An Artist's Journey

After graduating Magna Cum Laude from Syracuse University with degree in mechanical engineering, Katie made the choice to follow her dream of becoming an artist. In the summer of 2004 she began intense study of the arts by reading numerous art books given to her by her mother – Sally Swatland. The very first book was Alla Prima, Everything I Know About Painting by Richard Schmid. She treated it like a text book, diligently taking notes, studying every concept, and labored over making color charts in order to fully understand the dimensions of her palette. She studied for 6 months before she even decided to put a brush to a canvas: I wanted to understand the fundamentals first and really practice 'seeing' before I put an image on a canvas. For me it was like learning Calculus, without the fundamental basics of Algebra, more complex concepts can not be understood. She discovered many of the great masters and studied their works to learn ways in which they solved some of the many challenges of painting – amoung them: Cecilia Beaux, da Vinci, Mancini, Metcalf, Sargent, Sorrolla, Zorn, and two of our favorites, Dupré and Ridgway Knight. 

The following summer, 2005, she attended her first academic workshop with her mother in Wyoming, studying with Scott Christensen, and continued with workshops given by Don Demers and Joe McGurl. That fall she met Richard Schmid, who was holding a demonstration in Putney, Vermont.  Richard, and his wife Nancy Guzik, were impressed with Katie’s abilities and invited her to come and paint with them and the Putney Painters. In 2006 Richard offered her the unique opportunity to study with him on a regular basis: I am fortunate to learn and study with the handful of the great artists of our time. I send my sincere gratitude for their guidance and for sharing their wisdom and knowledge, for all have opened my eyes to the glorious world around me. I no longer just see a tree or a rock; I see the intricate shapes and patterns of light and shadow. I see in terms of pieces of paint.

Katie continued her formal training during the summer of 2007 at the Palette and Chisel Academy of Art in Chicago.  There she spent 12 hours every day, 7 days a week, studying, drawing, and painting from live models.  She also studies with Dennis Sheehan and has been greatly influenced and inspired by Nancy Guzik. Katie is now a proud member of the Putney Painters of Vermont.

Now, working harder than ever, Katie feels that: when you stop learning, you stop growing. She continues to study from life, and spends a significant amount of time outdoors studying nature and painting from models. She uses these studies, or etudes, as reference in her studio work: There is no substitute for working from life. A camera can never come close to capturing the subtle shifts in value, color, and tone. It is about responding to your subject and communicating that to your viewer. I strive to capture the essence of the scene, to break it down and simplify it to the bare essentials that grasp the true heart of the human experience.