Color and movement are the first things you notice about Kathleen Kemly's paintings.
Her lush landscapes convey an immediacy of place and time. Kathleen finds herself not just inspired, but encompassed by nature. She seeks to convey the feeling one has of being both the still center and part of the great, wheeling world around us. She attempts to capture this sense in her landscape paintings. There is also a fascination with the particular in nature: a shell, wildflower, repeated patterns.
Kathleen’s studio paintings are done in oils. Her process begins in the field, where she composes and records impressions of the wilderness experience. In the studio, she uses these photos to do preliminary charcoal sketches and small gouache studies. Her work is informed and inspired by artists Emily Carr, Lucinda Parker and the Group of Seven, among many others.
Kathleen began her art career as an illustrator for Children’s Literature. Her lively full color art works have illustrated many books, as well as countless magazine articles. A backpacking trip on Mt. Rainier’s Wonderland Trail awakened Kathleen’s awe and reverence for nature’s beauty. She has been hiking and painting the Northwest landscape ever since. You can view her archived work here.
Kathleen Kemly received her BFA in illustration from Parsons School of Design, NYC; she has continued her study of painting at Gage Academy, Seattle. Her paintings have been in many solo and group shows in the region. She has illustrated many award-winning Children's Books, most recently Molly, By Golly! by Dianne Ochiltree.
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