After the takeover of the American Embassy in Iran, as portrayed in Ben Affleck's Oscar-winning film Argo, and her escape with help from the Canadians and the CIA, it was clear to Kathleen that life could be fragile, and that she should pursue her passion for art without further delay. She had already completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in the United States and done post-graduate work at the Accademia Belle Arti Di Roma. For the next forty years, in tandem with her diplomat husband, she learned languages and immersed herself in over a dozen countries in Africa and the Middle East, including Iran, Italy, Tunisia, Egypt, Kuwait, Algeria, Mauritania, Ivory Coast, The Gambia, Nigeria, Sudan and Niger.

Kathleen collaborated with local artists, holding exhibitions and workshops there and in the United States. Viewing her work you sense her respect and affection for the people she encountered and captured in light and shadow, Her paintings and prints are found in many embassies and centers for art around the world, including the museum shop of the Smithsonian National African Art Museum in Washington, DC. Kathleen is a Purple Sage member of the Texas Watercolor Society, a board member of Waterloo Watercolor Group, and a member artist in both the Bee Cave Arts Foundation and the Williamson County Art Guild.

Learn more about Kathleen at

kathleen-stafford.com