About Me
Artist Statement
After 20 years as an award-winning illustrator, I hit a wall. I was burnt out and craving something that would bring back my creative spark. I wanted to feel excited about making art again, and that’s when I turned to abstract painting. It had always inspired me, but I had never really given myself the chance to dive in.
I’m a Type “A” control freak, and my illustration work showed it—structured, precise, and always on a deadline. Abstract painting, on the other hand, threw me into a whole new world of unpredictability. It can be a little terrifying, but that’s also where I feel the spark of possibility.
I still get to control some things, but the oil and cold wax process has a way of surprising me. Building textured layers, scraping back, experimenting with tools and solvents, and letting myself make mistakes has been both freeing and exciting. You’ll still see bits of my illustration roots in the sharp lines and collage, but it’s really the back-and-forth of the process that keeps me hooked. I’m always curious to see what will surface when that final layer of wax goes down.
Bio
Kym Balthazar is a contemporary abstract painter based in Scranton, Pennsylvania, working primarily with oil and cold wax. A graduate of the University of the Arts, she spent two decades as an award-winning illustrator before rediscovering her passion for painting.
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Her work embraces playfulness and discovery, often leaning into the unpredictable. Layer by layer, she builds and excavates textured surfaces, allowing each painting’s story to unfold naturally. Through this intuitive process, Kym creates pieces that spark curiosity and invite connection.
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Kym’s paintings have been featured in juried exhibitions including Art of the State – Pennsylvania, the SDMAAG Spring Exhibition, and the Rice Gallery of Fine Art Juried Exhibition. Her work is also held in private collections throughout the United States and internationally.
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Affiliations
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Art e’Fekts Gallery, Board of Directors
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AFA – Scranton, Member
Representation
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Art e’Fekts Gallery, Pittston, PA
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Morgan Gallery, Blakeslee, PA
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Marquis Art & Frame, Wilkes Barre, PA
Education
Kym earned her BFA in Illustration from the University of the Arts in 1995. While there, she received the Harriet Pauline Hughes Award for pen & ink illustration and honorable mention in the William H. Ely Excellence in Illustration competition.
