Welcome!
My name is Kate Solbakk. I’m originally from Ontario, Canada, and I now live in Drangedal, Norway with my wonderful husband, Tux. We live on a little hobby farm with a dog and cat, a little flock of chickens and a lot of solar panels.
I’ve been drawing and painting for as long as I can remember, but my journey as a professional artist started with microscopy. Back in 2010 I had a work study position at my university, and this is where I fell in love with protozoa. Looking into the microscope felt like seeing another dimension. It’s a parallel universe, completely hidden from us, but at the same time so intricately connected. The more I learned, the more I felt the need to share the knowledge.
In 2013 when I first came to Norway, I was hired by a small company that did experimental microscope analysis on soil, looking at biology. We did public demonstrations, where I got to share my passion with others and witness the joy of discovery again and again. I also saw many people walk past our display without stopping, and I was sad to see them miss out.
After one of these events, I went home and started looking for better visuals we could use to help draw people in. At the time, the microscope imagery I could find (or make) was not very good. The photos were grainy and meaningless to anyone outside the field. Even today, the most crisp and beautiful microscope images are lacking the environmental context and natural atmospheric lighting that could help the viewer understand and relate to what they see. So I started drawing. I used my imagination to fill in the gaps and present microorganisms as wildlife in their natural habitats. And that’s how my career started.
Why subscribe?
I started this newsletter because I needed a better way to keep in touch with those who are interested in my work. Instagram used to be great for this, but things have changed, and it just doesn’t work for me anymore.
I’ll use this to announce things like new artwork, projects I’ve been working on, and events. Emails will probably be once per month or less, depending on how much there is to share. I promise, no content for the sake of content. I’ll do my best to make sure my posts are interesting and worthy of your inbox.
You should subscribe if you:
Like my work and want to see more
Might want a license, commission, or prints someday
Could be interested in future collaboration
Follow me on Instagram but never see my posts
Paid subscriptions are completely optional. They help me offer my artwork and other services for free to those who benefit most from my work but can’t afford to pay for it, such as schools and charities. There is no obligation to pay for a subscription, but they are greatly appreciated and help me make a difference in the world. As a special thank you to paid subscribers I offer a bonus colouring page with each newsletter.
You can visit my main website to see the full gallery here, or visit my print shop here.
For commissions, licenses and other inquiries please see the commission page on my website.
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