Katherine Cudney - Nature Artist and Portrait Painter
Artist's Statement
When people ask why I paint I tell them I'm just following my bliss. I've always taken an expressive approach to living so art making is a natural extension of that. My subject preference is grounded in my love of nature which results in my spending most days (and sometimes nights) outdoors, exploring the natural world. I'm also intrigued by the marvelous maps of the human spirit and very much enjoy learning about people's life-journeys which is often-times revealed on their faces. Basically, I simply feel compelled to celebrate the living world by painting about it.
As a process, I might elicit a person's life narrative as part of the preparation for art-making. I like the challenge of capturing artistically a certain trait or characteristic, a glimpse of spirit, a hint of story or a moment in time that a camera might miss. Of course, there’s something rewarding about the painting process itself - it's the smell and feel of paint and the fascinating phenomenon of being “in the zone”, when creativity leads to hyper focus and time seems to collapse.
As for my painting style, I suppose there's no denying I like to capture details though I paint in whatever style moves me at the moment. When you have a look at my work, you might notice some variation, and I like it that way. Still, details matter to me - there’s specificity to everything in the natural world and I very often (but not always!) feel a need to paint the particulars.
I hope you enjoy your visit to my virtual art studio/gallery. I’ll be trying to keep the site updated with new works and news about shows and more. If you have questions or comments, I’d enjoy hearing from you. I accept commissions on a limited basis each year so do inquire if you have a project you’d like to discuss.