Katie Swatland
“The intention of Art is far more than purely aesthetic pleasures. It offers a way to explore the Infinite . . . a way to connect to the very essence of life . . . the very thing that makes us curious and sparks our imagination.”
With a dual background in mechanical engineering and fine art, Katie Swatland is a passionate advocate of cross-disciplinary undertakings as a way to deepen the practice and understanding of one’s respective craft.
Trained in the tradition of the great 19th century brush painters, Katie spent 15 years apprenticing under several living masters, specializing in the style of alla prima, or painting directly from life. Her studies culminated in the authoring of a work that comprehensively explores the processes that go into the creation of a painting —from the fundamental chemistry of preparing grounds, to the alchemical nature of light.
Afterwards, she felt called to turn inward and reconnect with the spark that initially guided her to create, embarking on a 29 month solitary painting retreat. During this period she stripped down all her years of training to the essentials, working closely with the raw elements of nature, and exploring the ‘energetic signatures’ of form. It was at this time that her vision for the ELEMENTS series was born.
“I’ve found in the beginning stages of a work there are ‘imprintal’ qualities that start to emerge and guide the painting process; the pieces in my ELEMENTS collection capture the living energy and expression of these qualities . . . through the rhythmic gesture of line and the juxtaposition of color and form, these subtle energies of nature are made visible and explored.”
Swatland, portrait progress shot—from abstraction to form
“Explore the invisible world . . . create art.”