About

About

Kathy Coulston

Paintings in oil and acrylic by Kathy Coulston

“We, as a country, a world, a planet, are working through a revolution in values and thinking. Now, more than ever, we need joy in our lives. I strive to hold an element of celebration, comfort, and whimsy in my work.” –Kathy Coulston

My paintings feature quiet moments, elevating the ordinary through vibrant color, bold brushstrokes, and deep perspective, mixing realism with abstraction. Finding resilience in the familiar, I focus on beach scenes, architecture, and nature to present a unique vision of everyday life.

Rendering the image using edgy, color-saturated brushstrokes, I create direction that steers the eye around the surface in a dance of personal choreography.

My approach includes painting en plein air or photographing elements to reference in assembling the image. Starting with a rough under-paint sketch, I separate main values in vibrant colors that show through in strategic areas as I develop multi-colored layers of shadows and highlights. The challenge is to keep brushstrokes loose and to stop before I cross the line into looking too realistic.

The Journey

“Perception is everything,” is a statement that I hear myself repeating. In many forms that can be a very destructive concept; but with art, it’s the driving force.

Creating art has always been my purpose since I was old enough to scribble on paper. I’ve spent my life studying art and design from early years at Cabrillo to UCSC Ext. to Southern Illinois University as well as visiting museums in the US and abroad.

My career journey in graphic design and marketing took me from paint brushes to computers and the digital realm. Eventually, I felt compelled to return to my roots and came full-circle back to the easel with a paintbrush in hand.