About artist Kathryn Beals (she/her)
I'm a self-taught painter and former forester from British Columbia, with no formal training in art. I've been selling my artwork professionally since I was thirteen. I now live on a small island in BC with my husband and three young children. I am grateful to live and work on the unceded traditional territory of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) Nation.
My landscape style is influenced by many beautiful places I have lived in the Canadian north, my former career in forestry, and the wild places we've traveled in our little orange tent. We have backpacked sections of the Pacific Crest Trail, the John Muir Trail, the West Coast Trail, and many remote areas of northern Canada.
Because I love the outdoors, and because I’m grateful to be a cancer survivor, I share my art sales with nature nonprofits. With my collectors’ support, I have raised over $50K for conservation since 2017.
About my Paintings
I attribute the colour and movement in my paintings to my synesthesia and migraine auras. These conditions have shaped the way I see the world, and enhanced my development as an artist. The circles in my paintings and my method of painting with magnetic fields were inspired by the visual disturbances from my migraines.
My primary medium is acrylic on canvas, but I also work with resin, metal leaf and wood. In 2017, I discovered fluid abstracts, and immediately fell in love with the way fluid paintings come out looking like something in nature; from cells to rocks to aerial photos to galaxies. I also add resin and metal leaf to merge my abstract and landscape styles, which you can see in short videos on my Instagram. In 2019, I made my first online course on a metal leafing method that I developed in my garage through trial and error, and I released a course in spring 2020 on a technique I developed using magnetic fields.
After our move home to Canada in 2020, I began to teach myself woodworking, and I now incorporate pyrography and lathe work in my functional art.
About My Logo and Forestry Ring
Before becoming a full time painter, I was a forestry worker and researcher, and my love of forests is still central to my work. You can read more here about why I chose the aspen leaf for my logo, and why I see aspen trees as a symbol of community.
You can read more here about why I still wear my forester’s ring as an artist, and how I’m honoring my promise to be a steward of the land in my new career.
About my Studio
In February 2019, I reached a lifelong dream of growing my business enough to rent a proper art studio in Palo Alto, CA. I moved in just in time to film my first course. Before then, I worked in my garage, which I now use for woodworking and shipping. You can read more about both spaces here.
After our family’s move home to British Columbia in 2020, we built a new studio and workshop on our small island property.
About My Family
With my mother and grandmother as painters, I am a third generation female painter in our family, and my children are painters as well. My kids like to help me in the studio and at the post office, and I’m proud to teach them about running a small business as well as helping them develop their own style. My middle child (below) sold their first painting at age 6. You can also read this story about how my husband encouraged me to become a professional artist.
Notable Collaborations
Visit this page to read about some of the companies and nonprofits Kathryn has worked with. For image licensing requests, contact Kathryn’s agency, Jewel Branding.
