Bio

Katherine Cookson is an abstract painter currently residing in Southern California.

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She is a graduate of the University of California Berkeley and has a teaching credential from University of San Francisco.  Katherine has studied at the San Francisco Art Institute, College of Marin, and Santa Barbara City College. She has taken classes from many talented teachers in figurative drawing, collage, encaustic and cold wax.

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Her paintings are bold, personal and often include an organic look that relates directly to nature. She works intuitively and is fascinated by the physical and visual textures that encaustic and cold wax can achieve. She develops complex colors to create something that appears old and scarred. The paintings tell a story with many layers and often have a mystery component.

As a child her summers were spent in the Sierra Nevada Mountains at her family cabin. Her roots in California date back to 1841 when her ancestors came to California with the first overland party and settled in the San Joaquin Valley. This access to a pioneer history is intrinsic to her intense relationship with the natural environment.

When not in her studio she is out walking with her dogs and friends on the beach or mountain trails.