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Kathi DePasse
I am a painter who likes the flexibility of working in acrylic on paper or canvas. My major, though, was drawing when I went to CMU in the 70's (BFA 1978). I enjoy both media and typically paint from life, depicting the world around me, and most often, the relationships I see there, whether between people or objects.
I have always drawn from life. When I returned to school at CMU after marrying Vic and then having my first son, Jay, in the summer of my 2nd year, drawing from life evolved, of necessity, into drawing my life. Drawing my world as a woman, mother, wife, with a focus on roles in relationships; the contrasts of male and female identities; and the observations and frustrations of a mother and artist. During my early art life I had several one person shows that dealt with these areas from the view of a participant as well as an observer and recorder. In all of my work I explored the mark. And in painting, color. Then, as now, I painted in acrylics, which allowed me to record quickly and to paint and repaint in layers until the balance of color felt right.
When my second son Martin was 10, I returned to Chatham College to earn my elementary certification and began teaching – a job that left little time or energy for my own work. Now in retirement, I have shifted my focus back to art. I continue to paint the world around me that includes again areas of my identity as a woman, such as my series on kitchens. Since retiring, I have also begun spending much of my time at a cabin that the family has gone to for over 40 years, in the village of Benezette, Elk County, PA. Vic and Martin added several additions to the cabin, part of which serve as my studio space for clay, and a shop where I show and sell my art and pottery along with Martin's creations in wood. In addition to wheel thrown pottery, I enjoy hand building clay and making jewelry there.
My shop and ceramics studio is in Elk County, PA. There I work in clay (both hand built and wheel thrown), hemp and stone, and sell mainly functional stoneware pottery, jewelry and paintings alongside my son Martin's and husband Vic's woodwork at Nuthatch Studio, just outside the beautiful mountainside village of Benezette. I return to the South Hills of Pittsburgh weekdays, where my home based painting studio is. There I also spend time with my other son Jay and his wife Jordann, and there amazing children Lewis and Josephina Rose.
Kathi has exhibited with the Eastside Gallery group, and exhibiting group of artists called the Pittsburgh 10. She is a member of Associated Artists of Pittsburgh, and has served as a board member and president of Pittsburgh Society of Artists.
To see more of Kathi's work visit:
Nuthatch Studios
8778 Route 555
Weedville, PA 15868
(814) 787-4004
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