Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Hoffman.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I returned to college to finish my BFA in 2002, when my youngest child started Kindergarten. A drawing major with little experience in painting, I fell head over heels in love with oil paint – the smell, the feel, the wonderful things it can do on a surface. My work reached a turning point after graduation when I abandoned the idea of planning a painting in favor of letting intuition rule my process. All kinds of things from my subconscious surface and make their way onto the canvas, and the surprise aspect keeps me interested. I never know what the next painting will be.
Please tell us about your art.
My primary work is oil on canvas or wood. My process is intuitive. I strive to convey inner realities, and am influenced by Jungian archetypes, fairy tales, and religious mythologies. I begin each piece abstractly, then bring recognizable imagery – frequently women and animals – to the surface as those images suggest themselves. It’s kind of like seeing pictures in the clouds, then running with them.
People who collect my work tend to connect with it on an emotional level. I’ve had people tell me I seem to paint what they are feeling inside.
As an artist, how do you define success and what quality or characteristic do you feel is essential to success as an artist?
Success is something that operates on a deeply individual basis for artists. To me, success is not so much a monetary goal as it is a sort of spiritual moving target. I strive to create art that challenges myself and my collectors. When I complete a piece that does this, it is a small triumph; but I suspect that I will always be moving towards the next “success” in this way.
In a broader sense, I would not have survived to adulthood without the stories, songs, and pictures that captured my imagination while I was growing up. Human culture is, to me, what makes our short walk on this planet worthwhile. The men and women who create art have always been my heroes. I hope to inspire others as I have been inspired, and so I continue to paint every day. This, too, feels like success to me.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
My work can be seen and purchased from my website, katiehoffman.com. Smaller, more affordable works and watercolors are available through my Etsy store, KatieHoffmanFineArt.
I currently have work in a two-person show with sculptor Smithie Mitchell at Anthology Fine Art, a collaborative work with metalsmith Kim Harrell at the Center for Visual Art Denver, and I show small works on an ongoing basis at Zip 37 Gallery. I’ll be participating in the Crested Butte Arts Festival the weekend in August, and am hoping to expand my festival schedule next year; with a little luck, the Bayou City Art Festival may be in my future.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://katiehoffman.com
- Phone: 303 881 5793
- Email: katiehoffman65@msn.com
- Instagram: @katiehoffman65
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatieHoffmanFineArt
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/KatieHoffmanFineArt
Image Credit:
kelly payton, katie hoffman
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