About Me
My background
Kathryn Heller is an award winning graphite (pencil) artist who primarily works in black, white, and shades of gray to uncover the underlying essence of a subject. Without the typical use of color, she invites the viewer to more closely perceive the image and its shapes, textures, values, shading, and contours. As with most graphite artists, she tends to be detailed oriented with only the thin pointed pencil to work with. She loves drawing in graphite because it causes her to more closely perceive the world around her, with its details and beauty.
Kathryn began her interest in art in her teens and twenties where she primarily used charcoal and then oils to depict the natural world. However, it wasn’t until she was a University Professor that she found a renewed passion for art and began drawing and photographing people with disabilities in a positive light. Over the years she gravitated towards primarily using graphite, depicting animals, landscapes, narrative portraits, and societal issues. Her award winning artwork has been accepted in numerous juried art exhibitions and has been shown in art galleries, cultural arts centers, cafes, public spaces, private collections and online exhibitions.
Although Kathryn’s degrees are not in art (BSN in Nursing & Philosophy, M.Ed. and Ph.D. in Special Education), she has received instruction by internationally known graphite artists. Kathryn is an Art Member of the National League of American Pen Women, Atlanta Branch. She serves on the Management Council of the Norcross Gallery and Studios as well as several art committees. She considers herself a lifelong learner and applies her learning, observations, and responses to depict the narratives around her.
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