NATURE’S WONDERS

From 17/08/2023 To 23/09/2023

1515 Lincoln Gallery invites you to delight in the exquisite works of Katherine Liontas-Warren in her exhibition Nature's Wonders. Katherine's impressive series of quill ink drawings depict the poetic beauty of a forest in winter, with its bare trees displaying their intimate entanglement of branches. Several works in the exhibition are plein-air artworks created by Katherine's self-reflection in nature's open air. Her paintings revolve around memory and hold a fleeting, captivating, calming quality. Katherine states, "I hope the audience will see a work of art that makes them feel something spiritual and honest because when I create, it comes from my heart."

About Katherine Liontas-Warren

Katherine Liontas-Warren's first artistic love was the sea. She was born in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1959, and her family moved to West Haven by the ocean when she was young. As a curious kid and constantly drawing, Katherine found inspiration in the sea as an ever-changing entity. "I drew from a scientific perspective. I wanted to get everything exact. Anything my mind considered ugly or beautiful was in a journal I kept," explains Katherine.

After graduating high school in 1977, Katherine's family traveled to Greece. Katherine's uncle was a historian and showed her ancient and artistic sites during the visit. His insight helped her discover the country's arts and legacy of antiquity. Her intimate immersion in Greek culture inspired Katherine and cemented her desire to progress her creative studies. When she returned to the United States, she attended South Connecticut State to study lithography. She discovered her style while working towards her undergraduate degree and committed to detailed realism.

Once she received her undergraduate degree, Katherine studied print-making at Texas Tech. She taught classes as a student and thrived as a teacher. Katherine's fulfillment from teaching inspired her to pursue art instruction as a career, so she applied to several universities, including Cameron University in Oklahoma, where she landed a job as a lithographer and taught for 38 years.

While lithography was Katherine's preferred medium, she began exploring new art forms 15 years ago. She started walking in nature sanctuaries near her home to create plein-air charcoal drawings and watercolor paintings. "I loved the Renaissance concept of seeing and observing. I grew to love painting tremendously for that reason," states Katherine. The majority of her artwork nowadays is plein-air painting. Working in plein-air allows Katherine to immerse herself in the sensory environment. She believes interpretation is as essential as observation when making art. This method of plein-air art reconnected Katherine with her love for the ocean, which inspired her creativity as a kid. She says, "When I paint by water, I smell and hear the crashing of the waves. There is such mystery. All of these metaphors emerge. I incorporate these symbols into the painting in a highly emotional way that speaks to who I am."