About Kat

Meet Kat, the artist and founder behind Ransom Studios.

As a self-taught artist, Kat’s painting career began during her childhood in her hometown of Hershey, PA. Her passion for animals led her in pursuit of a degree in biology and veterinary medicine, all the while continuing to paint as a favorite pastime. Her pursuit first led her to employment in Washington DC at a local animal hospital and the Smithsonian Zoo, and later took her to St Petersburg, FL, where she currently resides. Through a series of life-altering events, that she would later define as nothing short of divine intervention, Kat made the transition from vet nurse to full-time artist, founding Ransom Studios in 2019.

Her travels, ties to animal medicine, and a life-long appreciation for the wonders of the natural world, serve as inspiration for the subjects of her work. With octopuses holding a particularly special place in her heart, increasingly high demand for paintings incorporating these cephalopods has made the octopus a staple in Kat’s portfolio.

True to her nature, Kat has combined her love for the animal world and passion to create, with an effort to draw awareness to conservation by incorporating the use of recycled materials into her works. Salvaged wood and retired surfboards remain among the most popular materials Kat has used as her canvas. She continues to experiment with various materials, to find new uses for salvaged goods. The latest of which includes copper, which she sculpts by hand and oxidizes to create beautiful variations of green, blue and red patinas, to uniquely compliment her paintings.

Although her canvas takes many forms, the use of acrylic paint to portray her love of wildlife is consistent throughout her portfolio.

Her work has caught the attention of many within the field of veterinary medicine, leading to a unique collection of works incorporating animal anatomy specifically designed for educational purposes within the profession. Today, Kat’s audience spans worldwide, including veterinary hospitals and institutions across the US and in many countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, to name a few. By expanding her portfolio to meet the needs of those in the field of biology, Kat hopes to become a vessel for public education, using her work to bring awareness of many of the conservational crises we face today.