Artist & Writer, Storyteller & Puppeteer, Mother to the Elders
Sharing, caring, healing
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My paintings at Sundance >
Katherine’s Exhibit/Writing/PR bio >>
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Katherine is an artist/writer who owns, and lives on Apifera Farm. Her land and animals are merged into art and story. Her well loved blog chronicles the stories of her Misfit animals, but also her journey through life on Earth, as she faces the daily struggles and joys we all have with loss, love, death and aging-always written about from a sensitive and honest stance. She has written and illustrated six books, and counting. She has also written for Huffington Post, Life with Dogs, Modern Farmer, Wild Hope, Somerset Life and more. She has been featured in Spirituality & Health, Uppercase, Somerset Life as well as regional print and podcasts. She currently write a monthly column for Lincoln County News, Tales & Tails, which is written through the voices of her animals.
Katherine began her career in Minneapolis as an illustrator and moved to Oregon in 2002 where she also began to shift into painting, but also write her own books. She met her next door neighbor -who happened to have the same last name- on her first day in her new house. He climbed a tree and picked her cherries-in a heat wave. She felt this was mate worthy, and she baked him a pie. Their love was sealed in that crust and a year later they married. They soon moved to a dilapidated 100 year old farm and raised 4,000 lavender plants and a flock of Katahdin sheep, helping to bring the latter off the endangered list. It is at this time Katherine began adopting old, crippled goats, abused donkeys, old geese, wandering roosters, blind earless ponies, pigs and cats.
In 2016, change was in the air, and her heart. After a string of coincidences and much conversation, Katherine and her husband took a leap of faith, and relocated Apifera to mid coast Maine, without even visiting. At the last minute, an old house with land came their way and they bought it sight unseen. After a six day journey from Oregon to Maine, hauling all the animals [the equines went with a [professional hauler], animals and humans arrived intact to see their home for the first time. They felt immediately in sync with the house and land. Katherine decided she wanted to focus on her animal sanctuary work, became a non profit, and took the next step-sharing the animals with elder people. {See how you can help}
Katherine's paintings have been described as elegantly naive, with a hint of Rumi meeting Chagall, and are showcased on Sundance. She also is an avid photographer, and creates one-of-a-kind creatures from felt and natural fibers.
Her recent books combine art and photographs and share the stories of love, loss, grief and acceptance. Her first book in 2010, "Creative Illustration Workshop" {Quarry Books} explored ways to bring out the essence in illustration and story and was ranked third by Amazon Editors in the 2010 Photo/Art Books.
Katherine welcomes inquiries for your next illustration projects, books and possible painting exhibits.
Katherine Dunn of Apifera Farm - artist, writer, mother to old animals
See all books >
"Itty Bitty & Big Etta" {A Tale of Acceptance} {Apifera Press 2017} illustrated little gem starring a little kitten who was her own self
"Misfits of Love" {Healing Conversations in the Barnyard {Apifera Press 2013} combines her art and photography, and is memoir of both woman and animal.
"Donkey Dream" {A Love Story of Pie & Farm"} {Apifera Press, 2014} an illustrated memoir of magical proportions-suffering a broken heart, the author moves to Oregon, meets her next door neighbor, a pie is shared...and then an old barn speaks.
Her first book,
"Creative Illustration Workshop" {Quarry Press} 2010 was named 3rd in The Amazon Editors 2010 Art Books.