Celebrating Nature with Birds and Brushstrokes by Greta Honsberger
Cover Artist Krista Roche
BECOMING AN ARTIST was second nature to Krista Roche, who grew up surrounded by relatives who were artists, particularly her mother, who had a deep love of nature. Adding to her artistic desire, she was inspired early on by an outside source. “I knew I wanted to be an artist in early grade school, “ Krista reflects, “ When an artist visited the family next door and drew our portraits, I was very impressed and wanted to be able to do the same thing.” Growing up in the Chicago suburbs, Krista was introduced to and taught to appreciate the beauty of nature by walking in the nearby forest preserve, where her mother taught Krista and her sister to observe the beauty in the natural world. Through her mother’s nature walks and the regular art classes she attended at her 12
I nside N e w O rl e a n s
public schools, a deep love of nature and art was fostered in Krista, and thus began her own artistic journey. Winning a poster contest in high school was also pivotal for the budding artist and earned her Saturday morning classes at the Art Institute of Chicago. These classes and afternoons exploring the Institute’s galleries profoundly influenced her artistic development. Krista’s pursuit of art was not just a passion but a dedication to learning and growing in her craft. Her formal education in art was extensive, spanning various institutions from the University of Illinois in Champaign to Purdue University and the College of Wooster. She eventually found herself in the Deep South, earning a Master of Fine Arts from LSU.