Katheen Menges: Contemporary Fine Artist

Raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Kathleen Menges has always been deeply inspired by her natural surroundings.  She recalls spending her summer holidays as a child at Lake of the Woods in Ontario and feeling the pulse of nature all around her.  She has a wealth of education ranging from courses in Sculpture,  Trompe l’oeil, Encaustics, Cold wax, Painting and even Ikebana, a rare form of Japanese Floral arrangement,  Kathleen brings all of this diverse background education into her current artworks. 

Within her painting, “The world in my backyard,” we see her finely attuned sensitivity to nature in the composition of the fir trees and in the foreground we see her practised hand layering and shaping forms that resemble our planet.  Her studies in Sacred Geometry and Spirituality are evident in her abstracted paintings. One can only marvel at the authenticy and clarity of her art language as she moves from one media to another creating surfaces than glow with depth and intention.

Kathleen has exhibited solo at Objekts, in Chilliwack, B.C., at  Artistic Revival Antiques and Art Studio, Fort Langley, B.C., at The Interior Design Co., Trompe l’oeil, The Hudsons Bay Store, Vancouver, B.C. and she has a 2011 solo exhibition scheduled at the Surrey Public Library,  Semiahmoo Branch, Surrey, B.C.  Her group exhibitions include the 2DV8 Gallery, Chilliwack, B.C. the Reach Gallery Museum, Artist StudioTour, Abbotsford, B.C., Mind and Matter Art Gallery, Arnold Mikelson Festival of Arts, South Surrey, B.C., Artistic Revival Antiques and Art Studio, Fort Langley, B.C. and most noteabley the 1997, 2000, and 2010 B.C. Lottery Homes, Ronco Construction, White Rock, B.C.

Throughout the Lower Mainland, B.C. Kathleen has done countless Trompe l’oeils for homeowners and her encaustic, cold wax and acrylic paintings are held in collections in Canada and the U.S.A.

Author: Laara WilliamSen

           International professional painter

           Vancouver, B.C. Canada

           March 17, 2011

Curriculum Vitae

SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2001 to present

Kariton Gallery,2387 Ware Street, Mill Lake, Abbotsford, B. C., 2012
Water Shed,2012
Objekts, Chilliwack, B.C., 2011
Surrey Public Library, Semiahmoo Branch, Surrey, B.C., 2011
Artistic Revival Antiques and Art Studio, Fort Langley, B.C., 2001
Interior Design Co., Trompe l'oeil, The Hudsons Bay Store, Vancouver, B.C., 1997

GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2001 to present

Fort Gallery, shared Fort Langley, 2012
Kariton Gallery, shared show 2012
Plein Air Show, Fort Gallery, Fort Langley, B.C., 2012
Maple Ridge Shared 2012
Biennale Langley Arts Counci,l 2011
Biennale Maple Ridge Arts Counci,l, 2011
2DV8 Gallery, Chilliwack, B.C., 2011
Reach Gallery Museum, Artist Studio Tour, Abbotsford, B.C., 2010
Mind and Matter Art Gallery, Arnold Mikelson Festival of Arts, South Surrey, B.C., 2010
Artistic Revival Antiques and Art Studio, Fort Langley, B.C., 2001
B.C. Lottery Homes, Ronco Construction, White Rock, B.C. 1997, 2000, 2010

EDUCATION 1986 to present

Janice Mason Steves, Advanced Oil and Wax, Metchosin International School of Art, 2012
Laara WilliamSen, International professional painter,
Private tutorial, Professional creative development, South Surrey, B.C. 2011
Jeanne Krabendam Mixed Media Emily Carr University Vancouver B.C 2010
Rebbeca Cromwell, Instructor, Course in Cold Wax, Wisconsin, USA 2010
Wagner Encaustics Studio, Elise Wagner, Instructor, Course in Encaustics, Portland, Oregon, USA, 2010
Langley School of Art, Courses in Oil painting and Drawing, Langley, B.C. 2009 – 2010
Form and Forum Studio, Warren Honeiuk, Instructor,
Course in Stone Sculpture and Clay, Coquitlam, B.C. 2009 – 2010
Art Access, Susan Dannenburg, Instructor, Course in Encaustics, Victoria, B.C. 2009
Susan Bertrand, Contemporary painter, Studio course in Acrylics, Surrey, B.C. 2009
Linda Lock, Contemporary painter, Studio courses in Mixed media, White Rock, B.C. 2004 - 2008
Valerie Skemps Studios, Professional Faux Finishing, 12 levels including Murals and
specializing in Trompe l'oeil, Richmond, B.C. 1996 - 1998
Rosemarie Sleigh, Professional Surface painter, professional studies in Faux Finish,
Vancouver, B.C. 1993 - 1994
Vanduessen Gardens, Ikebana; Japanese style of Floral arrangement, Vancouver, B.C. 1990
B.C. Institution of Technology, Professional Floral Design, Burnaby, B.C. 1989 – 1990
B.C.Institution of Technology, Introduction to Interior Design, Burnaby, B.C. 1986 – 1987

REVIEWS
Abbotsford Today, Abbotsford B.C 2010
Fort Langley Newspaper, Fort Langley, B.C. 2012

ASSOCIATIONS
Artist in Residency in Langley arts Council
The Abbotsford Art Council, Abbotsford, B.C. 2009 to present
CARFAC B.C 2011-12
Alliance for Art 2011-12
The Fort Langely Gallery 2012-2013