14 Day Portrait Challenge: Klay Arsenault

From Montreal to Portland, artist Klay Arsenault has built a delightful, eclectic career over the years. With projects of various mediums, sizes, digital and tangible, Arsenault’s trademark style is rich with playful whimsy and instantly recognizable. A maker of plush and stuffed figures, Arsenault was commissioned by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry to produce 250 lampreys for their traveling exhibition, “Roots of Wisdom.” She continues to work on graphic design and illustrative projects as well, many for small independent businesses, fellow creators, and organizations.

Along with working as an artist, Arsenault is deeply committed to education and community engagement through teaching art classes and contributing her skills to local political initiatives. Her series, “100 Palabras En Español,” and her coloring and activity pages engage artist of all ages and levels, leaving them with wonderful lessons about creativity along the way.

You can keep up with Arsenault’s practice by checking her out on Instagram and you can support her by checking out her Patreon and Etsy.

When did you begin making art?

I have a very clear memory of drawing a white-tailed deer in 3rd grade. I remember the other kids came and stood around me to look at it, it made me feel so great. I think this was the moment when I realized I could be an artist.

Why did you decide to do the 14 Day Portrait Challenge?

I wish I could say that I draw everyday but sometimes it’s hard to get motivated. Daily challenges have a way of getting you over that hump by taking away the “what should I draw” obstacle and freeing your mind up to the process of just doing it. Some of the artists that I follow on Instagram mentioned doing the 14 Day Challenge and it was really appealing because 14 days seems so doable. I’ve done 100 day challenges and month-long challenges, and they are fantastic, but a relatively short and easy to accomplish challenge like this one hit at the right time. I wasn’t ready for a big commitment, but needed something to help me feel connected to my art practice and had the added bonus of being a really welcome distracted from the stress of life during the pandemic.

What were some of your favorite pieces to come out of this experience? Or the most challenging (or both!)?

My favorite by far is the one I did of Tom Hanks, he’s such a wonderful and funny actor and always has a great expression, it’s really fun to try and capture that. The most challenging ones were the self-portraits. I feel like the way I see myself changes all the time and it’s not always easy to settle on how to capture that in a drawing or sketch.

How has quarantine impacted your creativity?

In some ways I think it’s made me more creative. Sometimes life gets so busy and setting time aside to create can be hard. I get stuck trying to decide what would be the best use of my time. During the pandemic I feel sort of free to just make whatever, like making like toilet paper roll people! Also, like I said before, it’s great to be able to sit down and draw for a while and let your brain work out some stress. Drawing a comic about your life or reflecting on some small moment of beauty, it helps.

What are some of your favorite materials to work with at the moment?

Lately I’m loving paint markers, I used them a lot for the 14 day challenge. They’re a lot of fun to sketch and draw with and work on so many kinds of materials.

What does your workspace look like now?

My workspace is a small room over my garage and is a constant disaster of projects and art supplies. I’ve been making masks pretty regularly since March so I have all my sewing supplies out and I always have my sketchbooks, markers out on my desk. I like to switch projects often and work on several things at once. I usually have a bit of chaos going on in my workspace.

What role does sketching play in your creative practice?

Most of my 3D projects start with sketching. I sketch out patterns, work out the scale, diagram construction ideas and things I want to remember about the process. With illustration, I always do really rough sketches to get my initial ideas out and see what they look like outside of my head. With graphic design, I often use paper booklets and dummies to help me layout information so it makes the most sense for the project.

When did you realize that you could pursue making art as a career?

I struggled and still struggle to find my path with art as a career. I’m not the kind of artist that stays within one style or medium. This makes me very open to different projects, like 200 stuffed lamprey for the Museum of Science and a series of illustrations for a coffee company, but that doesn’t always make for a very clear career path. I also care for my son who has a chronic illness and needs me to always be flexible. I’m very lucky that I can build art into my life let alone work as the occasional professional.

Do you have any advice for those wanting to pursue a similar path, or anyone looking to develop their unique illustrative style?

My advice is to not let small things or insecurity about your skills get in your way. I firmly believe that everyone can draw, anyone can be creative. The more you practice, the better you get. Like so many artists have said to me, be yourself!

What gets you through creative blocks?

When I feel blocked I look for projects that give direction, the 14 Day Challenge is a perfect example.

Do you have any upcoming projects you’re excited about?

I’m starting to look ahead to the holiday season and what would be a fun product to offer for gifts. Last year I illustrated a little map of my neighborhood and printed it on tea towels. It was a fun and unique item that people really enjoyed.

How can people support your work?

I just launched a Patreon page. I use that page to share my work and help motivate me to keep creating and sharing. You can also find it by searching for my name.