Kathleen Alexander

Artist's Statement

Artist Kathleen Alexander lives in a scenic coastal town just south of San Francisco, California with her husband and teenage children. She has been painting watercolors since 1982. She began by painting the local coastal landscapes, but her frequent travels to Hawaii drew her to a new subject. Attracted to the bold colors, exotic shapes and scents, as well as the island culture and the emotions that they invoke, the focus of Kathleen’s paintings has shifted to the tropical flowers of Hawaii.

Kathleen earned her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, but was always drawn to art. After college, she studied watercolor with photo-realist painter Jim Torlakson and with his encouragement began to paint with the goal of taking her painting to a professional level. She was awarded a one year scholarship to the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and attended the AAU in 2000-2001.

By taking advantage of transitions between light and shadow, Kathleen creates the illusion of depth in her paintings. She often paints from a composite of several photos, as well as from imagination to complete her compositions. Kathleen captures the grace and beauty of tropical flowers, still life, and landscapes, and her paintings convey a sense of peace to the viewer.

Kathleen teaches beginning through advanced watercolor painting, as well as workshops. Her paintings have been included in many national and international watercolor exhibitions across the United States. She has won many awards for her paintings, and her artwork is included in numerous private collections. Kathleen’s artwork is also in the collection of the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center.

Contact Information

Reflections
Watercolor

Enlightenment

Haiku #1
Watercolor

Water Lily
Watercolor