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Born in 1967, and growing up with parents who loved the arts, Kathleen followed in their footsteps at an early age. Her mother is an oil painter and with her circle of artist friends always encouraged Kathleen’s natural talent. Spending her early years on a small organic farm in Iowa, Kathleen developed a real-world appreciation for animals and nature, and they became favorite subjects in her art. That bond with animals and the land continues to this day.
After studying commercial art at Studio Academy in Omaha, Nebraska, and working as a graphic artist, Kathleen channeled her creative energies into drawing and watercolor. Years later, she became known for her animal paintings in acrylics. Making the jump to oil paints in 2010 was relatively easy, and she knew at once she had found her true medium. Today, Kathleen combines self-directed study and experimentation in her ever-evolving contemporary, yet realistic style.
Although her art originally focused on animals, Kathleen has broadened her interests to include plein air landscapes (painting outdoors on location), still life paintings, and figure drawing from life. “I paint what I love,” Kathleen says. “I paint what fascinates me. I’m in love with the world and can’t confine myself to just one genre.”
Kathleen’s work continues to be noticed and collected throughout the United States and abroad. She lives in the Loess Hills of Western Iowa with her husband (a part time potter), a Rat Terrier named Cloud the Wonder Dog, and an 18 year old cat who thinks she’s the Queen of the Universe.
I have a visceral reaction to colors. I want to plunge in and experience every shade. The muted colors of sandstone and soil, the fiery colors of the autumn landscape, the hidden world of colors reflected in black or white fur, the wondrous and unexpected palette of colors on a winter’s day; I love them all.
For someone with such a love of color, I use a limited palette for most of my paintings. I prefer to mix my entire range of colors from only a few, making my artwork feel more personal. I strive for realism, but not necessarily photo-realism. I like to add abstract and impressionistic elements in my art, which can lend a surreal feeling to the moment I’m capturing. By heightening the senses, art gives these moments the potential to become even more real.