Kathryn Galvin

Exhibiting Member

Preferred Medium:

Watercolour

Artist Bio:

About Kathryn

Kathryn Galvin is a local Vancouver Island artist, having relocated here in 2003. Her primary medium is watercolour.

While primarily self-taught, she has studied with prominent American artists Frank Webb, Judi Betts and Birgit O’Connor, and with Canadian artists, Marney Ward, Harold Allanson and Allison Watt. Her paintings hang in homes and offices across the country and in Great Britain.

Kathryn has exhibited in numerous group and juried shows and for several years, exhibited at Art 10 Gallery in Nanaimo. She was a founding member of both the Interpretations Artists Association in Calgary and the Hammond Bay Studio Tour in Nanaimo. She is an active member of the Nanaimo Group of Artists and is an Exhibiting Member of the Federation of Canadian Artists. Her work has been accepted into the Federation Gallery on Granville Island and the Nanaimo Fine Art Show.

With a background in education, Kathryn takes great pleasure in sharing her love of painting with beginning and intermediate watercolourists. She takes great joy in supporting someone in the journey of discovery.

Artist Statement:

Artist Statement

To create a painting is such a joy.

Since I began drawing and painting, I see our world in a totally new way – I can be fascinated by the crack in a concrete wall, the intricate ruffles in a flower petal or the subtle colors found in old barn wood. I happily wile away time just taking in the patterns and form and colors that I see around me.

I paint what appeals to me and usually, I find the attraction begins with lines and luminous light. This has drawn me to be a student of doors, windows and architectural features, especially when I travel. I am consistently drawn to the delicate and intricate line and form of flowers and am obsessed with capturing their depth and beauty. Whether I draw or paint, I am energized the moment when I realize my strokes have created the illusion of dimension. I love the process.

While my work tends to be highly realistic, I am ever challenging myself to express my vision with a looser stroke. I just have to hide those smaller brushes!

I work predominantly in watercolour and exploring how it interplays with various surfaces from weight of paper to newer substrates like Aquabord. As a medium, watercolour has a life of its own and it exerts a power and personality that are at the heart of what makes a watercolor painting so pleasing to the eye. From time to time, I also enjoy working with oilbars, pen and ink and mixed media. For me, the qualities of watercolour and the way it responds create an adventure and an intense challenge.