Meet Corina Richards of Macska Designs in Sahuarita

Today we’d like to introduce you to Corina Richards.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
When I was a toddler, my mother said I always walked around with a pen in my hand. She would try to give me something else to hold for obvious safety reasons, but she’d turn around and always found me with a new pen in my hand. My love for art has always been a part of me. In kindergarten I painted our dog and that first official school painting still adorns my parents’ living room in a beautiful frame. I grew up in Texas and studied at Texas A&M University-Commerce, where I also worked as a student graphic designer for a marketing department. I earned my BFA in Studio Arts and K-12 Art Certification and spent time out of the country to do an artist residency in Budapest, Hungary. It was truly my residency that pushed me to continue making art for myself. When I came back to the States, I started my teaching career and decided to also launch my new business freelance designing. Macska Designs was officially born.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Over the years my freelance graphic design business has certainly adapted to match the needs of my market and more importantly the needs of my family. It started off as exclusively designs for business marketing material, but I still wanted to make art accessible for all people. I loved being able to appreciate art with my husband and our children through books and so I evolved to include design work for authors such as book covers & chapter illustrations. Even still, I wanted my art to be able to reach a larger audience and be something people could display in their homes. Shortly thereafter I began to include custom portrait illustrations for families. Knowing what to include and when to change have always been the biggest struggles, but well worth the effort to move my business in a direction that I can feel good about.

Macska Designs – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Macska Designs is an Arizona-based studio originally founded in a tiny Texas town. My freelance design house specializes in book design, small business branding and custom portraiture. As an art teacher and an artist, my goal is to always have people connect with art. My first experience connecting with art in an interactive way was when I lived in Hungary as a missionary and when I returned to Budapest again years later as an artist in a residency. Both times I was able to teach people through art, view art in various spaces, and express my perspectives by creating art. I took these experiences and funneled their excitement into my business with the goal of empowering others through art.

Most recently my work in digital illustrations has taken the spotlight and moved to the forefront of my business. It is what I am known for and I am happy to see my portraits adorn homes. I am most proud of seeing the unique nuances in my subjects, bringing them to life and honoring them in their portraits. In this way, I am bringing them joy and empowerment through art. I believe my ability to capture nuance is what sets my work apart.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I define success by what I have learned from my process. This sort of assessment should include both facets: the business side, and the artistic side. If I have learned how to more efficiently market my work or learned a new way to compose an art piece, I know that I have grown in my efforts of becoming a better business woman and a better artist. I also believe it is important to set milestones for where I see my company and myself. Because I am my business it is important to include “check in” sessions to see how I’m feeling, if I am moving in the right direction or if my milestones need to adjust.

Pricing:

• Headshot Digital Portrait Illustration $20
• Individual Digital Portrait Illustration $30
• Couples/TwoPerson Digital Portrait Illustration $50
• Family/Group (3+Folks) Digital Portrait Illustration $70
• Home Digital Portrait Illustrations $90
• $11 fee to add an 8”x8” art print of your illustration to your order. Currently shipping to U.S. & Canada.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.macskadesigns.com
• Email: hello@macskadesigns.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/macska.designs/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/macska.designs

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