Meet Chicago, IL artist, Kat Liepins, posing here with her "Summer's End" skate deck with its retro-bright color palette and "approachable horror" motif. Find her online regularly and posting new YouTube videos monthly for her more than 11,000 viewers! Scroll down for more art...
Bold, bright, and beautifully executed, Kat Liepins’ wearable/usable art sizzles with impact. This savvy, social media artist has found a way to literally get her artwork “out there” not just on canvas, but on you! Her thriving online presence documents her artwork’s progress from start to finish including a retail site for her merchandise.
Kat’s fun and attractive personality easily draws in her video audience with lively presentations while demonstrating art projects. She gives smart suggestions that speed the process of transferring art to items like a skateboard deck inspiring viewers to duplicate the steps in their own studio.
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Growing up in Rockford, Illinois, Kat’s art talent extends back to early childhood. She recalls, “I was four-years old and using a black Sharpie when I created my first mural on the hallway walls of our home.”
Although her mother was probably not overly thrilled with that first project, she recognized that Kat had “art running in her blood” and encouraged her. Kat went on to receive her BFA from Bradley University in Peoria, IL. Later she worked as a graphic designer and even a part-time ballroom dance instructor before perfecting the enthusiastic entrepreneurial approach that has established her artistry today. On YouTube alone, Kat has more than 11,000 subscribers!
Her online video work is quite time-consuming. She posts a full-length video, 12-15 minutes in length each month, and does all the behind-the-scenes production work herself including lighting, camera, sound, music and editing.
“I love using an 80s-90s color palette because it reminds me of my childhood and makes me feel happy,” Kat explains. “However, I also like drawing darker subject matter like skulls that create a sweet/sour, hopeful/horror sense that is present in everyday life. I guess you can describe it as approachable horror -- a duality that has a carpe diem message to it.”
By using retro colors and playing music from that era in her studio, she readily gets in sync with her youthful self -- full of freedom and the joy of creative expression. She’s also not shy about hustling her art business, seeking sponsors, and working hard.
Kat accepts commissions for custom artwork with clients based around the U.S. and even internationally! She especially enjoys assignments like designing labels for craft beers, wine producers or other categories that can capitalize on her own special brand of visual pizzaz.
Learn more about Kat here:
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/katliepinsart
Website: https://www.katliepinsart.com/
