Kate Neckel

In fourth grade, artist Kate Neckel took a marker to her pink Converse sneakers and hasn’t stopped drawing since. Kate has always found inspiration from the things around her, from the beaches of her beloved childhood in Miami to ads from her favorite magazines used to collage her bedroom walls from top to bottom. Throughout high school, Kate was never without an oversized sketchbook that she filled with drawings, writing and clippings. In college, Kate studied in Paris and spent her free time taking photos of skaters in Place du Chatelet, behind the scenes at fashion shows and in Karl Lagerfeld’s studio – a transformational period that inspired the pursuit of MFAs from Maryland Institute College of Art and School of Visual Arts. While at SVA, she solidified her place in the New York arts scene, assisting David Byrne and documenting the beginnings of Zac Posen career. She has since created drawings for books (The Soup Club Cookbook), magazines (Vogue, Vanity Fair, InStyle), bands (Honduras), billboards (Cole Haan), and even beehives (Brooklyn Grange Rooftop Farm). Kate has her own line of bedding and home goods for Italian textile brand Bassetti and was a featured artist in Cole Haan’s Makers campaign. When she became a mom, to keep the creative juices flowing in between feedings and naps, Kate started drawing on the walls of her apartment. This led to a series of wall drawings at Hudson Studios, Chelsea Day School, the Ace Hotel NYC, and in private residences. Kate lives and works in Manhattan with her husband and two kids, who continue to be her creative inspiration. Her first book, Start Now! The Creativity Journal, hits bookstores in August.