Artist Statement
Growing up, animals have always played a big role in my life; whether that was helping out on farms, visiting elephant sanctuaries in Asia or getting lost in David Attenborough books and documentaries for hours. I feel so lucky to have had so many first hand experiences with magnificent and striking animals. With my work I strive to draw attention to the majesty and significance of wildlife and the active role we all play in helping to conserve their lives and habitats. For the past couple of years I have used a mixture of abstract and representational techniques to connect the subject and background. The intent was to demonstrate the interconnectedness of the wildlife and world around us. With my most recent work I create block color backgrounds and use a realist technique to create the subject, the animal. The background has the impact of quieting any distractions, and creating space for the viewer to focus purely on the animal. The animal is purposely painted at a smaller scale to draw in the viewer’s focus. By design I either paint on wooden panels or canvases/paper with wooden frames to further center the focal point on nature. Bio
Katie-Mai is a contemporary artist of English and Chinese heritage. Born and raised in the Cotswolds, UK, she currently lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband, son and corgi. Always creating from a young age, Katie-Mai enjoys playing with different media, textures and styles and her work seeks to explore color and form. Katie-Mai holds four degrees, none of which are art focused and despite not initially starting a career as an artist, she has developed both her drawing and painting skills and abilities over the years. |