Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Stearns.
Katie, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
My story of art begins in childhood. I grew up in Bayonne, New Jersey, eleven miles southwest of lower Manhattan. As a child and teenager, I was extremely artistic, taking great joy in painting, drawing, and other creative activities. Sometime during my teenage years, I decided that creating art took up too much of my time and concentration. As an adolescent, I, of course, had other ideas about what to do with my time!
Fast forward twenty-five years. After earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration from Rutgers University and working on Wall Street, then earning a Master of Science Degree in Clinical Dietetics from New York University and running my own nutrition consulting firm, I returned to art.
At first, there was a gentle voice inside whispering to my heart and soul that I needed to live a more creative life. As time went on, this voice became much more insistent, knocking very loudly. I had to listen. The year was 2001. I picked up a paint brush, launched my full-time artistic career, and never looked back.
Over the past eighteen years, I have studied oil painting with numerous nationally recognized artists at Scottsdale Artists’ School, in Scottsdale, Arizona. Additionally, I am an award-winning artist and have been juried into numerous fine art shows; I tutor individual students, teach local classes and workshops; and have published several art books.
I love painting a wide variety of subjects in oil — still life, florals, landscapes, wildlife, pet portraits, and people!
My work is currently available through my art studio, “Stearns Studios,” in Carefree, AZ, where I’ve lived since 1995 with my husband, Rob, and my four-legged critters. My work is also available through both national and local fine art exhibitions and shows.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I am an oil painter.
I picked up a paint brush in January of 2001 because I needed to live a more creative life. I knew when my brush first swirled through the buttery soft oil pigment that I would paint for the rest of my life. But, I had no idea how quickly and thoroughly I would be enraptured, challenged, and fulfilled.
For me, painting is pure joy. It’s intense. It’s difficult. It’s all-consuming.
Painting allows me to express and share the intensity of how I feel. My paintings represent the essence of me. They represent how I see, experience, and interpret the beauty of the world.
Currently, I love painting a wide variety of subjects in oil — still life, florals, landscapes, wildlife, pet portraits, and people! I also create one-of-a-kind, commissioned paintings.
In your view, what is the biggest issue artists have to deal with?
As a fine artist, I strive to do my best work every time I create a piece of art. A part of my heart and soul goes into my work. My artwork is an extension of me, like little art children of mine going out into the word, elevating people’s life experiences and somehow making the world a better place by its mere existence. I believe there is great value in this.
Today, we live in a world with a very disposable mindset. The value of fine art is lost on so many people.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I currently sell and show my work through my Carefree, AZ art studio, “Stearns Studios.” Stearns Studios is a working studio. It is where I find my inspiration, create art, and teach classes. I also show and sell my work through both national and local art exhibitions and shows.
The best way to keep abreast of what’s going on with my artwork is to follow me on my Facebook Business Page (https://www.facebook.com/KatieStearnsFineArt/) and on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/katiestearnsartist/). Additionally, my website https://stearnsstudio.com is also a great place for information on upcoming art events and shows. You can also sign up for my monthly Stearns Studios Newsletter right on my website and receive updates via email.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://stearnsstudios.com
- Phone: 602-370-0363
- Email: stearnsstudio@cox.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katiestearnsartist/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatieStearnsFineArt/
Image Credit:
Copyright 2018 – Stearns Studios Inc.
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