Instructor

Kate found her way to art down the garden path. Instead of art school, her education came by way of working in and then designing gardens (including the Bloedel Reserve a long time ago). When not building gardens, she traveled widely in books and in the world focusing on design, be it buildings, textiles, ceramics, or paintings. Kate came to making these vessels after years of painting on glass and then metal. One day she happened into a fabric store and was, as always, entranced by the materials and frustrated by what she describes as her "inability or unwillingness" to sew. She bought a few choice pieces of fabric determined to make something with them without a needle. Paper mâche’ is an easy craft one can do with 6 year olds – a form, torn paper, and glue. Kate adapted it to fabric and thread using her painter’s eye for color and composition and line. Their only function is aesthetic. Kate's artistic influences include nature followed by Japanese arts, mid-century design, and modern art in general.