Meet Yvette Kinyon | Artist & Model

We had the good fortune of connecting with Yvette Kinyon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Yvette, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I’m from a small town in California called Clearlake. It’s considered Central California, but I always say Napa area, it’s close.

My upbringing is still impacting me today. I had a rough childhood, in and out of foster homes, group homes, the hospital, my mom was in rehab a lot before she died when I was still a kid. It was a radicalizing experience to say the least and I feel like I’m still figuring out my own background. I worked in dental for most of my adult life as a financial coordinator/insurance lady and became incredibly burnt out. I worked for restaurants and hotels and my life evolved around the daily “grind.” I hardly saw my daughter and hadn’t connected to art in so long I eventually just could not do it anymore and went back to school. I would say that impacted me today in more positive ways than negative. I know dedicate all my time to making art, gardening and my daughter.

I would definitely say I’m lucky in the sense that I can now make my background story how I want it to be since leaving my 9-5.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art is mostly nature based and usually temporary. It tends to move and change with the elements. Like seaweed mobiles and strange stick structures made with found items. I’ve been working with clay since I was a small child digging it from the lakebed in my hometown and throwing on the wheel for the first time at the age of 5.

I feel proud and unique to say that I can make art out of anything. I like to work in metaphors, using whatever material the idea might call for. I am currently most proud of my vast botanical preservation collection consisting of over one hundred different pressed flowers and a body of work called “Sitting with grief.” Sitting with Grief is an exploration of public and large scale grieving. It consists of eight solid glass tear drops about four inches tall each resting on their own little pillows filled with sand. These pillows are made with repurposed pillowcases each representing the millions who died of COVID. They also have personal meaning for me as well representing people who have died I care about like my mom and cousin. These tear drops all sit on the floor with a pillow for yourself and a large mirror to put your grief on display. The viewer is encouraged to interact with the exhibit. It took me six weeks to create this work and includes “the lost wax process.” I’m excited to have a potential gallery showing of it in the fall.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Some of the most cherished things about Oregon and Portland is the nature-city mix. Portland is also so excellent for vegan eats!

A fulfilling week for my guests and I would have to consist of equal parts nature and city first starting the week in Portland with a trip to my favorite breakfast spot GiGi’s Cafe, then off to the Japanese garden, international rose test garden and the Pittock mansion. For the evening? drinks in the pearl district at fireside and dinner with dessert at PaPa Hayden’s. The next morning we would head out early after the farmers market to see the several waterfalls around Multnomah falls and dinner in Hood river at Solstice Brewery. For the rest of the week we would spend time on Sauvie’s island picking berries, flowers and saying hi to the farm animals. Ending with biking over the Tillicum crossing with a trip to OMSI and the Portland art museum.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There have been so many mentors along the way and so much love and support, but truly I wouldn’t be whole without my daughter, Maggie. She continuously stirs wonder inside me and encourages me to always be playful and childlike.

Website: YvetteKinyon.com

Instagram: Yvette.jpg

Other: Small business: @nebraskahousepress and nebraskahousepress.com

Image Credits
Photo of myself with flower: Ashlyn Hubenak