About Kindra Swafford
Kindra Swafford was born in Salina, Oklahoma in 1991 to a family where her grandfather and father were both artistically inclined. She learned to draw on her grandfather’s knee but didn’t pursue this passion until she began college at Northeastern State University in Oklahoma where she earned her BA in Art. Now, Swafford pursues art as a lifelong passion, from doodling as a child to finding early guidance from supportive teachers in Salina, Oklahoma. Swafford is an active member of Arts Council of Tahlequah, Inkslingers of Tulsa, and Southeastern Indian Artists Association (SEIAA). She hopes to continue refining her approach, to explore new subject matter and styles, and to share her art with an ever-expanding community of artists, indigenous artists, and art enthusiasts. She served as Secretary of SEIAA from July 2018 to September 2019 and currently serves as Vice President.
My work is comprised of collection of watercolor portraits that look at life from a range of perspectives. My newest approach to the medium, "Glitch", represents my subjects as overexposed, a single image divided through a prism. The pieces encompass perceptions of my subjects refracted through a lifetime of influences. I find fragments of color uniquely placed in the subject, enhance the image digitally to show the exaggerated tones, and then saturate the hue when applying my watercolor to paper. I use the watercolor to express moods and emotions, capturing my model’s unique individuality. My subjects have inspired me to look through many different lenses, a kaleidoscope of experiences, and I hope they inspire you.
About the art
Kindra Swafford was born in Salina, Oklahoma in 1991 to a family where her grandfather and father were both artistically inclined. She learned to draw on her grandfather’s knee but didn’t pursue this passion until she began college at Northeastern State University in Oklahoma where she earned her BA in Art. Now, Swafford pursues art as a lifelong passion, from doodling as a child to finding early guidance from supportive teachers in Salina, Oklahoma. Swafford is an active member of Arts Council of Tahlequah, Inkslingers of Tulsa, and Southeastern Indian Artists Association (SEIAA). She hopes to continue refining her approach, to explore new subject matter and styles, and to share her art with an ever-expanding community of artists, indigenous artists, and art enthusiasts. She served as Secretary of SEIAA from July 2018 to September 2019 and currently serves as Vice President.
My work is comprised of collection of watercolor portraits that look at life from a range of perspectives. My newest approach to the medium, "Glitch", represents my subjects as overexposed, a single image divided through a prism. The pieces encompass perceptions of my subjects refracted through a lifetime of influences. I find fragments of color uniquely placed in the subject, enhance the image digitally to show the exaggerated tones, and then saturate the hue when applying my watercolor to paper. I use the watercolor to express moods and emotions, capturing my model’s unique individuality. My subjects have inspired me to look through many different lenses, a kaleidoscope of experiences, and I hope they inspire you.