Kathe Welch

Kathe grew up in California’s Central Valley. From an early age she could be found drawing things she saw in her neighborhood and things she imagined might exist. She wrote stories to accompany her drawings and created little books for her family. Among her earliest commissions were drawings of naked girls for her male classmates in exchange for candy. After high school Kathe attended art school in Seattle, receiving a degree in commercial art. While there her artistic aesthetic turned toward the fine arts and she felt she needed to further her art education. Back in California, Kathe pursued a university degree and a teaching credential. She is now in her third year teaching art at the middle school level. Kathe’s approach to art has always involved experimentation and her inventive and inquisitive nature. She favors the stark black and white of a woodblock or a pen and ink drawing to express her ideas, though she uses all media to accomplish her artistic goals. Kathe also enjoys writing, but she expects her images to tell a story better than she could with words. She also expects the viewer to bring their own story to each viewing; so she wants to leave a lot open to interpretation. Kathe is currently is working on several wood cut projects and paintings and is illustrating a story about the fear of falling off the edge of the bed. Check out Four Oceans Press.