Today we’d like to introduce you to Kim Casebeer.
Hi Kim, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Kim Casebeer spent her childhood exploring the outdoors on her family farm and has a lengthy connection to the landscape. She went to Kansas State University, where she graduated with a BFA in 1992. Kim worked for advertising agencies as a graphic designer for almost 10 years, but was always painting in her spare time. In 2001, she decided to quit her graphic design job to focus on her art full-time.
Kim’s work focuses on the landscape in the flint hills of Kansas, as well as the western United States of Wyoming, Colorado, Montana and New Mexico. She’s drawn to big spaces and open skies.
Kim is a Master Signature Member of the American Women Artists, and a Signature Member of the Oil Painters of America and the American Impressionist Society. She has received many awards during her career, including several Awards of Excellence in national Oil Painters of America exhibits. Kim’s plein air “Oxbow Light Triptych” received the Superintendent’s Purchase Award in Plein Air for the Park July 2018, and is in the permanent collection of the Grand Teton National Park.
Kim has participated in the Small Works, Great Wonders at the National Cowboy Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Briscoe Western Art Museum’s Night of Artists in San Antonio, Texas; The Russell Show and Sale at the C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, Montana; and Cowgirl Up! at the Desert Caballeros Western Museum, Wickenburg, Arizona.
Kim has work in private, corporate and museum collections throughout the United States. She is represented by galleries in Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and Arizona.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Being self-employed is never a smooth road! Over the years, I’ve learned that a full-time artist has to diversify their time. Most of my energy is directed toward painting for gallery shows and commissions. Artists can spend 3-5 months preparing for a gallery show and you hope it will be successful. There is never a guarantee of income. It’s great when a show sells well. That’s exciting! But even then an artist has to manage their budget based on those sales, perhaps for 6 months or even a year. Another common revenue avenue for artists is to teach. I typically teach 2-3 workshops per year. The multiple income avenues are essential.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in painting the pure, rural landscape. In the midwest that is the mostly unaltered, flint hills, and the big, open skies. In the west, that is the big vistas of mountains and skies. I’m most proud of my ability to capture these places so the viewer feels connected to them in an emotional way. Most often this means focusing on the light and shadow effects in the landscape. This ability is two fold. First, it comes from my many years of experience painting the landscape en plein air, which means painting outside on location from life. An artist can’t convincingly paint the landscape unless they are spending a significant amount of time outside experiencing the landscape. Next, I bring those plein air paintings in to my studio to use as studies for larger paintings. It’s in these larger paintings that I will push light and shadow effects more in order to create a dramatic landscape.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
It’s no secret that the internet has changed the way people purchase. We’ve seen painting sales, maybe $1500 or less happen more frequently online before a collector sees the painting in person. That typically happens if the collector is already familiar with the artist’s work. However, larger painting sales still happen in person. Collector’s want to be able to see the painting and how the painting is framed. I don’t anticipate that changing. In fact, I’ve talked with other galleries and artists, and the general consensus is that because of the growing use of technology and AI, collectors will desire authentic fine art more than ever.
Pricing:
- $550-3000 for small to medium sized paintings
- $3500-10,500 large and showcase pieces
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kimcasebeer.com
- Instagram: @kimcasebeerartist
- Facebook: KimCasebeerFineArt
