"He is the true enchanter
whose spell operates, not
upon the senses, but upon
the imagination and the heart."

Washington Irving


Artist Statement

The Western North Carolina woods, fields, and rivers are quietly waiting to be the subjects rendered in my Pastel paintings. My challenge is to cast an enchanting spell upon the imagination and heart of the viewers, bringing them into the painting to witness the beauty of nature as seen through my eyes. After interacting with a painting, I would hope the viewer would look at nature and now see all the marvelous colors hidden there.

My process has developed into a watercolor or oil underpainting of mingled colors with layers of pastel to finish. The underpainting interplays with the pastel and is visible in the final painting to add mystery and wonder to each scene.



Biographical sketch

Kate Thayer has always been an artist. From intricately designed clothing knitted from exotic yarns from around the world, to culinary artistry, to garden design, and finally to painting with pastels. They have all had the same aim: to create sensory and spiritual experiences that are personal, provocative, and life-enriching.

A Wisconsinite, she has degrees from Marquette University and University of Wisconsin, with considerable post-graduate education. Since then, her "classroom” has been the major galleries and museums around the globe.

She is an accomplished and widely-recognized pastelist. Her work has been juried and awarded in international, national, and local exhibitions. She is a learner, forever pushing the boundaries of her art. Her work has been in one person and group shows in many of the galleries in the Southeast. A long-time student of master painters, she is recognized for her own exquisite voice in her paintings.

In a recent interview, she remarked, "Schooling and 'talent' have little to do with serious art. It takes discipline and dedication. I have chosen to have those in abundance.”