About Me
Where it all started?
My name is Kirsty. I have been interested in art since I was very young. I loved it, I could capture what I saw and my passion for marine science was probably nurtured by painting marine wildlife I saw. Shells, fish and more which I recorded in my own way to remember what I saw, and then as I got older, identify what I had found or seen. I persued a career in Marine Biology and use my artwork to meditate, relax but I have found a way to use my art during my career too!
When did I start KAB Wildlife Art?
During the pandemic I found time to explore art, after a fairly long break. I began to get inspired and produce many paintings in a time of great uncertainty. Explore my art gallery or blog section for examples of art series I have been working on.
What mediums do I use?
My favourite medium is watercolour...Its activated by water, like the start of all life and its hugely dynamic. This means it can be fairly unpredictable, but I really enjoy this property. The movement of the water and the fact you can't paint over mistakes helps you embrace the uncertainty of life and adds a aspect of relaxation to the process. It helps me to let go of the perfectionist mindset to really enjoy the soft application of smooth brushstrokes across the paper. There are lots of other tricks you can explore with watercolour too. My favourite is the application of salt which can make striking patterns and excitement of not knowing how the pattern will turn out. The joy of natural patterning. I also think there is something so poetic about painting marine animals and adding salt.
I also have begun exploring pen work using small black fineliners to layer up inetresting animal and wildlife pieces.
Why wildlife art?
I am a self proclaimed nature nerd and I absolutely love being in the wilderness. I am always finding new ways to explore wildlife including hiking, kayaking, diving and my favourite, snorkelling/free-diving. I am passionate abou the natral world in my personal and work life. and I use my art to engage, educate and inspire others to put nature first.
You can explore more about me, my art, my photography and more by exploring my blog page.