Katy Lyness was born in Pittsburgh, PA and raised in the American south and midwest. She moved to Manhattan in 1984, where she studied at the Art Student’s League and Columbia University Teachers College. While living in NYC she used her artistic skills in various ways, including printmaking, mural painting, and photo retouching. In 2000 she moved from her small New York apartment to a house in Jersey City with a backyard. There she was able to create her own version of eden: a beautiful urban garden, which now features flowers, berries, fruit, vegetables, and two thriving beehives. Initially, botanical art was just an excuse to linger in the garden, however, several years and many sketchbooks later she enrolled in the Botanical Illustration Program at The New York Botanical Garden. She now teaches botanical drawing there. She has taught classes at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morristown, NJ, and worked with Wendy Hollender through the Draw Botanical program. Her Work has been represented in the ASBA Annual international Exhibition.

BA, University of Northern Iowa