About Us
Kathryn McGovern
I was very lucky – my parents exposed me to art early and often, and when I wanted to spend a significant amount of time drawing and creating – they encouraged me.
I remember I received my first Art Prize for drawing in kindy, then won a pair of roller skates in a Paddle-Pop Lion competition in primary school. In Year 10 I was shortlisted for The National Art Award, and I won the school award in my senior year. These awards all encouraged me, built my confidence, and gave me direction. I always knew I wanted to be an artist or have a career in the creative industries. We need artists. They are important in society and reflect our world back on us.
Artists attempt to make things that have an authority or presence. My main motivation has always been to create something of lasting value. Artworks serve many purposes, they may elevate viewers, entertain, question the world, record our culture, history, surprise or even comfort.
Artists should not underestimate the importance of the stories we tell ourselves about how art can make a difference. These motivational fictions describe the ways a work might interact with the world to justify that our art has transformational potential. We hope that our work might be understood as being critical of society or a sanctuary from it.
After secondary school, I studied a Fine Arts degree at University, then continued to study teaching. I went on to work for 16 years in education, pursuing my own artwork but not in a serious manner. In 2014 I completed my Masters, post graduate studies in Fine Art and was a resident artist working in a studio at Jugglers Art Space, Fortitude Valley; Brisbane.
A life in the arts can be simultaneously rewarding, frustrating, doubt-filled, joyful, and uncertain. There are struggles and pleasures. As an artist you pursue those questions and aesthetics that mean the most to you. My practice is inspired by natural science and man’s behavioural relationships with animals. I consider the possibility of intersubjective communication in human-animal encounters and to what extent our emotional lives might be compared to those of animals. I work in a variety of media and develop imagery in my drawings and paintings through a process of layering materials and marks.
Based in Queensland, I have won and been a finalist in various art awards including the Rick Amor Drawing Prize, Marie Ellis OAM Prize for Drawing, The Outback Open Art Prize, The John Villiers Outback Award, and The Waverley Art Prize.
In 2018 I held my first international solo art exhibition at WM Gallery in Amsterdam – called ‘Environmental Nostalgia’; an exhibition featuring ink drawings of critically endangered Australian animals. This has been the highlight of my art career wiith Dr Brett Mason – the Australian ambassador to the Netherlands opening the show.
Traffic Jam Galleries in Sydney has represented me as an artist since 2015. Exhibitions held here include – ‘Wild Things’, ‘Dog Show’, and ‘Fashioned from Nature’. I have participated in many group exhibitions in Queensland as well as interstate.
I worked as Art Gallery Coordinator at Petrie Terrace Gallery for the Royal Queensland Art Society from 2019 – 2021. In this role I was actively involved in the running of the gallery, hanging of shows, planning, and organising opening night events and liaising with artists. My work has been bought by collectors around the world and Australian regional galleries.
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With a lifetime of passion for art and an even more consuming love for dogs, it is no surprise that Kathryn McGovern eventually combined her two driving forces and created her ‘Dog Show Collection’, a series of works that demonstrates not only affection for her four-legged subjects but a certain sense of humour too.
But prior to the creation and release of the collection, Kathryn, brought up with art as an integral part of her life from an early age, studying and teaching within the world of art, achieved a Masters in both Visual Arts and Fine Arts whilst enjoying a 16-year career in teaching and collecting multiple awards for her art on the way.
The original inspiration for her art was her observations upon the natural world and pondering the relationships that animals and in particular dogs, shared with humans. Since taking the plunge and holding her first solo exhibition in 2018, Kathryn has continued her work, recently culminating in the ‘Dog Show Collection’. This collection of dog canvas prints features dogs of many different breeds and through her artistic interpretations highlights and defines some of the particular qualities that many may associate with certain breeds.
The juxtaposition of the innately tranquil Great Dane with the rather more feisty Chihuahua canvas art may be considered to typify the collection, but throughout you will find all of the images relatable and endearing.
Kathryn’s dog canvas art, comes in a wide variety of sizes, from as small as 6 x 10 up to 60 x 30 inches and in all orientations, presented on canvas gallery wrap with New Zealand pine frames. Each piece is crated on top quality natural canvas, with qualities of durability and high absorbency that contribute to clarity and detail within the images.
It’s clear to see that Kathryn has a special affinity for the Dashchund as the collection feature 3 examples of Dashchund canvas wall art and if you too are a fan of the sausage dog canvas, the good news is that the images are also available on a number of other items, including full colour surface, non-slip feeding mats and comfortable and practical pet beds which should help keep your pets away from your furniture.
There’s no doubt that Kathryn has managed to capture the charm and character of her canine subjects and regardless of whether your favourite is the French Bulldog canvas art, the boxer dog canvas ‘Battle of Wits’ or the Shih Tzu canvas art that amusingly depicts the diminutive dog with human hair rollers, if you too have any affection for dogs, you are sure to view the whole collection most warmly.
Items within the canvas art collection are supplied with self-hanging kits facilitating a quick and simple process to display your chosen prints in your home or office, but unfortunately these pieces of art are not suitable for outdoors.
Visit the online shop to order your Frenchie canvas, pet clothes and accessories, homewares and even stationary, featuring the unique work of talented artist Kathryn McGovern.
Kathryn McGovern, a Brisbane artist, has produced a collection of dog canvas prints that wonderfully capture not only her enduring love for dogs but each individual image encapsulates the charm and characteristics of the particular breeds that she features. With a long and distinguished career in art, Kathryn’s fine eye for detail within her dog canvas art is firmly enhanced by the utilisation of high-quality materials to ensure that every piece will have a timeless presence that will enhance any environment in which it is displayed.
As a tribute to the first dog that she ever owned there are multiple examples of Dachshund canvas wall art within the collection but other instantly recognisable breeds are included too. Her Boxer Dog canvas art, Shih Tzu canvas art and French Bulldog canvas art are unfussy yet evoke the distinctive qualities of these breeds and will immediately appeal to all dog lovers.
With a selection of orientations - horizontal, vertical and square plus a wide range of size options available, you are sure to find one of Kathryn’s pieces that touches your heart and that you will want to display in your home, office, public area or similar interior locations.
Kathryn is not limited to one medium however, and as outstanding as her examples of Pug canvas wall art and Frenchie canvas art are she produces a wide range of dog clothing and canine accessories such as collars, tags, feeding mats and bowls alongside products for the committed dog lovers.
Take a while to browse through the full catalogue, you will find it irresistible!