‘Art is not what you see, but what you make others see’ , Edgar Degas
About Katharine Rowe
Katharine is a London-based artist working from her studio at home in Wimbledon. Katharine is a self-described colourist and her work involves spending considerable time mixing paints to achieve deliberate and impactful brushstrokes.
Over the past 18 months, Katharine has developed her creative process and mark-making to what she describes as ‘collage with paint’. Multiple shapes and techniques are used and each painting ends up being a number of layers thick before it is finished.
Katharine primarily uses Michael Harding oil paints for their unparalleled colour quality and prefers linen canvases for their texture. Her work regularly features in exhibitions and publications and is held in collections internationally.
Notably, Katharine participated in Sky Portrait Artist of the Year, read her blog post about her experience here.
Common Works Gallery
In addition to her painting practice, Katharine is a Director of Common Works Gallery, a community interest company based in Wimbledon that organises community arts events.
Working with co-director, Katie Preston, Common Works Gallery aims to SHOWCASE artists, provide them with a supportive COMMUNITY as well as opportunities to COLLABORATE in paid workshops and commissions, and finally to INSPIRE everyone to explore their own creativity.
Common Works Gallery’s first major event was Art in the Park in 2021, in partnership with The Friends of Cannizaro Park and is now a biannual event and is happening this year on Sunday 28th September. In 2022 we revived the Wimbledon Arts Trail which happened again in September 2024 and has become another biannual event.
We are happy to discuss new opportunities for local artists and venues so please get in touch for a chat.
To see details of other events and exhibitions we have organised, and to hear about upcoming opportunities visit www.commonworksgallery.org rg
July 2025: Exhibition at Wey Gallery, Godalming
May 2025: Nature’s First Green is Gold, Exhibition at AdLib Gallery, Wimbledon
January - March 2025: A Brush with the Past, Wimbledon Museum
June 2024: Trees, Cannizaro House curated and exhibited
February – March 2024: Heart & Soul: the Animals in our Lives, Metronome, Morden
June 2023: Colour & Light. A celebration of female painters, Cannizaro House
May 2022: Fresh Air. Joint exhibition with Emily Harris at AdLib Gallery in Wimbledon Village
April 2022: River Culture, Merton Priory Chapter House
September 2021: Art in the Park, Cannizaro
Autumn/Winter 2020: Portrait featured in NHS Portraits for Heroes, buy the book here
November 2020: Competitor in Sky Portrait Artist of the Year
July 2019: Exhibitor in Stewards Enclosure Gallery, Henley Royal Regatta
2014-2018: Resident artist at Fox and Grapes pub, Wimbledon
May 2017: Solo show at Sprout Arts, Furzedown SW11
September 2016: Solo show at Sprout Arts, Furzedown SW11
Feb 2015: ArtFinder pop-up exhibition, The Foundry, Camden NW1
October 2014: Solo show at Webb’s Fine Art, Webbs Road SW11
Summer 2013: Summer Exhibition, Kings Road Gallery SW10
Spring 2013: J Design, Barnes High Street, SW13
2013: Salt & Pepper, SW18
Winter 2010: The Old Sweet Shop, SW18
July 2009: Chelsea & Westminster Hospital
Selected exhibitions
Profile in Sunday Telegraph