The Heart Behind the Art

Hi! Let me introduce myself - my name is Kate Shephard and I'm an abstract artist working from my studio on the Dorset coast, where I create vibrant, expressive oil paintings that blend colour, movement, and calm.

Where It Began

I was born in Warsaw, Poland, during a time when the world around me felt grey and heavy (communist-era Poland). But my summers were different — spent in the countryside at my grandfather's house, where my sister, cousins, and I would roam freely through meadows, ride our bikes along dirt tracks, and wade in streams under warm, golden light. Those moments taught me something essential: that colour, nature, and beauty are not luxuries — they're nourishment for the soul.
When my family moved to England, I carried those memories with me. Life wasn't always easy, and I moved often, never quite feeling settled. But through it all, I held onto the things that made me feel alive — light, colour, open horizons, and the quiet strength I found in my Christian faith.

  • Dorset Aritisst Kate Shephard Painting

    Work in Progress...

  • Christian Dorset Artist Kate Shephard Painting in her Dorset Art Studio

    In the studio

  • Christian Artist Kate Shephard with a favourite painting - Endless Summer

    One of my personal favourites!

Finding My Way to Art

For years, I worked in the corporate world as a computer programmer. It was practical, stable — but it wasn't mine. Something was missing. I longed for a way to express what I felt inside, to reconnect with that sense of wonder I'd known as a child.
When I finally picked up a paintbrush, everything shifted. Painting became my sanctuary — the place where I could breathe, explore, and let my soul exhale. I didn't need to follow rules or fit into boxes. I could just be.

oil painting close up

Why I Paint the Way I Do

I paint abstractly because I'm not trying to replicate what's in front of me — I'm trying to capture what I feel. The way light moves across water. The softness of petals caught in a breeze. The calm that settles over you when you stand at the horizon and just breathe.
My work is rooted in nature — not literal landscapes, but the impressions they leave behind. Coastal horizons. Botanical forms. Soft, expressive movement. Colour as emotional language.
I've learned that beauty has the power to restore us. It can take the weight we carry and lighten it, even just for a moment. That's what I want my paintings to do — to offer a sense of calm, wonder, and possibility.

Life Now

I live in Dorset with my husband and our two teenagers. Our life is full — sometimes beautifully so, sometimes overwhelmingly so — but painting remains my refuge, my way of finding peace in the midst of it all.
The coast here inspires me endlessly. There's something about standing by the sea, looking out at the open water, that makes everything feel possible again. That feeling — that quiet exhale — is what I try to bring into every piece I create.

What Drives Me

I paint because it lets me transform emotion into something beautiful. I paint to remind myself — and others — that even in the grey seasons, there is always colour waiting to break through.
My hope is that my work offers you the same thing it offers me: a moment to pause, to breathe, to reconnect with your own light.
Thank you for being here.

Take a peek into my world...

As Seen In / Exhibitions

  • The Simple Things Magazine (issue 127)
  • SAA Artists of the Year 2024 Exhibition - The Nottingham Society of Artists’ Gallery on Friar Lane in Nottingham
  • Summer Exhibition at Upton Country House, Poole, Dorset
  • Dorset 20:20 Open Art Exhibition, Wimborne, Dorset
  • Colins Nest Cafe, Poole, Dorset
  • Holmes Place, Orchard Cafe, Wareham, Dorset

You can also visit my original website, CraftyCowDesign.co.uk, which is where my journey as an artist first began. It holds some of my earlier work and a glimpse into how my style has evolved over time. This website, KateShephardArt.co.uk, is where I now share my newest collections — a reflection of the direction I’m moving in as an artist and the creative path I’m most passionate about today.

Want to read more about my journey? Check out my Blog Post Here

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