Kathleen has over thirty years of experience working as a professional artist and possesses a broad range of skills. She earned a BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art with a focus in medical illustration and portrait painting. Her experience as a medical illustrator includes working for a large medical center in  Cleveland, Ohio, and as a freelancer for publishing companies, medical magazines, and medical legal firms. Gradually her focus changed to creating commissioned portrait paintings and teaching and it is this  work that she continues today.​

Kathleen relocated to the  Greenville area in 2011 and has been with SAM since 2013. She has taught privately through her own studio, art centers, a community college, as  well as gifted high school and museum programs.