Kate Hickman is a Newport-based artist, working primarily in gouache and acrylic. Celebrating 11 years of creating, her work is deeply intertwined with the community she’s built here, creating both indoor and outdoor murals for local small businesses and supporting the dreams of the friends she’s made along the way.

Kate’s path to becoming a full-time artist began unexpectedly. After graduating during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and facing constant job rejections, she gave herself permission to take one month off to paint. That decision changed everything. In August of 2020, she posted a video of a hand-painted Zion National Park scene on TikTok and woke up to a flood of orders overnight. From that moment forward, she decided to pursue art wholeheartedly.

Her practice has continued to evolve through murals, 3D painting, and most recently, live painting at luxury events. One of the most defining moments in her recent career was being invited to paint guest favor perfume bottles at Olivia Culpo’s baby shower at Castle Hill. That experience launched her live event painting services, which have since become a beloved part of her offerings in New England.

Kate’s work is driven by a desire to connect. Whether she’s creating a mural that tells a story, painting a keepsake for a celebration, or teaching others through her content, her goal is always the same: to spark joy, celebrate creativity, and to leave the world a little more colorful than she found it.