BIOGRAPHY

I have been a resident of Oklahoma since 1984, where I taught printmaking, drawing and watercolor for 37 years as professor of art at Cameron University. I retired in May 2021 to pursue art as a full-time professional artist. I received my Master of Fine Art from Texas Tech University and a Bachelor of Science from Southern Connecticut State University. In 2014, I was awarded the Oklahoma Governor's Art and Education Award in Oklahoma City, and awarded the title of Artist of the Year by the Paseo Art Association in Oklahoma City.  I have exhibited my works of art in over 400 National Solo, Invitational and Juried Competitive Exhibitions throughout the United States and abroad, and received numerous purchase and juried awards.

Over the years my art has evolved through many forms and content. As I get older I find myself reflecting more upon passages, time, and motion. Water has come to mean a desire for change and discovery associated with my emotional state both in a personal and universal way. Through my preferred mediums of gouache, watercolor, and printmaking, I address the metaphors of romance and dynamic and imagined seascapes. These metaphors, although personal and unique, are seen and understood as images associated with the aspect of movement. The continual painterly flow of the sea and the patterns found in my lino prints represent the rhythms found in nature. The romance of a sunset during a storm of waves narrates the passage of time as I observe my life and stride forward to celebrate change.

Many of my prints and drawings are in permanent collections in museums and institutions throughout the nation such as Austin Peay University, Arkansas Art Center, The Wichita Falls Museum of Art at Midwestern University, Oklahoma State University, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, University of Colorado, University of North Dakota, Oklahoma Art Institute: Quartz Mountain Lodge, Del Mar College, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Whitman College in Walla Walla, Butler Community College in Kansas, University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, Leslie Powell Art Foundation Gallery, Milwaukee Museum of Art, Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art, and Nicolls State University.

The Museum of Texas Tech University recently acquired 86 works of mine for the Artist Printmaker Research Collection. This collection represents the documentation of American artist printmakers.

ARTIST INSIGHTS

How are your background and life experiences connected to your art?

The content of my art has evolved through an exploration of new discoveries and concepts that began through the narrative of personal experiences throughout my life. As I get older, I find myself reflecting upon passages, time, and motion. Water and land are the subjects and symbols of these three concepts. Each of these concepts references the change and discovery associated with my emotional attachment to the environment. Water represents my desire to return to my birth state and meditatively embrace the powerful waves of the sea, which capture my heart and spirit, while the land is an anchor, describing my surroundings at a certain time and moment in my life. As I embrace both Water and Land in an intimate and curious way, I realize that my life is constantly in motion and that the aging process is a normal ascension into another chapter of my life.

Who are some of your biggest artistic influences?

My biggest artistic landscapes and seascapes influences are Winslow Homer, Joseph Mallard Turner and Thomas Moran.

How have you developed your artist career?

I received my Master of Fine Arts degree in 1983 and have been a professional artist for 37 years. I have exhibited my works in over 400 juried and solo shows across the nation and abroad.

What does your artistic work intend to communicate to its audience?

My work is highly personal in subject matter but the audience can view this interpretation or communication through their own unique experiences.

Does your work comment on any current social or political issues?

Although my work is personal and can be read at a universal level, there is some reference to environmental concerns of global warming within the ocean. The water may be viewed as an impending catastrophe with significant loss of habitat and land.

Do you have a particular story that stands out from your career as an artist?

I was a full time professor of art and taught for over 37 years in Oklahoma. During this time, I consistently and methodically created art during my teaching years and exhibited my works nationally and internationally. My two careers as a professor and as an artist was a great marriage.......inspiring and humble.

What is one thing you would like your audience to know about you?

That I love my life.....and that my art is a signature of my celebrated life.

Which current art world trends are you following?

Presently, I am painting outdoors and enjoying Plein air painting. The light and colors of the natural world are vivid and very challenging to recreate.

Why have you chosen to sell your work in the 1515 Lincoln Gallery?

I feel my art contributes to the eclectic atmosphere of the gallery. The gallery has a unique range of styles and taste.

What do you believe makes 1515 Lincoln Gallery distinct from other galleries?

1515 Lincoln Gallery has a broader and distinct variety of artworks.

ARTIST STATEMENT

The ocean is the symbol of these elements and its continuous motion represents growth as an artist. The waves are linear patterns of directional curves, swirls and loops that convey a love for design and composition. The variation of the lines are thick as well as delicately carved. This wave series represents a new direction that conjures the emotions pertaining to hope, love, and peace.

KATHERINE LIONTAS-WARREN’S AVAILABLE ART

YOU MAY LIKE THESE ARTISTS