Daily Inspiration: Meet Kath Reilly

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kath Reilly.

Hi Kath, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always been an artist but I did not really plunge into it full time until I retired from my day job in 2017– which was doing patent illustration. Before that I worked sporadically on paintings when I had the time.

From then on I have been doing landscape painting, particularly a lot of plein air painting, which involves going out and painting in nature directly which I really like, in addition to painting landscapes in the studio from my ideas, reference sketches and photos.

I am a member of Oil Painters of America. I am also a member of the Plein Air Painters of New Mexico and Plein Air Artists of Colorado, organizations that have regular shows each year, and in which I occasionally win awards. In 2018 I was awarded an Artist in Residence at the Petrified Forest National Park.

In 2023 I was invited into the Loveland Governor’s Show and returned again in 2024.

I have work on display at the Glass Tipi Gallery in Ward CO, and at Mary Williams Gallery in Boulder.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s a little tough going full time as an artist at retirement age. There are a lot of “if only’s” thinking about all the things I’d like to have done earlier, classes or mentors I might have had at an earlier age, things I might have learned sooner. Otherwise it’s been very enjoyable.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I mostly work in oil paint doing landscapes, both in studio and in the field doing plein air paintings. The landscape really appeals to me, especially the immense variation even the same place can give you from time of day, change of weather, season.

Each change can evokes a different feeling or emotion in the viewer. I’m trying to get at the feeling that the person would experience when looking at the scene, and evoke emotion or memory in the viewer.

What matters most to you? Why?
Didn’t I just answer this in the last question? What matters to me is getting the essence out of a landscape I’m looking at and trying to portray it to the viewer of my painting, the best I can.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kathreilly.com
• LinkedIn: Kathleen Reilly Art

Image Credits
Kath Reilly