About

Watercolor woodpeckers painting in progress.

Kate Dolamore is a self taught artist who grew up in the woods of Central Florida, homeschooled, spending her time creating art and exploring outside. Her main inspiration has always been nature, and in 2010 she started doing the field guide paintings in order to become better at identifying birds. This collection of paintings has since gone far beyond birds and continues to grow. She creates watercolor paintings using tiny paintbrushes for fine details and careful research for accuracy, albeit giving the animals a friendly smile and a twinkle to their eye.

Kate's hope is that bringing her art into your home can enhance your experience of nature!

Work space and watercolor birds in progress.

How I Started

2000

When I was 16 I opened my first website for my art, Pencil Shavings (.net).

I was experimenting with mediums and subjects and trying to find my style. My subjects were faeries, fanart, original characters, and work for my illustration portfolio.

Picture: Mixed media- Prismacolor pencils, markers, and nupastels. July 2001

2003

I tried high quality watercolors, Winsor & Newton Professional Paints on Arches paper, and never looked back. I mention the quality because it can make a difference over loving and hating a medium! I remember disliking the Strathmore paper on this first painting I did, but I fell in love when I tried Arches coldpress paper.

Picture: My first watercolor! January 2003

2004

I did my first gallery show, started selling prints and cards at shops, and had my art published in two books about painting faeries.

Picture: Watercolor faery. December 2004

2005

My first Etsy shop opened! Besides painting faeries, I was drawing and painting girls (mostly) in whimsical situations. This was an exciting time for indie art.

Picture: You Are Cool note card. December 2005

2008

The Little Nuthatch, now my Instagram handle, started in 2008 as my blog.

At this time I was shifting focus to birds and began painting a series of bird nests and filling the nests with found objects.

Picture: My 7th bird nest piece. April 2008

2010

Kate Dolamore Art was started and replaced Pencil Shavings.

I vended at my first craft show, Parts & Labor. The first of many!

I started painting the field guide style pieces in order to learn to better identify birds. I painted all the birds that were on the Merritt Island NWR bird list at that time. The first one was wading birds!

Picture: My first "field guide" painting. May 2010