Hi! My name is Katrina (Katrina Marie if we are being really formal) and I am a recovering art student… or really a relapsing art student.
It has been too long since I graduated from college where I was studying art education, getting to experience art of all kinds and getting to create on a daily basis. I loved it. As life would have it, I did not end up working in an art related field, instead I am working in an administrative position where I can feel my creative spirit being sucked out of me through my eyeballs on a daily basis…. so this is me trying to bring that creativity back to my daily life, and save my poor eyeballs.
A few years ago I decided to attempt a small business venture as a way to do something creative and 100% for myself in the form of a small home-based cookie company. I love to cook and especially bake. Usually, in an attempt to not weigh 300 lbs, said baked goods would come with me to the office so I wouldn’t eat them all by myself because my thin overly metabolic husband has a malfunction and doesn’t really enjoy sweets, so I eat the majority of it. Anyways, back on topic: my coworkers are where I found the encouragement to tackle that first short-lived business venture. Actually it was a VERY short-lived business venture, but it still counts.
While it may not have lasted long, I learned quite a bit. For example: home-based kitchen inspections are not only stressful but they are expensive. Or that you can buy jello pudding mix (the powdered stuff) in 20 lb boxes! Or how about the consideration of expiration dates when mass producing a product? There are many many MANY more, but the most important thing I took away from the whole experience was the fact that despite how much I thought I liked baking, I really LOVED the branding. Forget about people’s reactions to how gooey-chewy-yummy my toffee chip cookies are, when they complimented me on the packaging or how nice the label looked, THAT made me proud.
So, when I was celebrating the end of the cookie venture I was also trying to figure out how I can work making logos, packaging, and branding all of the time without opening a new business every other month.
So I decided to start offering up my services and creative spirit to you and your business branding needs. I have done work from logos, blog headers, etsy banners, small images for other social media platforms (twitter, facebook fan pages, etc.), packaging, and labeling (including food labels and ingredient lists that meet FDV and ODA requirements). Please see my design example work page for images of what I have done so far.
Oh yeah and while doing that and my day job, I also decided that I miss painting. So I have started painting again as well. People don’t really readily purchase art works though. They are usually large, and usually expensive and therefore people consider them to be a major commitment. Buying an original piece of art is permanent; that seems to be the over all impression at least. More on this challenge and how I tackled it on my artwork tab. Check it out.
Want a little more about me?
I am originally from the lovely homeland of Ohio (which I still miss for many many reasons, the loved ones the obvious big number one) but since relocating to Portland nearly 5 years ago I can’t seem to get enough… local shops, small business, one of a kind restaurants, small galleries, local artists, bakeries, eating, living and experiencing…
Other random facts…
-
- My husband and I just bought our first home in inner SE Portland and we are loving it more than either of us could have imagined. I mean a 20 minute walk to Saturday Market? What is better than that?!?
- Despite the cookie adventure, I still love to bake.
- I find art (any form) therapeutic and need it on a regular basis.
- I have a cat name Chewy, both after Chewbacca (the most awesome character of all time) and the fact that she never stops chewing on me.
- I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.
- I am almost always the one behind the camera not in front of it… it’s hard to find a normal picture of just me
- and I believe there is always room for ice cream
katmariee.com 