Artist's Biography

J. Burns, but call me Kaycee.
Residing in Ohio, USA.
Too old to give age.
Has two cats, four bettas, five goldfish, one gerbil, and one mouse.
I've been drawing and painting and doing anything I could get my hands on since I was able to, and I’ve been sculpting since the age of six. I have taken art classes for over seventeen years, but I will be the first to admit that there’s still things to learn out there. You can’t ever know everything about art, and anyone who thinks he does is deluding himself. It’s such a broad area that it’s nearly impossible to know everything, as true art includes film, literature, and theatre as well as the painting and sculpture that we generally think of as art. I know enough about art to say that I know what I’m doing, I know colour, composition, line, form, and the other essentials of design well enough to be doing things on my own now without needing instruction. However, a kiln doesn’t fit in my apartment so I still have to sign up for classes in order to do sculpture, but the instructors know to leave to my own devices, for interference usually creates some lumpy disaster.
I will never ever tell another artist that I’m better than him or her because there is no such thing. There are times when I struggle with anatomy or some other aspect just as much as a beginner. Though I might know more, that doesn’t mean much because anyone can gain the knowledge that I have. Don’t ever give up, it takes a lot of hard work and patience and years of training to get comfortable creating art.
I don’t make “cute fuzzy animals”. While generally I do art of animals, it’s because I find their anatomy far more interesting than a human’s. I see humans all the time, in the mirror, wherever I go, but I don’t see a cow or a jackalope all the time. My animals – and characters – bleed, feel pain, feel joy, and everything in between. My art always has a deeper meaning, if you can’t see it, then you need to look harder. I don’t make cute art.



Pet Bios

People are always interested in my pets so here's a bit about each one.

Cats
Sapphire Stardust – Blue classic tabby I adopted from my local shelter. She can be a brat especially at the vet, but she’s also a good model in front of the camera and is good company and a good friend. She acts and looks very much like a Devon Rex, that combined with the fact that her tabby patterning is not garden variety and very much CFA standard makes me think she’s got breeding somewhere along her family tree. They claim she was a stray, but she acts like she’s never been outside before. However, she loves riding in the car.
Aleksandra (Sasha) – Tortoiseshell I found starving in a dustbin in my neighborhood. She jumped into my arms when I came near her, so I knew I had to keep her. She’s got half a tail, dexterity more suited to a raccoon, and a personality five times her size. She’s a great little cat, and I’m very happy to have her. The vet reckons that she has oriental blood in her family tree somewhere because she’s so lithe and siamese-like. She’s got the nicest temperament, she never complains at the vet and if I have to clip her claws or something like that. She might not be happy about it, but she doesn’t complain. She’s a talker, and will actually hold a “conversation” with you, it’s funny.

Starry, Starstruck, Bustopher Jones, and Gumshoe - Stray cats in the neighborhood I set food out for. They won’t let me get close.

Fish
Bill, also called William, is a red ryukin male goldfish. I have had him since 2004.
Little Bill is a red ryukin goldfish (sex undetermined) and looks like a smaller version of Bill. I’ve had him/her since 2006.
Spasmolytic is a red comet goldfish (sex undetermined, I refer to it as female). I won her at the Champaign County Fair in August of 2006.
Testure is a red comet goldfish (sex undetermined, referred to as female). I won her with Spas at the Champaign County Fair in August of 2006.
Blueeyed Devil is a male veiltail betta. He’s blue-ish and red-ish, with a purple-green iridescence. I’ve had him since 2006.
Pasha is a female veiltail betta. She’s pinkish and I’ve had her since 2006.

Rodents
Plato is my little black gerbil. I've had him since my birthday in 2006.
Apollo is my little gold/tan mouse. I've had him since 2006 too, but I didn't get him for my birthday. He's a fat mouse.

In addition, my mom has two dogs that I grew up with, Evie the cocker spaniel and Shadow the German Shepherd mutt.