Kate Dardine paints a variety of subjects centered around her love of the natural world and her quest to understand humankind's real purpose. Through her imaginative use of color and composition, Kate gives a contemporary voice to traditional subjects.

Kate’s earliest memories are of writing and drawing elaborate “storybooks” with her sister and exploring the woodlands behind her family’s Connecticut home. At an early age she showed an affinity for animals of all kinds – from crows, ravens and blue jays, fox, deer and raccoons she considered to be her friends, to horses, dogs and cats – all animals had a place in her heart. Growing up, she thought she would either become a writer or a veterinarian.

But life took her on a different path. After getting married and having two wonderful daughters, Kate earned a degree in Illustration from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut. After a trip to Colorado for a friend’s wedding, Kate and her husband, Dave Dardine (a local musician) decided to move their family to the wide open spaces of north Ft. Collins.

Today Kate paints primarily in oil from her studio in a log home she and Dave built on 11 acres. Their four horses, four dogs and lone kitty provide endless inspiration and amusement. She is a member of the Equine Artist Guild and is represented by galleries in Colorado, Wyoming and Oregon. Her work is in private and corporate collections throughout the United States and abroad.

When not painting, Kate enjoys riding her horses, playing with her dogs and exploring the "road less traveled."