Haunt FX Spotlight: Kat's Art Studio

We got a chance to catch up with Katherine Flowers of Kat's Art Studio.  Katherine is the lead make-up artist at the Haunted Angelus House.

So let's get to know her a little bit, shall we.

1. Tell us a little about yourself -- a brief history, if you will.

I am from El Paso Texas,born and raised.Single mother of five lovely children who get a kick out of their mom working at a haunted houseJ I moved to Indiana three years ago.I have always had a love for art. I appreciate all the variety and creativity that goes into ones work. I am a self taught artist and believe you can never stop growing as an artist.I teach myself through trial and error and by continuously trying new technques.Thats the great thing about art, there is no right or wrong. It has taken me a very long time to become comfortable with showing my artwork to others but I am at the point in my life that I understand you will come across people who appreciate art and understand it and you will have people who never will. As an artist my only hope is to inspire atleast one person who wants to be an artist to follow their dream without the fear of failure.In this artistic journey of mine I have had the opportunity to meet great people, make new friends and share my work with others.There really isn’t anything that “stands out” in my life or makes it more interesting than the next person, but somehow I have a feeling that’s because I haven’t reached that point in my life yet and you'll have to check back with me in a few years for an updateJJ

2. How did you get into the makeup industry?

In 2014, it was my second year volunteering for The Haunted Angelus. It just so happened that their makeup person was no longer available and so I offered to help out one night.After that night I found myself doing makeup for myself and the other actors on a regular basis.This year I was given the title of Lead Make-Up artist so that was pretty awesomeJ

3. Is the Haunted Angelus House the only haunt you've worked with?

Yes.This is the first and only haunt I’ve ever been involved with.

4. What drew you to the haunt business?

Being involved in the haunt industry was never something I thought I would be doing or had even looked into prior to moving to Indiana three years ago.The first year I moved here,I took my daughter to visit The Haunted Angelus . While in line to go through we started asking questions about how one goes about working there and such. We found out all the actors are volunteers and that they raise money for people with cerebral palsy,JDRF, and donate to local food pantries. That was more than enough information for me to want to be a part of such an awesome group of people. So my daughter and I started volunteering there as actors.

5. You're from El Paso, Texas -- is the haunt business similar there?

There are a few haunt attractions in El Paso but definitely not like here in Indianapolis or the surrounding areas.

6. Are there any other artists that inspire your own work?

There are so many artists out there, they can all inspire in one way or another but there is nobody that I would say I “go to” for inspiration on a regular basis.I want to create my own looks and try to step away for the norm.

7. Is makeup something you do full-time or is it a hobby?

During haunt season it was full time….but for the most part it is simply a hobby. I hope to spent more time during the off season doing it as to grow my abilities and what I can do but I wouldn’t consider it a full time job.Atleast not yet;)

8. Besides makeup, are there any other jobs at Haunted Angelus that you do?

I am their make up artist, I also do most of the painting in the haunt so once a room is built I get to go in and bring it to life with my paint brush.I get to create the scenes and add as little or as much detail as I like…AND I still get to scare people

9. I know by the end of October most haunt workers begin to feel burnt-out. Do you suffer from that as well?

Well being that so much work goes into preparing the haunt and I was actually working on the haunt since February I would have to say that by the end of October I definitely felt a little burnt out.I will say that after a couple days off though, I miss it already and am ready to get started on changes for next year!

10. Are there any plans to grow Kat's Art Studio into something bigger than it already is?

Kats Art Studio was started as a way for me to display my artwork which is primarily abstract canvas art…I have always wanted to open up my own gallery and would still like to do so at some point. Doing makeup and painting haunted houses has definitely added a twist to the original plan but who knows what will happen next. All I know is that The Haunted Angelus House opened up a lot of opportunities for me to show and expand my artistic abilities in ways I could never imagine, and for that I am grateful!!

Also, be sure to check out Katherine's AMAZING gallery!