Katherine Heilner MacDonald

Here it is !

Let me tell you this amazing story. About the force of the Internet. About nice people. My long ago "Flickr-found" and cut-off picture of Katherines' Nasturtiums print which pleased me so much is before you now, full-sized and real.

Believe it or not, Andrea in the San Fransico area, was given this print by her husband. He bought it at Alameda Point antiques show just outside San Fransisco only 5 days after I started the post on the Blog. That's just two weeks ago ! How incredible.


"He was a little unsure on the purchase because your discussion was the only thing that came up on a quick search of the internet and it looked too good to be true".

The print measures about 11.5” wide by 12” tall and is in very good condition. Not wanting to sell it to me (believe me, I asked !) she send me real good pictures and that makes my day ofcourse. Thank you Andi !


This is the class of Arthur Wesley Dow in the Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New-York. Class of 1899. Katharine was only 17 at that time so I wonder if she is amongst the youg women in the picture. Arthur Dow (1857 - 1922) was an art instructor-teacher there from 1893-1903. The Institute situated only a few blocks away from were Katherine later lived and her new husband would meet his tragic faith some 10 years later. After 5 just weeks of marriage.

More information always welcomend !

Katherine Heilner MacDonald

Katherine Heilner-MacDonald

(30-11-1882 Brooklyn, New York - 28-11-1967, Burlingame, California)

American painter and linoprinter

(student of Arthur Dow)

Updated and revised after receiving information by "Chariemandrill" from the UK.

This very pretty Nasturtiums in Gingerjar by Katherine H. MacDonald found at the Flickr photo-site started my research on this artist. A long time nothing much was revealed from the Internet but after this Blogreader gave me some clues Katherine starts emerging from of obscurity.

Cup of gold, woodblock

Katherine was born November 30, 1882 Brooklyn, New York as the daughter of Rear Admiral Lewis (Louis) C. and Mrs L.C. Heilner. Katherine studied under Arthur Dow (!) at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, N.Y. and at the Federal Art School in Minneapolis. Watercolor and charcoal were her media until 1927. She then turned to and concentrated on linoleumblock printing.

Her biography, by Edan Hughes in "Artists in California (1786-1940)", states she marries in 1932 and moved to Southern California as a resident of Coronado. In 1945 she moved north to Burlingame where she remained untill her death on Nov. 29 in 1967. Member of the San Diego Art Guild.

However .............

The New York times May 3, 1912:

"Lieut. Ray.S. McDonald killed"

"Katherine Heilner was married in Washington March 21, 1912 to Ray MacDonald. They just had returned from their wedding trip when Ray S. MacDonald (27 years of age) and married for only 5 weeks was accidentally killed by a street car at Tillary street on the Brooklyn Bridge approach. They lived in the Mansion House in Hicks street Brooklyn. The marriage was held in quiet because of the recent death of Rear Admiral Heilner".

What a sad story. Hopefully Katherine found happiness after being widdowed so young and early and for 20 years before she remarried (50) and moved to California.

All these bits and ends giving some light to the life of an artist that was obscured for a long time. Maybe now more facts will appear and hopefully more examples of her art.

1935: Exh. Calif.-Pacific Int'l Expo, (San Diego): (illustrated Catalogue, Gallery II, Pages 12 and 226)
1939: Golden Gate International Exposition (woodcut donated by the artist 1933, titled "Aralia".

Works held in Public Places: San Diego Museum, Federal Art School, Minneapolis

Katherine H. MacDonald

Katherine H. MacDonald

(british ?) printmaker

This is probably one of the nicest but enigmatic pictures I have ever found on the Internet. A lady in the USA (thank you Maure !) had found it before me on the Internet. I've not been able to locate where it came frome sofar. And I tried hard.
I love Gingerjars and I love Nasturtiums. It also put me up with a very unknown woodblock printmaker. There is nothing at all to be found on (non paying) internet sites or what so ever. No details on her life, no other works but the following 3 pictures I came across in old auction cataloques. (The last 2 of rather poor quality)

"Cup of Gold", 10" x 8"

So: any information on Katharine H. would be very welcome.