Kathy Corey Bio
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My story begins where the land meets the luminous expanse of sea—in the tranquil yet vivid ecosystem of Key West, Florida. Growing up surrounded by salt air and radiant skies, I was immersed in the colors and forms that would one day define my artistic vision. My early childhood was like a canvas itself; my mother encouraged my creativity by covering our walls with butcher paper, giving me and my sister the freedom to draw, paint, and dream without restraint. Years later my mother gave me an ink drawing of a horse she clipped and saved from a sheet covering my bed I had drawn. Sharing this creative endeavor was my sister, Tomi Hayes, now an artist in California. Our daily conversations, often centered around art and advice, reflect the deep bond and support that have shaped my creative life.
My artistic ambitions began to take shape in youth, greatly influenced by my seventh-grade teacher, Phil Lomax. His mentorship didn’t end with the school year; after high school, he gave me the opportunity to design billboards. Seeing my work enlarged and displayed publicly was a thrilling experience that fueled my passion even more. Inspired by this early encouragement, I pursued commercial art through my high school years and then studied Advertising and Design for two years at Old Dominion University in Norfolk. Like so many artists, my path wasn’t straightforward. Marriage, children, and moves from Virginia Beach Tampa, Champaign, Boston, St. Louis to Seattle and eventually back to St. Louis meant that sometimes art had to take a backseat. But I kept my skills alive by taking classes at Washington University in St. Louis and eventually pursuing graduate studies under the international artist Victor Wang. Along the way, I earned a BS in Communications and an MBA in Business. I also explored the literal anatomy of art by dissecting cadavers in Champaign, Illinois, to deepen my understanding of the human form that often appears in my paintings. When I am in St. Louis, I spend time drawing and painting at Gateway Atelier of Classical Art with B.J. Parker and visiting artists like Patrica Watwood, Jon DiMartin, and Kerry Dunn and Shane Wolf.
t wasn’t until much later that I found a way to weave together these diverse threads. Art moved back to the center of my life through a community at Palm Health in St. Louis, where I met weekly with Maria Ojascastro for wellness and creative practice. When the COVID-19 shutdown threatened to end this ritual, I founded B Extraordinaire Gallery—a virtual space where artists could stay connected. Maria encouraged me to submit my work to Art St. Louis. Not only was my work accepted, but it won Best in Show—a moment that brought me to tears. I attended the exhibit with my grandchildren, making the experience even more special.
My paintings reflect the shimmering inspiration I draw from ocean, sand, light, and the ever-changing play of clouds. I follow the traditions of the old Italian masters in my process: beginning with precise underdrawing, then building up luminous glazes and incremental layers of oil paint. It is a dialogue between technique and intuition. Often, my favorite works have a human figure within nature, For all the technique involved, I believe my art comes, unmistakably, from the heart.
I strive to embody the enduring power of artistic connection, resilience, and the simple act of turning toward beauty and gratitude. A big thank you to Victor Wang, B.J Parker, Patricia Watwood, and Jon DiMartin, Ken Goshen, Maria Ojascastro, for sharing their expertise, and for providing guidance and inspiration. In addition I am so grateful and extremely fortunate to share my artwork in galleries and private collections across the United States.