Cover Artist - Kara Sanchez

Happy Heart Artist

Kara Sanchez

By: Karen B. Gibbs

Photos by: Sydney Johnson

Cover artist Kara Sanchez is a big dose of happy, and her Mandeville studio at 1800 W. Causeway Approach, Suite 112, reflects her joyful perspective on life. In fact, if you ever need a lift, stop by and steep yourself in the sunshine of Sanchez's artwork. From collections of hearts to kaleidoscopes of butterflies, gold leaf diamond dust abstracts, and glistening 3D resin florals, Sanchez's artistry expresses itself across various media.

“I grew up very artistic and loved doing crafts,” Sanchez says, “but I put my art on the back burner for the most part during college.” Initially planning to enter nursing like her mother and grandmother, she realized after two years that it wasn't her path. Instead, she followed her father's footsteps into the oil and gas industry, working in procurement for Audubon Engineering in Metairie, Louisiana. “I love oil and gas,” she explains. “It’s fast-paced and always interesting.”

Another passion in Sanchez's life was Mario Sanchez. Thoughtful and supportive, he won her heart, as did his children, Mario Jr. and Johanna. Soon, Sanchez found herself saying “I do” to Mario and embracing instant motherhood. The joy of life with Mario and the children rekindled her desire to paint.

With her own art room to create in, Sanchez began to explore her artistic talents more fully. “I went from acrylics to pastels to resin to spray paint to recycled glass particles and ‘diamond dust,’” she recalls. Discovered after seeing Andy Warhol’s shoe series in New York City, diamond dust became a sparkling accent in her work. Despite working full time at Audubon Engineering, she pursued art with fervor, soon expanding her art space at home. “The more I got into creating, the more I wanted to do. I could not stop with my art,” says the 39-yearold. “I’d wake in the middle of the night and fill my sketch pad with ideas. In the morning, I’d show them to Mario. He always encouraged me.”

At first, Sanchez painted for pleasure and as gifts for friends and family. But as people began commissioning her work, her confidence soared.

“When that happened, my confidence grew,” she says. “I reached out to retail stores and they were interested. About eight years ago, I sold through Redoux Home Market in Mandeville. After about six months, Abode in Metairie reached out to me on Instagram, and I started working with them, too. It’s humbling to get an Instant Message from such an establishment,” she adds.

“As my art style expanded, so did the size of my canvases. I went from doing tiny oyster acrylics on 6” x 6” canvases to working with texture and glass particles on larger canvases. I remember thinking that my first 30” x 40” canvas was so huge. Now my largest canvas is 60” by 72”.”

After a year at Abode and Redoux, Sanchez added three more retail establishments—Furnish, PHINA, and deCouer—to showcase her work. As it turned out, that was the best time to grow her business because the oil and gas industry was slowing down. This allowed her to work fewer hours at Audubon and devote more time to her burgeoning art career.

“For two years, I supplied art to these four stores. Then, the oil and gas industry picked up, and I went back to working full time again,” Sanchez says. By the end of 2019, the pressure of balancing a full-time job at Audubon and keeping four storefronts stocked with art became too much. “It was so stressful, I’d go to the studio almost in tears.” Sanchez reveals.

Deciding to take a break from the retail stores, she shifted her focus. “I wanted to create art in a peaceful manner. That pressure to create—that’s not art,” Sanchez says. “And I wasn’t putting in that 5% that makes art go ‘Wow!’”

In 2020, Sanchez moved out of her home art room to her own studio on Lee Lane in Covington. “I could have a raw studio, paint on the floor, be messy,” she says. “As I was working in the studio, I found myself again and created as I used to—no plan, just painting.” Sanchez even began working with porcelain and clay. Her 13-year-old white Pomeranian, Louis, was always by her side.

Louis had been with Sanchez and her family for 13 years. She fondly recalls the day he joined the Sanchez household. “When we went to pick out our first dog, Louis caught my eye. A little, white fur ball, he was almost jumping out of the kennel,” Sanchez says. “He picked me to be his mama,” Mario surprised Sanchez and the kids by also purchasing Louis’ litter mate, Coco.

In April 2020, Louis started coughing. The diagnosis of congestive heart failure hit hard. “I sat in my car trying to process how this little dog with the biggest heart ever could have heart disease,” Sanchez recalls. She turned to her art for solace. “I went right to the studio, brought my supplies outside, and, with Louis on a pillow next to me, I started painting hearts.”

Initially, she spray-painted asymmetrical graffiti hearts. “I could not stop painting hearts. It was my way of processing Louis’ diagnosis.” A client who saw the heart canvases and heard the story felt a connection. “I’ve got to get a piece for my granddaughter’s room. She’s two years old and is having heart surgery!” the client said.

“That’s when I found my purpose,” says Sanchez, “to create meaningful art—art that makes it a little easier for people to go through tough times and a little happier when they share joyful times.” Sanchez has seen firsthand how her heart art touches people. “It makes me so happy to hear the stories that people tell about the hearts.” From romantic anniversary hearts to welcome baby hearts, to encouraging, supportive hearts, there’s a heart for every situation.

Since the spring of 2020, Sanchez has completed thirty heartthemed commissions. “I cannot be more grateful that I can touch the lives of others with my hearts,” she says.

Courtney Ippolito, perhaps the biggest fan of Sanchez’s hearts, has them hanging in almost every room of her home in Charlotte. “I love Kara’s unique style. It is so organic, like nothing I’ve seen before,” Ippolito says. “Her hearts aren’t super structured, which I love. They are very expressive and indicative of Kara’s personality. She is unapologetically herself.”

Ippolito often gives Sanchez's art as gifts. When her college roommate died, instead of sending flowers, she commissioned Sanchez to create a piece for her roommate’s parents. “It was beautiful…a really gorgeous background with some angel wings on it. Kara personally delivered the art to the funeral home. It was a really special connection,” Ippolito recalls.

Connection is what Sanchez’s art is all about—connecting hearts with those who view her art and making the world a more beautiful place in the process.