Kathe Umlauf creates sculptures of animals with an emphasis on gesture. She states that an animal reveals itself primarily as it moves,and accordingly spends much time working from life. She grew up sculpting in clay from an early age.Her parents were artistic and her mother a studio potter. The access to clay as a medium shaped her path as an artist. She attended both an avant garde art college as well as one based in tradition, and claims that both worldviews contribute to her sensibilities. Her father, a Bauhaus architect influenced her belief that "form follows function". Her work can be found in many private and public collections including The Erie Zoological Garden, Saint Vincent Hospital, The Erie Art Museum, The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, ARCO Chemical Company, Port Allegheny School District, The Harrisburg Area Community College