Kathleen Staab
I knew I was hooked the moment I opened my first Five n Dime watercolor paint box and experienced the unique and translucent possibilities of watercolor. My parents quickly harnessed my new fascination and sent me on my first journey to the little Red School House of Art in Huntington, New York to study watercolors with artist William Dec.
Three years later in the spring of 1976, the Rotary Club of Syosset honored me with an invitation to be the artist showcased in their “one man show” at the Fox Hallow Inn in Woodbury, New York. Later on that year my art was exhibited at the Long Island State Park Recreation Commission’s Winter Arts Festival, where my art was awarded honorable mention. As a sixteen-year-old, trying to find my way, such recognition of my talent was an impressionable and unforgettable moment. Watercolors soon became a daily part of my life, under the guidance and direction of Hoot Von Zitzewitz, an internationally known painter and graphic designer.
In the fall of 1977, I won first place at my high school’s art exhibit and was asked to enter a portfolio for consideration of a four year scholarship to Molloy College. To my shock and surprise, I was Molloy’s chosen recipient. It was the opportunity of a lifetime to study art and receive a free college education.
A few years later my life took an unexpected turn with the arrival of my daughter Erin. Considering the needs of my new family, I moved to Vero Beach, Florida and stopped painting watercolors for over twenty years. However, during that time my love of painting found another outlet when I started my own business, painting and selling clothing at craft shows up and down the east coast. Eventually tired of the road, I permanently relocated to the Northeast and opened a serious of art and craft stores, where I invited the talented artists I met throughout the country to exhibit their work.
But in 2005, a weekend trip to Massachusetts changed everything, as I immediately fell in love with the untouched and majestic charm of Cape Ann. Moving my life and business to Rockport and Gloucester, I have spent the last five years running my gift shop, Gooseberry Junction on Bearskin Neck. There, I have been blessed with the good fortune of finding time to return to my personal love of painting.
Inspired by the scenic coastlines, rustic buildings, and nature’s beauty I am currently rediscovering those unique and translucent possibilities of watercolors along the coast of New England. I currently reside in Gloucester, Massachusetts.
