Artist's Biography

Born in 1985, in the City of St. Catharines, Ontario. At an early age, Katharine Kennie developed a fascination with the inner workings of the world, desperate to understand just how everything worked. As an outlet for this curiosity, she turned to drawing, a way of figuring things out for herself. She was later exposed to the history of the Italian Renaissance. The plethora of artists greatly influenced her, particularly the life and work of Leonardo Da Vinci. From him, she learned that a vast array of interests could, in a way, augment deeper insight into herself and the world around her.

 

During her teens she was enrolled in the arts program at Eastwood Collegiate Institute in Kitchener. The generous art focus of the school allowed her to explore not only the Visual Arts, but Music, Theatre, and Set Design.

 

After graduating high school, Katharine enrolled at The Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCAD). During her foundation year, she experienced a variety of mediums outside of her primary area of drawing and painting. Notably she was exposed to numerous printmaking techniques (screen printing, monotype, drypoint, etching, and linocut), but the one area that caught her attention most was the wood fabrication courses.

 

After attending classes at OCAD, Katharine decided to strike out on her own, and continued to paint. All the while having a lingering desire to explore the many facets of woodworking, she began to work in carpentry and cabinetmaking.

 

In 2014, Katharine moved to the Grey County region where she opened her own business within the woodworking industry. There was an aspect of the work that satisfied her need to understand how things work, and taught her many things about running a business. Ultimately these experiences led her back to the expressive potentials of the visual arts.

 

Since moving to Grey County, Katharine has had the opportunity to explore, not only the landscape of Grey County, but other geographies across Canada, Europe and South America. Throughout, Katharine has been compiling a personal library of experiences, moments captured on pieces of paper, in photographs and video footage. These act as intermediaries, allowing Katharine to express messages, a translation of experiences for you to see.

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