Kate Duckworth is an American artist and interior designer, with a B.S. in Interior Design from the University of Central Arkansas. She is an abstract expressionist painter and works from her studio in Texas. She believes that art should make you happy.
“I grew up in a creative family. My dad was always drawing or making something. From drafting house plans, which was a way he paid for college, carving a rocking horse, or building furniture he has always been busy with some sort of project. My mom has always been very creative as well and encouraged creativity and crafting throughout my youth. Whether it was a school project, a Halloween costume, or a Barbie dollhouse, we went all out. She has always kept every possible craft item you’d ever want on hand and still does today.
As a child, I always felt different. I continually sought to make the world around me more beautiful. As a toddler, I was arranging washcloths all over the floor until I was satisfied and could stand back and say “beautiful”. In my teens I was making 2-point and 3-point perspective drawings of my bedroom and then moving my furniture around to implement the design.
In high school I never felt like I fit in with a particular group, so I didn’t try. I marched to the beat of my own drum, wearing vintage hippie clothing and reading everywhere I went.
In college I was first a theatre major before pursuing art education. I found that several of my art teachers were discouraging, continually telling me to “let go”. I became frustrated and finally settled on interior design. I have worked in the interior design industry since 2008 and founded Duckworth Interiors in 2011. I have found interior design to be a very fulfilling career and something that I’m very passionate about.
As a designer, I commonly design rooms around a piece of art. I’ve set out to create the type of art I would want to buy for a project. You’ll see that I often create pieces in pairs. Designers are frequently looking for pairs of art for rooms, to go above nightstands, on either side of a fireplace and so forth. I use color combinations that I look for in art to incorporate into the color story of an interior. I also approach framing and mating from an interior designer’s perspective.
Making art has fulfilled a desire in me that was repressed for many years. I believe art should bring you joy and make you happy. I hope that my art makes YOU happy.”
-kate
Kate lives on a farm in Texas with her husband and three children.