Kayann Ausherman is a self taught mixed media artist from Haven, a small central Kansas town. She has always had a creative take on life even though her art career didn’t start until her children were grown. She grew up in rural Kansas with parents who were scientists, and whom with she did a fair bit of traveling. A degree in anthropology was followed by working for a freelance graphic designer. Her next occupation was laying out computer schematics, first as a draftsman and then as a CAD operator. A large family of adopted and biological children kept her busy for the next couple of decades until she returned to her childhood love of art in 2013. This diverse lifetime of experiences and influences now finds its way into her current art. Rather than focus on realistic replication of her subject matter, she prefers a more whimsical, and intriguing representation. She feels the creative process is about experimentation and exploration of new ways to express the familiar, hopefully evoking an emotional connection. She often uses repurposed and unusual materials in her artwork like wrappers, envelopes, postage stamps, and “found” papers.