Artist Statement
A native North Carolinian, Katrina co-founded The Catering Company of Chapel Hill in 1978 and, for the next nine years, focused her artistic energies on creating “edible art” for her customers. 1987 brought a move to Rocky Mount, NC, where she painted professionally with a friend who shared her interest in mural painting and faux finishes.
Katrina moved to Mount Vernon, Iowa, in 1994, where she painted decorative murals, furniture, floorcloths, and small objets d’art. She became involved in the local arts community, helped to found the Mount Vernon Area Arts Council, and participated in the creation of the Lincoln Highway Arts Festival and Chalk the Walk.
Exposure to a variety of artistic styles and media led to an interest in pastels, and her work in that medium has been exhibited in several local businesses. Katrina’s mentor in pastels is Susan Coleman, Lecturer in Art and Coordinator of Cornell College’s Luce Gallery. Katrina’s primary subject matter is eastern Iowa landscapes, though she has experimented with portraiture. One of her great joys is painting with her friends in an informal “plein air” group.
Katrina began taking classes in water-soluble oil from local artist Mike Ryan in 2010, and was immediately drawn to the beauty and flexibility of this medium. Mike, a well-known colorist, has, with patient encouragement, helped her use that medium to express the beauty of the Iowa landscape.
“I have always enjoyed the pursuit of artistic expression and have used a variety of outlets to achieve that goal: whether it’s designing and executing a wall mural, making an old piece of furniture look exotic, preparing a delicious meal, or recreating my vision of a beautiful Iowa landscape. My aim has been the depiction of an image that will be personally satisfying as well as pleasing to others.”
Katrina Garner