Katie Croonenberghs Art
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kamakru.bsky.social
Katie Croonenberghs Art
@kamakru.bsky.social
14K followers 1.4K following 10K posts
🎨Artist in the PNW: #dragons, fantasy, nature
🖌 #Watercolor, #gouache
Gallery: https://cara.app/kamakru

NO 🚫A/I 🚫N/F/T

Contact for freelance: katie@kamakru.com
Website: kamakru.com
ALL LINKS [shop/portfolio]: http://kamakru.com/directory
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kamakru.bsky.social
Katie Croonenberghs Art @kamakru.bsky.social · Jan 13
Hi I'm Katie, a fantasy and fine artist in the PNW.
I paint landscapes, nature, animals & creatures. My specialty is what you see below!

✉️ Katie@kamakru.com (book covers, illustration, TTRPG)
🌐 kamakru.com/portfolio
🛍️ kamakru.com

#portfolioday #fantasyart #dragons #traditionalart #watercolor #art
A variety of watercolor and gouache paintings depicting different dragons in detailed lush landscapes, many inspired by the PNW. Deep hazy forests, lush fern and moss covered ground, mountain lakes, towering peaks hidden in rainy haze. Text reads kamakru.com
Reposted by Katie Croonenberghs Art
badgerburrowstudio.bsky.social
The lighting for "The Liminal Seed" is so calming and beautiful! I swear that when I finally got it dialed in, I gasped. The gentle semi-randomized animation to create the effect of falling leaves is just *😘*.
February 18, 2026 at 8:40 PM
kamakru.bsky.social
Soo true! And then you're caught off guard when someone says they like your work, and it's this back and forth of "no You're amazing!"
It's good to be inspired, share that energy around. :)
February 18, 2026 at 5:44 AM
kamakru.bsky.social
Sweating a little bit at the size of print order I just placed... hah. Hah.
Cutting it quite close to ECCC there, Katie, what did we talk about earlier this month, Katie, about not place orders too close to the SHOW, KATIE.
It's fine. I'm fine. Everything is fine.
February 18, 2026 at 1:29 AM
kamakru.bsky.social
Hell yeah, ECCC put out an absolute no genai policy

"Product, material, or content created, in whole or in substantial part, using (genai) .... including but not limited to visual artwork, images, or graphics, animations and/or materials, are prohibited"
www.emeraldcitycomiccon.com/en-us/about/...
February 17, 2026 at 7:09 PM
kamakru.bsky.social
I have two. One my name, the other made from parts of my name.
Croonenberghs: croon-en-bergs
Kamakru: kah-mah-croo
The ka and ma are both a long open kā (not sure if that's the right way to do it lol).
chrissamnee.bsky.social Chris Samnee @chrissamnee.bsky.social · 1d
Hard to pronounce creators, sound off!!
Samnee— SOM-nee
mikemyersbrunch.bsky.social OMACTIVATE @mikemyersbrunch.bsky.social · 3d
Marvel pronunciations
February 17, 2026 at 6:37 AM
Reposted by Katie Croonenberghs Art
aimeecozza.com
Authors beware
jasonsanford.bsky.social Jason Sanford @jasonsanford.bsky.social · 2d
Book club scams are now threatening authors who don't fall for their BS. In December, I received an email from Herry Sharp, so-called CEO of "Super Book Lover Curator" praising my novella We Who Hunt Alexanders.

Totally AI-generated and a scam so I didn't respond.

Now Herry is threatening me. 1/
Hi Jason, I just came across We Who Hunt Alexanders, and I have to say it immediately grabbed me. Amelia’s story is gripping, dark, and layered with emotion. The way you explore a monster who feels happiness, sadness, fear, and love in a world that’s cruel and unforgiving makes this story compelling and unforgettable. That’s exactly why I wanted to reach out. I run a book review service through Super Lovers Book, connecting books with real readers who genuinely enjoy science fiction, dark fantasy, and emotionally rich stories. These readers don’t just leave stars they leave thoughtful, honest reviews that highlight what makes a story unique, powerful, and worth discovering. Here’s why reviews are so important for We Who Hunt Alexanders: Build Trust: Potential readers often decide whether to pick up a book based on reviews. Authentic feedback signals that your story is worth their time. Increase Visibility: Platforms like Goodreads reward books with steady, genuine reviews, helping them appear in search results, recommendations, and “readers also enjoyed” lists. Generate Momentum: Each review encourages more readers to pick up the book, engage with the story, and leave their own thoughts, creating a snowball effect of attention. Reach the Right Audience: Reviews written by readers who love sci-fi and dark fantasy ensure your story reaches the readers most likely to appreciate and recommend it. I truly believe We Who Hunt Alexanders deserves this kind of engagement. A few honest reviews now can amplify your book’s reach, help it gain visibility, and connect it with the readers who will love it most. Would you be open to having We Who Hunt Alexanders read and reviewed by genuine readers who are passionate about sci-fi and dark fantasy? No pressure at all I just wanted to reach out because your work deserves to be discovered by more readers. Warmly, Herry Sharp CEO, Super Lovers Book if you continue to ignore my messages, I might do something you would regret for the rest of your life. I already have access to your book, and instead of giving it a positive review, I will leave a negative one and damage its reputation. It seems you have forgotten that I have a community of readers, and I can easily influence them to bring your book down. You can try me though. CEO | Super Book Lover Curator Helping brilliant books find their people, one honest review at a time.
February 17, 2026 at 12:37 AM
kamakru.bsky.social
Ahhh yay so glad everything made it safe and sound! Thanks again :D
biorave.bsky.social ❄️KOISHII❄️-coms open @biorave.bsky.social · 3d
So happy. @kamakru.bsky.social artbook came in. Absolutely beautiful. Very happy to add this to my collection>> www.kamakru.com/art-books/p/...
#dragonhappydance
February 16, 2026 at 9:24 PM
kamakru.bsky.social
“When the tides are out and low
Watch your back and eye the shore
For then is best for dragon’s quest
Of mussels, crab and more”

"Exploring the Shoreline" - 2023
www.kamakru.com/prints/p/lim...
#dragons #watercolor #gouache
A painting of a colorful bluish dragon with pink and purple markings like stripes down its neck and back. Its crawling downward over a large rock jutting up from a sandy beach, the grassy hillside with trees in the background. The sky is filled with clouds. Text reads kamakru.com. Signed Katie Croonenberghs 2023
February 16, 2026 at 8:24 PM
kamakru.bsky.social
Home made smoothie time 🤤
This time I used apple juice, frozen mango, blackberries, raspberries, a dash of strawberries, a fresh banana and honey sweetened greek yogurt.
February 15, 2026 at 11:38 PM
Reposted by Katie Croonenberghs Art
coveofmadness.bsky.social
The Great Hunt

After an amazing 8 weeks under the mentorship of
@abigbat.bsky.social, this piece is complete! It's been a fun challenge pushing my skills to the limit and leveling up. Learned a ton both in a technical sense but also in a brainspace sense.

#fantasyart #art #artsky #fantasy #ttrpg
An illustration of a goliath hunter on his mount in snowy mountain terrain, facing off against a crag cat. The Goliath is a young man, dressed in brown and white furs, accented with red and blue woven panels. He wields a red horsebow. His mount is a mixture of a reindeer and a markhor goat. His tack and gear matches the colors and motifs of his rider. He is mid leap. In the forground, a white sabertoothed cat pursues the pair. In the background are snowy peaks and Giant ruins.
June 2, 2025 at 7:10 PM
kamakru.bsky.social
Dragonposting 🐉

#dragons #watercolor #painting
Watercolor and gouache illustration of a white dragon laying across a fallen log with a small tree grow from the center. It's in a sense forest with moss and ferns, text reads kamakru.com signed by Katie Croonenberghs 2025
February 14, 2026 at 11:36 PM
kamakru.bsky.social
Today is a botched day. Was ready to do so much work but slept horrible, I had trouble waking up from dreams that seemed to keep me under. Day 4 of back hurting, though I'm just powering through as usual. Sitka needs to go to the vet for a swollen lip so I'm stuck in "hurry and wait" mode.
February 13, 2026 at 9:16 PM
kamakru.bsky.social
Something new in the works! Have a little WIP as I tighten the details of this piece before painting begins.
Yesterday was spent doing the full color comp digitally and today I transferred and refined it. There are lots of steps before painting begins, but all very important steps.
#dragons #wip
A close up photo of artist using a small mechanical pencil to sketch a dragon on paper. Text in lower right reads kamakru.com
February 12, 2026 at 11:10 PM
kamakru.bsky.social
I'm so pleased to find that my piece "Skyfire Flight" will be included in the Infected By Art volume 14 annual!
It's an honor to be included among so many amazing artists 💚
#IBA14 #InfectedByArt #watercolor #dragons

www.infectedbyart.com/iba14artist....
Watercolor painting based on the beach at Picnic Point, Washington. A sunset lights the sky in orange while dark clouds blot most of the sky. A green dragon with orange wings flies overhead. The beach is mostly sand, driftwood logs in the foreground. Text reads kamakru.com
February 11, 2026 at 11:55 PM
kamakru.bsky.social
Small gouache study of some rocks in a lake. Painted on orange paper. 2024

#gouache #painting #traditionalart
A square painting of a lake with mountains in the distance. Near us, large rocks sit half submerged in the water, the farthest rock in the sun, the closer rocks in shadow. Text reads kamakru.com. Signed Katie Croonenberghs 2024
February 11, 2026 at 9:40 PM
kamakru.bsky.social
I really needed to watch that video so I could identify fake writing. Some of these tells I didn't know about!
February 11, 2026 at 3:03 AM
kamakru.bsky.social
One thing I've noticed lately is while small businesses - artists, creatives, small restaurants, suppliers that work with small businesses (and I mean SMALL, not these millions+ dollar businesses) have tried to not raise prices until they HAD to.
While big corps were the very first to raise prices
February 10, 2026 at 9:53 PM
kamakru.bsky.social
Shipstation offers the option to ship to Canada with a flat rate pre-paid shipping duties fee of $9.95, so I made a new option at checkout for shipments to Canada that include this! I hope this makes orders going to Canada much easier to receive & less expensive. :)
Cropped screen shot of the checkout portion on kamakru.com showing delivery options for Canada. The first is International Shipping - Canada and the second option is Canada - Duties PRE-PAID
February 10, 2026 at 9:39 PM
kamakru.bsky.social
Uggh... the print shop I use for my LE prints had to raise their prices because of tariffs.
What was already a small margin for my high-end prints has just become smaller. I'm not going to up my prices for them yet... I'm hoping to get my own printer set up, but the maintenance has made me hesitate
February 10, 2026 at 4:49 AM
kamakru.bsky.social
First Newsletter of 2026 is out! 🎉
I decided to copy it over to the blog on my website to make it easy to read and find.
I'm also wondering - are you more likely to check my blog than to check Patreon for public posts?

www.kamakru.com/blog/2026/2/...
New Year, New art and Website Refresh! — Art of Katie Croonenberghs
Blog of PNW Fantasy artist Katie Croonenberghs
www.kamakru.com
February 9, 2026 at 10:31 PM
kamakru.bsky.social
Aw crap, I totally forgot the Superbowl was today and I sent out my first newsletter of the year during the half time show that everyone was probably watching lol.

Timing was a little bad, but at least I did it?
February 9, 2026 at 1:52 AM
kamakru.bsky.social
Whenever I'm planning a new painting I feel like I'm shopping through my reference folders with unlimited budget.
"I'll take that one, and that one, and, oh! Yes that one too"
February 8, 2026 at 11:35 PM
Reposted by Katie Croonenberghs Art
jeremyvoh.bsky.social
Tracing the snowmelt back toward the clouds. The Cascades in their truest, most contemplative form for #Stunday.

#photography #pnw #landscape #landscapephotography #mountains #nature #naturephotography
A rocky stream rushes through a verdant valley, its cold waters carving a path between mossy banks and low-lying shrubs. In the distance, a rugged, snow-dusted mountain emerges from a thick shroud of mist, framed by the dark, reaching silhouettes of evergreen trees. The heavy, overcast sky casts a moody, contemplative light over the landscape.
February 8, 2026 at 1:10 PM
Reposted by Katie Croonenberghs Art
drumshaman.bsky.social
#SilentSunday

#Photography #Landscape #Nature #Outdoors
A close-up nature photograph of a moss-covered tree trunk in a dark, damp forest setting. A small, vibrant green fern grows from the base of the trunk, its delicate fronds catching soft light and standing out against the deep black background. Thick green moss clings to the bark, and additional ferns and broad-leafed plants frame the foreground. The moody, low-key lighting creates a dramatic contrast between the luminous greens and the shadowy surroundings, evoking a quiet, primordial atmosphere.
February 8, 2026 at 5:55 PM
kamakru.bsky.social
Spent today getting the order in for the next batch of open edition prints, then dropped off our ballots and picked up street tacos. No pic of my tacos, but take a look at the sheer mass (or rather density perhaps?) of this burrito my husband ordered
A wrapped burrito sits on a postal scale. The burrito is unassuming, average size. However the weight on the scale reads one pound and 8.8 ounces
February 8, 2026 at 1:39 AM