Trailside Galleries is pleased to present Gracenotes: In Harmony With Nature, a showcase of new works by California based artist Kathleen Dunphy.   The body of work created for this special show will consist of landscapes, water scenes, avian art, as well as still lifes; subjects which she finds close to her home in the Sierra Nevada foothills. 

Of her newest collection of paintings, she notes, “Painting has taught me to pay attention, not just to the big picture of the subjects I'm depicting but also to the subtleties that often go unnoticed. The moss on a rock, the reflection of snow in a stream, the minute color shifts in the bark of an aspen tree---if I didn't stand in these scenes with a brush in my hand, I would never have fully appreciated all the infinite beauty around me. In an increasingly fast-moving world, I hope my paintings can be a visual tap on the shoulder to remind the viewer to slow down, take notice, and revere nature's gifts.

For Dunphy, rapid success in the competitive art world was predicted when American Artist Magazine recognized her as one of the Top Ten Emerging Artists in 1998, just 2 years after she had closed her floral design business to devote herself full time to painting.  

Dunphy’s early art education included workshops by Kevin MacPherson and Dan Gerhartz. In 2000, she was awarded a full scholarship at the renowned Academy of Art University in San Francisco.  She maintains strong ties to the Academy, where she has been offered a faculty appointment and participates in the annual Alumni Auction. Further study with Scott Christensen and T. Allen Lawson helped hone her skills and refine her own unique style of painting.

In 2003, Dunphy designed and built her own studio in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Northern California, where the pristine setting of her home provides endless inspiration for her work.   Her awards and honors are considerable and include important juried shows in California, Texas, Georgia, Arizona, and Maine. Her many awards include Best of Show from the American Impressionist Society, an Award of Excellence from the Oil Painters of America and ten California Art Club Gold Medals.

Kathleen Dunphy has attained signature status with the Oil Painters of America, the American Impressionist Society, Laguna Plein Air Painters, the American Society of Marine Artists and Artists for Conservation. In 2013 when she was elected to join the prestigious Plein Air Painters of America as one of only 35 Signature Members.

In the spirit of passing on the gifts of her artistic abilities, Dunphy began teaching in 2005 and is a much sought-after workshop instructor. Her engaging style of teaching and one-on-one instruction garners high accolades from her student artists.