About

     

     

      Hi. My name is Kathleen Palmeri, KPalm. I have always been an artist.  Before I could speak, I found my way in the world by drawing, coloring and painting...creating art is the way I make sense of my world.

      I attended Mason Gross, Rutgers University, where I studied Fine Art. After graduating, I worked in a series of jobs which eventually led me to New York University, where I earned my Masters of Science in Counseling. I worked as a guidance counselor in New York City. However, my greatest joy is being a wife and a mother to our 5 children.  

      Through every stage of my life, I have created art.  My paintings have always reflected where I am in my life.  Over the years my paintings have become bigger and bolder, layered and textured.  They tell stories of where I have been and where I am headed.  Much of my work is centered on strong and powerful icons, many of whom are women.  Having been influenced by two very strong, independent, single grandmothers that forged their own paths and overcame adversity, women who are changing the world for the better are my favorite subjects. My work is about power, strength, solidarity and beauty.  In essence. my work is centered upon people, both men and women, who have found their voice and use it to inspire others.

      I create my portraits with palette knives. I carve, press, and drag the paint across the canvas and with each stroke I am telling a story. The stories I tell are based on lives that, like my paintings, are layered and perfectly imperfect. They speak of people who have grown and changed and with every struggle, have become more determined and more beautiful.

       The modern portraits I create require a great deal of me. Painting them is exhilarating and it is equally exhausting.  I think it is because of the process behind my palette knife portraits that the tiny surfers were born. After all, all work and no play makes for a very grey day. Unlike my modern portraits, the surfers are whimsical, light and fun.  They are abstract and happy. The Jersey Shore, the beach, and surfing is a very big part of my life and painting tiny surfers brings me pure joy. Each painting is literally a day at the beach. Incorporating other people's families and treasured moments into these paintings make them even more meaningful!