Kate Pettitt North Yorkshire, United Kingdom
I am an artist and designer living and working in York, UK. I grew up on the edge of Dartmoor and studied fine art, illustration and graphic design in Exeter and York. My paintings and drawings explore wild natural landscapes through instinctive and expressive mark-making and enquiry into colour, and have been exhibited in England and Wales.
My landscape painting process typically begins with plein air studies on paper, and sketches. I often spend many days exploring and studying a place in order to observe its unique qualities of light, colour, texture and atmosphere, at all times of day and in different weather conditions. I like to sit quietly in a landscape and let it talk to me, allowing nature and wildlife to relax in my presence and reveal itself. The works I produce this way are direct, instinctive and emotional responses to the environment and have a loose and immediate quality to them. When back at the easel, I use these studies and sketches to trigger memories and to inspire my larger studio paintings, where I may introduce heavy texture and abstract elements – the end result being an impression of a place or time rather than a direct representation.
I also paint and draw the human form. My figurative paintings and drawings explore the character of the models (clothed or nude) through expressive line and tone. I attend regular life sessions (online and in person) and sometimes invite models to the studio for longer studies. Longer studies and portraits may take place over a number of sittings. Life drawing is an essential element of my practice that I use to develop observational skills, explore mark-making techniques and hone my ability to record visual information swiftly, editing out unnecessary detail.
As well as my paintings, I have a range of art cards, printed books, gifts and high quality giclée prints for sale.
I am a member of York Artworkers’ Association, SAA, AN, CuratorSpace, VAA and the FSB.
I am represented by Pyramid Gallery, Saltbox Gallery and Corner Gallery, and sell selected books and cards through Galeri Harlech.
Artwork
The Four Winds, Acrylic, charcoal and chalk on paper, 2024
The Yellow Wall, Acrylic, charcoal and chalk on paper, 2024, £450
Cuckoo, Acrylic on panel, 2024, £850
Daydreaming, Mixed media, 2024, £550
Sgwarnog (Hare), Watercolour and charcoal pencil on paper, 2023
April: Garrowby Hill, Acrylic, charcoal and chalk on paper, 2023
Iron River, Oil, 2023, £2000
Dusk, Acrylic, 2023, £720
Swaled, Acrylic, 2023, £250
Head to the Hills, Acrylic, 2023, £480
Stonechat, Acrylic, charcoal and chalk on paper, 2023, 750
Within, Acrylic and charcoal, 2022
Hen Ffrind (Old Friend), Mixed media, 2022, 750
Estuary, Mixed media, 2022, 990
Garrowby Hill: May, Acrylic, charcoal and chalk on paper, 2022
Song of the Sea (triptych), Mixed media, 2022, £2000
Buckden Beck, Acrylic, chacoal and chalk on paper, 2020, 750
Sally's Rosa Mundi, Acrylic and water soluble pencils on canvas, 2020
Wally, Pastel on paper, 2020
I Can See For Miles and Miles, Acrylic on canvas, 2020
August: Garrowby Hill, Acrylic on deep edge canvas, 2020, 890
Elegant, Giclee print of an original graphite, charcoal and ink drawing, 2021, 80
Remembered Landscape: Hope, Acrylic and graphic on canvas, 2020, 750
Oystercatchers in Rain, Acrylic, graphite, charcoal and chalk on paper, 2020
Rain Over the Strait, Acrylic, graphite, charcoal and chalk on paper, 2020, 700
Three White Stones, Acrylic, graphite, charcoal and chalk on paper, 2020
Hiraeth, Acrylic, graphite, charcoal and chalk on paper, 2020
Across the Strait, Acrylic, graphite, charcoal and chalk on paper, 2020
Garrowby Hill: July, Acrylic and graphic on canvas, 2020
Time and Tide: Early Morning, Acrylic on canvas, 2020
Time and Tide: Imprints, Mixed media on canvas, 2020
Gold, Mixed media on canvas, 2020
Distant Mountain, Acrylic and grsaphite on paper, 2019
Snowdon, Acrylic, graphite and chalk on acid-free paper, 2019
Littondale study (work on paper), Watercolour and graphite on paper, 2019
Light Over Littondale, Oil and mixed media on canvas, 2019
Rain Over Littondale, Acrylic and mixed media on canvas in a white St Ives frame, 2019
Curled, Acrylic and charcoal on paper, 2019
Sam, Acrylic and charcoal on board, 2019
Sarah, Acrylic and charcoal on board, 2019
Walking Home, Acrylic on board, 2019
High Down, Mixed media on board, 2019
Sennen Reflections, Acrylic on canvas, 2019
Sennen Wave, Acrylic on canvas, 2019
Hawnby Hill, Acrylic and mixed media on canvas, 2018
Lands End, Mixed media on board, 2018
Foxgloves in the Wall, Acrylic on canvas, 2018
Guinea Fowl Feathers, Acrylic and graphite on paper, 2018, 250
Peas, Graphite and ink on paper, 2017, Giclée print £80 unframed
Pasture, Oil and mixed media on canvas, 2018
Evening Light, Acrylic and stucco on canvas, 2017
Osprey, Mixed media on canvas, 2023, 550
Summer Waters, Acrylic, 2023, 550
Deconstructed Crinoline, Ink and charcoal on paper, 2023
Mynydd Pinc, Mixed media, 2024, 750
Low Tide, Mixed media, 2024, 990
The Lookout, 2024
Swaledale, Acrylic on canvas, 2024, 950
Flooded, 2024
Muted, Acrylic on canvas, 2024, 550
Silent, Acrylic on canvas, 2024, 750
A Sparkly Day, Acrylic on paper, 2023
Projects and exhibitions
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Arnup Studios Summer Open Weekend 202410/08/2024 — 11/08/2024 Resident artists and guest artists and makers welcomed visitors to our studios in Holtby for a weekend of art and craft. |
Arnup Studios, Holtby, York | Details |
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Oriel Plas Glyn-y-Weddw Summer Exhibition17/07/2024 — ongoing A selection of work by 100 artists. Six artwork were selected for this wonderful and eclectic exhibition in a gallery that overlooks the mountains that I love to paint. |
Oriel Plas Glyn-y-Weddw, Llanbedr | Details |
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York Open Studios 202412/04/2024 — 21/04/2024 Event taking place over two weekends in April 2024. I was delighted to take part in York Open Studios again, and to welcome visitors to my studio. A taster exhibition was also held at York Hospitium, and a preview evening at the studio. |
Gallery Studios, Arnup Studios, Holtby, York | Details |
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Christmas Makers' Fair23/11/2023 An evening of art, craft and music, where I sold a selection of books, cards, gifts, prints and original artwork. |
Bluebird Bakery, Acomb, York | Details |
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Arnup Studios Autumn Open Weekend04/11/2023 — 05/11/2023 Resident artists and makers welcomed visitors to our studios in Holtby for a weekend of art and craft. |
Arnup Studios, Holtby, York | Details |
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Wales Contemporary/Cymru Gyfoes International Open Competition21/10/2023 — 20/12/2023 Two original plein air paintings were selected for this prestigious Open Exhibition in Pembrokeshire. Selection judges: - Mehdi Moazzen, designer, painter and sculptor - Janette Kerr, artist and Honorary Royal Scottish Academician, RWA Academician, and Past President of the Royal West of England Academy of Art - Ashley Hall, Professor... [Read more] |
The Waterfront Gallery, Milford Haven, | Details |
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Arnup Studios Summer Open Weekend 202315/07/2023 — 16/07/2023 Resident artists and guest artists and makers welcomed visitors to our studios in Holtby for a weekend of art and craft (and cake!). I shared my studio with ceramicist, Chris Utley. |
Arnup Studios, Holtby, York | Details |
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Jigsaw02/07/2023 — 30/07/2023 Selected works in the store to accompany their autumn/winter collection. |
Jigsaw fashion store, York | Details |
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Artists and the Human Form: The Donderdag Collective20/05/2023 — 25/06/2023 Group exhibition by artists from the Donderdag life drawing group in York, showcasing life studies and paintings and other work by the artists. I submitted a number of landscapes and figurative works. |
Pyramid Gallery, York | Details |
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York Open Studios 202315/04/2023 — 23/04/2023 Event taking place over two weekends, 15/16 and 22/23 April 2023. I was delighted to take part in York Open Studios again, and to welcome visitors to my studio. A taster exhibition was also held at York Hospitium 1/2 April. |
Gallery Studio, Arnup Studios, Holtby, York | Details |
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Arnup Studios Winter Open Weekends12/11/2022 — 04/12/2022 Two Christmas shopping Open Weekends, 12/13 November and 3/4 December 2022. |
Arnup Studios, Holtby, York | Details |
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Solo exhibition27/09/2022 — 22/10/2022 Solo exhibition of landscape plein air and studio paintings of, and inspired by, North Wales. |
Galeri Harlech, Harlech | Details |
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Twitter Art Exhibition25/06/2022 — 26/06/2022 Postcard-sized works sold at affordable prices at this charity art exhibition in aid of the Encephalitis Society. The event took place in the Hiscox Building in York. Three artworks were donated. |
Hiscox Building, York, and online, York | Details |
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York Open Studios 202202/04/2022 — 10/04/2022 Opened studio for two weekends in April for this fantastic city-wide event. Also exhibited at the Taster Exhibition at York Hospitium. |
Arnup Studios and York Hospitium, York | Details |
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Ferens Open Exhibition19/02/2022 — 02/05/2022 Prestigious open exhibition in Ferens Art Gallery, Hull. |
Ferens Art Gallery, Hull | Details |
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Arnup Studios Group Exhibition04/02/2022 — 28/03/2022 Group exhibition of resident artists at Arnup Studios, held at Blossom Street Gallery in York. |
Blossom Street Gallery, York | Details |
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Christmas Shopping Weekend04/12/2021 — 05/12/2021 A weekend of Christmas shopping at Arnup Studios, with all resident artists taking part. |
Arnup Studios, Holtby, York | Details |
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Art&22/10/2021 — 24/10/2021 As Art& (the physical exhibition) was cancelled, I held an associated event in my studio at Arnup Studios instead, three other participating Art& artists. Art& was also an online event. |
Arnup Studios and online, Holty, York and online | Details |
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York Open Studios 202110/07/2021 — 18/07/2021 10-11 and 16-18 July 2021. Opened Gallery Studio to the public for two weekend for York Open Studios. |
Arnup Studios, Holtby, York | Details |
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From the Mountains to the Sea01/10/2020 — 30/10/2020 Solo exhibition at Pyramid Gallery, Stonegate, York |
Pyramid Gallery, York | Details |
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York Open Studios 202018/04/2020 — 24/05/2020 Welcoming the public into my workplace in Holtby. This event was cancelled due to Covid-19, but blog posts and online virtual tours etc occured throughout. |
Arnup Studios, Holtby, York | Details |
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Solo Charity Exhibition22/01/2020 — 18/08/2020 Solo exhibition of landscape paintings, for Pyramid Gallery, York. Percentage of sales donated to St Leonard's Hospice. This exhibition was transferred online part-way though, due to Covid-19. |
Marriott Hotel York, for Pyramid Gallery, York | Details |
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York Artworkers Association Group Exhibition18/01/2020 — 23/02/2020 Group multi-disciplinary exhibition by York Artworkers Association. |
Pyramid Gallery, York | Details |
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Arnup Studios Launch Weekend30/11/2019 — 01/12/2019 Special open weekend to celebrate the launch of Arnup studios and my new studio in the Gallery Studio. |
Arnup Studios, Holtby, York | Details |
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August Bank Holiday: A Fond Farewell to Castlegate House Open Weekend23/08/2019 — 26/08/2019 To bid Castlegate House, my studio for over 12 years, a fond farewell and tell visitors about my move to Arnup Studios in Holtby in September 2019, I opened the studio doors to the public over the August Bank Holiday weekend, 2019. |
Castlegate House, York | Details |
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York Open Studios 201906/04/2019 — 14/04/2019 Took part in York Open Studios 2019, opening my studio to the public for two weekends in April. Sarah Jackson, textile artist, shared my studio and we welcomed over 1300 visitors. |
Castlegate House, York | Details |
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Solo exhibition19/01/2019 — 13/02/2019 Solo exhibition of landscape and figurative paintings and drawings, displayed alongside ceramic works by John and Jude Jelfs. |
Pyramid Gallery, York | Details |
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Nature and Nurture: Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens31/08/2018 — 29/09/2018 Solo exhibition of studies and works on paper. Kate visited the gardens through the year to record the plants and seasonal changes. |
Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens, Stillingfleet, York | Details |
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Joint exhibition with Anna Harding01/08/2018 — 31/08/2018 Joint exhibition with Anna Harding. Paintings and framed works on paper. |
The Golden Ball, York | Details |
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York Open Studios 201814/04/2018 — 22/04/2018 |
Own Studio, York | Details |
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York Artworkers Association exhibition09/01/2018 — 29/01/2018 |
Pyramid Gallery, York | Details |
Elementals09/12/2017 — 08/01/2018 |
According To McGee, York | Details | |
Solo exhibition15/10/2016 — 06/01/2017 |
Fulford Framing, York | Details | |
Art in the back room02/05/2016 — 14/10/2016 |
Cafe No 8, York | Details |