Meet Gena Kearn | Art Educator & Celtic Floral Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Gena Kearn and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gena, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?

I have possessed a love of art from childhood. It was inspired by my maternal grandmother who was a self-taught oil painter. I grew up admiring her work and hoping to be like her some day. During my high school years, I also discovered a love for working with young people. So, I pursued a career in art education and have been an art educator working with grades 7-12 for 21 years.

In 2013, I began working on a Masters degree that started a journey into the professional art world creating what I call Celtic Floral Art. It’s a journey that I felt led to begin and one where I feel like I can see the guidance of a Divine hand leading me to combine three sources of inspiration that have endured throughout my life – my faith, my Irish heritage, and my love of flowers. They are the things that keep me rooted and grounded, and the things have been sources of nourishment and hope for my soul in many ways. Because of that, I call it the “Enduring Roots” series.

As I have worked in this series and began to pursue a career in the professional art world, I have been reminded of the importance of creative activities in our lives. I find that I am in a better place mentally and that my overall well-being is improved when I am creating. In many ways, I also feel that I have been given this series and artistic skill to use for the betterment of others – to bring hope, joy and light to the lives of others through my work. So, for those reasons, I continue to pursue a career as a professional artist while also helping my students to discover and grow their own artistic abilities.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

As I mentioned, I love to create what I call Celtic Floral Art – photorealistic paintings of flowers backed by elegant and intricate Celtic cross designs all made from colored pencil.

I have been drawn to flowers since I was a little girl and I seem to keep gravitating back to them as a subject for my art. I love their beauty and artistry, their delicacy and translucence, as well as their many varieties of colors, shapes, patterns and textures. I think the thing that I love the most about them though is that they seem to have this almost magical ability to lift our moods, brighten our days and bring joy to our lives. And, I think that’s one of the reasons that I love to draw and preserve them so that we can enjoy them no matter the season.

I have also been enamored with our family’s Irish heritage since I was a child. So the art of Ireland – or the art of the Celts has always grabbed my attention and been a source of inspiration.

It was a wonderful surprise to find a way to combine these sources of inspiration as I worked on a Master’s degree beginning in 2013.  I love that this series gives me the opportunity to take on the challenge of drawing flowers in a photorealistic way where the flowers seem to pop off of the paper, and you feel like you could reach out and pick them or smell them.

And, I love that the intricacies and elegance of Celtic crosses are such a great compliment to the flowers, echoing and enhancing the divine design that I see lying in their DNA.

It’s been a real joy to create these pieces using colored pencil which provides a look that rivals the depth and richness of color that can be found in paintings, but with the control and high level of detail that’s achieved with the point of a pencil. So, for me, it’s the best of both worlds, but it is a process that can take hundreds of hours per piece to complete due to the intricate, detailed nature of the work and the layering process of colored pencils.

With each new piece in the series, I enjoy seeing how far I can push the intricacies of the Celtic crosses and how much I can heighten the level of realism in the flowers.

It has been a challenging journey to walk. Finding time and energy to pursue my own art after a full day of helping my students with their creative visions while juggling life’s demands can be a struggle. Finding a good balance is something I’m still working on, but I’m learning to give myself grace.

When I am discouraged or struggling with the challenges of a creative career, I find that reminding myself of the value others find in my work is a huge help. Hearing and reminding myself of the stories of the hope and joy that my work brings to the lives of others helps me to stay motivated and to push through the challenges. It’s truly humbling and an honor.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live in Concordia, KS. So, I’m not super familiar with the city. However, I love any opportunity to visit Colorado. I find that the beauty of the mountains, nature, and wildlife brings me a lot of joy and uplifts my spirits. As I have attended festivals in Colorado with my art, I have really enjoyed the opportunity to experience the beauty of the state and to get to know its wonderful people!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would love to give a shoutout to my grandma, Maxine McConaughey, for the inspiration that her life was and continues to be for me; to my mom, Debbie Kearn, and to my best friend, Tina Brewer, for all of their love, support, and encouragement throughout the years; to the many great teachers I’ve had over the years; and to the other members of my family whose love, help, and support make my journey easier.

Website: https://genakearn.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/genakearnart/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GenaKearnArt/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@genakearnart

Image Credits
Gena Kearn