A rancher’s daughter from near Cambridge, Nebraska—Kay now lives in Providence, in the northern-most part of Utah. Using Watercolors, she paints subject matter that ranges widely in the Old West realm, North American wildlife and Rodeo. If her respect and great love for the Western way of life can be inherited—then her dad, paternal and maternal grand and great grandparents having pioneered and ranched the West, would need to be credited.
Kay is probably known best for her creativity. She is not content to paint what is often easiest or simplest, like grazing horses or still-figures and quiet portraits—more often she will depict detailed unusual settings and situations, stories & humor.
With no formal art training and having been “unfamiliar with so-called rules”—Homan created her own unique style of painting in watercolors; which is, to say the very least, difficult and extremely time-consuming. Her watercolors with all the layering involved, etc, takes three times the time to paint as a same sized oil painting.
Honors: August 2004 and in ’99—Homan received the PEOPLES CHOICE Awards at Utah’s Festival of the American West Art Show. At Dixie Invitational Art Show she was awarded the PEOPLES CHOICE and PURCHASE Awards; Utah Canyon Country Western Art Show—PEOPLES CHOICE. One year she won BEST OF SHOW and CITY’S CHOICE and PURCHASE Awards at San Dimas, CA National Western Art Show; plus their BEST OF WATER COLOR in 2000 and 2001.
A few earlier GOLD Awards have been at Pendleton Roundup Art Show, Buffalo Bill Invitational, Washington’s W.A. show, Prairie Fire, KS; many at A.I.C.A. Art Shows. Art For The Parks International Competitions: Five years judged as one of the TOP 100 BEST, and one year selected to receive the “National Parks Services 75th Anniversary Award”. Also, the National Park Foundation purchased one of her paintings. Another year, she received a ‘Individual Judge’s Favorite award.
In 1982 Kay was made the only woman member of the A.I.C.A. (American Indian and Cowboy Artists of America)—and has had featured articles on her work in magazines–ART OF THE WEST, WESTERN HORSEMAN, INTERNATIONAL COWBOY, OLD WEST TRAVELER, INDIAN COUNTRY, SOUTHWEST ART MAGAZINE, etc.
Homan has also exhibited for five years at the prestigious Autry Museum of Western Heritage, in Los Angeles.
Kay hopes her art viewers will experience the same positive feelings for the West that she feels. She says, “I want to give some kind of a ‘tugging on the heartstrings’ sensation. Just as successful human relationships bring out the best in people—I hope that as an artist I can bring out the best in the Art Viewer.
