Born in Somerset, Keith (affectionately known as Kitt) Athay initially studied art at City of Bath College. He has been painting professionally since 2009. During this time Kitt decided he wanted to be self sufficient and live an off grid lifestyle and focused his efforts between this and his artwork. Kitt's love for the coast is clear in the enchanting and evocative coastal scenes he paints. He works with a wide range of materials including pen and ink, wood stain, acrylics and varnishes. He attaches collage materials such as sheet music, vintage maps, botanical diagrams and newspaper cuttings to large canvases and uses these as a background to his paintings. The viewer initially sees a coastal scene, often West Country fishing villages, and then on closer inspection finds a whole world of text and illustration lying beneath the painting. Kitt now divides his time between the studio, walking his faithful dog, sketching and teaching life drawing, as well as many watersports. He has exhibited with Quantum since 2016 at art fairs in London, New York, Singapore, Hong Kong, San Francisco, and the Hamptons.
