Artist in Residence

From Denmark to Texas by way of New York, this Danish artist invites us into her cat-friendly studio

From Denmark to Texas by way of New York, Kiri Østergaard Leonard invites us into her cat-friendly studio.

When we moved from a tiny New York City apartment down to sunny Austin, Texas, one of the most important features of the new home we were looking for was a good studio space. I’d been working out of the corner of our small bedroom in Brooklyn for years, a room that never got any sunlight, therefore plenty of light and a good-sized space was absolutely key for our house hunt.

We missed out on nine houses before we found one that had the same floorplan as the first house we had fallen in love with. The housing market in Austin is crazy – things sell so fast – so I feel fortunate we found this place. My studio is located on the upper floor. It has an awesome open overhang into the living room below, so I can see the whole house when I’m up there, working, during the day.

Another favourite part of the studio for me is the large, west-faced

I feel much closer to the natural world that inspires my art

window. Every night I get to see the beautiful sunset, something I didn’t got to see at all for the six years we lived in Brooklyn. With animal wildlife and trees right outside, I feel much closer to the natural world that inspires so much of my artwork.

Three feline companions

I work from home and am usually up and at it by eight o’clock every morning. I’m joined in my studio space by my three rescue felines Mishu (12), Little Kitty (10) and recently our newly adopted Minion (one). The cats keep me sane. Working from home is lonely, no matter how happy you are with your space, so having some form of life around you to interact with, does your mental health immensely good. That being said, they can also be a source of interruption!

My studio is decorated with knickknacks and books that I’ve collected throughout my years living in the US. I moved over here in 2010 to pursue art. When I immigrated I had to leave everything I owned behind, except for two carefully packed suitcases of clothes and books. My collector soul was quickly put to work to discover trinkets and treasures for a new nest. I’ve always had a strong need for nesting and building a little whimsical world around me in the space I create in. The items help inspire my work and many of them are tied to memories and highlight from my life. Award-winning illustrator and artist Kiri imbues her work with childhood memories and a dash of mysterious darkness. You can find her work at www.kirileonard.com.

This is Apocalina. She began as a simple piece to improve my portfolio but grew into her own story. Once I’m done with my current personal project, I’ll be writing and illustrating a full book with her. I recently covered this wall in corkboard, so I can use it to keep tabs on my passion project: Montague Mouse. I’m not done pinning up my project pages yet, but this is some of the artwork I’ve have done for it so far. Tucked away in my bookcase are several bell jars with figurines. The most important one is a sculpture I made of the main character from my passion project, the Montague Mouse book I’m working on. Here you can really see my book collection as well as all the knick-knacks that are scattered among my books.

This is Yarrow, a blind elven druid played by my dear friend Kerri Lyn Adams in our D&D group. I have immensely enjoyed illustrating portraits for all of the group. My Cintiq is mounted on an ergonomic stand, on the recommendation of my chiropractor. Having an ergonomic workspace is so important for your wellbeing. Look after your back!