The Whimsical Women of Kathleen Bellows

Born in Portland, Oregon, Kathleen (Krug) Bellows was raised in Cannon Beach, playing in the tide-pools around Haystack Rock. Later she lived in Phoenix, Arizona and married her husband Rick before moving to Los Angeles to start a family. She began her art studies at Los Angeles City College and and worked as an assistant to her professors for several years.

Career advancemet soon led the family to the east coast where Rick worked in New York City. They joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints where her artistic pursuits turned out a series of paintings that capture the awe and solemnity of the first vision. Some of these works can be found at church visitor-centers in Washington D.C., New York, and Phoenix.

In 1976 the family moved to San Diego where Rick entered Law School and established a practice. The hectic pace of three teenagers and a pack of younger children left little time for artistic development, but Kathy regularly found time to refine her skills in oil and acrylics.

Kathleen and Rick have travelled extensively through Europe and China, and after meeting the world renowned Howard Behrens several years ago, she was encouraged to set to set up the easel once again. This time drawing inspiration from several well known contemporary artists such as Isaac Maimon, Itzchak Tarkay, and Jiang Tie-Feng - but using techniques that explore a style very much her own.

Beginning in 2008 she produced a collection of paintings as a whimsical depiction of girlfriends in Mardi Gras costumes in the style of figurative design realism withth a rich use of color.

In June 2009, works from this collection was shown at the Olde Ramona Hotel Art Gallery in Ramona, CA. Kathy's entry "End Of The Day" was included in the Ramona Art Guild's open juried show.