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Kathy Goodson

I am a silk painter, having come to this after many years pursuing other forms of creative expression. As a child I felt it was my job to be imaginative and have fun. Make-believe was a way of life for me, which later led to my choosing to major in Theatre in college. Creating art always seemed secretive and magical to me. My mother once locked me out of the house while she made copper jewelry. I desperately wanted to see what she was doing.

After graduating from college in 1970, I began writing plays. I was always good about making up stories in my head, and at first this just felt like an extension of that. Yet playwriting was always work, and it did not give me the joy I remembered from my childhood.

In 1990 I began a journey of self-exploration. One of the books that guided me was The Artist Way, which promotes fun artistic explorations called artist dates. One of my artist dates involved buying a child’s silk scarf painting kit. The first time I painted with the dye, I laughed feeling totally free. I had never felt like that with any other creative outlet and knew I had been given a gift.

That was over 20 years ago. Each day is a new adventure for me with my art. I believe strongly in giving back, that in order to keep it, the joy of painting, I must share it. I start with no preconceived ideas of what works and bring to this art an enormous willingness and a beginner’s mind. I believe in interacting with the painting process and love to let the dye and silk first create and then lead me in that process.

My newest artistic pursuit has to do with wax. I have always been drawn to wax processes. With silk, any wax must be removed in order to keep the hand of the silk soft. When I use wax as a resist with silk, I have to remove the wax before I complete the mounting processes. Since I use soy wax today, this is accomplished best through steaming. Any of my Fine Art that uses wax has multiple steamings in order to build layers.

I have extended this to my new work in Encaustic, from the Greek for burn in. Encaustic is bees wax mixed with Damar resin applied to a rigid surface, usually a wood panel. I build layers of wax in order the create my art. I also use use shellac and sometimes alcohol inks and silk to enhance the design in the wax.

Teachers and Conferences:

  • Susan Moyer, SPIN Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient, in Mendocino, CA
  • Karen Sistek, Master Silk Painter (MSP), near Seattle, WA
  • Suzanne Punch, MSP, in New York, NY
  • Suzanne Visor, Design Instructor, near Albuquerque, NM
  • SPIN (Silk Painters International) Festival 2012, Santa Fe, NM and 2016 and 2018, Arrowmont, TN

Events, Awards, Boards, and Honors:

  • Finalist of the Art with Heart Auction Emerging Artists 2002
  • Exhibitor and Demonstrator in the Madison County Fiber Arts Show 2012
  • Exhibitor at the Hot Springs Libray in Hot Springs, NC 2012
  • Exhibitor in the Madison County Arts Council Traveling Postcard Show 2013
  • Board Member of Silk Painters International (SPIN) 2015-
  • Exhibitor at the Asheville Airport winter 2016
  • Owner/Manager of Flow Gallery in Marshall, NC 2016-2020
  • Studio Open House, Montford Artwalk, Asheville, NC 2016-2019
  • Exhibitor at the NC Arboretum near Asheville, NC winter-spring 2018
  • Member/Owner of Asheville Gallery of Art in Asheville, NC 2021-

The following galleries have carried my work and/or currently carry my work:

  • Bellagio, Asheville, NC
  • Seed, Charlotte, NC
  • Dream Weaver, Davidson, NC
  • Red Sky Gallery, Charlotte, NC
  • Pluff Mudd, Bluffton, SC
  • Beth Friedman Jewelry, Tucson, AZ
  • Beet at NoDa, Charlotte, NC
  • The Mint Museum of Craft and Design Gift Shop, Charlotte, NC
  • Flow Gallery, Marshall, NC
  • Trust General Store, Sprig Creek, NC
  • Haywood County Arts Council Gift Shop, Waynesville, NC
  • NC Arboretum Gift Shop, Asheville, NC
  • Asheville Gallery of Art, Asheville, NC