“The subtleties found at dawn and dusk fuel my creative energy. I paint to escape our complicated modern life, creating quiet places into which the observer and I can retreat.”     Kathy Steckel

Her current work in fine art is a ‘return to the heart’ for her as she chooses a good value pattern, over detail and honors mystery, over completeness. She enjoys painting still life in her studio and landscape en plein air. Her paintings capture a feeling of timelessness and often bring a passionate, emotional response to her subject. 

As a young adult she struck out on her own to start a stained glass studio in the wilds of Alaska after an apprenticeship in glass in her native state of Colorado.  Kathy had the opportunity to live in “the Glass Kingdom” of Sweden for a year where she studied glass and built painted art glass windows for the German artist, Ann Wolfe.

Largely self-taught, Kathy has had the fortune to study with Ramon Kelly, Qiang Huang, Marla Bagetta, Kim Lordier and other modern masters over her 30+ year career as an artist. She holds in high regard the Tonalist painters of the turn of the century for their ability to capture diffused light and create within their paintings a meaningful silence.

Recent Accomplishments
Mile High International Show, Pastel Society of Colorado, 2013, 2015 & 2016
Artist Magazine, National Competition, Finalist, 2011
Mile High International Show, Pastel Society of Colorado, Denver, 2011
Awarded Signature Membership, Pastel Society of Colorado, 2011
Pastel 100 National Competition, Honorable Mention 2011
Pastel Society of Colorado Mile High International Show 2010
Aspen Guard Station, Artist-in-Residency, August 2010
Pastel 100 National Competition, 2010, 2nd place Still Life
Wyoming Plein Air 2009, People’s Choice Award, 2nd Place Quick Draw
Pastel Society of Colorado Mile High National Show 2009
Paint Paonia Plein Air, 2008 1st place, 2009 2nd place
Pastel Society of Colorado, Pastel Award Montrose Visual Arts, 2007
Black Canyon Art Exhibit , Best of Show, 2010
Palisade Art Lovers,  Best of Fruit & Wine, 2009
Ouray Artist Alpine Holiday, 2nd Place 2009
Pastel Society of Colorado Mile High National Show 2007

Study 
Fine Art-Qiang Huang, oil, Scottsdale School of Art, 2014
Fine Art—Marla Baggetta, pastel  painting, Denver, CO 2011
Fine Art—Kim Lordier, pastel painting, Denver, CO 2010
Glass—Michael Dupille, kiln formed glass, Seattle, WA 2009
Glass—Roger Thomas glass painting, Los Angeles, CA 2007
Fine Art—Ramon Kelley Workshop, oil painting, Sante Fe NM 2005