Today we’d like to introduce you to Karina Isabel Hornberger.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My journey as a visual artist started from a young age. I was always excited over my elementary school art projects and would frequently find new crafts that I could sell to my classmates, including at one point, custom-colored origami animals! My greatest interests however, were drawing and creative writing, and I would often look for ways to blend my love of storytelling with my craft of pen on paper to bring these visuals to life. In middle school I committed to taking my passions seriously and began working on improving my skills towards becoming a professional artist.
Throughout school, I studied a wide spectrum of different mediums, ranging from ceramics, graphic design, painting, photography, screen printing, and more. By the time I finished college, watercolor painting had become my main medium, even though I continue to utilize various others for my pieces. Some key moments along the way included my year of enrollment at Elite Animation Academy in middle school, my acceptance into my high school’s Visual Performing Arts magnet, my semester studying abroad in Rome, my senior showcase where several of my paintings were purchased by the Olin Library, and ultimately, my graduation from Rollins College with a double major in both studio art and English.
My education from middle-school to college grounded me in the foundations of my career, but post-college is when I took my art to the next level when I was accepted into Arts Fellowship Orlando (AFO). This fellowship was dedicated specifically to exploring the intersection of art and faith, and this environment allowed me the space I needed to flourish by learning how to consider a foundational aspect of my identity as a Christian and apply this to my paintings. At the end of this program, I presented and spoke on my series of watercolor paintings titled, The Waiting, at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center. From there, I moved to New York for nearly a year, where I was engaged in an arts residency called Transform, which further pushed these ideas and allowed me to work out of a studio in Queens on a new set of paintings I ultimately showcased at Moshava Gallery.
I’ve since moved back to Orlando but have continued to pursue my passions, currently operating as a freelance illustrator and occasionally showcasing my work at various events or pop-up markets where I sell paintings, prints, and now seasonal cards. My goal is to continue my career in multi-medium illustration and to incorporate my love of storytelling by also creating artwork for kids and young adult books.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
While many artists face the struggle of being unsupported in their dreams, I’ve been fortunate to have always been encouraged to pursue my passion for art. Even so, there have been plenty of other challenges along the way. One of my struggles growing up, was that I was exposed to many different art forms and mediums and enjoyed so many, that it was hard to eventually specialize as we’re often expected to do. I’ve wrestled in the past with narrowing my skills to fit within one specific career path. Whether it was initially pursuing animation, or graphic design, or later gallery work, it’s been difficult to place all of my skills into one box and see how this aligns with one specific career.
What I’ve come to learn, is that there doesn’t have to be one definitive end goal to my career and that our interests and skills are constantly evolving. For the longest time, I struggled to be okay with the term multi-medium artist! Yet, as I’ve grown in age and experience, I’ve learned that some of the best artworks are innovative, incorporating multiple unique mediums and presenting creative solutions to solve problems that couldn’t be answered while staying within a single box. I have thoroughly enjoyed blending my practice of digital art, with my watercolor painting, and alongside my love of inking. These different interests don’t mean that I haven’t found my niche, but rather reveal a multi-faceted ability on my end to adapt and try new things.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m an illustrator, and that means creating images that communicate an idea. When it comes to subject matter, I tend to paint landscapes and portraits of people, usually based off photographs, or I’ll create scenes for books, pulling from references and imagination. Most of the time, I’ll utilize the mediums of watercolor, colored pencil, or digital art to create these images.
What sets me apart, is my love for both story-telling, and art-making. With every work I make, I always seek to tell a narrative through the visuals. Whether I’m creating a playful children’s book scene, or capturing the nuanced emotions on a portrait’s face, or even painting a city-scape at night, I’m always looking for ways to bring out the mood and life of an image through the colors, the lighting, and the contrast. No matter what I make, I always look for an underlying story or sensation that can be felt throughout the piece. I consider myself to be a narrative visual artist, and one who is committed to making my art or the client’s vision feel alive.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up, I was a very active, creative, and adventurous kid! I was always interested in going to new places and learning about the world around me. I could always create imaginary worlds for playtime, but I also loved learning new skills, and I’d often go to the library to check out books on crafts or other new hobbies. As I got older, my energy channeled in new ways, but my passions remained very much alive, as I continued to be fascinated by exploring new concepts in school or sourcing out hidden spots throughout Orlando. This innate drive and love of exploring has translated well into my passion for art, as it’s provided me with an adaptability and excitement for the work that I do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://karina-isabel.square.site/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karinaisabel.art/?hl=en
Image Credits
Grace Copeland
