Fabled Forms: Kristin Beyers’ Dragon Installation in Rockford

Artist Kristin Beyers joins us to share the story behind her enchanting dragon installation at the Rockford Public Library — a blend of fantasy, sculpture, and community magic that brings mythical creatures to life among the bookshelves.

Come and visit the dragons in the Youth Services area at the Main Library, 118 N. Main St.

Follow Kristin on Instagram @trallacreative and on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/trallacreative

Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:00

Every year, um, I mean, this is a company that they've hired me on for like the past 10 years to paint different murals and whatnot. And um it resulted in, I just wanted to surprise them and be like, hey, look what I can do. Cause they they know I can paint. And that was like the joke. They always call me the painter and da-da-da-da. And so then I'm like, oh well, let's show you what else I can do. And I brought in the these two dragons that I had made them for their specific event, the medieval masquerade. And they were like, What in the world? Where did you come up with this idea? And I was like, I don't know, it just kind of happened.

SPEAKER_00 0:44

Today we're thrilled to feature local artist Kristen Byers, whose magical dragon installation now lives in the kids area of the RPL's main library. Kristen's work has brought color, imagination, and a sense of wonder to the space, reminding us that libraries aren't just about places for reading, but places where stories come alive. In this episode, we'll talk to Kristen about her creative journey, what inspired the dragons, and how public art can transform shared spaces. So let's dive in. So welcome, Kristen. Thank you for having me. I'm very excited to be here. So can you tell us about your background and about what got you started as an artist?

SPEAKER_04 1:30

Um got a little later start in my art career. Um, I started in late high school, I would say. Um, and then I decided that that was something I was very interested in doing. So then I decided to go into an art and science backing in at a community college. And then from there I went on to university and got a degree in visual communication. Um, and that was for graphic design, but I had a lot of history with a lot of other different mediums. I took drawing, painting, sculpture classes. Um, I really enjoyed learning a lot, and I wanted to learn all of the different mediums rather than just the graphic design. So I decided to continue to learn and teach myself as many different things as I could possibly could and made sure to just continue down and keep learning.

SPEAKER_00 2:22

So, how would you describe your style and how has it evolved over time?

SPEAKER_04 2:28

It's always drawn from a place of, I guess, mystical wonder is what I like to label it as. Um, I love nature. I love being outside. I love finding those unique magical places. Um, Lake Superior was always a place that I went as a young kid. And even now as an adult, it's always my grand ocean, is what I always say. It's yes, it's fresh water, but it's the most massive body of water that I love going to because it just makes you feel so small. And you got to feel that all the time sometimes. Um, but it it definitely that has inspired me always. Like a lot of my artwork now. Um, we go and find different crystals and geodes and nature, and I like to make things out of those. Um, and then I try to incorporate that like across the board and all different things. So even pulling flowers or you know, different patterns, textures, all of those different things I like to use from nature and then incorporate throughout the artwork. So definitely that has its number one hold on my mind and my heart always is nature. There's so much inspiration out there, and it's it never gets old. Yeah, for sure. So did you grow up here in Rockford or where did you grow up? I grew up in a lot of uh different. So my first 10 years of my life, I live in a Moringo, and Rockford was always our destination spot that we came to. Um so it's always been our the biggest city that we could go to, you know, besides Chicago. Um and then I so Moringo was my first 10 years of my life, and then Dixon was like the next 10 years. So again, Rockford was like the destination spot. It wasn't that far. Um, and so it I didn't necessarily grow up here, but Rockford was always that striving spot to go to and be and immerse yourself into whether it was the mall or nature place or anything, you know. You always wanted to come to Rockford because you always had it all.

SPEAKER_00 4:21

So that's awesome.

SPEAKER_04 4:22

So just recently I moved to this area just a couple of years ago, but it's definitely now I'm learning so much more about the city and and seeing all of its magic that it has to offer. And it's really great. Yeah, it's got such quite the art scene. Absolutely, which is that that is I mean, I feel like such a newbie to that scene specifically. Like it's so neat to see the art scene. I mean, that's been what since 87, uh, 1987. So it's like that's fascinating to know it's been going on for such a long time and have and now just seeing all the artists that are coming up from everything and and how they're being showcased. It's really great to have this art city, and I call it the sprawling forest city too, because of all the forest preserves and arboretums and everything. It's really I it's really amazing.

SPEAKER_00 5:09

Yeah, I would say like that's the first thing I noticed as a person who loves and enjoys art, and I love to go to museums all the time. And so like the when I first moved here, I was like, oh, people here really appreciate art, and I I've seen all the monuments, the installations, and so it's really cool that your art is here in the library, and the it's three dragons um in the kids' area. So, how did that come about? Like, how did um you get to be in the library and what inspired the dragons?

SPEAKER_04 5:49

I I'm I keep trying to piece it together how it exactly happened. It was one of those things of um my uncle Wes was very sweet one day and came over just to visit us at my house, and he asked me what art projects I had been working on. And this was last summer, and I just so happened to complete a project that it was, you know, kind of from my brain. I was like, oh, I had just made these dragons for a company that they were doing a medieval masquerade, was the whole theme. And it resulted in they thought I was gonna paint a dragon for this specific idea. And I and I'm like, I have a different idea, but I'm not gonna tell you what it is until I bring it in. And so every year, um, I mean, this is a company that they've hired me on for like the past 10 years to paint different murals and whatnot. And um it resulted in, I just wanted to surprise them and be like, hey, look what I can do. Because they they know I can paint, and that was like the joke. They always call me the painter and da-da-da-da. And so then I'm like, oh well, let's show you what else I can do. And I brought in the these two dragons that I had made them for their specific event, the medieval masquerade. And they were like, What in the world? Where did you come up with this idea? And I was like, I don't know, it just kind of happened. And then I'd showed my uncle those pictures, and he was like, Oh my goodness. And then just I, you know, not I don't even say chance. I feel like it's definitely this, I don't understand what's happening, but I'm just going with it type thing.

SPEAKER_00 7:19

Serendipitous. Exactly.

SPEAKER_04 7:22

I just, I just put my hands up and say, All right, I'm not steering anymore. But um, but my uncle showed it to Lynn, who was the executive director, and he was also he was talking to her about paint um donating a painting. So he that was part of that. And then she was like, interesting. And then that's how it the first step happened, I guess. And then she's like, Yeah, I want to meet with her. And then I came in thinking I was gonna be talking about painting like something and like the nooks and crannies of the children's area, because that's what was my first idea was. And she was like, But I saw a picture of these dragons that you had made, and she's like, I just can't get it out of my head. And I was like, you know what? I could see that in that space, and then that's how the conversation started, and then it was well, what can you do? And and so then I kind of came up with this plan of I could cut, I can make three of them, and then we came up with different dimensions of how big they were gonna be. And I again magic happened, and then that big one grew four feet somehow. I don't know what so that one decided to get a little bit bigger, but that's okay. How big is the largest one? The largest one is 19 feet long, so he's and I was going to make him 15, but he decided to grow. So I went with it and said, Okay, if you want to be that big, you're gonna be that big. So um, and then the other two are about six feet and four feet. So those are the total dimensions of them all. But um, so that's how it kind of the conversation started was that, and then it grew into well, let's really see what I can do with this and and how I can make it grow and become something different than the other ones, but similar enough to where it's they're gonna be dragons, you know. Yeah. Um, so that was how the whole thing had started, and it just grew from there. And it was exciting to I had done research to see all the different types of dragons, um, because uh too much research was done, as what I will admit to. My the fantasy side of my brain was like, this is great, and I dove into all of the different details of what I could create. But with the river, the rock river being right by the library, I decided to go in the direction of the water dragons or air-type dragons, which they have a very specific look to them. And so then I'm like, that makes sense. At least that's what I convinced myself of. Um, and then that's it. They grew from there and okay.

SPEAKER_00 9:45

So the so they're water dragons. I I thought it was interesting that you said it has it's like it has a mind of its own. Like, can you share like how that like like each dragon did they just you kind of thought thought it through, and then as you're going, it just the creativity just outflows, and then something different.

SPEAKER_04 10:12

That's exactly yes, you're explaining it exactly. Well uh you have this idea. I had sketches, I had you know, preliminary mock-ups of my little baby dragons that were just the idea, just to kind of, okay, this is what, yeah, this will work. And then from there, as I'm making them, sometimes they would change, or the um I use like an air foam clay for the final layer that that the scales were built out of. And sometimes that would dry differently, or you know, you put it on one way, but then it would shift and morph and gravity would take its hold and do something different. So I would have a plan, but sometimes it would go the opposite way. And either you can be like, oh, it's ruined, or you're like, I'm gonna work with it, and this is what it is, and it decided to change it how it was gonna look. And so you either adapt or you crumble. And I decided to let the medium be its medium and not get angry that it was going to change how it was gonna look and just work with it and see what I can do with it. And it it just decides to do something different sometimes. Like I um specifically, I feel like the the the daddy is what I'll oceanus is is the name that he has been given. But um he he while I was making him like a lot of things shifted because he was so long and gravity just wanted to bend him in half. And so a lot of the clay as I was working with it, like it just shifted differently, which it worked. It totally works. It looks more like they're moving than it looks like they're actually more animated rather than stagnant. So I liked how it looked rather than the original way that I had set it up. And I'm like, all right, yeah, it's just gonna do that and I'm gonna work with it. So what are the dragons made of? The inside layer is a lot of recycled materials. Um, I used a lot of branches that on windy days were my favorite days because I could go out and harvest all of the branches that I needed to kind of build up the rib cage or build up the spinal area of the dragons. Um, the big, the Big Daddy is made up of a lot of recycled flower sacs from crust and crumples. So thank you, crust and crumbles. Um, but that built up the body to create more of like an abdomen and um like a I guess like a structural that could build off of. And then from that, um I mean the baby one has like a broken wooden spoon, and I I had kept it. I have to admit, I have my hoarding days of I could use this for something, and I set it off to the side, and I don't know what I want to use it for, but it'll show its face eventually. And I definitely had that with a lot of the pieces that I used with infrastructural. It was meant to be. It was just meant to be. Like we had a broken Peppa Pig skateboard that ended up in one of them, and a broken spoon, and like a inner tube that we had ruptured over the winter with sledding that ended up in the mama. And so I just used everything that was on hand that it could help build up the whole body of them. Um, and just made sure I recycled a lot of different materials rather than going out and buying things that, yeah, I knew it would work, but I wanted to try to use the things that were around us rather than trying to buy all of the my team the materials that would work perfect for it.

SPEAKER_00 13:34

So tell tell me more why choose to recycle materials versus buying all the materials at the end of the day.

SPEAKER_04 13:42

We all know that we got a problem. So why not come up with a solution? So um I really enjoy uh trying to come up with solutions of using things that would just be normally tossed out. It that's not worth it anymore to just throw things away because we're very aware they don't they don't go away. Yes, they're out of our visual sight, but that's not depending on the material, they're not necessarily decomposing. So why not figure out another use for it? And I get it. It could be looked at as hoarding, it could be looked at as a lot of other different terms that now have been applied to if your space isn't perfectly organized and kept with everything in its nook. But it's it's essential that we try to come up with different uses for things like I am notorious and my mother would vouch for this, but there's broken lamps now that have solar light sticking out of them out in our garden. Because why not? It just gives the light a little bit of a height. It's broken, yeah, but why not try to come up with another solution instead of throwing it away? So I know it's psychotic at times because of my piles that I have sitting around, but at the same time, it's really essential that we do we do our part, each of us. There's you know, there's not anything that everyone can do something for this. So why not come up with a solution for it rather than making more of a problem?

SPEAKER_01 15:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 15:04

So that's it was a and um my husband was a very cru critical part of this because he accepted a job in which he's dealing with waste right now. Um and it's on another island, so they have to be so uh aware of what exactly is being thrown away or what ex what can that be used for? Can it be used in a different area? And he is sorting through all of this stuff right now and figuring out a solution. So I was like, you know, and we uh this is something that we've been doing for since we've been together, so it's been a while. And so I'm like, why not? Why not just m continue down this path of coming up with a solution rather than making more of a problem?

SPEAKER_00 15:45

So that yeah, and I just think when you put limits, it's like it pushes your creativity together. Absolutely, yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 15:53

And when you're like, nope, you're not allowed to go out and buy the things that you need, you need to figure out what you can use that's right in front of you. And that's where the branches came in. That's I had like old chicken wire sitting around. I'm like, oh, that'll be great for the rib cage and it's lightweight. And um, so it just it was all of those different things and just making sure, like I helped my sister with uh renovation and like they had this big metal pole. I'm like, oh, I gotta take this. And she's like, Yeah, go right ahead. And I'm like, thank you. So thankfully, my family is nothing but supportive, supportive and very aware of my um creativity, is how I'll phrase it. For sure. They are nothing but sweet and supportive and making sure that I have all of my materials.

SPEAKER_00 16:40

So, with that, with having to kind of like grab different materials, how long was the process in making the dragons?

SPEAKER_04 16:49

In total, it was six months from start to finish. So coming up with the idea, kind of sketching it out in my head, that was like I gave myself the first month to do that, just to get all of the ideas that I had out, whether it was on paper or just like writing it down and drawing it or anything, any way that I could get the idea out just to kind of filter through. Cause, you know, your first idea isn't always the best idea. And so you gotta get them all out there. So uh I made sure to do all of that. And then um, from there I started with the baby one first and then and the Maba kind of kind of at the same time, and then worked on them, building them up, figuring out the problems so that way the biggest daddy could be uh tackled with no issues, hopefully. And thankfully that helped kind of build up my confidence and to where then I'm like, all right, we're gonna get this big one and and not be intimidated by this grand scale of him.

SPEAKER_00 17:45

So, what are their names? So I remember hearing you share their names before. So, and can you share where they came from? Absolutely.

SPEAKER_04 17:54

Um, so with them being water type dragons, I kind of stuck with that. And I I'm really into mythology and just it's so fascinating, all of the different stories. That's definitely a part of all of it. So um I went with Oceanus is the biggest one, the 19 footer. Um, and then Tethys is the mama, and then um, oh my gosh, Scamander is the is the baby. And Oceanus and Tethys, those were water titans. So they controlled the oceans and river. Tethys was like ocean's river, like a lot of fresh water systems. And then um Oceanus is like the Poseidon, the titan of, you know, he's he is the titan of the ocean and like bigger than Poseidon, you know, type thing. And then Scamander was a child of those two. So I thought it was perfect to kind of build off of that. And I'm like, oh, it's just it's too perfect. And it they kind of look like salamanders, and I'm like, oh, it's it's perfect, the name. Um, so I went along with that because I just thought it was fascinating when I was reading up on it, and I'm like, yep, okay, these are the perfect names for them.

SPEAKER_00 19:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 19:01

And they all have their little teeth, and um, yeah, it just it seemed right.

SPEAKER_00 19:05

Yeah, it's cool to see them hanging like the way that they are, like with their wings like out and um just kind of floating. Uh I'm thankful for the maintenance guys.

SPEAKER_04 19:17

Oh my goodness, me too. The thought of, or me thinking I had to figure out a solution on my own, I was terrified. And I'm like, oh my goodness, yeah. But then I was told, no, we have a wonderful crew. And I'm like, thank goodness.

SPEAKER_00 19:34

So what do you what do you hope people feel or take away when they experience the work in the installation in the library?

SPEAKER_04 19:44

I hope that when people come into the space, they are inspired, first of all. Um it's definitely a visual excitement with the ocean, the big 19 footer right when you walk in. Um, it's definitely something to be excited about, I guess, with his just sheer scale. Um, and then I hope that people not even I I I wanted to say this before, but I'm like, not just families, but like I get family doesn't necessarily have to be your blood, like it can be anyone. And families can be met at the library, like you can meet other families and become part of their family. And that's exactly it's like, yeah, all the dragons kind of look similar, but they could be their own individual, but they could be a family, you know. You kind of you make your own story for it, and it results in this realization of there's family everywhere, and it's when you are able to connect with people and connect on especially like a creative level, then you realize, wow, I can really connect with so many different people. And it's not just my own family that's my family. I have family everywhere. Um, that was a pleasant reminder from my husband because he's up in with um, I'm sorry, not Wisconsin, Michigan. And so we are seven hours apart, and we are loving life right now and also and missing each other. And it's this moment of he is on an island with people he doesn't know, but he has created this sense of family with strangers, and it's really admirable. And it made me get inspired of like, that's exactly what I want people to feel is like the sense of family, even if they're not necessarily around their family. And it it's so silly because you're like, oh, you just made some dragons and you're like, it's a family. But it's really, it's really important to have those people in your lives that aren't your family, that are still your family, your friends, right, friend family that you look to and are supported by and you know, hugged and loved and wiped your tears away. And you know, they really are there for you no matter what. So that I it sounds so silly because you're like, oh, you just want to walk into the space and see these magical dragons, and it's supposed to make you feel all these things, but it really it it just really brings people to. Together, like just thinking about when the maintenance men came and helped pick up these dragons. I was so grateful because I didn't know how I was going to get this 19-foot dragon into the library. And just the conversation that started the moment that they showed up. And here, you know, a bunch of grown adults standing around talking about what the names of the dragons are. And it just created this fun childlike wonder for something that I didn't expect adults to feel this childlike wonder from. And it was really great. Like, you know, you don't, you don't know what you're gonna feel after you create this thing and you've been working on it for so long. It's this weird sense of like, I still look for them and like go to touch them up. And I'm like, nope, they're gone out of the house. Like they're not here. So it it just was really, it was really fascinating just to see what conversation started with other adults and just to see what it brought us together in a different way that I wasn't expecting. And so I was like, all right, this is exactly what I was hoping for, but I didn't realize it. But now I'm realizing it.

SPEAKER_00 23:02

That's really cool. I just think about the era that we're in where people do not usually stay where they were born. There's it's this constant mobility. You're it's um it's hard to think about anybody really staying in the same place for more than five years. Absolutely. Especially in your 20s, it's like you're constantly moving. And until you have like maybe a family of your own, it's it's kind of the thing that kind of makes you think about like staying where you are.

SPEAKER_04 23:38

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 23:39

So yeah, so I so I think that's awesome that your process or the thought you have is that we're we have family. Framily. Because I think that's so important. Like the like community and our connection with people, it's the thing that is not computerized.

SPEAKER_04 24:03

Absolutely. It's the real thing. Like you're getting the real hug and the real conversation and the real reaction rather than typing it and not really knowing what the backup feeling is because you're just reading somebody's words rather than hearing them or seeing their facial expression. Because it's so lost someday. Someday some days it feels like it's lost because you're just communicating through technology, and then you have those moments of seeing the person's face, and you're like, I'm seeing your real reaction, and I understand what you're really feeling. So, yes, it's definitely a learning, all it's all learning. We're all learning, right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:46

I was just thinking, like, because we're basically in an artist community, are you do you have lots of friends who are artists? Is there like this um synergy that you have with other artists, like just even talking or just hearing about the work they're doing?

SPEAKER_04 25:05

That's a really I'm newer to this area, and I have to admit, with me working on the dragons, I became a little bit of a creative hermit. And I just I I didn't want to ruin the surprise by me being excitedly talking about it with people. So I made sure to just kind of hunker down and work through winter and work on these dragons secretly without openly communicating about them. But I do love, like, I like to go out and do markets. And when you come across people at markets and you're communicating and talking with them, different artists specifically, like I do love hearing about their process, what they do, what how they do it. Um, you know, I'll talk their ear off, and it's not necessarily the best place to do that at a market when you're trying to sell your stuff or they're trying to sell their stuff. But it's it, I always love hearing the process, hearing, you know, what they used. That's always different materials can be used in so many different ways. And I always love talking people's ear off about that or listening to them talk about it as well, not just talk me talking.

SPEAKER_00 26:10

So, what's been one of the biggest challenges or as an artist? What's been one of the biggest challenges as an artist?

SPEAKER_04 26:20

My own head.

unknown 26:21

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 26:22

Getting in my own head or the self-criticism. Um, I guess you are taught if you go to college, like you have to critique yourself, you have to critique others, and you have to you always you're always looking for the positives and the negatives. You know, you kind of want to do that, you don't want to just cut them down all the way, but you make sure to do that positive reinforcement type thing. But um sometimes that can carry over when you're by yourself and you're not necessarily getting feedback from others. It it's your it's your best and worst enemy. It makes you look at it from a different angle, but sometimes it keeps you stagnant and doesn't allow you to have momentum or move forward from it. And just like you're just sitting there cutting it down rather than building it up and looking at the positives, you know. So that's definitely one thing that I'm teaching myself over and over is stop being your own worst critic. Yes, sometimes it helps you to be better, but other times it makes you just stand still.

SPEAKER_00 27:23

How are you able to move out of that headspace?

SPEAKER_04 27:27

Music. Or not just music, but also um getting stepping away. Like whether I just say, okay, today is not my day that I work on this right now because something's going on in my head that I'm not able to get over, and I just need to step away. And I try to go and do something active or go out and sub like rock cut is our number one submersive zone, and we go into there and we walk around, make sure to clear our heads and just okay, get it out and go back to it at a different time. But and music is the number one thing. Like that definitely helps me to get in the zone or get out of my head and just okay, stop listening to the voice in there and instead listen to the music and the voices that are speaking a good thing to you.

SPEAKER_00 28:12

So, what's what kind of music are you listening to? That kind of you're like, I need to go to this right now to get out of this space.

SPEAKER_04 28:20

Oh man, uh it depends on the day, is always my answer because I have a lot of different artists that I enjoy. And sometimes it's in a different language because I don't even need to hear English sometimes. I just like listening to all different world music, is where I'm sometimes it's just the beat that you have to hear, and it just gets you in this trans-like state of like, all right, you're just you're hearing that beat and you're moving and you're doing something different rather than criticizing yourself.

SPEAKER_00 28:48

So I've actually heard that that there are certain sounds or beats that can help you either concentrate and focus or just kind of like move you along. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_04 28:59

It's kind of it's like uh I I'm don't want to but uh but uh yeah, I will not, I I won't go down that route of me trying to sing or anything like that. But it's it's so beneficial. But that is my number one beneficial thing that I've noticed is like just put on some music and we have like a little record player we'll put on, and my kids love it and they like to listen to it all.

SPEAKER_00 29:21

So are there any projects you're currently working on that you're excited about?

SPEAKER_04 29:26

I always have way too many projects, but that's not a bad thing. I like to always keep myself busy. But um, I with my business partner, we design our own jewelry line. So in uh Chicago, my sister-in-law owns her own um, it's a bridal hair and makeup place, and she has like her own retail spot. So we're selling our jewelry in there. So we're creating a new line to go in there. Um, and that's Rare Burb Beauties and Evermore Extensions. It's all one and they're right next door to each other. Um, and then Skydive Chicago is another one in which I do a big mural and whatnot, and that will be happening. Um, and they have a big world record jump in August. So I always like to mention them because they're a great place to go. It's out in Ottawa.

SPEAKER_00 30:11

Oh, cool. Well, we're coming to an end. What haven't we talked about that you'd that you've been wanting to share?

SPEAKER_04 30:23

Good question. Um talked about the dragons and all of the what they uh definitely. I mean, the Rockford Public Library is is a magical place. I'm blown away by the space and just the natural light that comes into the children's area. I could spend all day here. I know, I love that light. Find a new nook or new little anything, you know, and um that definitely is it's a magical space. This this is a really great space you guys have created, and it I'm so honored to be a part of it and to be in here and have the dragons here.

SPEAKER_00 30:59

Um is there um how can people find you or your work? And I think you mentioned the parachutes.

SPEAKER_04 31:12

Yes, um yeah, so uh down at um Sky Dep Chicago, they'll be doing the world record jump and whatnot. And that's um there'll be a few things out there for viewing, I guess that we do with like a big painted sign. Um and then my business name is Trolla Creative. And so we are on Facebook and Instagram. Um, and those are our two areas that we are doing. And then um that is how you can find me is by that business name.

SPEAKER_00 31:44

Great. It's so good to have you. Thank you so much, Kristen, for joining us and sharing your journey with our listeners. It's voices like yours that remind us how much creativity and connection lives right here in our community. And to everyone tuning in, thank you for spending your time with us. The podcast celebrates how the library is more than just shelves and silence. It's a space for art, learning, storytelling, and community. If you want to connect more, visit us at the Rockfordpubliclibrary.org to explore events, workshops, and resources designed for you. Until next time, keep creating, keep connecting, and remember, your library is so much more than books. Thank you, Laura. I really appreciate your time today. Thank you, Kristen.