Kathleen Gaitt - As a child growing up in England I always made things. I remember when I was five, riding on the bus with my mother and flaunting my latest creation, a red fabric wig, cut and braided at either end and held on by a chin strap. I constantly observed , sketched or painted people , wild flowers , toadstools , caterpillars and interesting patterns . Years later , as part of child development research , I studied children using dressing-up clothes in their imaginative play and designed a set of colourful tactile children's garments which could be played with , as well as played in. These incorporated interchangeable 'aprons' containing multi-sensory surprises and became part of "Playthings" a juried touring exhibition sponsored by the Royal College of Art.
Fast forward to a new country, raising a family, a teaching career, producing small-scale illustrations for alternative publications....... and I am still driven to capture glimpses of nature, both human and environmental in my work. This fascination with penetrating the 'unseen' lives of ordinary people and things, compels me to make visual comments rather than producing traditional art objects. Reflecting on what I find whimsical, nostalgic, thought-provoking or beautiful, I enjoy celebrating seemingly insignificant things or moments so they appear extraordinary.
I experiment with a variety of media , depending on the dictates of the subject or creative use of available supplies when inspiration strikes! Current obsessions are ideas and memories around things we find, keep or discard, and the myriad of patterns that surround us. My work has been shown in juried exhibitions in England, Australia, and B.C. My home and wild garden, which I treat as 'installation art' is in Langley, B.C.
Fast forward to a new country, raising a family, a teaching career, producing small-scale illustrations for alternative publications....... and I am still driven to capture glimpses of nature, both human and environmental in my work. This fascination with penetrating the 'unseen' lives of ordinary people and things, compels me to make visual comments rather than producing traditional art objects. Reflecting on what I find whimsical, nostalgic, thought-provoking or beautiful, I enjoy celebrating seemingly insignificant things or moments so they appear extraordinary.
I experiment with a variety of media , depending on the dictates of the subject or creative use of available supplies when inspiration strikes! Current obsessions are ideas and memories around things we find, keep or discard, and the myriad of patterns that surround us. My work has been shown in juried exhibitions in England, Australia, and B.C. My home and wild garden, which I treat as 'installation art' is in Langley, B.C.
Almost Ready (from Anticipation series) monotype print
Person Dam beaver-stripped sticks, string, and pen
Tyrescape (from Tyrescape series) mixed-media
|
Family Tree hand coloured laser print
Dinosaurs Are Disruptive (from Dinosaur series) digital photo
Splash I ( from Splash series) monotype print
|