Maker to Maker: with Kate Hawkins

~ 7 min read ~

FT - Wallpaper or Art?

KH - Oh it’s got to be art. I think that's maybe why CommonRoom works? I was coming at it from a different angle. When you love something so much you’re more inclined to put this immense pressure on yourself to succeed which is actually quite hard to do, when you’re a bit desperate. I think with CommonRoom there was maybe a lightness because wallpaper wasn’t my first love. Just my second!

CommonRoom began because about nine years ago I got a bit disheartened with the art world and everything surrounding it. At the time it felt like artists didn't have a huge amount of agency but I had lots of amazing friends doing amazing things and I was wondering if there was a way of getting their work out there in the world but in a slightly more accessible form. I kind of wanted to do something that was related, but not directly, to the art world and could bridge interiors too. (I think we were doing up our first flat at the time) But I was very naive, knowing absolutely zero about interiors, nothing! I knew no one. Quite early on I realised I didn't want to do it on my own, it wasn’t very fun, so that’s when Sarah (business partner) got involved!

 

FT - Do you remember when you decided you wanted to be an artist forever?

KH - I think I just always wanted to be. The irony is, I'm not actually an artist at the minute.

FT - You definitely are an artist.

KH - I know, I know. It's just hard to say it sometimes. For years I’ve always called myself an artist but I’m finding it harder at the moment - it’s funny how easy it is to lose confidence in yourself about that. The business is a sort of baby, and throw some real babies on top of that and actually, you could very easily spend your life not quite doing the things you really want to do. These are the first paintings I’ve done in ages but I’m happy with them. I’ve been doing CommonRoom solidly for at least the last three years. So I'm just trying to take a bit of time back now and it feels good actually.

FT - So It's a really transformative time right now. 

KH - Yeah, it feels really exciting. I think it's really hard to call yourself an artist, there's so much weight attached to that term especially if you've had some sort of art history education, it's heavily laden when actually to be an artist you need to be light and playful. 

FT - I also struggle to call myself a designer. In the Farming Fashion podcast I can hear myself hesitate when I introduce myself at the beginning, I say “I’m Tilly Kaye, I’m this that and the other and I'm a des…igner” I can never just say it comfortably.

KH - If I can make paintings that I'm really proud of that would make me happy.

In the past, it felt like I needed to be seen to be successful, I wasn't focusing enough on what the work was. 

FT - Oh yeah same here, life is such a ride isn’t it. I love it, we just have to go through all of that shit. We have to learn it for ourselves.

KH - I think that's part of being young as well, and then you just chill out. 

FT - I love being in my thirties. 

KH - Yeah I loved thirties! forties are good, covid was not so good, but forties are good, you're kind of pretty settled. 

FT - Yeah, I can imagine, I'm looking forward to those too.

FT - What is a lesser known aspect of being an artist?

KH - The prep, if you're painting, can take quite a long time depending on what you're painting or how you paint. Some artists just order pre-primed stretchers in from the good suppliers. But I'm interested in this sort of thing (motions towards one of her paintings on two types of canvas stitched together) so you can't buy that, you have to make it yourself. That's the only reason I bought a sewing machine Tilly, I bought one last year so I could just sew that canvas. At the minute I spend quite a lot of time on this sort of stuff, stretching, re stretching and sewing stuff together; some of it works, some of it doesn't. I'm getting better at it, and because this time around the prep has been more time-consuming the canvas becomes more precious. So when I eventually start painting I'm getting better at going a bit slower and trying to make it work. I’m being a bit more patient with myself which involves more thought and more care. But I think that's better because then I don't waste all the bits and even if it goes wrong I try to paint over it. So yeah I'd say this kind of prep, also, there can be a lot of admin. 

FT - I really like that, I feel like I've been going through the same learning lesson in my own work. Not being impatient to rush to the exciting outcome, instead taking my time with those early stages because I'll inevitably have a better outcome. 

 

FT - What is your favourite part of your practice? 

KH - I love it when I solve a problem I’ve been wrestling with. That usually involves letting my mind go on a long walk and by the time it comes back to me it’s made lots of unusual connections and has often come up with a solution. But the real magic is probably the act of painting, because I just go in a different space -  this quite liminal space where you’re forced to be in the moment because every gesture and mark matters. So it is probably the actual painting, but I quite enjoy bits of the prep too.

 

FT - If you had to paint one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? 

KH - People. I love painting and drawing people, that's probably where my strength lies.

This wouldn't show that (motions to recent semi abstract still life of flowers) but essentially, these flowers are kind of people – in my mind anyway!  (Before this recording she had explained to me that these paintings are a metaphor for groups of people from her past)

FT - What would you do if you didn't do this or Common Room?

KH - (Long pause)

FT - Not a clue? Have you not thought about your alternative life plan?

KH - Oh, well, I'm an excellent waitress!! I really wanted to be a dustbin man for a while, but that was more so it could fit in with the art, because I reckon you'd get up really early but you're kind of finished by lunchtime and then you get to paint all afternoon! So that wasn't exactly an alternative. 

FT - So it wasn't for the love of rubbish?

KH – Hmmmmmm … No. It was more tactical, I just thought it would be an excellent job to fit in with what I was trying to do.

 

FT - Which two words would you use to describe your fashion style?

KH – Not sure. I would say I like good quality materials and clothes that are timeless. But also forties. I love the 1940s

FT - But timeless at the same time?

KH - Yeah? I don't know. Sarah’s really good on fashion, she knows all the designers. 

FT - Do you want me to call Sarah?

KH - Tilly you’re going to have to tell me what my style is I don't know. I like well-made clothes. 

FT - To me, there would be a word for you in there around colour. 

KH - Oh, I like colour and actually I quite like texture. But I'm not exactly a fan of fashion. But I really like clothes! 

FT - Thinks to herself ‘Don’t make me give you the Miranda speech’

 

FT - Well…I was going to ask what you like about the Fine Tilth shirt you're wearing?

KH - Oh, I love it. I love the colour of this one, it goes with my hair and skin tone, and the sleeves, it’s all about the sleeves. So I love them. (she has two)

FT - Thanks a lot. 

KH - But I can also say they are incredibly beautifully made and the detail on them, you don't find on any shirts ever! It's really stunning. In a sense from a distance it's kind of workaday, but it's actually not, there’s something really special about it. 

FT - 😊