Kathleen "Katie" O'Donnell

My name is Kathleen "Katie" O'Donnell and I currently do business under the name Punkin Doodle Boo Folk Art.

How did I come up with this strange name you ask? The name is actually a combination of pet names I have for my two children. "Punkin Doodle" is the nickname, my now very slender daughter, was appropriately given as an infant (chunky would certainly be an understatement!). Boo is a nickname given to my son on the day he was born, because of his big beautiful eyes, long eyelashes and tiny nose. He was very startled to be out of the womb!

Q. How long have you been an artist or doing art? A. I guess you could say I have always been "artsy". I can remember being very little and drawing for hours on end. My mother loves to tell a story about Back-to-School night in kindergarten. Parents were to walk into classroom and find their child's desk by identifying a family picture drawn by their son or daughter.  Each child's picture was a group of monochromatic stick figures, but much to my parents embarrassment, apparently, mine was not.

Katie's "Award-winning" Mummy sculpture!

I had drawn an anatomically correct family, including my mother, with lots of cleavage, in a very sexy disco dress that left little to the imagination!

From parental humiliation, I was accepted into in a small fine arts program in my high school. There I further developed my painting and drawing skills, but like most high school students, I lacked the commitment. Of course, my parents also told me that there was no money in being an artist.

Q. What started you in your craft?

A. In college I studied Political Science and Economics, and then, upon graduation, I went on to work for an actuary firm. You could say I sold out to "the man" to the tune of $25,000 in student loans. Needless to say, my day job was very uncreative. I decided to start crafting on the side, more as a creative outlet. In 1999, I made the decision to leave my career, raise my kids, and go back to school. It was then that I began to sculpt and paint seriously and I have never looked back! I started selling my pieces to some local shops, then on ebay, and eventually collectors began to show interest.

Q. Are there certain things that inspire you to create?

A. I think I take inspiration from so many things it is hard to nail any one thing down. Sometimes I have an exact vision of a piece, but more often I just go with what strikes me at the moment I am sculpting. I have been know to take a Dremel blade and hack off the head of something I am currently working on because I just had an amazing idea for something else. I can say that my 6 year old daughter is a source of inspiration. She will peek over my shoulder when I am sketching and offer up ideas. She has such a wonderful imagination!

Q. Do you have any tips for other artists who are just starting out?

A. YES! Do what you love!

Q. What is your favorite medium or favorite tool used in your art?

A. My favorite medium is clay, more specifically, Paperclay® (its my all time fav!). My favorite tool is hands down my Dremel. I simply love power tools and Home Depot!

Q. How did you come to be interested in Halloween art?

A. You know, I have always loved Halloween; more so than any other holiday, and The O'Donnell's always make a big deal out of it. We celebrate in different ways all month long and feel a little
let down when it is all over. As a matter-of-fact my children are already planning next year's costumes! As an artist, the possibilities, with Halloween as a subject matter, are truly endless and only limited by one's imagination. Again, do what you love!

Email Katie and visit her website at: http://www.punkindoodleboofolkart.com, her pages here on HalloweenArtists.com and her ebay auctions.