Kate has always been a multi-passionate person.

From sports to acting, photography to bookbinding— she has always been drawn to different forms of expression. After playing field hockey at the University of Vermont for two years, Kate transferred to the University of Colorado at Boulder. While she was there studying photography, she was encouraged to take a bookbinding class by her favorite professor and she was immediately hooked. A lover of arts and crafts since she was a child, Kate has always admired handmade items due to the amount of time, care, and love involved in creating each item. Handmade journals quickly became a way for Kate to share her own creativity while giving someone else a blank canvas in those pages in order to create of world of his/her/their own.

Currently, she is exploring mixed media techniques and plans on learning more about textiles and sewing. When she’s not in her studio making things with her hands, you can find her out on the trails with her pup, Brooklyn.

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sen·ti·men·tal

[sen(t)əˈmen(t)l] : adjective

(of a person) excessively prone to feelings of tenderness, sadness, or nostalgia

riff·raff

[ˈrifraf] : noun

refuse, rubbish; outcast

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When my niece was a wee little one, she would give me little bits and bobs to keep. A flower, a leaf, a drawing. Days after she had given me a flower from her garden, my sister-in-law mentioned that she loves giving people this “sentimental riff raff”. How she would go on walks and pick up a leaf to give to me the next time she saw me. As soon as she said that phrase, I immediately thought of all the sentimental riff raff I’ve held on to over the years.

I have letters from friends I haven’t spoken to in fifteen years. Hand written notes from a boyfriend I had in middle school. It makes me think about how certain items that have no monetary value can have profound impacts on us. How this (now dried) flower that’s sitting on my shelf isn’t particularly beautiful and will disintegrate as soon as I try to pick it up, but it makes me think of my niece every time I see it.

Whenever I look at something I’ve made, it brings up some meaningful memory. Sometimes that meaning is wrapped up in nostalgia, like the photo collages I used to make in high school or the tenderness I feel looking at a guestbook I made for a friend’s birthday or wedding to see it full of so many beautiful messages from friends and loved ones.

As deeply sentimental soul, I hope you find some joy and beauty in the things that I make.

Photography

I was a Studio Art major with a concentration in photography. Photography changed how I saw the world. Street photography, portraits and photo journalism are some of my favorite genres.

Bookbinding

I learned how to bind books in college and it’s an artform I fell in love with. I’ve always liked making things with my hand, and I’m more of a handmade-journal-fountain-pen kind of lady than I am a new-tech-gaget one.

Videography

This has become a new skill I’m learning. My love of photography and acting combined to create a love of cinematography. I’ve seen so many films, that the ones with beautiful images always stand out to me now.

Mixed Media

This was probably my first artistic expression that I paid attention to as a kid. I would collage things all the time, using text and images to create something new.

Adventure

I just love being outside, and this inspires the work I do on a lot of different levels. Nature brings such balance into my life whether it’s through hiking, backpacking or car camping.

Acting

I also wanted to be an actor. I dreamed about it as a kid. It wasn’t until after college that I went to a two year acting program in New York City that completely changed my life. I love acting.