Artist Kristen Loffer Theiss Gets Creative with her Work/Life Balance
How one Mount Vernon mom gets creative
By Seattle Mag May 9, 2013
This article originally appeared in the July 2013 issue of Seattle magazine.
The act of parenting doesn’t allow parents an abundance of time for artistic endeavors. How could it, when you’ve got the life of (at least) one other human to organize in addition to your own? Yet Mount Vernon mom and artist Kristin Loffer Theiss has uncovered a trick to the work/life balance we may all be able to learn from: Draw your children into your creative pursuits so you can actually spend time doing them. Loffer Theiss has a line of plush mobiles, pillows, letterpress prints and clothing based on illustrations she creates freehand on a sewing machine. Along with her artist husband, Chris (view his ceramic sculpture at the new Bainbridge Island Museum of Art through September), Loffer Theiss has instilled a deep love of creativity in their 5-year-old son, Sayer. The budding artist can often be found drawing (he loves making his own maps) and exploring Mount Vernon, amusing proof of which you can follow on Instagram (@kltworks). “Sayer has learned that if he wants or needs something, like a bridge for his car, we can make one rather than go buy one,” Loffer Theiss explains. “He has his own small area to work in in almost every room, including my studio, and it’s not unusual to find all of us drawing, painting or working on a creative project together.” KLTworks products—which range from $12 for a print to $86 for a one-of-a-kind plush doll to $180 for a mobile—can be found online at kltworks.com and at Click! Design That Fits (West Seattle, 4540 California Ave. SW; 206.328.9252)
Follow Us
Holiday Hunt in Pioneer Square
A daily ornament drop turns December into a neighborhood-wide scavenger hunt.
The holidays tend to bring out the kid in all of us. And if opening presents and eating too many treats weren’t enough, there’s also a scavenger hunt in Seattle’s oldest neighborhood. Pioneer Square’s Holiday Ornament Scavenger Hunt has returned for its third year. Twenty-five handblown glass ornaments—all made at Glasshouse Studio—are hidden across 25…
Chit-Chat Kids
Phone a friend.
Twenty years ago, before everyone walked around with a device in their pocket, kids used to call each other on a landline—often tethered to the kitchen in their home. It was a simpler time, when parents didn’t have to worry (nearly as much) about a potential predator contacting their child. Nowadays, things are different, which…
A Plate for Pickleball
The design celebrates the state’s official sport. Additional plates are on the way.
Washington served up a new license plate last week, honoring the state sport of pickleball. In the works for three years, it’s the second of seven specialty plates to hit the market since getting approved by lawmakers earlier this year. “We’re thrilled to see our efforts become reality,” says Kate Van Gent, vice president of…
Seattle-Based Agency Brings Real Voices to NBC’s New Campaign
DNA&STONE built the project around candid conversations to understand what audiences want from reporting.
“I turned off news altogether. I want to be able to form my own opinions. Just tell the truth.” These lines open NBC News’ new national campaign, a 60-second ad that drifts over forests, farms, neighborhoods, and cityscapes while Americans talk about how worn out they feel by the news. The landscape carries the conversation…