ABOUT

Biography

Kate Lund is originally from the small town of Challis, located in Central Idaho. She received a Bachelors in Fine Art from Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington and earned an MFA in Studio Art from the University of Montana.

Her artistic process begins outside, collecting natural objects from the ground and photographing the colors and movements of the sky. In the studio this collection becomes a way to observe, study, and better understand the world around her. Kate is an artist and teacher; she teaches art at Wallace Jr/Sr High School and is an adjunct instructor at North Idaho College.

Artist Statement

My curiosity for the natural environment began as a kid, building forts and clambering through the woods, which led me to spend eight summers working as a wildland firefighter. Now I spend most of my time observing nature from my garden, on a bike or a pair of skis; through these experiences in nature, I continue to find both satisfaction and unpredictability.

For me, spiders embody the duality that I see in nature and life. Spiders are both admired and loathed. Sometimes we think of the spider as sensitive, skillful, and wise, but at other times a villain. As I draw, I revel in a spider’s graceful gestures, highlights, and shadows while also recalling the familiar sting of a spider’s bite.

The abstract drawings are a visual representation of inner dialogue. I begin with a color that I have observed from the sky, and then I repeatedly layer simple phrases that are sometimes affirming, other times filled with doubt. As I layer, the color often becomes more saturated while the dialogue itself is diluted.

Through this process of studying, layering, and reflecting, I remain in appreciation of the beauty around me while expressing a sense of apprehension and uncertainty.

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