The Art of Kevin Veara
When Kevin Veara was a little kid, he became obsessed with birds. Blame “The Peterson Field Guide to the Birds”, Veara says. When he was about seven, a family friend gave him the book as a gift. He became enchanted with their colors, their categories and their behaviors.
Veara painted and drew birds as a hobby throughout his childhood, but he didn’t take art seriously until he graduated from high school.
“When I graduated, I felt like I was dumped in the middle of a field. It was like, ‘okay, dude, make a go of it,” he recalled.
Veara considered becoming a musician, but he knew art was more his ‘thing’. He submitted his portfolio to Springfield College, and they accepted him immediately.
During his college and graduate school years, Veara tried to find his artistic voice. He painted in different styles inspired by geometric designs and religious motifs. But soon, he was drawn back to his birds.
Veara creates his paintings from his small studio at his home on the banks of the Sangamon River outside Springfield, IL. He named his workspace Underfoot Studios as a nod to his mission to illuminate the flora and fauna in his part of Illinois that most people don’t think about. And his paintings reflect that philosophy. Most of his works feature birds – and lately mussels – set against a background of the bushes and plants that surround his studio.
“My paintings are documents of my experience on the river and how these encounters have affected me.”
He creates a painting a month. His works are vibrant and “design-y” as he calls it.
“They could almost be used as a wallpaper or a fabric design.”
When he’s not painting, Veara practices his other art: tattooing. He maintains a steady clientele at Black Moon Tattoos in Springfield.
Veara’s paintings are on view and for sale at galleries and coffee shops. Illinois First Lady M.K. Pritzker chose one of Veara’s paintings to adorn the newly redecorated Lincoln Bedroom at the Governor’s Mansion. His works are also on display at Dixon Mounds.
Veara hopes his paintings will inspire people to think more deeply about the environment and the details in the beauty of what surrounds us.
“Maybe my work will inspire people to chuck a few bucks at the Nature Conservancy or other conservation groups.”
In the meantime, Veara says he’s not going anywhere. He’s staying put on the banks of his small slice of the Sangamon stewarding his birds “until I die.”
See Kevin Veara's art at the following locations:
Kevin Veara's Website:
Illinois State Museum at Dixon Mounds
10956 N. Dickson Mounds Rd. Lewistown, IL 61542
Elm City Coffee
208 W. Main Street Urbana, IL. 61801
Elm City Roastery
216 S Mauvaisterre Street Jacksonville, Illinois 62650
Black Moon Tattoos
1005 W. Edwards St. Springfield, IL. 62704
Luminary Kitchen & Provisions
3121 Hedley Rd. Springfield, IL. 62704
Perspectives Art Gallery
112 S. 6th St. Petersburg, IL. 62675