Holden artist Anna Karas had always had a passion for art, but a period of reflection in 2018 started to see her art begin to bloom again. Like a sunflower.

In 2018 Karas found herself unemployed and had an medical emergency as well, she recalled recently. Deciding to revisit her art, “I started by drawing a sunflower with a pencil, which, although not perfect, was well received by a friend.”

Karas had posted the sunflower on Facebook, and the friend saw it and told Karas “‘I want that sunflower.'” The friend “still displays it on her refrigerator door.”

That opened a door for Karas, who specializes in creating intricate drawings with colored pencils, excluding human portraits. She has received numerous requests for pet portraits, landscapes and more. Her art has been featured in local publications, including The Landmark and Worcester Magazine, where she was an artist of the week in 2019.

‘Getting back into it’

Karas doesn’t consider getting back into art as any kind of late blooming. “I was getting back into it to hone my drawing skills more,” she said.

For a while her work was in orbit — at Orbit Pizza in Holden, which her family owned and operated for 55 years.

“I would work and draw at my parents’ pizza restaurant. I had my drafters desk in a corner and drew various subjects to showcase on the walls … effectively serving as my exhibition space,” Karas said. “Since then, I have sold over 100 drawings and continue to create and sell my artwork. “

However, her parents closed their business earlier this year “and I no longer have a dedicated space to display my work. To adapt, I now showcase and sell my artwork on various Facebook pages, and I also offer custom drawing services for nonhuman subjects. My art studio is now at my home,” Karas said.

‘A profound passion for art’

Karas’ drawings are very detailed drawings and sometimes are mistaken for photographs. But then you also notice the finer points of the artist’s own expression.

Karas said that she is also known for the speed with which she does her drawings, sometimes finishing a piece in two days.

“Throughout my childhood, I cultivated a profound passion for art, particularly drawn to vibrant colors and eclectic objects. I would frequently express my creativity through various mediums, including crayons, colored pencils, markers, and paints, to bring my imagination to life,” Karas said.

When her father went to a Honey Farms store nearby, “I would invariably request a coloring book and crayons. By the end of each week, I had amassed a substantial collection of coloring books and crayons, which brought me immense joy,” she said.

But although she had clearly manifested joy and talent, she said it wasn’t until her junior and senior years at Wachusett Regional High School that her skills truly began to flourish.

“One notable piece from that time was a colored pencil drawing of a parrot with crystal feathers, which remains one of my most cherished artworks to this day. My art teacher was astonished by the rapid development of my skills over the course of a year or two,” Karas said.

‘Eager to expand my reach’

During the same period, she attended summer art classes at the Worcester Art Museum, where she explored various art forms and worked as a volunteer art assistant.

At Anna Maria College in Paxton she pursued a degree in art and business, and gained knowledge of graphic design principles. She was also a graphic artist intern at the former Worcester Phoenix.

Following graduation, Karas was a graphic designer at David Clark Co. in Worcester, famous for its space suits for NASA. Karas created schematics for NASA spacesuits, headsets and control boxes. “My responsibilities involved drawing intricate details like wires, knobs and helmets,” she said.

Karas has had administrative and marketing assistant positions at companies, and worked as a street team promoter for iHeart Radio (WSRS & WTAG). She is currently with WXLO/NASH/ThePike Radio Stations as a street team promoter.

Meanwhile, “I continued to develop my skills by drawing animals from calendars and offering free pet portraits to friends,” she said.

“As my confidence grew, I began charging $20 for my graphite pencil drawings. Eventually, I transitioned to using Prismacolor colored pencils, which significantly enhanced my artwork. I started receiving commissions for various subjects.”

The only kind of drawing she cannot do is human portraits. “I just can’t do it,” she said. Also, she now works with pencil and colored pencils only.

She takes a number of trips and uses that for inspiration for some of her landscapes.

“I am eager to expand my reach,” she said of finding a broader audience.

Anna Karas is on Facebook. She can be reached by email for commissions at annakaras76@gmail.com.