Kathleen Benyak's 25-year career in Architecture and Commercial Interior Design laid the foundation for her artwork. Favoring the Modernists, Abstract Expressionists and their bold use of color, she has worked in oil, acrylic, pastel and watercolor. Her artisan jewelry has sold in galleries in Santa Fe, her paintings exhibited in galleries in Santa Fe, Bisbee and Tubac AZ. In addition to Heartworks Gallery, current work is on display and for sale in the historic two-story bank building that is the Keeling Schaefer Wine Tasting Room in Willcox, AZ. She started Heartworks Gallery in her own commercial premises to provide a second physical location and on-line site for the sale of original art without the traditional mark-up of most galleries. She is currently a member of the Tubac Center of the Arts and participates in juried and other exhibitions there.
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Kathleen lives near the beautiful Cochise Stronghold in SE Arizona but will be relocating to an equally scenic area closer to Tucson in mid 2023. In addition to art, Kathleen has focused on philanthropic work and volunteering for organizations that include the Tucson VA Hospital, The Bisbee Animal Shelter, Tucson Wildlife Rescue Center, Donkeys of the Heart and the Chiricahua Apache Nation. Currently she volunteers for The Forgotten Children and Tucson Audubon Society. It has been her goal to create a gallery featuring and promoting the work of fellow community-involved artists who share her passion for art and for helping others.
"I am lured by the full spectrum of color and express this in almost all of my work. My compositions are inspired by many things: the Earth and it's patterns from high above, architectural forms, weather, geological formations, sea life, celestial events and other natural phenomena.
Each medium has it's own challenge. Watercolor is a favorite of mine because it allows flow and a serendipitous outcome. Some of my paintings begin with an image in mind. Others are a true abstract dialog that occurs by putting paint to paper and seeing what transpires. All of it delights me. My artwork is joyously colorful and from the heart. I hope it will bring pleasure to the viewer."
