Kate Zonis was born in the height of a blizzard on a cold Friday the Thirteenth night. Such was the dramatic entrance she had to this world, and such might suggest the energy behind the creative flair she possesses in both epicurean and fine arts arenas.
Kate has been an artist from a young age, and chose to focus on fine art when she entered New York City’s School of Visual Arts soon after high school. A recipient of the Silas H. Rhodes scholarship, Kate’s work has been displayed and sold throughout New York City. Her lifelike portraits of people and animals are created with an approach toward both realism and the enigmatic, as her use of bright, often monochromatic color schemes and strong consideration of value are both trademarks of her art.
So how, one might wonder, did Kate come to a conclusion to merge her love of art creation with a natural enjoyment and aptitude for ‘food arts?’ Well…
When Kate became a vegetarian at the young age of eighteen, she was what some might refer to as a ‘pasta and cheese’ kinda girl. Indeed, Kate had a bit of hesitation to ingest anything that showed to be the color green! The irony, yes, but one couldn't imagine how many vegetarians eat horribly unbalanced meals.
It was upon Kate’s lengthy vegetarian journey that she began to study about veganism, raw foods, and food related allergies. When a friend was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, involving gluten intolerance, Kate realized it was time to commit fully to her food studies.
Kate has worked at a variety of vegetarian-based health food restaurants around the country. She most recently was a primary chef at Kauai’s famed Lotus Root Café, which is part of the (now closed) Blossoming Lotus enterprise.
Along the way, she earned a Master’s Degree in education, and has worked with a variety of children and teenagers teaching subjects as varied as art, language arts, and library.
Kate continues to merge her everlasting love for painting and children with an intrinsic desire to feed the world healthy, yummy, organic, well-balanced meals. She continues to create as she enjoys dual careers as a personal chef and a portrait artist/illustrator.
She currently resides in New York City, and also enjoys yoga, Capoeira, sewing, reading, writing, hiking, playing the tambourine, dancing, and hanging out with her mom.
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