M. Kathleen Warren

Artist Statement

Growing up in NW Florida in the late 1950's and 1960's, Kathleen had ample opportunity to engage in a small-town community and to experience the stories of the people around them. Art was part of the curriculum at school from elementary school days, and she was encouraged at home, in classes, and in private lessons to explore different media and ways to express what she was seeing and feeling. Although she has decades of experience in photography and various related media, Kathleen found herself captivated by the encaustic wax process, both its living texture and its diversity of techniques. Her affiliations with various artist organizations and galleries have also contributed significantly to her growth by enabling fruitful exchanges of ideas and techniques. Kathleen freely shares her art knowledge and passion by teaching classes locally and online. She learns as much from these students as they learn from her, and Kathleen is continually gleaning new ideas and stories from these creative people.

For their art, Kathleen gets inspiration from our shared human experience, and she finds each scene has its own compelling narrative. She is particularly drawn to women as subjects, both in her dancer art and in her portrayal of women's faces alongside objects they love. This work has and is challenging the artist to grow as an artist and as a human being. Kathleen has experimented with new techniques and with using techniques she already knows in a different way, always learning. Kathleen feels herself being asked by each piece to look into her very soul, as she sees the dance artists and strong women doing, and there to discover the multiple facets of her own humanity.