Hello, I'm Lara Eve Kempke.

I've been creating art ever since I first picked up a crayon. Primarily self taught​,​ I have striven for decades to refine and hone my ability and desire to paint what I see. What I see is beauty everywhere around me​,​ and stories. As a lifelong musician and vocalist​,​ music is another piece of my soul…when the world got really quiet during the lockdown​,​ I heard a whisper about a new idea—taking old violins and remaking them into something new and beautiful. I taught myself to sculpt​,​ and reuse bits and pieces of the violin like pegs and chin rests​,​ and began a whole new artistic journey that brings both parts of my soul so much joy. I love to explore the messy​,​ colorful uniqueness of many mediums​,​ and find new ways to combine them in my quest to celebrate the beauty I see in the world. I began my art career by painting on three-dimensional surfaces (and still do frequently)​,​ like boxes and stools and chairs​,​ and learned to find ways to play with the shape of the piece and let it help tell the story. This means I'm rarely content with two dimensions​,​ so often it still stretches into the third dimension​,​ through the use of layered resin to emulate water currents​,​ or clay to build up the fin on a koi’s back. I've sold art and won awards at galleries and festivals throughout Orange County--Laguna Art A Fair​,​ the Orange County Fair​,​ The Balboa Historical Art Museum​,​ Huntington Beach Art Center​,​ plus a series of special commissions for Whittier College's donors.