About the artist
Hello, I'm Kate.
I'm a realist artist working in colored pencil from my home studio in Canada
, usually with a rescue cat or two close by.
I've been drawing in colored pencil for more than twenty years, and I specialize in portraits of the animals people love: dogs, cats and the companions who become family.
Why I draw them
My portraits don't just resemble their subjects. They invite you closer, to really look and feel what that face has meant to you. They're a chance to see someone you love clearly, maybe in a way you never quite have before.
Every piece carries the touch of my hand: the layering of color, the movement of the pencil, the choices only I would make. Faithful to your subject, but alive with something more. Something that stirs empathy. Something that holds memory.
The ones we love shape the stories of our lives. These portraits exist so those stories aren't forgotten.
How I work
Colored pencil is a slow medium. Each portrait is built from many fine layers of pigment, one over another, until fur has softness and eyes have depth. A single piece takes 4–8 weeks.
Because every portrait deserves my full attention, I accept only a small number of commissions each year. Every one is drawn by me, by hand. No AI, no machines, no shortcuts.
From the studio
Selected portraits
When the time is right
Begin a commission
Tell me a little about who you'd like drawn. Reaching out doesn't commit you to anything. It's a conversation, and I'll reply to you personally.
Start the conversationOr write to me directly at kate@katecsak.com
Not ready yet? That's okay.
Studio letters
New portraits, the occasional story from the drawing table, and a note whenever commission spots open up.