Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship, in partnership with Vermont Public
BURLINGTON — Each year, the city of Burlington selects a handful of artists to sell their work in an alley just off Church Street through their Artists in the Alley program. One of those artists is painter and musician Kimberlee Forney.
Most weekends, when the weather is good, you can find Forney in Marketplace Alleyway, also known as ‘Artists’ Alley.’ There, her portable gallery is filled with vivid, fantastical acrylic paintings inspired by animals and the natural world.
Katelyn Unke recently stopped by to talk with Forney her about life and art.
The Q&A below has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
Q. How did you get into this work?
A. I have always been an artist. Ever since I was young, I’ve loved exploring the world around me visually, [mostly] through photorealism, or through copying comics such as “Garfield” when I was really young. And ever since college, when I graduated in 2000, I have been exploring and sharing the signature world that I play around in currently.
Q. Can you describe your artistic style?
A. I know that my style is unique. People will often ask me, ‘What do you call this style?’ And I say, ‘I don’t have a name for it.’ I don’t want to put it into a box. It’s really just me expressing certain subject matters, like cows and sheep, or couples embracing. And basically, most of my work is about love and connection. And perhaps that was something I was exploring in my art, in my signature style, because it seemed somewhat absent in my physical world.
Regarding my own artistic style, I’ve heard from many people that it just really uplifts them, and makes them feel happy. And because our mind, body and soul are all connected, having each one in balance is very important. Otherwise, when one gets out of balance, they all can become out of balance. So helping to uplift people’s energy is an important part of living a healthy lifestyle.
Q. Is making art healing for you?
A. I, like many of us, come from a background that is not as harmonious as we would like [it] to be. And so [in] my childhood — and beyond, actually — the environment around me was quite chaotic and unstable, and creating art was a wonderful outlet for me to focus on something outside of my environment. I’m not sure exactly what [making art] does to the human body and brain, but it does put you in a more relaxed state. It’s a good release of emotions. And so for me personally, just the act of creating art puts me in the flow.
Q. What do you worry about?
A. So some of my artistic pieces, I’ll put words on them to inspire people, or to remind people about certain things. And one of my pieces says, ‘To worry is to pray for something you do not want.’ So I’m generally not a worrier. I tend to just focus on embodying faith. And if I do feel any type of energy that’s trying to pull me into that worry energy, I just acknowledge it and refocus. It’s a good struggle.
Q. You mentioned the word “alchemy” in regard to your art. Can you tell me more about that, and how you practice alchemy in your work?
A. So alchemy is, for me, turning one thing into another, like [turning] one energy into another. So with all of the pain that I may have experienced, either personally, or seeing other people that I love also experience pain and suffering, I was able to alchemize that pain into something positive through creating art.
Q. Has a moment of failure or sadness ever led to a breakthrough?
A. I was actually suffering quite a bit emotionally due to all the trauma in my life. And I just remember asking, ‘Why? What is the point of all this?’ And then shortly after that I had [an] experience of realizing it’s really all about finding your way back to yourself, back to love, back to self love, and being authentic.
Q. Is it possible to make a living as an artist in Burlington?
A. I often get asked how I’m able to make a living as an artist. A few reasons: I believe that I can, and I know that I can, and the universe will always provide a way. But it’s about putting out there what you want, and embodying the belief and the faith that it will happen.
Q. Do you have any advice for fellow artists?
A. I would say, make art and follow your joy.