ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The view from Kimberly Sewell’s backyard stretches toward the Sandia Mountains, the rugged peaks standing as sentinels over her creative sanctuary. From this vantage point in northwest Albuquerque, Sewell’s hands rarely rest. Whether she is pressing ink into carved linoleum, spinning fibers into yarn, or binding sheets of handmade paper into books, her work is a testament to an artist in constant evolution.
“I do a little bit of everything,” she says, her voice carrying the enthusiasm of someone who has never stopped exploring. “I have ADHD, and part of what art does for me is provide that novelty, feeding the curiosity my brain craves.”
Sewell’s portfolio is a fusion of mediums—relief printmaking, fiber arts, and bookbinding among them. Each piece is more than just an object; it is a story, an experiment, a moment of tactile discovery.
She first encountered printmaking while pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing. A semester spent studying under a printmaker changed the course of her artistic life. “I fell in love with relief printmaking,” she recalls. “I had a little bit of instruction there, but a lot of what I know has been self-taught—watching other artists share their processes, experimenting, learning by doing.”
Her fiber arts journey began much the same way. She learned to spin yarn with a drop spindle, a deceptively simple wooden tool, and soon found herself immersed in the process of transforming raw wool into textured, colorful threads. “There’s something magical about taking fiber, spinning it, and seeing it turn into something entirely new,” she says. “It makes me feel connected to a long history of makers before me.”
Sewell’s artistic philosophy—rooted in hands-on creation and a love for process—was shaped early on. As a teenager, she worked at a children’s art museum, where a mentor instilled in her the belief that art is for everyone. “Our job was to invite people to have an opinion, to explore their creativity,” she says. “That idea has never left me.”
Today, that ethos informs her own teaching. She leads art workshops in various settings, spreading her infectious enthusiasm for printmaking and fiber arts. “Every time I teach a printmaking workshop, I know I’m going to convert at least one diehard printmaker,” she laughs. “And that’s the best part—creating community, finding people who share the excitement.”
Sewell’s work often reflects the world around her, particularly the creatures that share her home. Her latest series, a humorous yet poignant take on the seven deadly sins, pairs each sin with one of her eight cats. “At least seven of them commit crimes in this house at any given time,” she jokes. “I couldn’t leave the eighth one out, so he became innocence.”
Though her work is deeply personal, it is also meant to be shared. Her relief prints, needle-felted wool paintings, and hand-bound books have found homes in galleries like 123 Art in Gallup, New Mexico, and now, through the LocalGood marketplace, they are reaching an even wider audience.
For Sewell, the ultimate reward is in the making. “More people need to make things,” she says. “There’s nothing that beats the feeling of saying, ‘I made that with my hands.’”
In a digital age where so much is mass-produced, Sewell’s work is a reminder of the beauty of imperfection, the value of craftsmanship, and the enduring power of human creativity.