I graduated from Northern Arizona University with a Bachelor of Science in Art Education. While I taught art at Bel Air Middle School in Maryland, I did post graduate studies at the Maryland Institute of Art. After my formal training I spend 50 years of art discovery. I started with traditional black ink on white clayboard (also called Scratchboard) and 7 years later developed full color painting techniques on clayboard. At that time there was little information available about this medium and my unique painting techniques were included in the book Scratchboard for Illustration by Ruth Lozner.
Many of my paintings reflect Native American legends. My strongest influences come from growing up on San Carlos Apache and Pine Ridge Sioux Reservations, where my father organized police forces. Indian legends and the life stories shared by my friends and family are at the heart of my art.
I have lived in Las Cruces, NM since 1979 with my husband Ed. We have 3 children and 2 grandchildren.
Artist Statement
My paintings on clay board are a combination of rich color and graphic precision. I brush watercolor paints on white clay board, cut fine line details into the clay surface with an exacto knife and the glaze color onto the board with oils. The results are the clarity of watercolor, the detail of clay board and the lustrous finish of an oil painting. The work is so detailed that it often requires the use of a magnifying glass. When asked how long the artwork takes to make, I say, “It takes weeks and weeks, months and months, but not years and years.”
In 1990, my paintings on clayboard took a leap with the creation of kinetic paintings. Kinetic paintings are created from two originals paintings on Clayboard that are planned for each other to make a third image in the middle view. When passing by the painting it appears to change as your view point changes.
I love to paint a variety of subjects: Native American themes; Wildlife; and Western. My favorite theme is the relationship between man and animals. Since I grew up on a reservation much of my work has Native American influence based on personal experience. I use birds and animals from Wildlife rescue centers throughout the US. All of the people and animals in my art are real and my wild imagination sees stories everywhere. That used to get me in a lot of trouble in school and my Mom saved all the notes from my teachers saying “Kathy is a daydreamer”. Thank Goodness I finally found work where daydreaming paid off! In 1990, my paintings on clayboard took a leap with the creation of kinetic paintings. Kinetic paintings are created from two originals paintings on Clayboard that are planned for each other to make a third image in the middle view. When passing by the painting it appears to change as your view point changes.
