Meet Kara Bazley | Freelance illustrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kara Bazley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kara, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I grew up surrounded by a lot of good literary and artistic influence, specifically through children’s books, My mom was a preschool teacher, who then homeschooled my four siblings and me. She was very intentional in helping us pursue our passions.

From a very young age, I’ve had the drive to create. I colored with crayons, wrote stories and poems, played around with pottery, jewelry making, yarn crafts, sewed, and baked. But in the end I always came back to drawing, filling up sketchbook after sketchbook, and trying out different mediums and subject matter. By the time I was 11, I knew I wanted to make art into my career and do it for the rest of my life. I chose to pursue the path of illustration, and started freelancing in high school. The summer after I graduated, I published my first illustrated children’s book. Since then, I’ve enrolled in art school, continued posting my artwork online, taken commissions, and published a second book.

An art career is a slow build for sure. and in terms of fame or money, I still haven’t had my “big break”, if you will. But I’ve seen that if one stays ambitious and does it right, the stereotype of the “starving artist” can absolutely be proven wrong. I’ve always known I wanted live a life doing what I love.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I would say that a unique aspect of my art is the influence I draw from classic cinema and literature, as well as anything vintage or historical. I love portraying quaint characters and slice-of-life scenes, especially when set in the past.

The publishing of two books I’ve illustrated so far is something I’m quite proud of. One day I want to write my own stories and create books that are fully my own. As well as tell stories visually through stand-alone illustrative pieces.

Professionally, I’ve had a slow and pretty smooth rise so far. Several opportunities are being brought through social media, specifically Instagram. I have yet to experience a sense of failure or rejection on a large scale, because most of the projects I’ve had the privilege to work on have come from personal friends and smaller connections found through networking online (as opposed to having pitched my work to big companies)

The hardest challenge I’ve had to overcome has been in my personal life, with the loss of my Mom to cancer. Through that, it’s been hard to stay consistent with my art or sometimes even find the motivation to create. But art has always been something I can come back to, to find comfort in and give me a sense of purpose. I’ve learned so many lessons along the way. Mostly, that there will be hard storms to weather; life is never going to be easy… but it can be beautiful and full of redemption. God is good, and I owe all my praise to him.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’ve lived in Nacogdoches, Texas for most of my life, so I know all the coolest spots. If I wanted to show my friend a good time, I’d take them to the best place to eat, which is a hidden gem called “The Cottage Wine Bar And Bistro”. We’d get coffee and chat at either “University Coffee’ or “Java Jack’s”. There’s a lot of antique shopping in the downtown area, an art gallery, and the famous “Fredonia Hotel”, which is decorated in Mid-Century Modern style and includes a cafe, bar, and steakhouse. If we’re in the mood for some drinks and dancing, the place to be is “Banita Creek Hall”, which has the largest country dance floor for miles around.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The greatest supporter of my art was always my Mom. Without her love and guidance, I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today.

In terms of my biggest artistic influences, I’d say that the children’s books of David Small and the work of Norman Rockwell have always been fundamental in inspiring me to make the art that I do.

Website: https://www.karabazley.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smol_pixie_art/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@karabazleyillustration

Other: https://ko-fi.com/smol_pixie_art