"A big reason I create work is to not only explore the relationship I have to myself, but to move from that place to be in relationship
with others." 

I am visual artist who creates watercolour personas that are eery and ethereal. These whimsical portrait-style personifications are meant to be emotionally visceral reflections of a gritty and unapologetic exploration into the complexity of the human experience. My painting technique relinquishes reference and alternatively focuses on personal intuition, impulse, and expression without judgment. Allowing the space for what's felt to show up honestly on paper. This process of creative discovery and extraction has translated into visual characters and scenes that communicate my own internal experiences of discomfort, sexuality, pleasure, pain, grief, fear, and joy. I have used these soul searching watercolours as inspirations to generate concepts for large-scale mural installations, prototyping the fabrication of masks and puppets, and to facilitate intimate community-based workshops that explore individual, relational, and social complexities through the design and fabrication of persona masks. 

Involving the community has become an essential extension to my practice. I am driven by relationships and curious about the possibilities when creating vulnerable spaces that encourage connection and healing. I often explore this through a mask-making process, asking questions about how anonymity and self-expression intersect.

Meaningful work continues to stem from my practice of self-reflection. It is here where I continue to evolve and grow more into myself. This momentum enables deep connection that extends outward to meet others, presenting myself and others with an invitation to explore, feel and express from inside. 

Graduating with distinction from the University of Calgary's BFA program, Katie’s work has primarily focused on murals, executed in Canada, the United States, India, Taiwan, and Germany. She has worked in a number of different contexts, from puppet builder to mural painter, working with companies such as The Old Trout Puppet Workshop, cSPACE King Edward, Calgary Municipal Land Corporation, Pink Flamingo, The Calgary Drop-In and Rehabilitation Centre, Nelson and District Arts Council, and the Beltline Urban Mural Project. 


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