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Living the artist life

Living the artist life 

Sometimes life as an artist is quiet and other times it is go go go! 

When life gets busy it is important to carve out time for reflection and rest, this is something I am still learning to do. 

I had a lot of exciting things recently including taking part in EADS exhibitions, varnishing work, multiple drawing commissions and moving studio spaces to somewhere bigger. But I felt burnt out and realised I had a month of not doing any painting. Sometimes life is like that. When I relaised I reached burn out I got outside in nature with my camera and little sketch book out and started exploring what was inspiring and interested me. As I started reconnecting with my environment through art I felt a renewing of my strength, motivation and creativity. 

What inspires you? What renews your strength and gives you sense of peace and stillness in the busyness of life.

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Inspiring mushrooms!

Getting inspired for a new painting! 

This week I seem to be fascinated with mushrooms. You wouldn’t catch me eating a mushroom (even the edible ones) but have you ever got down and looked at how intricate and beautifully they are? I spent 30mins studying today and didn’t even notice the time passing.

I learnt over the past few years that art isn’t about creating pretty pictures you think others will like. Instead, its about doing what inspires you, what are you passionate about, because, that passion comes across in your work. Although we are all individual, we are also all alike and often what inspires you will connect and inspire someone else. So here are some photos of mushrooms!

four images of large umbrella shaped mushroom. three of the images are close up details of one mushroom
Photos Katie taken of a mushroom with four close up images.
four images of large umbrella shaped mushroom. three of the images are close up details of one mushroom
Photos Katie taken of a mushroom with four close up images.
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EDAS 2025 Exhibition

Excited to be taking part in the EDAS exhibition again this year, i plan to exhibit some of my plein air painting, as well as having a studio clear out, selling some past work in the brows boxes

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Surprise view

Recently, I had the privilege of returning to the Lake District for some plein air painting; once again, the beauty captivated me, drawing me into every detail. This time, I visited Keswick, where I painted two images, one of which was from Surprise View, which offered a spectacular view overlooking Derwent Water towards Keswick, with Skiddaw Mountain (the third highest in England) to the right. The morning was sunny, and the lake was still. Using oil paints on a 30×40 cm canvas, the painting took three days to complete outdoors, with an additional day for touch-ups back in the studio.

Surprise view

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Painting in the lake district

I love plein air painting; I feel able to be fully absorbed into nature and the creative process that’s hard to replicate elsewhere. I don’t often get to finish a painting, but getting the ‘true’ colors I see onto canvas gives me a good base for finishing the painting off another day in my studio.

This time I was in wasdale head in the lakes, looking over west water, towards great gable and scafell pike. I had been hear for 3 day but it rained so much i wasn’t able to paint, today i managed to get a morning of sun to capture the sky, great gable and scafell Pike.

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EDAS Best in show

Displaying three of of painting ‘maple leaf’ ‘silver birch’ and ‘river ouse over lendal bridge’ at the Easingwold and District Art Society show in October 2024, my painting ‘River ouse from lendal bridge’ was voted best in show.

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Re-focusing

Silver birch 25.cmx20.2cm oil painting on canvas

I often see the world in a very detailed close up way, noticing the detail of something first and foremost, sometimes I don’t even think to look at the object as a whole. For years I have fought this natural response I have to my environment and tried very hard to create painting other people want or say they would like. I have struggled to try see things as others like to see them rather than how I naturally view the world. I have now decided to embrace my difference and share with everyone what I see when I look at something. Continuing to use nature as my main inspiration. Here is the first painting I the new line of work…

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New art direction

While I was sat in my studio the other day I looked out my window to the street and shops down below, people were rushing around, heads down, head phones in, talking on the phone, busy walking fast from one shop to another. I then looked behind me at the painting of the lack district I had been working on and became absorbed in the difference I felt looking at the painting to looking at the busy street, I felt stillness. How often do we get to be still in this new digital world?

This moment has inspired me into a new creative project:

Glance. Snap. Capture. Send. Delete. Empty. Replace.