Artist, gardener, seamstress, friend

Kathryn Herrman, textile artist and long-time participant in the Claremont arts community, died July 16 from complications from surgery. She was 72.

Kathryn lived nearly all of her life in the Pomona Valley, moving to Montclair with her family at age 3. Always a talented artist, she learned to make batik and tie-dye fabric at Immaculate Heart College in Hollywood and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in textile design from the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland. She lived in and operated her art studio from a Victorian house on Seventh Street in Claremont for almost 30 years, where she and her husband Marc Hall planted a joyful, colorful garden that caught the attention of all who walked by.

After the house was acquired by the Claremont Colleges, the couple recreated their garden, bursting with roses and sunflowers, at their new home in Ontario. She was a passionate gardener, and nothing gave her more pleasure than to see her plants grow.

She was a partner in an art and clothing boutique in the Village for several years. She became a full-time studio artist in 1978, and offered her vivid, intricate batik clothing and table linens at numerous local art shows, including the annual benefits for the Claremont Museum of Art and Claremont Heritage. Her work is currently sold in shops, galleries, and museums throughout the United States and in Europe.

She was fascinated by California history and helped restore and preserve antique clothing for the Pomona Valley Historical Society. A highly skilled seamstress, she could design and produce costumes and wedding dresses from any era.

In addition to her husband, she leaves her sister Pat Colonnese; niece Francesca Colonnese; best friends Earle, Ana Rose, Kathryn, and Oliver Greene; an uncle; several cousins; and many friends. She loved animals, and will be missed by her cats Francis, Ruby, and Clementine.

Arrangements for a memorial gathering are pending.

Donations in her memory can be made to the Creative Arts Group in Sierra Madre, a nonprofit art education organization she supported for many years, at creativeartsgroup.org/donate.