Hi 🙂
I’m Peach aka Kirsty, Kirst, Peaches, Peshawar, Peacho or Le Pèche. In 2018 I made the decision to dip my toe back into the art world. I had not done anything formal since GCSE Art and Textiles, I occasionally dabbled in craft card making at home and photography and I was always drawn to Art Galleries and Museums when travelling so I felt like a complete imposter when I signed up to do a screen printing course locally.
Completing the course definitely sparked my desire to create. I made the decision during the pandemic whilst working in healthcare that I needed to support my mental wellbeing by being able to switch off when at home and I invested in buying an iPad, so that I could use procreate to digitally draw in the evenings. I had no idea what I was doing and no plan.
I started to illustrate animals, places and faces. A year later my husband encouraged me to print some of my designs and to consider selling them. I created a little art business calling myself kernel made at the time. This was due to my nickname Peaches and the association with a peach stone also known as a peach kernel. Complete wordplay with no true meaning really.
The same year, but a few weeks before Christmas, I did my first print fair where I sold my wares. I was terrified.
During 2022 I did a few more fairs and I was also able to get my products into a few shops locally who supported local artists and small businesses. I developed what I had made from prints to bookmarks, greeting cards, notebooks and coasters. I also began experimenting with different mediums such as Lino printing, ceramics, resin, concrete casting and watercolours.
In February 2023 in partnership with my husband we took on a lease for an art studio. It was the first time in my life where I could raid my cupboards and the loft at home and have all of my craft and art supplies in one room which was dedicated to creating and it was perfect! Nearly 3 years later and the studio remains to be a sanctuary which I have evolved into.
I started to paint on larger canvases – I especially enjoy painting acrylic on wood and I entered into exhibitions. I feel pretty humbled to have been accepted to show my work to others on a few different occasions.
In 2024 I continued to print, paint, make and draw and I took a step out of full time work and I applied for a part time job and I have never looked back. I had supported my husband with mural installations since 2023 and I was excited to be asked to take part in a citywide art box project where I was able to paint my own designs on two electrical boxes and a bin in city centre locations. One of the electrical box designs was in partnership with a local charity The Indie Club, where I developed skills in design interpretation and in painting on location with public engagement and problem solving regarding things like environment and weather conditions.
At the end of 2024 and into 2025 I returned to screen printing and supported to deliver workshops as drop in sessions and taught courses. Doing these workshops further developed my teaching skills and also public engagement.
This year I have supported 4 large scale mural installations which I have really enjoyed even though they can be physically exhausting at times. I enjoy learning about the process of delivery, troubleshooting and the ability to go into flow state once the design is finalised on the wall. I truly enjoy painting, I am introverted by nature and painting transcends me into a world of peace, reflection and mindfulness.
I have a lot to feel grateful for over the past few years and there have been a key few people who have really believed in me and who have encouraged me to push myself and questioned me when the imposter syndrome starts to sneak in. It has been great to reflect on my creative journey through this blog post and it has allowed me to feel proud of how far I have come but also allows me to develop where I may go to next. I rebranded this year too Le Pèche which a good friend used to jokingly call me as it felt a lot more personal to who I am and how I wish to portray myself to the world.
I plan to use this blog to document my creative endeavours and also anything which sparks creative thought and ideas through exhibitions, spending time in nature or travelling. I’m pretty new to writing in this way as most of my writing career has been very corporate/academic and usually involves a lot of research, reports or dissertations. To freely write without the need for evidence base and references is quite freeing so I hope to develop these skills on my journey.
Thanks for reading 🙂 and feel free to comment to ask any questions regarding my journey above.