Hello, Nice to Meet You!

If you're wondering who this Kathryn person is who keeps posting on The Soap King, I better introduce myself. For the last year and a half, I have been helping Erik run Otion, Bramble Berry's retail store. I had never made soap before meeting Erik and Anne-Marie, and like many of you, I think I'm addicted now. Playing with color and swirling and of course the unending fragrance options has gotten me to where I am today-- teaching it, and there is always more to learn.

As for my background, I'm really into art, which is convenient since Otion sits next to some of the best galleries in town. I graduated from Western Washington University here in Bellingham with my Bachelor of Arts in Studio Painting and minored in Art History at age twenty in 2007. After college I drove to New York, lived in West Seattle, and traveled around the southwest. Before the economy really tanked, I was a working artist painting murals and selling canvas pieces, also dabbling in wedding photography and other small photo shoots. These days, I am still painting and venturing into the world of stone sculpture. Last month I spent a week sculpting in Abiquiu, New Mexico using hand tools, pneumatics and even a chainsaw. It was amazing! Here is my piece made of Texas Limestone, about 100 pounds:

























The following are some of my murals and canvas work from New Mexico, Arizona and Washington State. If you're interested in seeing more, including my first passion-- abstract expressionism painting, please visit my website.




I'm at Otion a lot and am more than happy to help you out with your soap projects or if you need any help with color blending :-) Thanks for reading and have a great weekend everyone. Enjoy the sun, be creative, and make soap!