Artist Spotlight: Kathy West

Kathy West is a natural and scientific illustrator and photographer based in Northern California. “Born and raised in Northern California by an adventurous family, I have always been surrounded by incredible natural beauty and experienced amazing wildlife in the ocean, Sierra mountains, and golden, oak tree grasslands. I have been a scientific and natural science illustrator for the past 40 years and started to develop my photography skills about 15 years ago.” To read more about her and view her full portfolio, visit Kathy’s website https://kathyweststudios.com/

"Leopard Lacewings" by Kathy West pictured above.

Kathy was inspired to become a photographer by her love of wildlife. “I began with a basic love of wildlife and being in natural environments. Now, as a wildlife and conservation photographer, I create images to not simply see animals but to have an insight into their lives, a deeper understanding of their behavior and how they relate to their world. Through sharing my images, I hope to bring a greater understanding and appreciation of the natural world in order to engage people in conservation action.” As a photographer, she most enjoys experiencing the places she travels to take photographs. “I love experiencing new ecosystems, wildlife species and cultures. My favorite thing is to quietly sit immersed in an animal's environment, patiently watching their behavior and getting an insight into their "personality" and how they relate to their environment.” 

"Southern Sea Otter" by Kathy West pictured above.

Kathy enjoys capturing photographs in many different settings. “My "happy places" are so many places around the world, but my absolute favorites are: being on the ocean and photographing whales and other marine mammals; in the tropics, photographing primate species and birds; and in Africa, photographing and watching the incredible diversity of wildlife found there. So my favorite photos that bring me joy are reminders of these times -- my images of breaching whales, playful lions with cubs, and endangered primates. Each image I take transports me back to the moment that I was in that animal's environment, who I was with and my joy at capturing a moment in the animal's life.” In regard to her favorite subjects to capture, she enjoys photographing the natural world. “I enjoy photographing anything in the natural world; from tiny plants and interesting insects, to birds, and my favorite mammals, primates, to being in my most happy place on the water photographing whales. I love learning about animal behavior and gaining an insight into an animal's life through patiently waiting and watching, no matter how uncomfortable I might be in their environment.” 

"Great Egret" by Kathy West pictured above.

When beginning a new project or piece, Kathy is often inspired by the subject she is capturing. “The animals and the ecosystems inspire me, especially new bioregions that may be new to me. Even if I know any animal and their environment well, there is always an opportunity to see an animal in a new light, both literally and figuratively, and to observe a new aspect of their life.” 

When asked what advice she would give to aspiring artists, Kathy responded with the following: 

“Follow your passion for creating images and learning about the natural world. Don't be afraid to follow a unique career path, something I didn't learn until later in my life. There are so many opportunities now to be creative and use your talents to educate others in conservation and an appreciation of the natural world.”

Remember to be respectful of the animals and the habitat. I keep in mind the time of year (nesting? hibernating?), the time of day (sleeping? foraging? predators around?), the age of the subject (young or easily frightened by a person?), and the effect my presence might have on other animals entering the area from behind me. If there is ever a question about my presence having an impact, I always choose the safety and stress level of the animal and will leave without “the shot”. 

My philosophy in creating images is embedded in my understanding and love of animal behavior. I appreciate the patience of the wait, and the enjoyment of watching an animal for long periods of time. Just as I'm not able to do my best work and be creative with extraneous anthropomorphic noise, neither can an animal live its most comfortable and stress-free life with human presence, movements and noise. To get the most honest image of the true nature of an animal, one must be invisible, silent, patient and respectful.” 

"Harbor Seal" by Kathy West pictured above.

Kathy discovered Golden State Art many years ago when looking for items for her photography. “I have been purchasing supplies for my photographs from GSA for many years and appreciate the great quality and customer service. I originally heard about your company from a fellow photographer. GSA has helped me to present my work to the public in a professional way. Every year at my local arts fair I sell enlargements of my photographs, matted and ready for the buyer to frame and hang. It makes for a beautiful presentation!” 

Kathy is also the founder and director of a primate conservation program, Photography Inspiring Children in Conservation.

“Since I retired in 2016, I have been using my skills and time to found and direct a primate conservation program, Photography Inspiring Children in Conservation (PICC), designed to create capacity in Indigenous communities in conservation-compatible livelihoods through educating children and the communities through photography, storytelling and illustration. 

PICC (PICCmadagascar.org) is a project based upon the concept of truly seeing and engaging with the natural world. In working in collaboration with local communities to celebrate their relationship with, and to learn about, their local ecosystem and endangered wildlife, we provide a platform to share traditional ecological knowledge, empowering future generations in conservation issues and solutions, and giving them the skills to be effective in conservation and communication. 

Our goal is to inspire students to become conservation leaders within their communities by providing them with skills and knowledge regarding primate ecology and conservation issues and solutions through the arts of photography, illustration, and storytelling. 

We hope that this project, through engaging and empowering the children and communities to understand the benefits of conservation, will work to contribute to the protection of their forests, primates and other forest animals. Our goal is to educate students in primate biology, behavior and conservation issues through photography, illustration and storytelling, improving knowledge and inspiring appreciation of the ecological, cultural, and economic value to their communities when protecting primate and their habitats. 

We can use your help! Please check out our webpage and social media and send me your thoughts. 

https://photographyinspiringconservation.org/help-support-us/

PICCinternational 

Twitter: @PICCintl 

@piccmadagascar 

Instagram: PICC international 

FB: PICC Madagascar”