Artist Feature: CAT SNAPP

I had the pleasure of being introduced to Cat’s work and being wowed by it, while in college at the University of North Florida. Me being me, when I finally had the opportunity to meet Cat, I was super intimidated because she is so awesome and talented. We met during the Southern Graphic’s Council Conference in New Orleans, LA, which is an annual printmaking conference held in a different city every year. Cat is one of the most inspirational people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing and befriending. Following the conference, Cat and I kept in touch via social media. I had the opportunity to visit Cat in her adorable home while she was living in Orlando, Florida. Her home studio setup was amazing and of course made me want one for myself (no, I still don’t have one.) Cat took a teaching position at the University of North Florida for a semester, while she was still living in Orlando. On the nights that she was teaching, she would stay with me at my house. Can you say super fun artist sleepover?!? Well, if you count both us being so tired we would lay on the couch and let my dog entertain us, as a super fun sleepover, then yes! Haha! Being an adult is exhausting! But seriously, it feels like Cat and I have known each other forever and I am so excited to share her work and positive energy with you! So! Enough about Cat and me- let’s get onto the good stuff- Cat Snapp and her phenomenal work! 🙂

What is your name?

My name is Cat Snapp and I’m a printmaker and book artist focusing on letterpress, woodcut, screenprint and bookbinding. About a year ago I moved from Florida to Washington where my studio is currently located.

When did you first decide to pursue art as a career?

I knew I could pursue art as a career in the summer of 2009, after my first year of grad school. I’d had a huge breakthrough in my work and discovered my artistic voice. The confidence that came with that discovery empowered me and it was the first time I really believed I could make this all happen. Not coincidentally, it was the first time I connected with a community of artists who inspired and mentored me and showed me all the different ways artists can create and live.

Without realizing it though, I’ve always been an artist. As far back as I can remember I was always drawing, making little things out of paper. When I was in first or second grade I made an angel ornament out of those paper cups in the Dansk butter cookie tins and a rubber band. For no reason other than I had an idea. I think my parents still have it!

Both of my parents are creative and were always working on their own projects- woodworking, airbrush, screenprint, ceramics, craft cards, videography. When I asked, they would teach me how to shade my pencil drawings, set up mini-still lives and help mat my artworks in high school for the county shows. I would learn a new project in art class then come home and make three or four new pieces.

If you studied art in school/workshops please state where:

I earned my Master of Fine Arts in Printmaking at the University of North Texas in Denton. It’s this awesome town at the northernmost point of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. It has great food, awesome live music venues and incredible support for local artists and businesses. If I had to choose between living in Austin or Denton, I would pick Denton, hands down.

I got my Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. Many of the big lessons I learned from my professors there didn’t actually click until many, many years later. My two favorites:

“Find a profession that even on the worst days is better than the best days at any other job.” –Professor Robert Reedy

“Make art in spite of life, not because of it.” –Professor Robert Rivers

Tell me about what you are currently working on.

I’m currently working on printing and hand binding journals for the shops I sell work in. I pulled the woodcut proofs of the new patterns a couple of weeks ago will be finishing them up in October.

In July, I completed a residency with artist and collaborative partner, Nicole Geary, at the Southwest School of Art in San Antonio. Over the last year, we collaborated on drawings via snail mail, Dropbox and Skype and during the residency we used those drawings to create an edition of artist books titled Fossils & Whispers. I letterpress printed the images and Nicole used the typewriter to type out every word, punctuation and space for the edition of 20. It was a labor-intensive project, but worth the results. I’ll be putting the final touches on the book edition soon and in the mean time we’re finding venues to show and sell it.

In January 2016, some of my letterpress work will be in an upcoming group show on Bainbridge Island here in Washington. The show is Pressing West at Bainbridge Arts & Crafts, a contemporary letterpress exhibition featuring work by new and established letterpress artists from the Western United States. It’ll be my first exhibition here in the Puget Sound area, so I’m really excited!

Show us what you are currently working on- We love visuals! 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is your advice to an artist starting their journey on their own? 

• Create, create, create: Make your work and make a lot of it.
  • The more you create, the better your work gets, the easier it is to take artistic risks, the more opportunities you give yourself to find your artistic voice.

• Do. Not. Give. Up.
  • Part of your job as an artist is to find your way around obstacles. They will emerge in all forms. Use your creativity to solve problems that get in the way of making your work rather than throw in the towel.

• Try new things, meet people, and get involved in your community.
  • The best things that have emerged in my life and for my artistic practice have come as a result of these three things.

• All of your jobs, roles and experiences, not just artistic ones, will help you as an artist.
  • Don’t ever think you’ve lost time as an artist because you’ve spent time committed elsewhere. Don’t let it keep you from pursuing your passion now. I played softball for twelve years and identified myself as an athlete for a very long time. Most people view art and athletics as incongruent with each other, so I didn’t think my athletic experience would help me as an artist. Over time I’ve experienced the parallels of the two and see that my past as an athlete has helped me thrive as an artist.

What is the greatest piece of advice you have received regarding your journey in the art world?

A few months ago I interviewed Myrna Keliher, proprietor of Expedition Press, for an article in the Fall/Winter 2015 volume of The MAPC Journal. A big idea she talked about was doing the work to imagine what you want for your art. Her phrasing really resonated with me- do the work to imagine. Our culture doesn’t talk about imagining as work. We talk about it as something kids do for fun, not as an invaluable skill we can use to contribute to the world around us.

Where her advice applies for me now is in setting up my physical studio space. It obviously takes work to save money for purchasing tools and building equipment, but it also takes work to imagine how I want the space to function. To imagine how this space now can grow in the future and shift to meet the needs of my work. I’m learning that imagining is not just for creating new artwork, but it can provide clarity and direction in my whole life.

Thanks for having me as a guest and letting me share a little bit about myself!

-Cat

You can find Cat’s work online at CatSnapp.com and on Instagram (Cat’s favorite social media platform) @catsnapp

If you’re in Orlando or Austin, you can find Cat’s stationery and journals for sale at Bookmark It Orlando in the East End Market, the Orlando Museum of Art Shop and The Lion’s Nest in the East 6^th District Austin.