“Life isn’t static, you can’t help but enjoy the atmosphere of beautiful places when you are outside experiencing the outdoors. It is a reflective activity where we are able to think freely without distractions, which in turn creates a joyful experience which uplifts the heart. Nature is captivating and awe inspiring. It provides us with endless dynamic views which adjust every second with fleeting changes in the landscape due to the weather, sunlight or season. As an artist the coast, landscape and forest are places to observe and take in the mood, to identify shapes and forms through spontaneous mark making in a sketchbook, paper or canvas.

I work instinctively, mainly in oils, watercolours and mixed media. Sometimes I let the paint flow and mingle, other times I may use bold, energetic marks or concentrate on delicately capturing the contrast in light and tone. If things get too static, I have to throw out the worries about precision and just play with the paint in an experimental approach using unusual tools and media combinations. The paint often does its own thing, just like nature!”

Kate Marr is a professional artist from Bournemouth, UK and is best known for her lively and atmospheric paintings based on locations from the Dorset coastline and the New Forest. Kate loves to create pieces in an intuitive way, focusing on evoking the mood and feeling of a place by using expressive marks. These works are created imaginatively, inspired by sketches, photos and memories of walks in these areas or en plein air. Kate uses high quality art materials in a variety of mixed media and technique. Her work has been featured in nationwide magazines including the Leisure Painter. She is a member of the friends of the ROI, Artists in Dorset, Paint Dorset and Cad Arts and exhibits with some of these groups and also arranges her own solo shows. Her work can be found in private art collections around the world.

Kate grew up in Surrey and having a creative spirit, was always painting and drawing. Pursuing this passion she completed a Foundation Course in Art and Design in 2005 at the Surrey Institute of Art and Design. In 2008 Kate completed a Fine Art BA (Hons) degree at Plymouth University. After this, she had a few exhibitions, then whilst working in Oxford Street, London in retail management, she worked part time as a portrait artist taking commissions. By 2016, Kate had decided to become a full time professional artist. Initially she was living in London and then the opportunity came to move to Bournemouth and paint the beautiful scenery there. She then focused her attention on painting seascapes and landscapes.