Member Profile Series ~ Kate Gustin

 

Member Profile with Kate Gustin

Kate is delighted to be a member of the Victoria Sketch Club, having joined in 2023 when she moved from California to British Columbia. She enjoys the communal experience of plein air painting and learning from fellow artists.   Born and raised in southern California, Kate spent time each summer camping with her family in the Sierras Nevada mountains. Annual trips to stunning national parks such as Yosemite, Yellowstone, Bryce, Sequoia, Grand Tetons, etc. installed a love of nature in her, which continues to inspire her artwork. The walls of her childhood home were covered with her mother’s paintings, and created a warm association between art and a sense of family. For Kate, art facilitates connection with others, and she has enjoyed, both as a child and adult, gifting others with homemade crafts and greeting cards.   Kate's undergraduate degree is from Princeton University and she completed doctoral studies at the University of California, Berkeley. She's established a rewarding career as a clinical psychologist, working in a range of settings over the past thirty years such as outpatient Psychiatry clinics, Veterans Hospitals, College Counseling Centers, and currently in her private practice in Victoria. Kate integrates the principles of positive psychology into her work with clients and into the trainings she offers other health professionals. She is also a poet and published author, and has been featured on podcasts for her writings about the intersection between psychology and spirituality.   Kate began exploring painting in her thirties. Seeking an immersive and meditative creative outlet, she participated a series of watercolour classes at the local community college. She has since experimented with acrylics and collage, as well as jewelry design.   Kate secured more training in the craft of landscape painting during the pandemic through mentorship with American artist Matt Smith. Though her work has been selected and displayed in juried shows in the San Francisco Bay Area, she considers herself a novice artist. She is always learning, intrigued and, at times, intimidated by the complexities of light and colour, value and composition. She hopes to continue developing and sharing her artwork in the spirit of experimentation and discovery.