Irish, Katherine

Katherine knew she was an artist at an early age. While majoring in studio art at DePauw University, she attended Tyler School of Art in Rome and interned with Willard Midgette in New York. While in New York, she studied art at the School of Visual Arts and Pratt Institute. She frequented art museums and galleries in New York and Europe.  Her desire to paint New Mexico landscapes grew after a painting trip and subsequent relocation from New York to Taos. Previously painting in oil, Katherine began to work seriously in pastels in 2002. Albert Handell has been an important teacher and mentor in recent years.

Katherine is an award-winning artist who regularly participates in national juried and invitational shows. She was chosen to be Artist in Residence at Zion National Park in October 2022. She was designated as Master Pastelist by the Pastel Society of America. She also achieved Eminent Pastelist with the International Association of Pastel Societies and Distinguished Pastelist with the New Mexico Pastel Society and the Arizona Pastel Artists Association. She is a Signature Member of the Women Artists of the West, Pastel Society of the West Coast, and Master Pastelist with the Southeastern Pastel Society. She is also an active member of the Plein Air Painters of New Mexico. Her work was shown on the cover and featured in the August 2015 issue of the Pastel Journal. Katherine is represented by Weems Gallery and Framing in Albuquerque, New Mexico.