Katherine Liontas-Warren
Majestic Sky of Oklahoma by Katherine Liontas-Warren
Katherine Liontas-Warren’s first artistic love was the sea. She was born in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1959 and her family moved to West Haven by the ocean when she was young. As a curious kid and always drawing, Katherine found inspiration in the sea as an ever-changing entity. “I drew from a scientific perspective. I wanted to get everything exact. Anything my mind considered ugly or beautiful was in a journal I kept,” explains Katherine.
Throughout her childhood, Katherine's parents supported her artistic spirit. They were Greek immigrants who embraced America as their home, but the family made regular trips back to their home country. Connecting with her heritage was the launch point for Katherine's creative journey. In high school, Katherine reflected on her blend of American and Greek upbringing in her school art projects. As a senior, she chose to go to the Art Center School, where Katherine learned filmmaking, painting, and drawing with MFA graduates from Yale. Katherine thought she would become an illustrator until instructor Keith Hatcher encouraged her to try lithography. "I fell in love with stone lithography immediately. I was hooked and focused on printmaking from then on," says Katherine.
After graduating high school in 1977, Katherine's family traveled to Greece. Katherine's uncle was a historian and showed her ancient and artistic sites during the visit. His insight helped her discover the country's arts and legacy of antiquity. Her intimate immersion in Greek culture inspired Katherine and cemented her desire to progress her creative studies. "When I was in Greece, I fit like a glove. It put all the pieces together. I was living in art and following my inner self. It made me realize I would be an artist", states Katherine. When she returned to the United States, she attended South Connecticut State to study lithography. While working towards her undergraduate degree, she discovered her style and committed to detailed realism.
My Distant Love by Katherine Liontas-Warren
Once she received her undergraduate degree, Katherine studied print-making at Texas Tech. She taught classes as a student and thrived as a teacher. Katherine's fulfillment from teaching inspired her to pursue art instruction as a career, so she applied to several universities, including Cameron University in Oklahoma. As luck would have it, Cameron was looking for a lithographer. After a very positive interview, Katherine got the job and taught studio classes at Cameron for 38 years. It was at the university where she met her husband, a sculptor. In fact, he was the person who interviewed and hired her.
While lithography was Katherine's preferred medium, she began exploring new art forms 15 years ago. She started walking in nature sanctuaries near her home to create plein-air charcoal drawings and watercolor paintings. "I loved the Renaissance concept of seeing and observing. I grew to love painting tremendously for that reason," states Katherine. The majority of her artwork nowadays is plein-air painting. Working in plein-air allows Katherine to immerse herself in the sensory environment. Katherine's creative process is all about reflection and the inner self. She believes interpretation is as essential as observation when making art. This method of plein-air art reconnected Katherine with her love for the ocean, which inspired her creativity as a kid. She says, "When I paint by water, I smell and hear the crashing of the waves. There is such mystery. All of these metaphors emerge. I incorporate these symbols into the painting in a highly emotional way that speaks to who I am."
Katherine now calls herself an outdoor painter instead of a studio painter. Her process prioritizes intuition over detailed perfectionism. Katherine works from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. when painting in plein-air, acting fast in the changeable environmental conditions and light. Once she finishes a piece on location, it is complete. "When I finish the painting, I'm done. If I touch it back in the studio, the painting will die because my brain wants to take control," states Katherine. She describes her current work as a visual diary focused on memory and personal experience. Her intention is not to recreate the exact landscape before her but to recreate its feeling.
The Shadows of Evening by Katherine Liontas-Warren
Katherine thinks that when you create art, you go beyond the memory to capture the essence of that experience. "People look at art through their life lens. It is all about connection. If a viewer can feel the moment my painting was in, I am successful," remarks Katherine. Her devotion to the ever-changing quality of nature mirrors her journey as an artist. "Art is who I am. I believe art is about evolving. I am curious and don't want to stagnate," Katherine explains. If you looked at the span of her artistic life, from the age of 25 to the present day, you would see a craft in continual transformation. Katherine has created artwork ranging from realistic printmaking to American regional drawings and continues to explore. For her, this is the excitement of being an artist: taking risks and embracing creative challenges.
Katherine connected with the 1515 Lincoln Gallery on these same values of transformation and connection. She joined the gallery three years ago when George Oswalt and Marc Barker, also consigned artists with the gallery, visited her studio. Marc loved Katherine's art and asked if they could introduce her to Susan. Before meeting Susan, Katherine did not have a gallery, focusing instead on teaching and university exhibitions. "I was retired. Having lost my husband, I decided to dedicate my life to art," explains Katherine. Susan loved Katherine's work, and the two bonded on their mutual enthusiasm for diverse artwork. "I like that Susan is open to showing very different genres of art. When you walk into 1515 Lincoln Gallery, you feel like you are walking into an Italian gallery - there is a nice array", explains Katherine. She also appreciates that Susan encourages community and fosters communication between the artists at 1515 Lincoln Gallery.
Katherine looks forward to sharing her August exhibition, Nature's Wonders, at the gallery and the opportunity to impart some of her passion for the natural world. She will present various artwork, including ink drawings, watercolors, and oil paintings. All the artworks revolve around memory and hold a fleeting quality that is captivating and calming. Katherine finishes by saying, "I hope the audience will see a work of art that makes them feel something spiritual and honest because when I create, it comes from my heart."
Please visit our website to learn more about Katherine and her work.
