Meet Kevin Luthardt, Artist/Author/Muralist

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Luthardt.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
As far back as I can remember, I have always loved to draw. As a child, I would draw on any kind of paper I could find. My earliest career aspirations led me to want to be a comic strip cartoonist like my heroes Charles Schulz (Peanuts) and Bill Watterson (Calvin and Hobbes). I was also addicted to Saturday morning cartoons and my drawings during my school years resembled Looney Toons and Disney animation characters. Later, I received a BFA in painting from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. At the university, I expanded my artistic horizons and explored fine art painting, sculpting, printmaking, design and other creative artistic outlets. As my work developed, I discovered that what I really loved to do with my work was to tell stories visually. I became comfortable considering myself a visual storyteller and painting was my medium of choice. Also, along the way, I began working with kids in different manners… art camp teacher, camp counselor, etc. I knew that children and families were going to be the main audience for my work. One of my college professors wisely even pointed that out to me when his son visited the painting studios one day!

After college, I began showing my work in any group art show or venue I could find. My first “show” was at the public library where I grew up… and I sold a painting! After countless other group shows, I finally began showing at Mars Gallery in Chicago. I still show there today. To my amazement, people responded well to my work. I have sold several hundreds of paintings there over the years. In my college years, I also began creating large-scale murals in the inner city of Chicago. I worked closely with a friend and artist mentor Brian Bakke in the Uptown neighborhood with the Uptown Baptist Church outreach program. We painted amazing gigantic community murals, led art camps for kids and many other creative projects.

Since then, I have probably painted 100 or so large scale murals in schools, libraries, churches and many other odd venues. Not long after graduating from the U of I, I was somehow drawn to re-reading allo f the children’s book I loved as a child. I started finding myself in libraries and bookstores “studying” children’s picture books. I quickly knew what I wanted to do. With no knowledge of the publishing world, I began sending photograph samples of my artwork to publishers. I received lots of nice responses from editors who kept my work on file… but no book contracts. I somehow met a picture book author/illustrator Arthur Geisert and through snail mail correspondence, he invited me to his home. He graciously shared his work with me, showed me his printmaking studio, and talked about his creative process. I knew that my next step was to create my own picture book manuscripts or “dummies”. I eventually started sending these out to publishers. After a couple years and over 100 rejection letters later, my first book (MINE!) was published by Atheneum in New York. My second (PEEP!) was published by Peachtree Publishers in Atlanta and I did 6 more books with them.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I mentioned before that I received over 100 rejection letters from publishers (109 to be exact) before my first book was published. So, it did not happen on the first try. It was actually my 3rd manuscript that was the one that got published as my first book. The life of a self-employed artist is full of heartache, rejection, and disappointment… but it is also full some pretty awesome joys. You never when the next email, letter, phone call, or online post might come with news about your work. This can be nerve-wracking at times. More than once, I revised my first manuscript with an editor at a big New York publisher over a few months… with no published book at the end of the road. In retrospect, that was great training for what came later, but it was heart-wrenching at the time. There are also sometimes odd things that happen as an artist. One time, another “artist” tried to pass off my work as their own to get hired to paint a mural for a children’s library in California. They eventually fired this person (because she poorly reproduced my work) and somehow figured out who was the true artist of the photographed work. They contacted me and arranged for me to fly to California to paint the mural. So… even a lot of the bad experiences bore fruit later on!

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Kevin Luthardt – what should we know?
I am a children’s picture book illustrator and author. I have created 9 picture books so far, including PEEP!, LARABEE, FLYING! and WHEN EDGAR MET CECIL. I am also a muralist, creating more than 100 large scale mural projects in schools, libraries and many other venues. As an artist and author, I visit a lot of schools and libraries throughout the year doing programs, workshops and assemblies for kids and students of all ages. I think my work is unique because I focus on kids. My books, paintings, murals and programs all have the same audience and focus. I really desire to teach and inspire kids first and foremost. As a child, I remember passing by a mural in my elementary school. I probably passed by it a thousand times over those years. The image will be in my brain forever. Whenever I create a book, paint a mural, visit a school…. I have that in mind. That is a big responsibility and a tremendous joy.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My parents always encouraged me to follow my passions and develop my gifts and talents. My wife Alicia is my continuous support, partner, cheerleader, and honest critique. She and my 4 boys are the only ones I show my manuscripts to before I send them to a publisher. I have had several mentor type influences over the years… Brian Bakke (artist/printmaker) modeled how to use your art to serve others and glorify God…. Arthur Geisert (children’s book author/illustrator) in a brief afternoon showed me what I needed to do to send my work to publishers… Eric Rohmann (children’s book author/illustrator) has given me a lot of advice and colleague encouragement over the years. I also owe a lot to countless teachers, librarians and parents all over the world who have shared my books with kids.

Pricing:

• Murals projects generally range from $1,000-$8,000 (most are in the $2,000-$4,000 range)
• My books can be found on Amazon or any bookseller, around $15-$16 hardcover, $8 soft covers
• Paintings and drawings at Mars Gallery range from about $200-$1,000

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kevinluthardt.com
• Phone: 847-508-1958
• Email: kevinluthardt@sbcglobal.net
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kevin-Luthardt-276953809027300/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevinluthardt
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/kevinluthardt/

Image Credit:
Alicia Luthardt

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