About Kathryn Beals
I grew up in a small fishing town on the northwest coast of British Columbia. I have loved painting since before I can remember. I have been selling my work professionally for over sixteen years, and working as a full-time artist since 2005.
My style has been influenced by the many beautiful places I have lived in the north, and by backcountry trips in the Sierra mountains with my husband Travis. We have backpacked sections of the Pacific Crest Trail, the John Muir trail, and the West Coast Trail with our little orange tent.
I attribute my love of color and movement in landscapes to my synesthesia and migraine auras. These conditions have shaped the way I see the world and enhanced my artistic development. I am traditionally left-handed, but I have learned to paint with both hands.
Most of my works are commissioned portraits. I love the challenge of translating others’ memories into art. My first commission was to draw a pair of old work boots as a retirement gift for a construction worker. Since then, I have painted dogs, horses, people, houses, cars, lizards, fish and even dinosaurs. Since I have no formal art training, these commissions have been invaluable in developing my technical skill and expanding my comfort zone.
I enjoy showing my work in progress and time lapse videos on my art technique blog. Like all self-taught artists, I learned to paint by trial and error. As a young teenager, I painted practice paintings on cardboard, and bought one tube of paint at a time with my babysitting money. I hope that my advice will encourage beginner artists to try painting. My own experiences with this learning process have been so rewarding.