Kathryn Downing
Artist's Statement
Art shouldn't need an explanation. I could come up with a verbose statement about what my art means to me, but that doesn't really matter. What matters is what it means to you. I have ideas in my head I try to translate visually, but the end product is always a surprise and not always successful at communicating the original thought. So make of it what you will.
I'm fascinated by nature (and how we interact with it), ghost stories, cryptozoology, urban legends, eccentricities and the surreal. These subjects naturally show up in my work. When I'm feeling creative, I'll use whatever I have on hand — pencil, ink, paint, crayons, or my computer. I try to keep things looking spontaneous and filled with interesting details. My goal is to create art that is so amazing I'll want to keep it forever, hang it on my wall and look at it every day until I die.
Biography
Kathryn Downing is a native of Des Moines, Iowa. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in graphic design and visual arts from Grand View College in 2002. Her education has included an extended trip to Moscow, Russia; and study of Italian art during a tour of Rome, Florence, and Milan.
Since graduation, Kathryn has taught at the Ankeny Art Center and participated in several juried art festivals and group exhibitions. Her work is held in private collections throughout the Midwest, and in the corporate collections of Prairie Meadows and Farmland Insurance.