We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kathryn Trotter. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kathryn below.

Kathryn, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

I have been painting since I could hold a crayon in my little hand. I remember painting murals in my playhouse and decorating for hours by going into the attic and getting leftover fabric and anything I could get my hands on to make my space more beautiful. I painted, made pottery out of the Mississippi mud in the creek nearby, I built a little loft, and I made curtains by the age of 7. This was just the beginning of my art venture. The stage had been set for curiosity, exploration and adventure. If I wasn’t creating in my playhouse, I was and crawling up under my big canopy bed to create, dream, and recharge with my creative tools.

I attribute my boundless creativity to my parents and the ultimate creator, God. I was encouraged to foster my creativity from a very young age. My parents didn’t allow us to watch TV except maybe 20 minutes or a day, if that. I truly owe them for encouraging me to allow my mind to explore and stretch beyond any digital boundaries. I believe, without a shadow of a doubt, that my parents limiting what came into my mind coupled with their enthusiasm and support of my art, is what shaped my imagination and set me up to do what my mind was programmed for…CREATING!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am an artist and I create beauty in this world. I want to bring light and energy into people’s homes and other spaces though art.

I love color and my theme seems to be more is better when it comes to art. I am a maximalist not a minimalist;). I am passionate so I love drama, contrast, big and bold pieces of art.

My bio describes my path in the field of art.

Kathryn Morris Trotter, a native Mississippian, claims that painting is her greatest passion. After graduating from The University of Texas with a degree in textiles and apparel design, Trotter had an innate curiosity about life, travel, and the ineffable creative world. Her passion propelled her ventures into the corporate world of fashion, interiors, and textile design, which have been highly influential in her subject and style of painting.

Trotter’s style would be considered to be an impressionistic, “impasto” style. The layering effect of thick paint coupled with the intentional pairing of colors brings excitement and energy to her palette knife work. Although her subject matter is heavily influenced by fashion, textiles and interiors, Kathryn’s ongoing study of art and color reveals new ways of seeing life through an artistic lens. Her ultimate goal is for her art to exude the feeling of an experience and this is what her clients love the most about her collection.

Kathryn has established her name nationally and internationally as her work has made its way to Egypt, Australia, Canada, The Netherlands, and other countries around the world. Her work has also been featured in Elle Décor Magazine and on the front cover of Sassy Magazine, Paisley Magazine and Mountain Brook Magazine. Trotter’s work has also been highlighted in the television hit series “Drop Dead Diva” featuring her painting titled, “Dancing in the Rain.” In the museum world, Kathryn was chosen as the featured artist for the Cezanne exhibit at The El Paso Museum of Art. This exhibit demonstrated a modern day palette knife artist as compared to Cezanne, which was a part of the Modern Master’s Series from the Solomon R.Guggenheim Museum.

Kathryn Trotter currently lives in Mountain Brook, Alabama with her husband, Chris, their three children. She feels blessed to be pursuing what God has called her to do.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

The most pivotal season in my art has been having three young children and trying to contain this passion for art while tending to them with the full weight of my being.

I have learned that art cannot exist in my world without taking care of personal first and personal cannot exist without art. What this means is that I have learned that I have to schedule painting, intentional time to focus on my kids, my spouse, my finances (personal and business) and my friends and family. I even hired a coach to come alongside me and help me. This isn’t the way I am wired! People seem to think that artists paint and create when the mood hits, and I have had to learn that my creative time has to be scheduled and so does everything else..including margin. This is the ONLY way my life can be peaceful. As a creative, this is very against the grain, but slowly my brain is adapting to what I have had to accept!

I am FOREVER grateful for my coach. She has told me at times that I have to put the paint brush down and tend to the personal before picking it up again. It’s so hard to bridle a creative spirit!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I decided a long time ago that I could get distracted and see what everyone else was doing in the art world and compare, change or edit my art accordingly. The decision to put my blinders on and paint what I love has spilled over into my art and kept me consistent with what I am putting out into the world. What I do is unique to me. There isn’t a single artist who can create exactly what I create and vise versa. I choose to honor my my mind.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kathryntrotterart.com
• Instagram: @ktrotterart
• Other: I am rebranding and a new site will launch in mid-late October! It will be an e-commerce business!

Image Credits
Grace Davis Photography