A Conversation with Kim Hands from Sticky Tiki

This week we meet Kim Hands from Sticky Tiki. Her handcrafted original designs translate beautifully into accessible wall art for children ... Dynamic and quirky they are reflections of New Zealand, love and the everyday. On Sticky Tiki's website they leave us with the thought,  LIVE LOVE LEARN and LAUGH ... her designs are living proof she does just that and shares it all from her (he)Art. 

With Christmas coming up how can you resist? Lets meet Kim Hands from Sticky Tiki ... ♥ Carol

Who is are you?

Kim aka 'StickyTiki'

What’s your “handmade groove ?”

Well kind of everything, I am the jack of all but my main thing is painting, hence the hand painted wall stickers we make, we then print them so I am loving that too....just need to work on the graphics thing, I usually leave that to Si but life would be easier if I knew more in that area.  I will pretty much give anything a go, I like to sew too but I never use a pattern and I am VERY impatient:) At the moment I am restoring my lovely old caravan and am having visions of 50s beach holidays in it complete with the crown lynn.

What’s on your bedside table right now? (hey, no tidying up or censoring)

My bedside table is a very impracticable, a white retro plastic stool thingy so the only stuff I can fit on there is a lamp, a glass of water, and a few old tea stain rings! Everything goes on the floor. I am reading 'the girl with the dragon tattoo ' so that would be there if it could fit.

Who are your creative role models? What music, books, images, poetry spark your creative fire?

Well two of my Children are named after painters : My daughter is Kahlo (after Frida Kahlo)..she is a HUGE HUGE influence, so are other artists like Paula Rego, Rita Angus, Cindy Sherman. My first influences with painting were the abstract expressionists like William De Kooning, Jackson Pollack! My middle child Jasper is kind of named after Jasper Johns but mainly because I have always loved the name Jasper. I love films and books, and have  very eclectic tastes in these and music, I can listen to 80s and reminisce but I am just as happy listening to rock, dub, reggae, dance, indie, I love a bit of classical , a bit of Motown, soul stuff ...I love kiwi music and we should be really proud of our musicians. For Mothers day my stepchildren (21 & 23) who live in Oz sent me over a compilation CD of music they thought I would love...Florence and the Machine and other goodies. I enjoy that they can relate to me, my stepdaughter loves Barry White because it reminds her of me....we always laugh about that, because I used to turn up Barry full blast while doing the housework:)
I lOVE old gangster comics and old skool tattoos, and have been influenced by these in my personal art, but also have some stickytiki stuff related to that coming out soon. I love mid century decor, lovely treasures that pop up at the auctions that need resurrection. Poetry quite honestly has never done it for me...but in all honesty this is because I haven't given it the time, I never get to sit still long enough.

What could you talk late into the night about with like minded people?
I love hanging out with my long time girlfriends and talking absolute garbage or discuss how we could right the world. I am a people person so will always find something I can talk about in anyone late into the night especially over a wee tipple.

If you could go to three free workshops/creative events this year which ones would they be? What are they about?

In all honesty creative workshops and things like this don't really appeal to me...hope that doesn't make me sound bad! I prefer to fly solo when I am creating, I will stay away from exhibitions to avoid influence, I know this completely contradicts what I said earlier about influences and being a people person:). I would much rather work alone than a room full of other artists...don't get me wrong I really love the discussion times..but no creative workshops are not my cup of tea....and I have tried!! I have tickets for U2 and I would love to go to Leonard Cohen does that count?

How do you balance your creative life with your family, life commitments?

With great chaos, I have three children and have the work (stickytiki) and family commitments pretty sorted it is just when other things pop up that I find it hard to fit in. I have been asked to paint a Ukelele for a charity auction in a few weeks.....I have the Ukelele, some ideas but now I just have to fit it in, I usually come through in the final hour...Pisces,you see they are notoriously late, last minute and go with the flow...drives my friends mad!

What is your favourite creative screw-up?

Well you know I guess Stickytiki is my favourite screw up, Our intention for it was quite different to how it has turned out..but I am so glad we saw our point of difference and went with that..yep a great screw up!!

Kitchen table or studio?

Studio, I need my own space to create..but in saying that my children always share it too, they don't take over, they have the kitchen table and the rest of the house for that.

Do you have a wish list? Can you tell us what’s on it?

World Peace, No Poverty....
Well I guess that is not going to happen fast so I will settle with my niece 'Matisse' getting her transplant soon (she has been waiting in the states for 4 years) , getting better and my sister and family being able to come home so as the cuzzys can grow up together, my Dads sight to be restored, and a trailer full of money would go astray either!