Meet Kari Cadenhead

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kari Cadenhead.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
It’s hard to pick a good place to begin. The beginning? Making Play-Doh animals with my mom at three years old… But then there was drawing Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein inspired illustrations at six… Drooling over 80’s music videos and cartoon movies at eight… Painting flowers on the walls of my dad’s house and dragons in his garage at twelve… The airbrush I was gifted at fourteen and t-shirts for my friends… Painting on my bedroom floor at sixteen… Building an art school portfolio at eighteen… Dropping out of art school before I was 20… Becoming a tattoo artist at 23… Sewing the rest of my 20’s away while traveling Europe…

Then I had a kid and moved to Tucson. I developed severe anxiety and struggled, hard; I thought I’d never make art again and it took a long time for me to value my skills as a tattooer as “real art”. I created and sold a couple small works, but It took a long time for me to carve out time from motherhood to make other art… or, rather, it took a long time for me to incorporate art into motherhood.

After many online inspiration workshops and a lot of you tube videos, I took a job as a painting instructor for one of those “get-drunk-and-paint” companies. I had to make time to create examples AND stand in front of 40 people with a microphone strapped to me while walking them through a painting. What better way to practice than to teach my six-year-old how to paint each example? So, we spent months making little paintings together, and I had art in my life almost every day again. I eventually quit that job but the practice helped me to prioritize my art needs again.

Fast forward about three years, I’ve got my own tattoo business and I managed to have a showing of my large-scale art in Las Vegas. I make something every single day. Art helps me cope with my anxiety and depression- I even draw a little comic about it when I’m feeling down. I share obsessively to combat the fear of rejection, I don’t see any other way.

Please tell us about your art.
Almost a year ago, I booted up a new Instagram account and posted a drawing of my husband and myself in a slightly compromising situation. I had been doing drawings like that since I was a young teen but never had the courage to share. The feedback was empowering and I began sharing a lot more. Then my friends offered to send reference photos for new drawings. When I had exhausted those, I began a secret Facebook page and asked for volunteers… and the photos flooded in. All shapes, sizes, colors, genders, and types of couplings and fetishes showed up in my inbox. I drew as many as I could using my iPad and ProCreate and shared every single one. I was constantly afraid of my parents or other family seeing them!

Eventually, I wanted to expand that work and began making large-scale line paintings on vintage floral bedsheets. Simple lines are easy for me as a tattooer and make for quick work, which is important for me as a mom and business owner. I horde fabric and love the colors and florals of the 1960s and ‘70s, for years I’ve been incorporating bits and pieces into my art, it was a no-brainer to just paint right on the fabric. I like the contrast of the subversive subject matter on a background of domestic “bliss”; sheets from bedrooms that maybe saw too little action or maybe action some of us wouldn’t dream of. I like mixing the florals with bodies that are ‘othered’ or bodies that should not be labeled at all, maybe causing the average viewer to question what they are seeing. I’m queer myself and have a strong desire to represent other queer people in ways that are affirming, hopefully making them feel beautiful and seen. I mix all of that with a good dose of glitter and rhinestones simply because it makes me happy to look at it.

These days I just want to let art out and help others feel good. It’s hard to feel good in this world and my voice is very small, but I’m going to do what I can… I needed it so I know others do, too.

Choosing a creative or artistic path comes with many financial challenges. Any advice for those struggling to focus on their artwork due to financial concerns?
If you love what you do and others have expressed support, start a GoFundMe or ask for PayPal donations to get started on a new project. Don’t be elitist about materials, especially if you’re just starting out. Use whatever you have around you, find ways to make art with as few materials as possible. Use up other people’s paints, recycle canvases, do weird stuff with found materials. Necessity is the mother of invention and, while that has admittedly been quite frustrating in the past, it has served me well as of late. Do buy the best you can but don’t feel like any of it has to be new or perfect. Art isn’t about perfection and no one who matters cares about what materials you are using to make beautiful or interesting work. Recycle, recycle, recycle. And always ask! People who appreciate but can’t make art love to watch others create and often will be very supportive, but you have to ask!!

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
My newest work is hanging at Solar Culture gallery in downtown Tucson. Sometimes you can catch my larger soft sculpture pieces at a drag show in town. On Instagram I’m @natural_nilly and @cereus_arts. Sharing is caring!

I’m working on a new project helping local performance artists get art and Merch, you can find that on Facebook: Adopt-a-Queen. By supporting that project, you are supporting many artists at once! It’s in the baby stages now but more is coming soon. I am always open for commissions in a few different mediums. I love collaboration and am usually quite happy to make new work, as most artists are.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://squareup.com/store/cereusarts
• Email: cereusartsaz@gmail.com
• Instagram: @natural_nilly, @cereus_arts

Image Credit:
Kari Cadenhead

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