Kay Richoux

My Artist Journey

Born in New Orleans and raised in Lafayette, Louisiana, Kay Richoux is a mixed-media artist, educator, and creative entrepreneur whose work is deeply rooted in healing, faith, and the transformative power of creativity. She divides her time between Lafayette, Louisiana, and Inlet Beach along Florida’s Scenic Highway 30A, drawing inspiration from both the cultural richness of Acadiana and the quiet beauty of the Gulf Coast.

Kay’s relationship with art began in childhood, when drawing, carving soap and wood, and taking formal art lessons first awakened her creative voice. She later studied art and architecture at the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette), where she met her husband. Although life eventually led them into different professions—Kay into nursing and her husband into law—her connection to art remained constant, quietly shaping the way she saw, felt, and moved through the world. Over time, she explored watercolor, pen and ink, charcoal, stained glass, encaustic, resin, collage, paper clay, and mixed media, developing a distinctive visual language known for its layered textures, symbolic depth, and emotionally resonant storytelling.

After retiring from a 23-year nursing career, Kay returned to art full-time, embracing creativity not only as a profession but as a calling. Her work took on even greater meaning following the loss of her daughter, Kate, in 2020. Through art journaling, collage, and intuitive mixed-media practices, she discovered that art could hold what words often cannot—that it could transform grief into reflection, sorrow into beauty, and pain into a pathway toward healing. These experiences continue to inform work that explores faith, restoration, memory, and the quiet strength that can emerge from brokenness.

In memory of her daughter, Kay founded Kate’s Legacy, LLC, honoring Kate’s dream of creating handcrafted candles and bath products while carrying forward a legacy of compassion, creativity, and service.

Since 2016, Kay has shared her passion for creativity through teaching. In 2022, she opened Soul Art School, LLC, where she offers classes, workshops, and creative experiences designed to encourage artistic exploration, self-expression, and personal growth. Her background in nursing, combined with her own journey through grief and healing, gives her a profound appreciation for the restorative power of the creative process. Her first art book, Holy Animals, was published July 8, 2026. This graphite drawing and watercolor workbook breaks down drawing and painting into fun, manageable sections, guiding readers as they recreate some of her own drawings and paintings and is filled with inspirational Bible scripture. The book is available on lulu.com, Amazon, and through vendors in Louisiana and Florida.

Kay’s artwork has been featured in juried, member, and solo exhibitions throughout the United States and in Florida’s Art in Public Spaces program in Watersound. Her work has appeared in the Destin Log, The Walton Sun, 008 Magazine, and Lifestyle Magazine. Several of her paintings were featured in the Hallmark Channel film My Southern Family Christmas.

Her painting Saint of Strength: Joan of Arc was selected by the Joan of Arc Project in New Orleans to promote its 2022 celebration, leading to participation in a juried exhibition and solo exhibition at Ariodante Gallery, along with recognition as an honorary member of the Krewe de Jeanne d’Arc.

A dedicated advocate for the arts, Kay served as president, vice president, and board member of the Lafayette Art Association. She also was the LAA Coordinator for all exhibitions at the Lafayette Public Library for eight years. During her presidency, she led the organization’s 40th Anniversary Mural Project, commemorating four decades of artistic contributions to the Acadiana community. She also organized the mural’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, officiated by Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser.

Kay is a juried professional member of both the Louisiana Crafts Guild and the Mississippi Crafts Guild and is also affiliated with the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County, Artists of 30A, the Lafayette Art Association, the Acadiana Center for the Arts, and the Rhode Island Watercolor Society. Her work is available through Crossroads Collective and St. John’s Cathedral Gift Shop in Lafayette, Louisiana, and The Blue Giraffe in Inlet Beach, Florida.

Kay’s goal is to create art that connects with viewers immediately through vivid color, rich texture, and the thoughtful inclusion of embedded words and found objects. She invites each viewer to engage not only with the artwork itself, but also with their own mind, body, and soul. Whether creating mixed-media pieces, writing instructional books, or guiding others through their own artistic journeys, Kay believes creativity has the power to inspire hope, foster healing, and remind us that beauty can be found even in life’s most difficult seasons.