Born and raised in rural Michigan, Rayne Karfonta grew up with an appreciation for nature. That appreciation is reflected in his illustrations. As well as nature, Karfonta found inspiration in fantasy, and brought that into his work. He completed his BFA in Illustration with a minor in Art History from Kendall College of Art and Design in 2018. A year later, he returned for his MFA in Painting, which he received in 2022. Currently, Karfonta lives with his 30+ plants in Grand Rapids, MI. There, he continues working on his illustrations for his character Lil' Birb.