Katherine Ford is a dyed-in-the-wool Wisconsinite who has sketched for personal enjoyment her whole life as she pursued a career in public service. For the last 15 years she has shifted her creative focus to an exploration of watercolor painting and to develop a unique body of work that celebrates the rural world that surrounds her.
Ford’s subject matter has evolved over the years from a focus on extreme close ups of flowers to include animals, landscapes, mechanicals, and still-life. Her artistic attention focuses on finding beauty in commonly overlooked subjects. She is drawn to rustic surfaces and textures resulting from age and use. Her images evoke callused hands and knowledge gained by years of experience. Current paintings celebrate the artistry of fly fishing, interpreting the abstract sculpture of fishing flies or capturing unique fish characteristics in memorable portraits allowing the angler to release the fish for another day.
Since 2017 Katherine has made her artwork available through her artist website and participation in area art shows, exhibitions and galleries. You can gain virtual access to her art, information on her art processes, and upcoming art events on her kjfordart.com website.
Statement
I create watercolor paintings capturing the unexpected beauty of commonly overlooked subjects. I isolate a blade of grass from an ocean of green to reveal its uniqueness. I dwell on the warmth and beauty of a rusty car as nature reclaims it. I reflect on the weathered grooves gouged in an old wooden door. I wonder at the orchidlike character of a weed. I make art from art with my abstract interpretations of fishing flies. I am compelled to share my observations with the goal to stimulate my viewers to look for the beauty that exists everywhere.