KW Whitley was born and raised west of Austin, Texas. She attended the University of Texas, with emphasis on art and design. Her interest in art was nurtured by her father, Ralph White, an accomplished artist himself and professor with the UT Art Dept. During her six years as an art director/illustrator, she won awards from the NY Art Director’s Club. Print and Creativity magazines, and several Addys.

From an early age KW’s love of horses was evident. Her mother, always an encouraging factor in KW’s achievements, often said her child’s first word was “horsey”. KW showed hunters, dressage and event horses, and always said the discipline and knowledge gained through enduring the training needed for this type of riding helped tremendously in later endeavors.

After moving to the big ranch country of west Texas, she spent years working cattle for Foard County rancher Buster Borchardt, who ran a large cow/calf operation. KW has since traded her cowboy boots for hiking attire, often spending time exploring the dramatic canyons, slots, and badlands of the caprock escarpment of Texas, parts of New Mexico, and the Wichita mountains of Oklahoma. She worked part-time for several years for Sharp lines, a non-profit corporation, transporting clients from her rural area to medical appointments within a 250-mile radius, but now has returned to painting full-time in her Crowell studio.

The rugged, rough and open country of the rolling plains, and the rustic grandeur of the Texas panhandle influence KW’s paintings in oil and a combination of gouache and colored pencil. Though still painting cowboy and equine works, she’s now doing paintings of a variety of animals, and landscapes from hiking experiences. Her works can be seen in various art shows in Texas, and other states in the US.