Artist Statement

My fascination with vibrant color deepened through lived experience—witnessing the subtle ways light and hue can uplift or soothe the spirit, especially while supporting loved ones with seasonal affective disorder. This awareness became the foundation of my creative journey, highlighting color’s ability to influence mood, invite reflection, and offer quiet therapy in a noisy world.

In my paintings, I embrace abstraction as a language of emotion. Each canvas unfolds as a field of pure feeling, designed to calm the mind and lift your spirit. As a color field painter, I am rooted in the belief that color itself can shift our internal landscape—serving as a gentle invitation to pause, breathe, and reconnect with the present moment. Color becomes the subject and the story.

Influenced by the legacies of Mark Rothko and Helen Frankenthaler, I explore the expressive potential of layered pigment and texture, working with brushes, palette knives, and unconventional tools. Each piece is built through a tactile process, amplifying the emotional resonance beyond visual experience. It is my hope that viewers find within these color fields a sense of comfort, renewal, and a reminder of art’s power to nurture well-being. Each piece is designed to evoke an emotional resonance as much as a visual experience.

Bio

Kimberlee lives in Yucca Valley, California and Saint Helens, Oregon.

Creativity is deeply rooted in her family. Her paternal grandfather, Julian P. Graham, was a celebrated photographer in Carmel, California. Renowned for his legacy, Graham captured iconic images for publications such as Life and National Geographic, and was the resident photographer at Pebble Beach Golf Course in the later years of his career. His remarkable body of work, chronicling the history and leisure of the Monterey Peninsula from 1924 to 1963, is part of her own family heritage.

Kimberlee’s creative journey spans 25 years as the owner of a boutique interior design business, where she traveled widely and shaped soulful, welcoming homes for her clients. Her artistry grew from her deep understanding of design fundamentals—color, proportion, rhythm, and balance—which naturally led her to painting in 2004, first mastering realism and then exploring abstract colorfield techniques. In 2021, Kimberlee transitioned out of interior design into full-time painting, embracing this evolution as a way to craft environments that soothe, uplift, and inspire, both on canvas and in life. Her work continues to reflect her passion for harmonious spaces and her commitment to creative expression that supports well-being.