Artist Bio
Kathleen Dengerink MA, BCBA
is the creator of Katsden Art & Art of Noticing. She is a San Diego-based mixed media abstract artist and teaching artist interested in the intersections of healing, art, and nature.
She began her undergraduate education studying art before moving into psychology and eventually a career in Behavior Analysis working with neurodiverse populations and families all over San Diego County and beyond (if you ask her about Huaycan or Roatan she’ll be so happy) helping them learn and play. She spent more than 15 years in behavioral and clinical programs, including leadership and teaching roles, developing peer mentorship programs for direct staff and conducting and presenting research before returning more fully to an art and mindfulness practice. She grew her understanding of present moment awareness by enrolling in a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program at UCSD in 2024.
Kathleen is currently getting curious in San Diego, CA in a fine art mentorship program at Art on 30th and is looking forward to additional mindfulness education through Yin Yoga Teacher Training this October at Yoga Deck.
Artist Statement
I use curiosity, sensory experience, color, and the natural world to fuel my work.
Returning to art after nearly 2 decades in home-based behavior therapy work provided me an opportunity to lean in to connecting with myself and what I needed most. Making art and learning more about mindfulness became a reparative act and in turn I wanted to share the opportunity with others — developing mindful art play dates for kids and creating Art of Noticing for a wider audience.
My professional background continues to influence how I teach and provide invitations to mindfulness and art. I aspire to invite others to slow down and notice — whether that is by appreciating artwork, a mindfulness practice, or stepping into nature.
My studio practice includes acrylic painting, mixed media and photography. I am particularly interested in color, texture, mark-making, close and slow observation and the experience of encountering natural environments while doing my best to preserve a space of non-judgement and non-striving.