Artist Statement

“My paintings reflect my love of animals and nature and my obsession with storytelling. Animals have thoughts and feelings, just as we do. I hope to show this in my work. Although I love to sketch and draw from life, I frequently work from reference photos. When painting animals, I like to imagine a back story for the animal I’m painting and push the boundaries of reality. I make their eyes larger or paint the colors more saturated than they would be in nature. I talk to my animals when painting, and I give them names. Their names frequently come to me as I am working.”

Process

Much of my work has a digital component. I always start with a sketch on watercolor paper. I then block the colors with watercolor. The next step is to take the watercolor painting and scan it. Then, on the computer, using a Cintiq tablet, I paint on layers of digital watercolor, pastel, or colored pencil. When satisfied with the result, my paintings are then giclée printed on watercolor paper or canvas. The final step is to take the printed pieces and add acrylic paint, oil pastel, watercolor, or colored pencil, depending on the mood and style of the painting. This process is known as “embellishing.” Each of these final, embellished canvases or watercolor paintings is unique, and no two are alike.

Giclée is a type of printing process that uses archival pigments that reproduce the tones and hues of the original painting. It is a standard for museum-quality printing and will last 100+ years.

Bio

Kathy Moore Wilson is an American artist born and raised in the Washington, D.C., area. She worked as a graphic designer, illustrator, animator, and video editor for twenty years.

In 2015, she earned a Master’s degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). 

That same year, she also started her own business, Pendragon Art Studios, focusing on painting animal and children’s portraits. And in 2017, she became a full-time self-employed artist, painting portraits and illustrations of the animals and wildlife she loves and painting pet portraits on commission.

Kathy and her husband moved from Rockville, Maryland, to Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 2021, where they enjoy the beautiful Rocky Mountains and the chance to see some of the wildlife that Kathy loves to paint.