Kathryn Mancuso of Kathryn Ann Art started creating art at 9 years old when she took lessons from her neighbor, Andrea’s Fine Art. Her desire to create was dormant until a friend asked her to paint a party cup for her back in 2017. That ignited that passion back up in her, so in 2020 she started her business so she could continue to feed that desire. She regrets not taking any art classes while studying Business Administration in college, because she feels that could’ve sparked a fire in her sooner that she wasn’t able to feel since she was young.
Now as Kathryn Ann Art, Kathryn’s cup is pretty full with custom orders such as graduation cap toppers and acrylic signs. She also loves painting on cypress, and creating watercolor and acrylic paintings. She is always inspired by the Louisiana beauty around her, and strives to capture it with her paintings. She loves being able to capture the essence of this state’s culture in the unique pieces she creates. Kathryn is also obsessed with and inspired by flowers, and finding ways to paint them more often.
One of the most popular products that Kathryn offers are graduation cap toppers. Since graduation season is upon us, this would be the perfect opportunity to have such a talented local maker deck out your graduation cap for such an important time in your life. Her commissions are currently open on her website, so don’t hesitate to reach out to Kathryn and look at her past works on her Instagram! Kathryn loves having the opportunity to create one-of-a-kind pieces that represent the graduate and everything they want. It makes the opportunity so much more special than most commissions.
When Kathryn isn’t painting or exploring Louisiana’s beauty, she plays beach volleyball with a team of her friends, a nostalgic hobby that she’s been able to incorporate into this new stage of her life. She also loves traveling and taking in new scenery and its inspiration. Kathryn also loves spending time with her family after growing up always being surrounded by family. It’s something she’s never taken for granted, and enjoys family time more now than ever.
You can sometimes find Kathryn among our Local Pop Up makers on the Last Saturday of the Month at Electric Depot! Kathryn would love to one day work with other LPU makers, including My Friend Kelly. She adores Kelly’s pressed flower art, and is interested in what they would be able to come up together with in a collaboration. As someone who’s a business owner Kathryn just wants others who are aspiring artists trying to start their own business to just go for it. You will feel overwhelmed and have bad days sometimes, but “that’s okay just as long as you take a second, breathe, have a bad day, and then keep going.” Kathryn also says to never stop challenging yourself. Don’t try putting limits on what you can do, because you can do anything if you put your mind to it. Kathryn says to “strive to exceed your own expectations (because) you will never know where it will lead you.” Overall, Kathryn hopes that her art is able to connect with people on some level. So much of her heart and soul are put into her creations, “so when people are captivated by it, it means the absolute world to me.”
When it’s not a Local Pop Up day, you can also find Kathryn’s art inside Local Supply! You can shop a selection of her prints, greeting cards, and her yearly calendar in store or on our website. Kathryn is also always down for commission work, so check out her Instagram and hit her up for one of the most gorgeous pieces of art that’s the perfect touch to any southern home.
