Art comes in many forms.


In school, I was very involved in the arts such as flag corps, symphonic band, jazz band, vocal ensemble, a cappella choir, art clubs, and theater.

As an adult, I married and became a mother. I continued to pursue my art interests periodically. Once my child was grown, I acquired a real estate license and consumed myself into the business for several years. I then became interested in competitive dancing. The art world can be competitive at times, but I think that’s what drives us to improve. If we realize that we should be competing against how good we were yesterday, we can accept the challenge of becoming better tomorrow.

When asked what I wanted to be when I grow up I would naively reply “a famous artist”. I’m not sure about the famous part, but here I am, an Artist.

Don’t Let Anyone Dull Your Sparkle!


This is a self portrait that I recently completed in April 2022 for a competition sponsored by an art supply company.
I was honored to be chosen in the top 3% of well over 1000 entries, and was awarded a gift card (to purchase more art supplies, of course! ).

Parents….

My parents have always been a major influence on me. My dad was an Art Education major so there were brushes, paints, and canvas around our house. He is in his 90’s and still paints! 👨‍🎨 My mom has been an encourager and “promoter” of my artistic endeavors ever since the first drawing hung on the refrigerator door. 😊


Some fun stuff from the ‘early’ years!

At 16 I put on my “Elton John” glasses, entered an art contest and won two college scholarships!
Oil pastels on velvet (rustled from dad’s college leftovers).
My favorite math homework: Paint by Numbers
I was also “that kid” who had Rules for people that wanted to color in my highly valued Coloring Books. Of course I still have a few of those saved, too. 🤷‍♀️ What are you gonna do?
In third grade I decided to outdo John James Audubon by making my own book of North American birds.
When I was in 5th grade my dad brought home a silver dollar. I remember lying on the shag carpet because I just had to draw the coin.
I painted this Monarch butterfly on a canvas board when I was around 11 years old.
I loved artist Margaret Keane’s Big Eyed paintings and copied them every chance I got. I was in 6th grade. 🇺🇦Slava Ukraini!
Also in 6th grade I started cutting up my dad’s leftover roll of canvas from college to make my own painting surfaces.
This little guy won me second place in our St. Francois county fair in Missouri. I was in 9th grade. He’s been living in a hot Florida storage unit for many years and is looking a little ragged.
I painted this when I was in high school. I sawed the wood, built the frame, then stretched the canvas myself. There was no place for me to buy premade canvases so …once again I scavenged from my dad’s supply.
This is a little 4 x 6 oil on canvas board.
Senior year assignment: “paint your current life”. Oil on canvas with message on the board. 😉
Art became more technical in college. I really loved ink, chalk, pointillism, and perspective.
Purple Irises Oil on Canvas
Yellow Irises Oil on Canvas
I painted both of these for my mom in the early 1980s
352.840.3217
Kathy@KathyRaleneArt.com
Florida, USA
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