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

Kat, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you wish you had started sooner?

I’ve been an artist for as long as I can remember. I studied Fine Arts and Psychology in college, and after graduating I began to step into an art career. But life took a different turn—I married young to someone who not only wasn’t supportive but also controlled what I could and couldn’t do, and I put my art on hold. For years I only dabbled here and there, but nothing serious until 2019.

When the pandemic hit, I started painting again as a way to process all the emotions of that time. I quickly realized how much I had missed it—creating felt as essential to me as breathing. From there I kept going, joined the Lehigh Art Alliance in 2020, began entering juried shows, and step by step built the foundation of what is now my full-time career as an artist.

Looking back, I do wish I had started sooner and not allowed someone else to dictate my life. At the same time, I can see how those years of silence and struggle shaped the voice I now bring to my work and gave me a deeper sense of purpose in claiming my creative life.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m Kat Collins, an intuitive abstract expressionist painter based in Pennsylvania. My work is all about “emotional weather”—capturing internal landscapes, atmospheric moods, and the way personal and collective emotions move through us like storms, tides, and shifting skies. I create large-scale mixed-media paintings as well as smaller works, using layers of acrylic, ink, graphite, collage, and mark-making to give form to feelings and memories that are often hard to put into words.

My journey back into art came in 2019, after years away from it, when I realized that creating wasn’t just something I enjoyed—it was something I needed. During the pandemic, painting became both a lifeline and a language, and I’ve been committed to it full-time ever since. Along the way, I’ve exhibited my work in solo and group shows, and my paintings have become part of private collections.

What sets my work apart is the way it blends vulnerability, intuition, and atmosphere into something that feels both deeply personal and universally resonant. I don’t approach a canvas with a strict plan; instead, I let color, texture, and mark-making lead me, responding to the energy of the moment. My process often involves layering, scraping back, and reworking—mirroring the way emotions and experiences build, shift, and transform over time. Collectors often tell me that my paintings hold a kind of presence in their homes, like living landscapes of memory and emotion, constantly revealing new layers the longer you sit with them.

Beyond the canvas, what also makes my practice distinctive is how I share it. Through workshops like Painting Emotional Weather, Mark-Making as Personal Language, and Color Speaks, I give others the tools to discover their own creative language. My teaching isn’t about replicating my style—it’s about helping people uncover theirs, offering them permission to explore, experiment, and connect to themselves in ways that often surprise them.

I think of my brand as both art and experience. Collectors often tell me that my paintings make them feel seen, comforted, or transported. Students say my workshops give them permission to explore and express in new ways. What I’m most proud of is creating work that resonates with people on a deeply human level—art that feels like connection.

For anyone just discovering me, I want them to know that my work is rooted in authenticity, intuition, and a belief that art can be a bridge between our inner worlds and the larger collective story. Whether you’re drawn to a painting, joining a workshop, or listening to my podcast The Artist Is In, my hope is that you feel a sense of belonging in that space—that you recognize yourself in the work and are reminded of the beauty and resilience of being human.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Yes—my creative journey is very much mission-driven. At its core, my work is about giving form to the unseen and creating space for emotional honesty. I often describe my paintings as “emotional weather,” because they capture the shifting landscapes of our inner lives—grief, joy, uncertainty, transformation—in the same way the sky holds storms, sunlight, or stillness.

A big part of my goal is to make people feel something when they view my paintings. I want my work to invite people to stop, take a breath, and slow down long enough to connect with themselves and the moment in front of them. In a world that moves so quickly, I see my paintings as a way to hold space—for reflection, emotion, and presence.

I also see my role as a teacher and guide. Through workshops and courses, I help others discover their own creative voice, not by copying my style but by learning to trust their intuition and develop a personal visual language. I believe creativity is not just about making art—it’s about self-discovery, healing, and connection.

Ultimately, my mission is twofold: to make paintings that serve as emotional mirrors and anchors for those who live with them, and to empower others to step into their own creative freedom. If my work helps someone feel more deeply or see themselves more clearly, then I know I’ve done what I set out to do.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I think one thing non-creatives may struggle to understand is that being an artist isn’t just a hobby or a job—it’s a way of being in the world. Creativity isn’t something I switch on and off; it’s how I process life, how I make sense of emotions, and how I communicate what can’t always be put into words. When I’m painting, I’m not just “making something pretty”—I’m wrestling with feelings, channeling energy, and creating a space for connection.

Another misconception is that the creative path is all inspiration and ease. The truth is, it’s a lot of showing up when you don’t feel like it, taking risks without guarantees, and being willing to fail in order to grow. It requires vulnerability, persistence, and trust in the process. That can look confusing from the outside—why keep going when there’s uncertainty? But for artists, creating is as necessary as breathing.

The insight I’d share is that everyone has creativity within them—it just shows up in different ways. You might not pick up a paintbrush, but maybe you cook, problem-solve, garden, or parent in ways that require imagination and intuition. What creatives can offer is a reminder that slowing down, paying attention, and expressing yourself—even imperfectly—can bring meaning and connection into your life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.katcollinsstudio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katcollinsstudio
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katcollinsstudio
• Other: Threads – https://www.threads.com/@katcollinsstudio

Image Credits

Moriah Mylod
Ashley Kristen Photography