About
Katrina (Smith) Willis is a rising, emerging fine artist. Her interests include:
painting and drawing,
community development,
independent business development,
relationship building,
creative consultation,
compassion, social justice,
wisdom, simplicity and innovation.
She is a member of the Portrait Society of America, the Big Country Art Association and she enjoys teaching. Katrina received the Shore Gallery’s best painting of 2005 and has shown extensively for the past 10 years. She holds a BFA in Painting and Illustration from ACU, and she currently resides in Evanston, IL (Chicago) with her attractive husband, Mark, and a vibrant houseplant.
Outside of the studio (where most of the best work happens!), Katrina can be found meeting and greeting, daydreaming, tea drinking, roaming along the coast of lake Michigan, exploring Chicago-land, cooking, biking, and reading (a LOT of reading). : )
What People Are Saying
“Katrina Willis has to be one of the most thoughtful and talented young artists of our generation. Some of her pieces are provocative, others serene, but all are conversation starters.
S. Holt — Boston, MA
“Children are multiple expressions, here one moment and gone the next. I like seeing my kids through her eyes.”
M. Talbot — Abilene, TX
“Our engagement portrait photo shoot was so much fun. Katrina helped us forget about the camera and just be ourselves. And the finished products had this amazing artistry and character to them that I haven’t seen in any other engagement photos before or since. They were vivid and alive.”
N. Driskell — Austin, TX
“They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And this beholder enjoys the artwork of Katrina. She always has a unique direction to take upon creating a new work. Yet pride or arrogance does not deafen her to accepting the ideas of the client. She gladly takes one’s ideas and makes them snap to life better than the client could have suggested themselves.”
B. Baggett — Abilene, TX
“Katrina finds the shots that other photographers don’t even see. Working with her puts you at ease, because even if you don’t think you look your best, she can bring the best out of you. Her photo shoots are fun, relaxing and produce beautiful and compelling photos.”
J. Guerrero — Abilene, TX
“Katrina’s ‘Out of the Bush’ print hangs prominently in our living room. It is such a colorful and captivating piece, and yet utterly haunting. Every time I look at it, I see something different, and I am able to reflect deeper on the larger story it represents. It’s so much more than a painting.”
C. Holt — Boston, MA
Influential People, Gratitude and Inspiration by Katrina Willis
Historically speaking, I stand on the shoulders and look to the work of Kathe Kollwitz (a post-war German Expressionist), John-Singer Sargent (a painter from the late 19th century) and many other artists. (See my sketchbook for my recent series, Artists I Value) Much like these painters, I come from a varied and well-rounded background ( i.e. Edward Hopper started out as a graphic/poster designer…), and I believe there is more to a painting than just achieving a likeness of the person (that is the easiest part of developing a good picture). I have studied the figure primarily under Jack Maxwell and Dan McGregor. Robert Green taught me the foundations for color and composition and coached me to think in terms of sustainability as an artist. Ginna Sadler financially supported my undergraduate art education and helped me to avoid one of the most potentially devastating mistakes of my early development. The staff and students of the Adams Center for Teaching and Learning, led by Dr. KB Massingill, influenced me greatly in developing as a faithful manager and worker bee. All of these people are exceptionally gifted, and I am still trying to out do them in love.
Kollwitz, Self Portrait.
Sargent, Lady Agnew.
