ing would give her paintings “roundness” and a more three-dimensional quality, Kathleen’s first soapstone sculpture was of a little Scottie dog. “Scottie,” she laughs, “has really short legs because when I was cutting the stone, a big chunk fell off the bottom.” She also noticed that each time she had a new stone delivered from a quarry to her home, a new courier arrived every time. “UPS didn’t like me too much during my sculpting phase!” she laughs. She can still remember them walking up her steps with a heavy crated stone and a confused look on their face as they asked, “Did you order this rock ma’am?”
Under the name K.J. McKenzie, Kathleen’s work has been shown in New York City and throughout the country, as well as internationally in England and Italy. Her paintings, which have won numerous awards and are included in the Encyclopedia of Living Artists, are collected by corporate and private collectors around the world. But Kathleen’s outlook on her talent is reflected in her simple philosophy. “I was placed on this beautiful planet. God would find it pleasing that I would document it and I would pass it on,” she says. Currently nursing a broken ankle from a skiing accident and avoiding unpacking the stacks of boxes still occupying her new home, Kathleen hopes she will soon be able to continue painting, meeting other artists, teaching, and pursuing her faux painting business in her new Greer community. l
GreerNow JUNE 2006
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