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Artist Katharine Philip was born in NYC and has spent most of her life in New Jersey. Her curiosity led her to the University of Michigan’s School Of Art, where she studied drawing, painting and education. During the summers, she attended the Art Students League in New York City. After teaching for two years in Leonia NJ, she earned an MFA from Pratt with a major in painting and a minor in sculpture. She also received a Master’s degree from Montclair University in New Jersey.
Katharine has worked as a teacher for 38 years, 35 of which were spent in Leonia. She has also taught at Scotch Plain-Fanwood High School, Stockton State College and The New Jersey Center for Visual Arts. One of the highlights of her teaching career was being selected to be a member of the Dodge Foundation’s Teachers As Artist Group. “I found the other teachers inspirational, a fountain of energy, and a great resource, on top of enjoying their company,” describes Kathy. Recently retired, Kathy discloses, “I’ve learned a great deal from teaching. It’s been good to me and I will miss seeing the kids daily, and watching them progress artistically. I feel blessed, as a visual learner, that my life has been enriched by communicating with other visual learners for a living.”
Most of Kathy’s married life has been spent in Montclair and Glen Ridge, N.J. Her art studio is located on the third floor of their house with a big skylight window. Kathy’s art studio is full of collections of seashells, twigs, fabrics, leaves and photos. She finds all kinds of things that inspire her during her walks around town, her time spent down the shore, and on her travels. Memories and relationships also help to inspire her art.
One special memory formed when Kathy was in eighth grade; her father took her out onto a frozen lake in the winter, set up a camera and took star trail pictures for the science fair. Katharine reflects, “I still never tire watching the clouds going by, or the moon and the stars orbit at night”. Recently, Kathy painted a diptych of her daughter sleeping while the moon, clouds and stars turned overhead. Picking the right subject as a spring board is a huge part of her artistic process. “I choose my subject matter because I care about it. It has to be visually interesting, beautiful, different, or evoke feeling and associations,” describes Kathy.
Kathy is known for being seen around town on her long walks, taking pictures along the way. The photos serve as a reference and inspiration for her art. She takes pictures of everything that interests her including fallen flower petals, mold, wildlife and steam coming off of the road. Kathy finds light to be emotionally and physically important to her artwork, because light makes ordinary objects extraordinary. The quality of the light, the time of the day, its color and how it enhances and describes the texture of objects enthralls her.
Dorothy, In the Wizard of Oz said, “Everything you need is in your own backyard.” Kathy echos and adds to this statement. “I love my backyard, because there is something magical to painting what you know.
Katharine hopes her art will create questions, contradictions, rapture and dissonance. The world is such a gift and so uniquely gorgeous. One just has to make art about it and join in the conversation.