From an early age, Katherine became fascinated with color and light, thanks to three decades in the Colorado Rockies and Four Corner's region.  She also spent many years living in and exploring the California coast, which fueled her passion for snorkeling and diving around the world. Hiking in great expanses of beauty gives her the pure joy of nature.  

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Because Katherine spends a lot of time hiking, cycling and on the water, she has the chance to really take in the sky, land and sea in all its moods-- good and bad, seasons and changes. This is actually a key part of her process in creating a painting. Katherine’s primary medium is oil although she often includes mixed media so she can hone in on the color fields.

Katherine finds oil paints to be so perfect because of the wide expanse of colors and the ability to layer. And even though her style is a blend of impressionist and expressionist, she focuses on capturing the feeling of a moment in time. This is so important because she focuses on the emotional experience as well as the physical experience with nature. And really, the Old Masters were smart in favoring oils, because the slow drying time with oil paint allows you to manipulate the medium over an extended period. 

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She’s been incredibly lucky to have so many artist mentors in her life who were encouraging and who were each unconventional in their own way. In college, she studied sculpture, photography, life drawing, art history and theory... but fell in love with painting. and it's been the love of her life, that has remained constant. Katherine later went on to earn a degree in Communications where she enjoyed a long career.

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“I love the feeling of being in the middle of a place. Yet at the same time, the feeling of being such a small part, makes it all the more wondrous. Through my paintings, I attempt to capture those moments of awe. I believe that the principles of true art, is not to portray but to evoke. I attempt to evoke a feeling about a moment in time or a setting that has meaning to me.  My work is focused on the four elements: Earth, Air, Fire and Water Earth grounds us and holds us. Water provides and heals us. Air revives and sustains us. Fire fuels us and humbles us.”

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In 2022, she was awarded the Fall Arts Walk Cover Artist by the City of Olympia. 

 

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You can contact Kat several ways:

Visit her website: ransomfinearts.com
Email: katransom365@gmail.com