Wendy Kay

Presented "Procreate on the iPad" 

Click on the link or on the image to watch the video. 

Wendy says:

I grew up in the northeast, in the gorgeous green mountains of Vermont. I doodled like any kid, but my interest in visual art really started after I saw Mary Poppins jump inside that chalk drawing on the sidewalk. Playing inside of a drawing seemed perfectly logical to me at the time and of course you can dance with animated penguins!

Although I enjoyed drawing and painting, I did not know that it could be a career. Luckily, when I was in college I volunteered at a computer science conference and saw the very beginning of 3D computer animation. The highlight of that show was a single frame of a computer-generated chrome sphere. That was all. One picture that had taken the computer all year to render. It was the coolest thing I’d ever seen and I thought if artists could work with the programmers we might be able to create something interesting together. That is exactly what happened and my career in 3D computer animation began. 

I worked with many animation studios in Los Angeles, but my favorite projects were created when working with Dreamworks Feature Animation. I also enjoyed working as a trainer with Apple for eight years.

And, what started out as a side hobby, sewing, turned into another visual arts career. When I went to Joann’s to replace my broken sewing machine I saw a machine stitching a flower all by itself. What was this magic?! Long story short… I took a deep dive into computerized sewing machines and embroidery digitizing software and ended up working with Singer/Husqvarna-Viking/Pfaff as an embroidery specialist.

Retired now, I have the time to rekindle my traditional drawing and painting skills which is why I joined the NVWS. But, as always, I’m all about embracing new technology and I love combining traditional and digital, 2D and 3D, paint and stitches and I’m happy to share what I know.

I am currently working on my surface pattern design portfolio because I’d love to see my designs on fabric, dishware and home decor products. Let playtime begin!