Kate Birch — Gouache Still Life & Lifestyle Illustrator

There is a heightened sense of realism in any artwork by Kate Birch – bright, positive and optimistic – and yet you’re left in no doubt that there’s a human hand behind the image. In her paintings, the world around us becomes vibrant and colourful, made real by the way she embraces the materials and surfaces she depicts. Liquid, metal, glass, fabric, smoke and even the enigma of an orange flame – her creative world has a tangible feel to it that holds the gaze of the viewer.

Born and bred in Salt Lake City, Utah, Kate is still based in her hometown and paints relentlessly even when she’s not working. Creating an artwork every day since 2019 has kept her sharp and clients love both the pace and quality of her work, alongside her attention to detail. She has a special talent for turning the everyday things around us into something spectacular, or iconic. She gained a BFA in painting and drawing from the University of Utah in 2005, and has a background working in art publishing. Her imagery has been licensed to major consumer brands across the United States. Kate’s inspiration comes from observation – finding the complex beauty in everything from a cup of coffee to a desert landscape at dawn.

Approach

For Kate, creativity is the core to a fulfilling life and part of this includes working hands-on with traditional media. She paints in colourful gouache creating vivid still life and landscape artworks. Occasionally she will use Procreate.

Key Software

Procreate

Style

A frequent compliment Kate receives is that her art feels “more real than the object she’s depicting.” Heightening the colour and contrast, boldly capturing the essential forms, her work straddles realism and Pop Art.