The artist is originally from Waterville, Kansas and moved to Denver in the early 70's. Kaye's creativity blossomed in her work with preschool children, in her needlepoint finishing business, in her sales work with Asian arts, and in her interior design projects. In 1996, she began her classical training in botanical art at the Botanical Illustration School at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Working under the tutelage of the outstanding school staff plus renowned artists such as Jenny Phillips, Kate Nessler, Anne Marie Evans, Pandora Sellars and Geraldine Tam gave her the confidence to experiment in different mediums on both paper and calfskin vellum. Botanical art gradually became her passion and since 1998, her paintings have been shown and sold in Denver and on the islands of Kauai and Oahu. She has focused on intricate, layered watercolor representations of orchids and other tropical plants. Painting from life allows her to portray the essence and details of each plant to the fullest.
Her deep, heartfelt appreciation for the Gardens and the staff at the Illustration School moved Kaye and her husband Mike to establish the Hurtt Family Botanical Art and Illustration Endowment to provide ongoing support for this extraordinary program. Her paintings are represented by FRAMED IMAGE in Denver, Colorado and by CEDAR STREET GALLERIES in Honolulu, Hawaii. She is an active member of the Rocky Mountain Society of Botanical Artists and the American Society of Botanical Artists.
EDUCATION
BA degree from Kansas University in speech pathology
Certification in Botanical Illustration from Denver Botanic Gardens