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Katie has been interested in illustration for
about as long as she can remember, but there was a moment when
she was nine years old that crystallized her future artistic
endeavors. During a family holiday her grandma displayed a set
of illustrations and political cartoons that her grandfather
had created during World War Two. Katie was captivated by her
grandfather’s artistic abilities and felt an overwhelming
desire to paint and draw as he did. She knew, from that day
forward, that art would be a crucial part of her life. She began
sketching seriously that very day and has been at it ever since.Katie’s
parents have been incredibly supportive throughout the course
of her artistic evolution. They allowed her to paint murals
over their walls, portraits on her furniture, and ink sketches
on her jeans.They encouraged her to think outside the box, which
is where, Katie says, "I have always been most comfortable.
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Katie believes that
art has enabled her to express her inner self to others. "When
I am sketching or painting," she explains, "my mind
is clear and I am at peace. I truly enjoy what I do and I hope
to convey these joyous feelings to others through my work. I
want my paintings to be places where people would like to go,
places that exude happiness."Her style is best described
as happy, whimsical, quirky, and a little bit twisted. Katie
often exaggerates certain elements within her paintings because
she feels that unnatural characterizations can evoke stronger
emotions than those rendered exactly, enabling people to connect
with and understand them from unique perspectives. She likes
endowing natural elements such as trees, water, and the sky
with human traits while, on the other hand, she gives rigid
- almost robotic - qualities to human characters.
"I am excited to be a part
of the Disney team," says Katie."My relationship with
Disney stems from an illustration I created for a book that
I am writing." She explains that the painting portrays
a Depression-era dinner scene in which a little girl is being
served a mountain of sweet treats by a parade of butlers and
maids.Her good friend Noah happened to see this piece and was
instantly reminded of the Alice in Wonderland tea party.After
some collaboration between the two artists, she painted the
tea party scene using her own interpretation of the Alice in
Wonderland characters. It was from this painting that Katie’s
unique twist on Disney characters was born.
Katie says that she is blessed
to have the opportunity to work with Disney and it is truly
an honor to be working with such a great group of people. Disney
embodies happiness in every sense of the word and it brings
me great joy to be a part of that happiness."She acknowledges
that countless people have helped her along the way and she
appreciates their assistance more than words can express. "God
has blessed Katie with a gift that she hopes to share with others.
"Someone once told me," she explains,"that one
of the best ways to give back is to use your God-given talents
to help others, whether you are a seamstress, a baker, or -
in my case - a painter. " God has blessed Katie with a
gift that she hopes to share with others.
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