Kacie Gilgore is an artist, printmaker, and illustrator based in York, Pennsylvania. From her spare bedroom-turned-art-studio, Kacie creates works under the name Illukace, focusing on linocut printmaking, wood carving, pyrography, painting, and digital illustration. Her work is heavily influenced by American traditional and neo-traditional tattoo work with ultra-bold lines and highly-saturated colours. “I like to keep my work light and playful, while still expressing deeper meaning and emotions,” describes the artist.
A self-taught artist with no formal training in art or design, Kacie has, however, always had a passion for art and found ways to express herself creatively throughout her childhood and into adulthood. She states; “In my younger days, I barely graduated high school while going through a particularly dark place in my life and decided to pursue cosmetology as a place-holder while I figured out what my long-term career and life goals might be.” Eventually, she was able to land jobs as a makeup artist, but burnt out creatively very quickly from the pace and demand of the work. Kacie left the beauty industry and her creative aspirations behind in her mid-twenties in exchange for a chance to join the corporate world with a marketing position at a cannabis startup.
Through her work in marketing, she rediscovered her passion and need for a regular creative outlet; “As I experienced firsthand the weight and mental impact of the content we absorb on a daily basis, my philosophy for survival was born: Create more than you consume.”
Kacie first learnt about printmaking in high school art class, but didn’t revisit the practice until she lost her job in September of 2020. Needless to say, she fell in love with the process and began branching out into other mediums as well. She comments; “I learned everything I know by observing other artists and creators, researching different creative processes, and through tons of trial and error. Because I have found ways to sharpen my skills and work from resources like these, I take a firm stance against gatekeeping and believe there is enough room for all artists at the table. I share as much information on my tools, processes, knowledge, and experiences as I can to pay it forward.”
All of her projects begin digitally, using her iPad pro, apple pencil, and the Procreate app. “From sketch to final design, this digital-first process is ideal for me because I can develop ideas on the go and easily make edits or rework concepts without wasting supplies,” says Kacie. Once the design is completed digitally, she then adjusts it by tweaking colours, shapes, and shading techniques. Currently, she hand-presses all of her work with a wooden spoon or candle lid, and particularly enjoys printing on brightly coloured Lokta or Mulberry papers.
Looking to the future, Kacie hopes to combine more of her marketing know-how with her artistic endeavours, helping other artists and creators with their professional branding and marketing. She’s also looking forward to taking on larger creative projects for brands or organisations and taking a step outside her comfort zone as an artist; “…and to prove my imposter syndrome dead wrong… All along the way, I’ll always keep up with printmaking (my first love), because I still have so much left to learn!”
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