At age 6 Kathy Conrad won her first art award-- a blue ribbon for a birthday cake drawing. The frosted, foreshortened dimensional drawing caught the eye of her teacher who entered it in a regional elementary school competition. She won first place.

 

Over the years, crayon-etched birthday cakes gave way to new still life drawings rendered in a variety media-- water color, pencil, ink and oils.

 

Her artistic endeavors took a backseat when she married-- and, stalled completely when her children were born.

 

A quarter of a century woould pass before she drew again.

 

At age 51 Conrad's adult son challenged her to render a female nude- something she'd never drawn before. So, she purchased a cheap box of chalk pastels, a roll of butcher paper and waded into uncharted waters.

 

The figurative piece rekindled a nearly extinguished artistic flame within her. She was an artist reborn.

 

For the past seven years Conrad has produced a collection of sensual and etheral figurative artwork. She has recenty expanded her artistic endeavors rendering acrylic landscape paintings and chalk pastel still life drawings and children's portraits.

 

Additionally, she has taken her photography to an award winning level.

 

You can view Kathy Conrad's work at Ritual through June, 2012 and you may contact her at: needlework@hotmail.com