Please help Bertha & I find a new studio to get printing in!

Hi!

Many of you know me as Kate or Katy (Katharine if I'm on official business or being scolded by my Mumat the grand old age of 48!). I'm an artist, craftsperson, proud Mum of 3 brilliant young women, and an M.S warrior!

I'm not one for asking for help but right now I find myself at a bit of a standstill, lacking that one last piece of the puzzle to “get the printer rolling” so to speak! I am desperate to find a studio for myself and my rather unique print press so that I can be productive again, and continue to support myself and my family following my Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis. It’s been a long journey – so I’ll try to be brief!

Where it all started!

Eight years ago, I had a viral infection from which I never fully recovered. Two years later, I was diagnosed with M.E/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome; I went from at my very best running an ultra-marathon, to someone who often spent long periods struggling at home to manage even basic tasks. Despite having had periods of relative wellness, brain fog, nerve pain, muscle weakness, blurred vision, vertigo, and extreme fatigue became my norm for much of the time.

Time to adapt!

Whilst it’s been very mentally and physically challenging, this time has taught me a lot about myself. I realised I needed to find ways to adapt, in part for my own sanity and for a need to diversify as being in regular employment was getting much harder. When the jewellery design company I had been working for decided to sell on, I decided it was a good time to return to my own creative practice that had been on hold whilst I raised my family. In 2019 I began studying for an Art and Design degree, reigniting a love for printmaking and discovering a new passion for ceramic sculpture. I found a second hand shed, insulated it (as best I could!) and gave it a new roof so I could work from home when I needed to.

Print presses are (as you may know), very expensive. So, I decided to set about converting an old clothes mangle instead - much to my kids’ amusement! Then, last year I found an upgrade - Bertha! Already set up and ready to go having come from another artist, she is a beauty!

So, what's the problem?

Well, thanks to a few years of brutal winters in an exposed coastal garden, the old shed by now has seen better days. This leaves Bertha still currently squatting in our hallway! She and I need a new place to work; I had planned to have a new studio space ready long before Bertha, but life had other ideas!

At the start of summer 2022, I was busy building my own website and finishing work for an exhibition, all whilst preparing to move to the next step. However, very soon after a lot of things changed in quick succession; the sudden and sad passing of my mentor, a rapid progression of my mother’s Dementia, family members falling ill, and then I caught the dreaded Covid triggering the biggest relapse I have had to date.

I was bed bound for weeks, unable to work at all for 6 months, and have struggled since. Neurological symptoms that had begun to emerge in recent years became more prominent, and my mobility suffered. Fast forward a ton of tests, and in February this year I was told I actually have Remitting Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis.

The good part!

Now I can access the right treatment and knowledge to be better able to manage my condition! A big part of this requires me to change the way in which I work and live, highlighting the need even more to be self-sufficient so I can work with the ups and downs that my health can bring, not against them.

So, what’s the plan?

In addition to creating one off pieces and limited editions to exhibit and sell, I want to expand upon my design and print skills to develop a “surface pattern design” side to the business. On more physically challenging days I can still be doing the digital work, and the surface pattern designs can be continuing to generate an income long after creation. They can be applied to a whole host of things (materials for your new curtains perhaps?) or licensed for other businesses to use, which will further safeguard me if I have a relapse.

In time I’d also like to mentor other people in similar situations to show that they too can adapt, offer workshops, and a safe space to come and do a bit of art therapy from time to time!

So, I come back to the “ask”.

Rises in the cost of living, health expenses, and loss of work over the last 18 months thanks to my relapse have made funding the initial costs to set up and rent a studio frustratingly hard to do alone. So, I am seeking donations from lovely people like yourselves to help me up that first step to getting things started.

My kids have been amazing during this time, caring for me and taking on responsibilities far earlier than their peers, so your help would benefit them too - for space back at home, for less to worry about, to see that there is always a way through no matter what we face, and to have a Mum who can be better for them!

Your help, however big or small, would enable me to make these essential changes so I can continue to support myself and my family despite having M.S. For that, I would be eternally grateful!

What do you get in return?

Once the studio is set up and running, I'd like to gift a limited-edition exclusive print to all my donors – and regular updates of course!

With much love and gratitude!

Kate