Hi, I'm Kaylee!
I am a Michigan born and based multi-faceted artist/illustrator, creating in a variety of mediums while specializing in realistic graphite drawings. I find solace studying the detailed complexities of the natural world, from how the Michigan native Wild Strawberry flowers turn into fruit to the spotted feathers of the Northern Flicker (My favorite woodpecker).
I manage a small acreage horse farm where I keep two horses that I have had the pleasure of owning for 18 years and inspired my care of all living things. Fueled by my curiosity to discover the secrets of this world, I am constantly exploring for and studying found flora and fauna with keen observation. It is there where I gain inspiration for my artwork; through my love of nature, its constant changes, and the harmony to be found within it all.
Influenced by ecopsychology, my understanding of my relationship to the natural world has deepened. The call to keep the natural world just that, natural, has been urgent and I am an advocate for preservation, conservation, as well as sustainability. By often intertwining themes of mental health and themes of nature, I aim to better understand them.
-Kaylee Dirkmaat
SEE MY WORK EXHIBITED AT:
West Michigan Area Show 2026 (Kalamazoo, Michigan) starting May 29th
FUTURE EVENTS:
May 23 to 28 - Leland Air Exhibit
May 30 - John Ball Zoo Merchants and Makers Market (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
August 22 and 23 - Return to the River (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
September 19 and 20 - Fallasburg Arts Festival
September 24 - Selected Exhibition The Ribbon at Antler and Talon (Portland, Oregon)
Curriculum Vitae
Education
2025 BFA Illustration, Ferris State University's Kendall College of Art and Design
Summa Cum Laude
2025 Natural Science Illustration Certificate, Ferris State University's Kendall College of Art and Design
2021 Associate of Arts, Grand Rapids Community College
Job Experience
2025 Pierce Cedar Creek Creative Arts Fellowship
2023-2025 Treasurer of Ferris State University’s Kendall College of Art and Design Registered Student Organization Illustration Club
2024 Client Illustration for CopperRock Construction
2023-present Consignment vendor at The Spark (Grand Rapids, MI)
2022-present Consignment vendor at Periwinkle Fog (Grand Rapids, MI)
2021 Product Staging and Photography Assistant for Color Inc.
Awards
2026 Susannah Kelly Art Award artist of great potential
2022 KCAD Scholarship of Merit
2021 Kendall Portfolio Scholarship
2021 Kendall Transfer Gold Scholarship
2013 Honorable Mention Scholastic Awards
Publications
2023 - Featured in the Society of Illustrator's NYC 62nd Annual Student Competition publication
2022 - Featured in Cultivate's Local Artist Holiday Guide publication
2022 - Featured in a Kendall College of Art and Design Student Publication ‘Compass’
Selected Gallery Exhibitions
2023 - Society of Illustrators Annual Student Competition (New York, NY)
2026 - The Ribbon at Antler and Talon (Portland, Oregon)
2026 - West Michigan Area Show at Kalamazoo Institute of the Arts (Kalamazoo, Mi)
2026 - Annual Student Exhibition at Ferris State University’s Kendall College of Art and Design (Grand Rapids, Mi)
2026 - 40th Annual West Michigan Art Competition Lowell Arts (Lowell, MI)
2026 - the Art of Nature student exhibition at Ferris State University’s Kendall College of Art and Design (Grand Rapids, MI)
2025 - West Michigan Area Show at Kalamazoo Institute of the Arts (Kalamazoo, MI)
2025 - West Michigan Art Competition at Lowell Arts (Lowell, MI)
2024 - Small Works Holiday Show Gallery Exhibition Holland Area Arts Council (Holland, MI)
2022 - Banned Books Exhibition, Kendall College of Art and Design (Grand Rapids, MI)
2022 - First Year Experience Exhibition, Alluvium Gallery Kendall College of Art and Design (Grand Rapids, MI)
2022 - IRL Exhibition, Alluvium Gallery Kendall College of Art and Design (Grand Rapids, MI)
Exhibited in
2025 - Pleasant Peninsula Mural Festival
2024 - 33rd Annual KCAD Holiday Artist Market
2024 - Rockford Holiday Artist Market Rogue River Artists Association
2024 - Roeda Studio Art Prize Artist Market
2024 - Roeda Studio Mother's Day Artist Market
2023 - Festival of the Arts Featured Artist at Periwinkle Fog
2023 - Roeda Studio Wareh0use Sale
2023 - Low Phase EP Release Extravaganza Concert Art Market at Four Star Theater
2023 - KCAD Registered Student Organizations Student Art Market
2022 - Roeda Studio Fall Artist Market vendor