Kate Phillips
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katephillipsart.bsky.social
Kate Phillips
@katephillipsart.bsky.social
200 followers 250 following 140 posts
Children's book illustrator / award-winning comic artist / cartoonist of The Usual and High Tide. www.katephillips.net
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katephillipsart.bsky.social
Spooky somethings
A spooky cloaked figure. Its cape is tattered and its face is completely within shadow.
August 30, 2025 at 4:46 AM
katephillipsart.bsky.social
He might run off the court, but it still looks like a foul
A political cartoon of Andy Filmore, a tall, bald man in a suit, running off a tennis court where the net says Mayoral Responsibility. He drops a racquet and ball as he says "Where's the ref?!"
August 27, 2025 at 4:05 PM
katephillipsart.bsky.social
Strange stories during the busy season. This comic has been fun!
A clip of a comic page. The main feature is a serious looking man in a suit, flashing a badge towards an off-page barista. In the back, a crew with hazmat suits are carrying objects.
August 14, 2025 at 3:56 AM
katephillipsart.bsky.social
Its almost time for Dartmouth Comic Arts Festival! This weekend! Hop on that ferry from Halifax and see some awesome presentations, panels, artists, and so many comics!
A poster for Dartmouth Comic Arts Festival. It features an illustration of the Halifax ferry and the ferry as a transformer, giving a thumbs up. The text reads: "Hop on the ferry to Dartmouth Comic Arts Festival! August 9th and 10th at Alderney Landing. Free admission! Family friendly annual event celebrating comics, cartoonists, and those that love them.
August 6, 2025 at 3:15 PM
katephillipsart.bsky.social
Spooky inks. Can you tell what Nova Scotia town this upcoming comic will feature? Its not close to Halifax but still enjoys a nautical feel.
Inks for an uncoming spooky comic. The panels show a woman, clearly a tourist, with sunglasses and a coffee, standing and overlooking a harbour with a sailboat and lighthouse. The lighthouse has scaffolding around it. The main street of town is bare, and at one of the shops a person is flashing a badge at a barista.
July 27, 2025 at 2:51 AM
katephillipsart.bsky.social
Finished up an edition of 50 tiny trading cards for Dartmouth Comic Arts Festival. Each one comes with a little original drawing and digital print. These were fun to make and I hope folks will enjoy them!
A spread of tiny envelopes and tiny drawings. The envelopes have "Art Trading Card" stamped on the back. The drawings are all unique, mostly black and white sketches but some colour. A few spreads of the handmade trading cards. There's a few different series, such as 5 golden breakfast illustrations, 5 warrior illustrations, and some constellations.
July 20, 2025 at 1:58 AM
katephillipsart.bsky.social
The final (?) addition to this strange little series of Halifax Harbour transformers.

This seems to have resonated with folks, so I'll have all originals and prints available at Dartmouth Comic Arts Festival, Sunday August 10th at Alderney Landing.
A painting of a transformers-style robot, designed from the character Theodore Tugboat. Hes standing in the waves and holding a little tow rope while waving at the viewer. All three paintings of this series, featuring the ferry, Theodore, and the harbour hopper.
July 12, 2025 at 1:52 PM
katephillipsart.bsky.social
I've been lucky to have gotten out of Halifax a bit this summer. Roaming around Nova Scotia, we checked out some lovingly curated and organized antique shops - makes for good reference photos.
Antique and vintage books, organised by their colour, on a long bookshelf wall. Many colourful glass vases and containers. They range in size and shade but are all translucent and shiny. A lovingly curated shelf of vintage mugs. Another gorgeous display of translucent vintage glassware, organised by color. The light from the window behind makes for a bright set of shelves.
July 10, 2025 at 1:49 AM
katephillipsart.bsky.social
Okay, okay. Part two of this silly side project. My wife suggested Theodore Tugboat to complete the triptych and I might have to do that next.
A painting of a transformers robot in the style of the Halifax Harbour Hopper. Its long legged and green, with blue accents and a yellow scarf. The Harbour Hopper boat rides the waves in the background. An early ink sketch of this design, as well as a drawing of the Harbour Hopper.
June 29, 2025 at 5:21 PM
katephillipsart.bsky.social
Cute concept thats been kicking around for a while- what if the Halifax Ferry was a harbour-defending transformer? (Gouache 8x10) and rough sketches (ink). Maybe this will become something fun.
A colourful gouache painting of a cartoon, transformer style robot styled from the Halifax transit ferry. In the background, waves carry an actual ferry for comparison. A black and white marker drawing of the Halifax ferry, as well as a robot (2 views) styled like the ferry. The ferry transformer looks mild and friendly like a children's toy.
June 28, 2025 at 3:01 AM
katephillipsart.bsky.social
Lots of painting recently. I guess I can thank longer days and brighter evenings.
A gouache painting of many scattered hardcover books, some open and some closed, caught in a kind of book-avalanche.
June 27, 2025 at 2:42 AM
katephillipsart.bsky.social
Today was a bad work day. I have portraits that I've been struggling to get right, one which I'll probably have to restart. I've got a comic here untouched for months. I've got deadlines that I am up against, and a pile of invoices to handle.

But I could do this. I needed an art win today.
A 8x10 gouache painting of a junk drawer contents: multiple vice grips, wires, bolts, nails, a wrench, a file, other detritus. Thematically feeling cool colours like purples blues, and greys, but with some spot yellow in a few choice places.
June 12, 2025 at 7:46 PM
katephillipsart.bsky.social
Feeling very lucky to have my art up and installed at the Alexander Graham Bell Museum in Baddeck for the summer! Three comics (Spray Days, High Tide, and The Usual) are featured, as well as some other recent illustrations and background info. Huge shoutout to Victoria County Arts Council!
A hallway display of comic pages. Thr most prominent, called "Spray Days", is spread out to read: a black and white comic about spruce budworm spray protests in Nova Scotia. More displays of comics and some background information about comic creation. The show title, Familiar Places, along with artist bio and another comic called "High Tide" is featured here.
May 20, 2025 at 11:02 PM
katephillipsart.bsky.social
Currently doing a lot of print production and fabrication for an upcoming show. Will be installing this in the next few weeks. Exciting!
A large table of a print shop. On the surface is many scattered comic pages and illustrations, printed large for display. A collection of 14 comic pages, printed and mounted on a wide panel about 4 feet by 6 feet. The display is leaning against s desk.
May 5, 2025 at 3:01 PM
katephillipsart.bsky.social
I dunno
A watercolour and ink painting: two vicegrips and two skeleton fingers lay on a purple background.
April 25, 2025 at 1:20 PM
katephillipsart.bsky.social
Sometimes I get a little nostalgic for the cafe days.
(A scene from The Usual, ink and marker, 2023-2025)
A black and white, ink and marker drawing. The single-panel comic page featured a long happy lineup to a coffee shop counter where the baristas take orders and whisk away dirty cups. The front display holds sweet treats and baked goods, and a shelf holds many glass jars of roasted coffee.
April 16, 2025 at 4:14 PM
katephillipsart.bsky.social
I'm serious about these things!
(Vices II, watercolour and gouache 2024)
A watercolour painting. A shiny metal pair of vice grips rests ontop of a bed of bottle caps.
April 16, 2025 at 11:11 AM
katephillipsart.bsky.social
I love a good pair of vice grips. (Vices, Gouache 2024). Something about these makes me want to start a collection.
A gouache painting of a pair of vicegrips freely standing up in a pile of old bottle caps. The painting has thick lines and flat colours, but the metal still has a lot of reflective texture.
April 16, 2025 at 2:34 AM
katephillipsart.bsky.social
Grant applications, am I right?That's been my day, today.

(Here's a tiny unrelated shot from the most recent research-related comic, a health resource for CATIE, Canada's HIV and Hepatitis resource)
A disgruntled looking guy trying to figure out some paperwork
April 14, 2025 at 7:11 PM
katephillipsart.bsky.social
Last weekend at the comic market, I sold two original gouache + ink paintings. It was the first time I've sold personal work, not commissioned portraits or client work, in maybe a decade. People really seemed to respond to these light studies. What a cool surprise! Glad I brought them.
A rough gouache painting of light coming in a window. Long shadows are cast by a wood chair by a plain desk. The window faces out into trees and a blue sky. A gouache painting featuring an urban or suburban street. Light hits the windows and sides of a row of houses, and powerlines cross bright blue/yellow late afternoon sky. A dark gouache and watercolour painting of what appears to be a brightly-lit drive-thru menu, isolated in a dark woods by a river. The nighttime scene is dark, and the glow from the menu reflects off thr river. There are no streets, cars or people in this quiet place.
April 13, 2025 at 3:23 AM
katephillipsart.bsky.social
Oops forgot this lil one!
A pencil portrait of a black cat snuggled under a crocheted blanket. The kitty has one ear completely covered as she looks out under the folds, and the blanket is visibly fuzzy.
April 13, 2025 at 3:11 AM
katephillipsart.bsky.social
I know its not Caturday yet, but I've noticed the last 7 or 8 pencil portraits I've been hired for have been kitties! It's not even the holidays and its graphite time.
A pencil portrait of a cat sitting amongst plants on a dark wood table. Her collar reads "Lucy". A pencil portrait of a black cat. He looks slightly off to the side and has big bright eyes and a broad nose. A pencil portrait of two cats cuddled up against each other. They both habe bright white patches across their nose and face anong otherwise dark striped fur. One of them has a single lazy eye open looking directly at the viewer. A collection of pencil portraits by Kate Phillips, featuring black and white drawings of cats, a dog, and a man and woman on their wedding day.
April 10, 2025 at 5:11 PM
katephillipsart.bsky.social
#sequentialsaturday time, I'm currently tabling at Back Issues Comicon in Dartmouth, and it's been a lovely friendly crowd so far. Comics comics comics! Here's a few pages from today's most popular comic, The Usual.
A comic page. The top panel features some ladies taking a selfie outside a long lineup to a cafe. The bottom panels show a guy speaking (without text) and also a social media post featuring fancy latte art, with what appears to be a weather forecast on it. A comic page. The panels show vignettes of kitchen and cafe work: a close up of hands chopping vegetables, a pair of servers rushing with plates, dishes being washed, and finally staff members leaving for the day.
April 5, 2025 at 3:49 PM
katephillipsart.bsky.social
If you see this, post something monochromatic!
You got it.
A young person lays on their bed, unsleeping in insomnia, staring at the ceiling. Among their cluttered bedroom is laundry, toys, a desk with school work, posters, pictures and books. Where the ceiling should be, the roof has been torn off of the building and the night sky is visible. Dominating the sky is the glowing numbers from a digital clock reading 12:28.
April 5, 2025 at 3:37 PM
katephillipsart.bsky.social
I'm a bit early for #kidlitartpostcard day, because I'll be working as long day tomorrow getting ready for Back Issues Comicon this weekend in Dartmouth. But here's my favourite page from my previous book, and my favourite character from the current book. #kidlit #kidlitart #childrensillustration
Three children huddle in one bed during a stormy night. Wind rattles at the window and the youngest peeks out with one eye. An illustration of a pretty proud looking cow.
April 3, 2025 at 3:36 AM