Katharine Dove

21 – 27 August 2013

• Kate lives and works from her studio in Montpellier, Cheltenham.  She has been painting for 9 years and professionally since March 2012 after a 20 year career in HR and Organisational Development.

• She has been exhibiting for the last 4 years in Cheltenham and since becoming a full time artist has started exhibiting in Oxfordshire and Cornwall.  She says of her work:

• “My work is inspired by my surroundings.  The Regency buildings and colourful parks and trees of Cheltenham have provided plenty of ideas as I have developed my own style of using mixed media.  Since I became a full time artist I have a lot more time to travel and to paint a much greater variety of subjects.  Invariably though I find myself drawn to the built environment and its juxtaposition with the natural world.

• I can always find a way of incorporating vibrant colour and interesting textures into my paintings and often find my wire haired Jack Russell terrier Max, who accompanies me on most of my travels creeping into my work adding a real sense of fun.

• I very much enjoy meeting with customers and delighted when they are prepared to give me feedback.  The comment most often made is that I must love life to create such vibrant colour filled pieces.  I do love my life, particularly now that painting has become my way of life.  Having said this, I work hard as I strive to create paintings to capture my view of the world.  I experiment and make mistakes every day and it is when these ‘accidents’ turn out well and can be repeated that I know I’m on the right track.

• In all of my different roles and hobbies I have had plenty of opportunity to be creative and never a truer word than that of Scott Adams “Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.”

• I carry a camera and a notebook as I walk and these photographs and thumbnail sketches provide my inspiration.  I’m happiest when working on a new piece experimenting with different media to create new and interesting effects that will leave my subject recognizable but with plenty of space for the imagination of the viewer.”

• Over the last four years Kate has had a number of highly successful solo exhibitions in Cheltenham and Cirencester.  She was highly commended in a 2011 Broadway art competition and as a result of this sold through the John Noot contemporary Gallery in Broadway.  She is now firmly established as a successful Cotswold artist and will be building on this to exhibit more widely from autumn 2013.

•  For further information visit my website www.katharinedove.co.uk

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