We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Katherine Garratt a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Katherine thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

I was fourteen years old when I started seriously learning about art. I attended a private school in Toronto called Thornton Hall and received a classical art education.

My art teacher taught us drawing and painting and we produced reproductions of Master Artists’ works including: Durer, Leonardo daVinci, Michelangelo, Vermeer, Rembrandt etc.

I became very serious about art at that time because of my training and I knew then that my mission was to become an artist.

I later attended York University in Toronto and received my Honours BFA in Visual Art. My education at York University was very different and extremely inspiring.

My favourite professor, Hugh Leroy, instructed us to develop a more intuitive approach to art. We read “Man And His Symbols” (edited by Carl G Jung) and learned about archetypes and the unconscious.

I began to create art with a completely different approach. My first painting series was developed from an instinctual process where I allowed myself to paint without a plan.

I applied random brushstrokes of colour on a canvas and then stepped back and looked for imagery. Then I began outlining images that seemed obvious to me.

The painting intuitively developed and I had discovered my method of working that continues to this day. My images, although intuitively developed, express ideas with specific themes and painting this way has become my mission.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

As an artist, when I had developed my own style and considered myself a professional artist, my goal was to be represented by art galleries. My dream was to have the opportunity to exhibit in group and solo shows and to sell my work to clients.

That dream is now a reality. In my current situation, I am represented by Nomad Gallery in White Rock, BC, where I recently had a solo exhibition titled “The Golden Age.”

I am a painter and I work with acrylic paint on canvas. My series “The Golden Age” draws inspiration from the world-wide myth of Paradise. Many cultures describe a mythological land where human beings are immortal and live peacefully with nature. Some examples include: Elysium, Avalon, Dilman, Shangri-La, Aaru, Kunlun, and TirNaNog.

In these paintings, I create a paradisiacal realm while attempting to illustrate a mutualistic relationship between human life and nature rather than a competitive one.

At Nomad Gallery, clients can buy my acrylic paintings as well as my Giclee prints. These Limited Edition prints are signed and numbered from a total of 50 per image.

I have chosen to have my images printed with archival ink on Moab Entrada Bright 100% cotton fine art paper that is archival, acid, and lignin free. This ensures the longevity of the work.

As a full-time artist, I consider myself very fortunate to have the opportunity to focus primarily on my art. I have a daily routine where I spend several hours painting and I have to say that I am completely in my element.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

When I had my solo exhibition this year at Nomad Gallery, I designed a poster, an invitational card, and new business cards.

I visited small businesses in the communities of White Rock, Morgan Crossing, Southpoint, and Vancouver to invite the owners to the Opening Reception of the exhibition.

My posters were placed in the windows of many businesses and the invitational cards and business cards were given out to their customers.

During the exhibition, I was in attendance at the gallery every day where I greeted potential clients and engaged in conversation about my exhibition.. I was also present in the gallery to do Live Painting for clients to see my method of working.

When potential clients were leaving the gallery, I gave them a poster (rolled up and tied with a ribbon) that also included a written description of the exhibition. I also gave them an invitational card and a business card.

I contacted Alex Browne, an art critic from the local paper “The Peace Arch News,” who wrote a full page article about my exhibition.

I believe that if you have chosen the path of an artist, it is essential to learn the business side of things as well. Talking to people about your work is probably the best way to discover new clientele.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

For many years, I was raising my son and had to work in other ways to support us but I always found a way to keep painting and exhibiting my work.

I taught art and sold items such as prints and cards of my paintings. Also, I worked on smaller canvases and found a market for that.

I approached art galleries and managed to keep exhibiting in solo, duo, and group exhibitions throughout my life. I think when you love creating art, and can’t live without it, you find a way to make it work.

It is important to be brave and reach out to people that can help you to further your goals. In my life today, I consider myself very fortunate to be represented by a gallery. I am also very lucky to be able to focus on my art full-time and I am very grateful for that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.katherinegarratt.com
• Instagram: @katherinegarratt

Image Credits

Katherine Garratt