Meet Kate

Inspiration
At the young age of 8 months, Kate McRostie was already spending time propped up in a hand painted high chair coloring for hours at a time.  This was merely a glimpse into the future of this talented artist.  One of four children in a military family, Kate traveled the country extensively.  She spent many hours with her mother, a talented designer and artist herself, exploring flea markets and antique shops.  These visits into the past have provided her with the inspiration she draws upon to create a time-worn look using muted, sophisticated colors and textures.

Starting Out
In addition to the natural talent she possesses, Kate took formal drawing lessons throughout grade school and high school and attended The Atlanta College of Art where she attained a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Sculpture.  Upon completion of her formal schooling, Kate moved to Wilmington, North Carolina where she successfully started and ran a decorative painting business that focused on decorative wall finishes, trompe l’oeil murals and hand painted furniture.  It was here also that she met her future husband, Kenny, a Marine lieutenant stationed at nearby Camp Lejeune, North Carolina .

Once again the military took her across the country to San Diego, California where she re-established her decorative painting business.  When her husband left active duty in 1996, they moved to Denver, Colorado where they worked together rebuilding the same decorative painting business. 

Licensing
After several years of hard work and success, Kate could not keep up with the demand for her artistic talents so she set out to explore other options.  The opportunity to enter the art licensing market came at the 1998 Licensing Show in New York City. 

Over the past 10 years, Kate has exploded onto the global art licensing market and her list of licensees has continued to expand.  Her knowledge of home fashion has enabled Kate to turn her hand to the home decor industry with much success.  The McRosties have returned to Wilmington, where they are raising their three young daughters.

Kate works out of a studio near her home and continues to draw inspiration from life, nature, and the people around her.