Meet Kat Laurange | Artist and Mom

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

Hi Kat, as a parent, what have you done for you children that you feel has had the most significant impact?
One always worries about getting things right with one’s kids, as there are so many ways things can go wrong, but I think my greatest success with my children is fostering in them a love of books and joy in reading.

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’m still finding my place, professionally, and it’s been a weird journey. After Element X downsized, I wandered a bit before, on a whim, applying for a gig as a sketch card artist. This was relatively early in the sketch card collecting business, and what they were at the time were trading cards with a blank side that was literally drawn on by an artist. My first set was Marvel Masterpieces, so I got to draw some of my favorite comic book characters as an official artist. The sketch card industry has changed a lot since then, but at the time they were literally pencil sketches. My training is in hand drawn animation, so I was able to give my sketches a life and expressiveness that made them a hit with fans.

I did sketch cards for about a decade, and I learned a lot about efficient workflow and keeping deadlines, as many of the sets I participated on required a large volume of work and a tight turnaround. I aso learned about communicating with clients, something they don’t teach you in art school but definitely should!

Now I’m branching out into a number of different areas. I’ve done some book illustrations, some graphic design, and even some paintings for a church. The biggest challenge is having enough time, and making sure I’m present for my kids and not letting the ball drop on my career at the same time. I haven’t quite figured that one out yet!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’d definitely want to show off the Bishop Arts district; honestly, you could spend a week picking different shops and restaurants there and never get bored. (Although I’m sure we’d spend a lot of time at The Wild Detectives: books and coffee, what could be better?)

For fun and exploring outside of the Texas summer heat, we’d have to visit the Perot museum. If the weather was a little less apocalyptic, though, visiting the Fort Worth Zoo or the botanical gardens would be a great time too!

And any friend of mine visiting the city would be in for a tour of Warlord Combat Academy, where I play lightsaber fencing on Saturday nights! And of course we’d have to visit the Argentina Bakery in Irving, which has some of the best coffee and pastries I’ve ever had, and whose empanadas are second to none!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Without the untiring love and support of my husband, I wouldn’t be anywhere. He’s the one who encouraged me to follow my dream of being an artist after years of office jobs. I’d also like to thank Element X Creative, who took a chance on me as a wet-behind-the-ears animation graduate, and gave me my first job in a fun and friendly and creative environment.

Website: https://kat-laurangem79cs.wixsite.com/katlaurangeart

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatLaurangeArt/

Image Credits
Lightsaber photo: Dinah Kolasa