I was approached by a company asking ‘What workshops do you run? With a background in secondary art school teaching, I began creating 2-3 hour Watercolour workshops packages based on the skills I was teaching myself in Watercolours. Since then I have been selling artwork, running workshops, short courses both online and in person in Wellington and New Zealand for the past 10 years.

Where do you find your creative inspiration?

I find inspiration and solace in the outdoors. I love to climb mountains and be by the water. I find these mountain top moments help to ground me, it's the open air and quiet space. Nothing like being on top of a mountain letting all your worries slip away. I am drawn to everyday textures found in nature from wood grain, foliage, trees and ALL things botanicals.

How important is it for small businesses to lift each other up and what does that mean to you?

Oh, absolutely sooo important! I'm not only an Artist… but I manage all parts of the business, marketing, accounting, content creation, admin… etc. It can feel an overwhelming journey and also soo isolating. Having others in your world encouraging and supporting you is imperative for longevity in your creative journey and business practice. It can be a hard ride alone, but with the support of others make the road feel a little less daunting and more fun!

What is the most important message you want to send out to others thinking about starting a business?

‘Start out how you would like to continue’
It can be easy when starting out to take shortcuts when the operations are small. Putting proper business practices in place means as you begin to build, you have the foundations already established making growth sustainable and easier to build off.
‘Nobody can do what you do, the way you do it’
When I began teaching Watercolours, I quickly looked at the saturated marketing both on YouTube and Instagram and began to think… ‘What do I have to offer these platforms’? Then an artist told me ‘Nobody will teach and paint Watercolours like you do’. This comment has given me confidence in my creative voice and helped me remain passionate in my business practice.

Do you have any daily rituals?

I enjoy quiet moments by myself in the morning being outdoors running/hiking. I have to carve out these moments with 3 young boys at home, but I find when I ‘ win the morning’, I am more creative and productive during my day. Followed by breakfast with the family…and a cup of coffee is never far behind!