Born and raised west of Austin, Texas, K.W. Whitley graduated from Westlake High School and continued her education at the University of Texas, with an emphasis on art and design.

From an early age, K.W.'s love of horses was evident. Her mother often said her child's first word was "horsey." K.W.'s interest in art was nurtured by her father, Ralph White, an accomplished artist and professor in the UT Art department.

During her six years as an art director/illustrator, she won awards from the New York Art Director's Club, Print and Creativity magazines, and several Addys.

K.W. showed hunters, dressage, and event horses, and says the discipline and knowledge gained through the required training helped in later endeavors.

After many years working cattle with Foard county rancher Buster Borchardt, she began translating her experiences visually and colorfully onto canvas and board. The rugged, rough and open country of the rolling plains and rustic grandeur of the Panhandle canyonlands continues to influence K.W.'s artistic explorations in oil and a combination of gouache and color pencil.