My name is Kate Schneider. I hand paint all the scarves in this etsy shop using various techniques. Prior to taking up silk painting in late 2011 I was an architect in Minneapolis. That year I decided to take early retirement to try other things. The seed for wanting to create silk scarves was planted a few months earlier when I rediscovered this beautiful 1920s silk scarf I had inherited years earlier from my grandmother. I felt a deep need to somehow take that scarf and create modern interpretations of it. So I took that inspiration, along with inspiration from various abstract artists such as Miro, Twombly, Motherwell, Frankenthaler, Dove, etc., ordered some dyes and pre-hemmed scarves and went for it. You will see those influences in the "Abstract Art" section of my shop. I wanted to create something modern and graphic, but also sort of vintage feeling.

Over time I've developed other motifs. Back in the late 70s and 80s, while double majoring in studio arts and architecture, I did a series of paintings of notebook paper covered with obsessive compulsive ramblings and doodles. These stemmed from always being chastised for my sloppy note taking, as well as deeper feelings of frustration with my ADD (B'add'RABBIT...) and life in general. One day these paintings found their way onto my scarves. And now ‘notebook doodles’ and the related ‘chalkboard doodles’ have become major motifs in my current work. They and related work are located in the "Doodles" department of my shop. Images on these range from silly creatures to math and physics diagrams culled from the internet, to aphorisms, to political statements.

I also make quote scarves found in the "Famous Words" section of my shop. With these customers can buy scarves featuring quotes from their favorite writers (Jane Austen is very popular...) or commission customized scarves with their favorite sayings, song lyrics, their own poems, etc. etc. Similar in some ways to that are my "math/physics/science" scarves. I've been called upon on occasion to do custom versions of those.

Another favorite motif of mine is 'The Cave with No Escape' – an idea that really came out of nowhere. It started out as very painterly dark imagery with skulls and bones, then morphed into a story of this hidden place where humans, various animals and space aliens (and even their alien pet dogs) are forever lost. These are meant to be funny – in an edgy black humor way. Along with the cave bones I have also created several similar scarves featuring dinosaur bones as well as skull & roses designs.

And then there are any number of other scarf designs I've done, including some pretty quirky designs. See 'Bunnies vs. Bunny People' where neighborhood rabbits have declared war on the sexually adventurous 'furries' invading their quiet neighborhood. Those and other oddities can be found under "Quirky Stuff". And for the simple summery scarves see "Jus' Pretty Stuff".

Well, I’m sure I’ve lost you by now, rambling on like this. Please enjoy (and buy!!!) my creations.