Kay Vinson started life as a rolling stone. She lived in Chicago, San Francisco and Memphis before coming full circle back to her starting place, Birmingham, Alabama.  During the time Kay lived in California she worked as an international flight attendant, traveling mostly to Asia and Europe.  She was deeply affected by the art and culture of Japan, which is evident in her artwork today. 

     After many detours Kay has found a home and is able to focus her attention on making art, putting to use some of the lessons she learned while traveling around.   Her work has been featured  in solo and group exhibitions across the US, Canada and Europe.  She has won awards both nationally and internationally, from New York City to Sofia, Bulgaria. 


In the artist’s own words:

     It has been noted that my work has an Asian feel.  This is not a conscious decision but may be the result of my years of travel to Japan and my lifelong interest in Eastern philosophy.  I am attracted to simplicity of form, asymmetry, and worn, weathered looking surfaces.  Those Zen-like elements show up time and time again in my painting.

      Over the years my work has evolved into a more abstract style, reducing images to simple shapes that to me are eloquent
in their simplicity.  There’s a strong emphasis on color and texture.  In my current paintings I add layers of oil pigment on top of textured acrylic to create sensual surfaces that are rich with depth and nuance.