Kat Wharton

About the Artist

I am a native of Cumberland, Maryland. I began my career as an artist at the age of 16, when I held my first solo art show in Frostburg, Maryland. I have since held seven solo art exhibitions. I was a featured artist in the 2014 & 2015 Frostburg Arts Walk; “35 Under 35” in the 2016 Issue of Allegany Magazine; Maryland Public Television’s “Our Town: Cumberland,” and the 2023 Savage Mountain Punk Festival. I am currently a semi-finalist of the 2024 CBIZ Mural Project of Downtown Cumberland. I graduated from Frostburg State University with two Bachelor’s degrees in Fine Arts and English Literature in 2018 and with my Master’s of Arts in Teaching in 2019. I now teach visual art at Allegany High School, my alma mater. I teach grades 9 through 12 at all levels from Art 1 to Honors Art 4, and even spearheaded the first Advanced Placement (AP) Art program in the county. I seek to motivate and build the confidence of the artists of tomorrow. My undergraduate focus was illustration after falling in love with comics at a young age. I’m a ferocious reader, devouring graphic novels, comic books, stop motion films, and animated shows, trying to imitate their styles and motion. My influences include Brian Selznick, Mike Mignola, Bill Waterson, and Edward Gorey. As a dual major in literature, my love for writing has also impacted my style. The works of the English Renaissance and the European / American Gothic eras have influenced the mood of my work. Some of my favorites include the writings of Christopher Marlowe, Dante Alighieri, Elizabeth Gaskell, Oscar Wilde, and Edgar Allen Poe.   My preferred mediums are watercolor and ink, but I also experiment in acrylic and oil painting, oil pastel, graphic design, and linocut printmaking. I enjoy teaching my students cardboard and papier-mache sculpture. I write comic strips of all shapes and sizes, paint murals, and create graphics for t-shirts, mugs, and other such products that I sell in my online shops. I have written and illustrated two books: “The Literary Alphabet” (an alphabet book featuring icons of classic literature) and “The Strawman” (an illustrated poetry book). My goal for the future is to create more art books, children’s books, and graphic novels to be published and inspire others.