About Me

K. Risa McLoughlin is a queer illustrator and picture book creator based out of Chicago, Illinois. Since graduating with a BFA in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design, Katie has been creating graphite and colored pencil drawings that combine a traditional hand with a modern approach to color, shape, and texture.

She gravitates towards stories that are a little weird, a little wondrous, and ultimately to stories about embracing every part of you inside and out. In 2024, she received a silver medal in Clavis Publishing’s Key Colors 2024 competition for her story Little Miss Mei and the Foxes of New Year.

Alongside her work in children’s publishing, Katie has also exhibited in galleries across the Chicagoland area as well as parts of the East Coast.

She hopes you are doing well.