Original Pastel Paintings
Kathy Beekman is a self-taught painter whose soft original pastel paintings emerge from the West and Midwest countrysides, lives in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado where her home and studio are perched at 8,600 feet. “The vastness of the natural landscape here inspires my work. My paintings reflect how I think and feel about my environment.”
Kathy grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, a small city surrounded by the farming communities that continuously inspire her subject matter: the barns, clouds, open spaces, and streams that conjure up idealized versions of the landscapes she experienced as a child. Since then, her style has developed to include mountains and vast landscapes inspired, from where she now lives and the places she visits. This style has a simplified graphic quality with a quiet reflective mood characteristic of all of Beekman’s paintings.
“Coloring books and doodles started me on my artistic path. From the beginning, transforming a piece of paper to reflect my thoughts and feelings has struck me as magical. I love the sense of fulfillment that I get from successfully conveying my emotions onto paper. This is how I best communicate. I work quite deliberately, my unconscious is truly calling the shots. It steers my compositions, my color choices, and their placement, and tells me when a painting is finished. Creating comes intuitively rather than intellectually.”
More About The Artist:
Above all, Kathy is an incredible painter. But, her passion for the arts extends beyond her canvas. She is also a highly sought-after art career coach for artists who want to “rise above the rest,”. She’s an instructor in pastel painting to adults, and owner/designer of Chuckle & Chortle, a hilarious greeting card line. She has also authored two books. Prosper: A Success Book for Artists, is her first book written and is packed with tips and real-life experiences offering crucial advice on how to reach personal artistic goals. Her second book, Motivational Quotes: A Reflection Book for Artists, is an exceptional collection of inspirational quotes, as well as easy to remember tips and self-reflection questions to motivate artists forward in their creative lives. You may also find her continuously featured in the highly acclaimed Southwest Art Magazine.
Kathy currently lives in Bailey, Colorado.
“Painting is my way of exploring my surroundings. It is my key to the secret garden, my way down the rabbit hole, my looking glass. By closely examining architecture, noting the way a cloud casts a shadow, or discerning the color of a mountain in the distance, I better understand the world in which I live.”
