About Kathryn
Who are you? Who am I? Often we answer this question with what we do- our occupations. Stepping into an answer that is a bit more ambiguous, I am a healer and communicator. I have worked with children and their families for over 32 years as a paediatrician however, the most meaningful aspects of my healing have stemmed, I believe, from empathetic listening and reflecting with my patients and their families on possible solutions. A condition of empathy for others and for our more-than-human companions, is integral to my work as a visual artist and writer. Referencing the natural world as comprised of our more-than-human companions shifts nature from being composed of objects for humans to consume, to co-creators of the world we share. We, humans and more-than-humans, are generating life in an intertwined and richly complex way. My art, which includes two dimensional, installation, textiles, community art projects and writing, reflects the similar complex and intertwining manner of my thinking and it is hoped to address important issues of our times. A new initiative, of developing Slough Studios, an interdisciplinary arts residency and retreat along the Columbia River, near the hamlet of Parson, is underway and is scheduled to accept creatives, May, 2023. In addition, my interest in the power of language including the language of nature, has compelled me to write and self publish written works of art thinkings. Many of my fine art work designs have been translated into beautiful commercial items, thus extending my art to a wider audience. It is hoped that my work moves beyond the immediate visual representations of living relationships, to conceptual ideas of how our world interconnects. My creative endeavours are hoped to generate connections and help propel a cultural shift that is needed to heal each other and our world.
Artist Bio
Kathryn currently resides in the hamlet of Parson, British Columbia, having retired from her first career as a pediatrician in the town of Canmore, Alberta. The thirty-two year career as a pediatrician has informed many aspects of Kathryn’s art practice. Kathryn’s has a BFA from the now Alberta University of the Arts,(Major Drawing) graduating as the Governor General Award-winning recipient in 2014. Kathryn went on to complete an Interdisciplinary MFA from the University of Hartford Connecticut, 2022. Kathryn subsequently retired from her pediatric practice choosing to develop her art practice as well as the artist residency and retreat, Slough Studios, located at her home in Parson. Kathryn’s commercial art consists of illustrative, complex drawings which are created in a painterly fashion with soft pastel, ink, and acrylic pouring medium. She creates form through what she describes as topographical line work in addition to complex mark making. Her compositions often employ weaving patterns which reflects the complexity of life. Kathryn is interested in expressing her ideas regarding important issues of our times such as climate change, extinction studies, and how humans and more-than-humans navigate and influence common ecosystems. While her work is scientifically researched, it is often expressed as magical realism, hoping to ignite the animated imagination that is present in all of us. Her commercial work can be seen at the Art Gallery of Golden, Carre des Artistes, Montreal, through Blue Eyes Studio on line, and reproductions in textile and prints, at farmers markets in Canmore and Invermere
Websites: kathryncooke-blueyestudio.com, sloughstudios.com