Kate Dardine - A Lifelong Conversation with the Natural World
A Life of Looking
Kate’s work is rooted in a lifelong attentiveness to animals and the quiet worlds they inhabit. Growing up surrounded by fields and woods, she developed an early bond with birds and wildlife, spending hours observing their personalities, rhythms, and unspoken presence — a way of seeing that continues to shape her art today.
Inspired early on by her older brother, Kate was drawn to drawing and painting as a means of connection and expression. Years later, a move to Colorado deepened that relationship, bringing her closer to the landscapes and animals that now fill her daily life and studio practice. Horses, wildlife, and the natural humor of animals provide both grounding and endless inspiration.
With over two decades as a professional artist and a parallel career supporting other artists behind the scenes, Kate brings both empathy and experience to her work. Her paintings reflect a deep affection for the natural world — observant, playful, and quietly intimate — inviting viewers to see animals not just as subjects, but as companions.
Her process is intuitive and energetic. Calligraphic brushstrokes, fragments of words, and layered patterns emerge freely, guided by dreams, memory, and emotion. Rather than controlling the outcome, she allows the work to unfold, often discovering meaning only as the painting reveals itself.