Life & Work with Kara Huesman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kara Huesman. 

Hi Kara, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I have always been an artist at heart. God gave me this deep seeded need to work with my hands, the love and appreciation of beautiful things, and the drive to always learn and try new things. I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Eastern Kentucky University while working and raising my son as a single mom. I worked in the design, packaging, color separating, and printing industry for 20+ years while also drawing pet portraits here and there when I could and always on the lookout for new art forms I could try. In 2017 I unexpectedly lost my only son Kyle in a car accident. The loss was devastating, but my now husband and my friends & family were there for me while God guided me through and opened doors to some drastic and wonderful changes in my life. While working on a woodworking project with my father, shortly after I lost Kyle, I decided I wanted to incorporate resin in the piece. I instantly knew I had to learn more about it and the ways it could be used. It quickly turned into a new kind of therapy for me, and I could see it leading to something much more. I had always wanted to be able to make a living through my art and now felt I was being given the opportunity to try it. Five short months after losing Kyle, I finally married the man I’d loved for 10 years before, quit my prior career, and started a new career with the attorney that handled my son’s probate. 

This new job gave me the time and flexibility I needed to see if I could turn my therapy into a small business! I jumped right into the craft show circuit and continued until January 2021 meeting all kinds of wonderful people. I got to share my story and connect with so many people who had also suffered losses and broken hearts. They gave me the confidence to continue by supporting my art and sharing our connections. My original business has now grown into selling through galleries and private custom orders and now even has a strong second tier of custom memorial and keepsake orders using flowers from funerals and other significant occasions or even cremains from a loved one or pet. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been a fairly smooth road as far as the opportunities and experiences I’ve had being accepted into craft shows and building a local customer base. As with most artists and small business owners, money/income is always a “bump in the road” though. When I left my former career I took a substantial cut in pay, benefits, and vacation time, but it was worth it for my mental health and to see a dream become a reality. A career change like this can also strain relationships with the loss of income and the amount of time you must dedicate to getting your business off the ground. But my husband has been super supportive and patient, knowing how important this has been for me. My friends and family have also been right there to offer their help & support anytime I needed it. Over the last year and a half, I took on a new role with a new law firm after my first attorney retired. With this new job, my main challenge currently is trying to balance my day job, working for a growing law firm, while also trying to manage my own small business and keeping up with custom orders and inventory for three shops that sell my jewelry. Because of my time constraints and a steady amount of business coming in, I decided to step away from the craft show & art fair circuit last year. With my current custom order list booked out to May and growing, I don’t foresee having to travel with my jewelry in the near future. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My primary focus is my custom handmade resin jewelry. I use a high-quality 2-part epoxy resin and incorporate recycled elements like hand-dyed eggshells, paper towels (used in the egg dying process), dried flowers, wild turkey feathers, bugs and other found objects. I also make earrings out of recycled aluminum cans that have interesting designs printed on them. In addition, I now also have a whole secondary line that focuses on memorial keepsakes using flowers that people bring me from funerals, weddings, or any occasion that was special for them. All my pieces are one-of-a-kind because I make each individual resin piece by hand either using a mold or a hand-forming process that I have developed over the years. I have even developed my own handmade signature ear wires that I find are less likely to fall out of your ears than standard ear wires you buy. 

In addition to jewelry making, I also draw pet portraits in pastels or colored pencils a few times a year when I can squeeze in a commission. I have always loved animals and have drawn them since I was a small child. Having a grandmother that was a painter always kept me interested in this gift I was given and gave me someone I could look up to and turn toward when I needed encouragement. My drawings generally lean toward realism and are pretty detailed, so they tend to take me a while to complete them. 

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Being a Gemini, I have never been much of a planner or one who chooses to analyze the future. I tend to just go with the flow and what I’m feeling at the time with whatever is inspiring me. I know that Jewelry is fashion and fashion changes like the weather so I will take a peek at what trends are happening from time to time, but I also like to just mix it up and not necessarily do what everyone else is doing. As long as clients keep coming to me and trusting me to create pieces for them, I will just keep doing what I’m doing and changing up shapes or elements I use along the way. 

Pricing:

• Custom Orders $25-$300
• Retail Prices $15-$100

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karasartscene
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarasArtScene

Image Credits
Kara Huesman