Meet The Maker: Kitty Pennybacker

Who are you, where are you from and what do you make?

My name is Kitty Pennybacker and I am a textiles artist, working primarily with wool and wood to create three dimensional bodies of work covering art and sculpture.  My multi-media approach involves knitting, felting, painting and tying.

What inspires you?

For the past few months I have been working on the interiors of my family home alongside my own work and I am finding studying paint colours in different settings is having a huge influence on me.  Having worked with very strong reds and pinks, everything is now being kicked back, through walls to the colour palette in my own work.  The American potter Frances Palmer and her book Life in The Studio is a constant reference point, and a more local  inspiration is my studio mates at Pica Studios in York, I miss them when I don’t get to the studio enough.

What is your workshop luxury?

Having a tiny shared space in Pica Studios in York, it keeps me sane as making alone can be very isolating.

Your favourite studio lunch?

Shared picnic of cheese and salad and leftovers at Pica.

Best spot in the British Isles?

Swimming in North Devon, the beaches look harsh but the water is great for swimming.

What do you find challenging about being a creative?

Every day is different which means there is not time to just relax, you always have to be very focused and think about using your time very wisely.

What would you like to learn next?

I would love to learn to spin my own yarn that I could then knit with.

How do you let your hair down?

I love going round a car boat sale looking for antiques or riding in the countryside.

What are you listening to at the moment?

A lot of podcasts such as The Daily, Up With The Lark, Table Manners.

What makes you feel well chuffed?

When someone buys something from me and tells me how much they love it. It’s the best feeling as a maker.

What is your Fave recipe?

Anna Jones – kale, harissa and chickpea stew. I can not get enough of this and make it again and again for dinner parties.

What is your fave item on The Chuffed Store?

I have been eyeing up Hannah Way‘s candle sticks

Spring, summer, autumn or winter?

Summer for swimming, Autumn for fires and wooly jumpers and scarves!

Elyn from Slow Progress would like to ask you- ‘What is the best thing you have ever made?’

The best thing I have ever made was probably some dried flower sculptures I made for a project on my Art Foundation which I am keen to explore again in the future.

And, lastly, one question you would like to ask the next Meet The Maker…?

who has been the biggest influence on your life creatively?