ABOUT THE ARTIST

Hi there! My name is Kara, and I am the artist behind Black Feather Arts & Crafts. I am based in rural, northern Illinois, where I am building an in-home workspace and studio on a beautiful piece of wooded farmland. This is a big dream of mine that has been set in motion far earlier than I ever could have expected! 

I grew up in an old farmhouse only a few miles down the road. With nothing much else to do at age 9 or 10, I started to draw. My entire catalog of work for the next 3-5 years were Disney characters, and my medium was colored pencils. As I got older and sports and school took over, art faded into the background, and I really didn’t pick it up again until I was in my late 20’s. I then made the switch from pencils to paints but played around with my same old style.

After a couple of years, what I enjoyed painting started to change. At that time, I had been away from the countryside living in Chicago for nearly a decade, and traveling around the world as much as I could afford. A total transformation of lifestyle, culture, influence, and experience started showing up in my art and has stayed with me to this day. As sudden and as strong as the call was to leave my small town behind, was the pull to go back home.

Slowing my lifestyle down not only made me feel more artsy, but crafts-y too, so I learned how to crochet. Now, I have as much yarn as I do paint and pencils, and my desire to learn more types of crafts keeps growing. I love to create and what I may love even more, is teaching people how to have and enjoy creative experiences for themselves. I paint murals and signs, offer classes, parties, and special events for people of all ages - as well as, of course, selling my own creations for others to enjoy. 

Thank you so much for reading and thank you for looking around!