September 2023
TThe Everwood Foundation generously provided me a week-long retreat to create in their beautifully restored farm house in western Wisconsin. It was a very productive week! A big thanks to Chris and Bill--who are looking for artists to support in 2024 through the Everwood Farmstead Foundation.
July 2023
The FAA awarded me the 2023 Minneapolis District (Minnesota and southwestern Wisconsin) Flight Instructor of the Year Award. To promote aviation safety I gave presentations at: 1. Science Museum of Minnesota; 2. Duluth Air Show; Wings of the North Airshow, and the Annual Girls in Aviation Day.
October 2022
While painting in the BWCA I realized that if a minature is treated as a haiku, capaturing the essence of a moment, it can have a poignant and tender essence.
October 2022
I finished the plein air painting BWCA: Waterlog, Basswood Lake, watercolor, 16" x 12", during a 16-day canoe trip into the Boundary Waters Wilderness Canoe Area canoe trip.
May 2021
I finished painting Calm Before the Snow, watercolor, 11" x 4", celebrating the 2020 Boundary Waters Wilderness Canoe Area canoe trip with my daughter, where we went in wearing shorts and came out with ice coating our canoe and paddles.
August 2020
My watercolor Beginnings and Landings: Kathleen Nesser Lt. Col. Ret. USAF, is awarded Second Place at the Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Competition.
2018-2019
The Minnesota Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators awards me their 2018-19 Writer's Mentorship. Under the brilliant mentorship of award-winning author Cynthia Surrisi, I write and illustrate the middle grade mystery, The Sketchbook Solution, a story about 13-year-old Amber who uses her sketchbook and the help of two friends to uncover why paintings by female artists had been stolen from the world's great art museums.
January 2019
My 14 paintings for the picture book, Child of Wonder are on display at Brunswick United Methodist Church starting on January 2019.
September 2018
My picture book Child of Wonder is published by GIA Publications. Read more at the book's website.
August 2018
My watercolor painting Child of Wonder is awarded an Honorable Mention at the Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Competition.
February 2018
My 14 paintings for the picture book, Child of Wonder are on display at Mayflower Church (106 E. Diamond Lake Road, Minneapolis) for two months starting on February 16, 2018.