When Kathie McCormack talks about art, she describes it as a companion. “Art never left my side,” she says — a simple statement capturing her lived experience.
For Kathie, an art student at Commonwealth University, creativity has been both a passion and a survival tool.
Raised in a family of artists, she grew up surrounded by color and creativity.
However, it wasn’t until she went through one of the most difficult chapters of her life, a brain tumor diagnosis, that her relationship with art deepened into something lifesaving.
During recovery, she found herself repeatedly drawn and inspired by the work of Frida Kahlo. “I connected with her through pain,” Kathie explains. “We both had to learn how to live inside a body that was constantly in pain.”
Kathie began her college career in Philadelphia, living with her pitbull for safety and companionship. But when her health forced her to return home to Lewisburg, she found herself entering an artistic journey.
Today, she is not only continuing her studies at CU but also building a small business focused on sustainability, creativity, and art.
Her canvas? Pre‑owned purses.
Kathie sources her purses from thrift stores, both online and in person, always hunting for leather or faux‑leather pieces. She transforms them with her unique style and signature fascination with the third eye.
Her interest in the third eye intensified after her brain tumor. The pineal gland, often associated with the metaphorical “third eye”, is located deep in the brain and regulates sleep and seasonal rhythms.
For Kathie, this symbolism became fully expressed. “It’s always been part of my art,” she says, “It took on a deeper meaning.”
When asked how she approaches painting a purse, she laughs and exclaims, “Inspiration punches me!”’ However, her process is more intimate than her statement.
She imagines the future owner of each bag, who she is, what she loves, what kind of life she lives, and gives a backstory to the woman who will eventually carry the purse. “It helps me design something that feels like it belongs to her,” she explains.
Becoming an entrepreneur pushed Kathie to grow in unexpected ways. Naturally reserved, she admits that customer interactions can be challenging.
Determined to run her own creative business, she has learned customer service and communication skills, which have given her confidence.
What motivates her most is imagining the moment someone receives one of her pieces. She puts extraordinary care into packaging, wanting the unboxing to feel like a celebration. “I want it to feel worth their money,” she adds. “Not just a purchase but an experience. A gift to themselves or someone they love.”
Her creativity goes beyond purses. Kathie also has a growing collection of illustrations, many of which she plans to turn into greeting cards. Inspired by a real‑life nemesis, “a funny story,” she says, but designed so anyone can send them to the person who ruins their day.
Kathie works part‑time at her family’s financial company while dedicating the rest of her time to her studies and to painting, illustrating, and building her brand.
Her artistic style is hard to explain because it is unique, the kind of work that makes viewers stop and look twice.
Kathie’s journey has been anything but easy, and she sees that as part of its beauty.
Similar to Kahlo, she has learned to turn hardship into expression and creativity, fueling her art.
Each purse, each illustration, each brushstroke is a reminder that overcoming life is its own form of art.
Follow Kathie on Instagram:
@artatbeechwood
