Lance Avery Morgan
Her First Gallery Exhibition Invites Viewers To Slow Down, Wander & Wonder
Photography by Paul Salveson Courtesy of the artist and Megan Mulrooney
When Kate Zimmerman Turpin’spaintings hit the walls of Megan Mulrooney Gallery on February 24th, it marked more than a first gallery exhibition. It was a debut steeped in wonder, warmth, and Texas Hill Country grit. From sprawling landscapes to intimate plant forms, Turpin’s work invites viewers to slow down, lean in, and get lost in the kind of quiet, immersive beauty that lingers long after you leave the room. For an artist whose journey began behind the lens of a camera, this moment is both exhilarating and grounding, a chance to watch people encounter her vision in real life, and to witness the dialogue and discovery that can only happen in person. Our Lance Avery Morgan caught up with Turpin to learn more about her colorful Texas-tied artistry.
Acrylic and pastel on canvas. 60 x 76 in
Kate Zimmerman Turpin has just reached a milestone that many artists dream of, but few achieve: her first gallery exhibition and commercial debut. For Turpin, the thrill isn’t just seeing her work on walls; it’s witnessing the sparks of interaction, dialogue, and curiosity in real time. “I’m most excited to experience it in real life, instead of through a screen,” she says. “To see people interact with the work, to witness dialogue, and to feel that exchange firsthand will be so rewarding.” Surprisingly, the calm of the process has been grounding. “Working with Megan and her team has been steady, supportive, and reassuring. I genuinely feel like I’m in good hands.”
Texas Roots, Hill Country Influence
Acrylic and pastel on canvas. 72 x 60 in
Growing up in Houston exposed Turpin to a wide array of artists, but it’s the Texas Hill Country that has left the deepest impression. “The Hill Country is wild and unruly, rough and pokey, rocky and dry, and then, almost without warning, it turns soft, with unexpected blooms, streams of butterflies, and silky sunsets. It gets into your bones,” she says. The region’s rugged beauty, she notes, has taught her a uniquely Texan resilience that allows her to be both bold and restrained in her work.
Before painting, Turpin’s creative life unfolded behind the camera, traveling the globe as a photographer. While photography taught her composition and balance, painting offered a new kind of freedom. “I found myself wanting to be more in control of the creative process, which was difficult when working for other businesses,” she explains. “Painting gives me the freedom to make without hesitation, to trust my own eye, and offers a clearer through line to expression.”
Yet the shift wasn’t just technical; it required letting go of the perfectionism cultivated through years of photography. “The best moments often come from letting things be imperfect,” she says, a lesson she embraced during the chaotic, compressed world of the pandemic.
Acrylic and pastel on canvas. 72 x 60 in
Calm In The Midst Of Chaos, Then The Art Of Mystery
In the early months of COVID-19, Turpin traded city life for a quiet love bubble in Hunt, TX, alongside her husband and newborn. Her paintings from that period, meditative color studies of landscapes and plant forms, reflect both an intentional counterbalance to the world’s upheaval and the organic sweetness of her own slowed-down life.
Turpin’s landscapes are familiar yet elusive. She avoids explicit narratives, favoring emotional recognition over botanical accuracy. “I don’t want people to say, ‘that’s a Damask Rose!’ It’s about familiarity, personal response, and the mystery that leads to introspection,” she explains.
This approach shines dramatically in her nearly 25-foot painting, a scale that invites viewers into an immersive, childlike exploration of nature. “It unlocks a sense of wonder,” she says. “It’s like going on a walk, following a vine, spying a moth, letting your attention drift to small discoveries. My version of escapism.”
What She Hopes You Take Away
In a culture obsessed with productivity, Turpin values grace and patience. “I can’t expect to create something good every day. Pressure takes the joy out of it. Bad work often leads to something unexpected, which is more satisfying than anything I could have planned.”
Acrylic and pastel on canvas. 60 x 76 in
When visitors leave her exhibition, Turpin hopes they carry more than just the memory of color. “A sense of warmth and familiarity. I hope people recognize something of themselves in the landscapes. Whatever it is, I hope it stirs a dialogue within themselves.”
Kate Zimmerman Turpin’s work is a gentle invitation: to slow down, take notice, and find wonder in the everyday. For Texans, and anyone lucky enough to wander through Megan Mulrooney Gallery, it’s a reminder that beauty often lies in the spaces between boldness and restraint, control and spontaneity, question and answer.
