Sketching and strolling with Kitty Hillier

After recently discovering the mesmerising work of talented painter and sculpture Kitty Hiller, we invited the artist to lead us through an immersive creative workshop, inspired by the natural world.

On the banks of Falmouth – a Cornish town shaped by the sea and known for its deep natural harbour – you’ll find Morgans, a contemporary art gallery showcasing work by painters, ceramicists, and makers.

It’s here that we were first introduced to Kitty Hiller and her otherworldly creations – vases, dishes and sculptures with undulating finishes, earthy tones, and iridescent shell-like glazes.

It felt as though we were exploring a collection of natural treasures that may have drifted ashore or sprouted from a forest floor – and indeed this focus on nature seems to be key to Kitty’s creative thinking.

Informed by her daily wanderings around the Cornish coastline, Kitty’s work is rooted in what’s above and below the surface – an homage to natural formations and landscapes that are shaped by the elements over time. It’s a lovely and humbling reminder that we’re all interconnected and part of nature, rather than just observers.

“I rarely draw what I see. I draw what I feel in my body”

Barbara Hepworth

Inspired by Kitty’s creations, we immediately signed up to take part in one of her experimental drawing and collage workshops – and we’re so glad that we did!

We were asked to complete a mindful walk through nature beforehand. Kitty encouraged us to pause and draw things around us, considering shapes and sounds and even taking visual markers of our breathing through line drawings.

We were also instructed to gather objects for the second part of the workshop during which we discussed our walking experiences and made our own natural creations – layering up drawings and marks to create abstract pieces.

One of our designers Ali who took part in the workshop said:

“I really enjoyed taking part in Kitty’s workshop. It was so nice to just have a moment and take it all in.

It was such a different approach, with no pressure or expectations as to what the end piece might look like, which helped with loosening up and being free.

I particularly enjoyed creating a view finder to crop into nice areas of the mark making, which really made you appreciate what you had created (which as a creative is sometimes hard to do!)

I learnt that not everything has to be perfect, it’s fun to experiment with mixed media and have absolutely no idea what the outcome will be.”

We were all left feeling inspired by and re-connected to nature. Like Kitty, we believe that art and design have the power to raise awareness of important causes, like environmentalism, and encourage people to make a real difference. And we hope to apply this philosophy to our own Kindred creations.

We’re always looking to collaborate with other artists and makers. If you’d like to work with us in any way, drop us a line here.