Katina I. Makris
Artist Statement "Plein air painting touches my soul. It embraces feelings we often can not find words for. Painting is a passion you can not remove from your blood. It runs through an artist like water does in a river...flowing, bending, reaching. I paint because the land, the light, the colors move me to do so. It has a zen like quality to it, where you are totally present in the moment; in the strokes, in the colors, in the textures."Biography KATINA I. MAKRIS
Katina Makris is a plein air painter, working in oil. Her work is known for its' rich use of color. Vibrant, clear hues can be found in most all of Katina's paintings. Her scenes are enlivened with both freshness and her fine sensitivity to the elements. Katina's work manages to capture the emotional quotient of a locale, creating a touchstone of familiarity.
Katina has been an artist since childhood. Idle hours and rainy days she spent sketching and painting her surroundings. She loved studying nature and drawing all its facets.
"My father's carefully cultivated art collection brought European Realists and Impressionists into our home. Every trip abroad my father would bring another stunning painting back to add to our walls. Interestingly, Hudson River School masterpieces and Maritime paintings were flanked by sweeping African vistas. I learned so much from what I gazed upon daily."
In her twenties Katina made her living doing renderings for architects and builders. "I ended up having to take design courses to fine tune perspectives', as I was initially working primarily on intuition and eyeballed dimensions. That simply would not do in the detailed world of building design. The wonderful thing is that I found myself painting skyscrapers in NYC, estates on Long Island, complexes in the suburbs. I was forced to switch gears and grapple with all sorts of artistic situations."
Katina finally was able to pursue her interest in plein air painting full time. She has been fortunate enough to study with the internationally renowned landscape teachers, James Sulkowski and David Brewster.
Residing in the deeply forested foothills of southern New Hampshire, Katina is filled daily with creative inspiration. She has shown her work throughout New England. Katina has received much praise and various awards at local shows. She is a member of The Dubln Art Colony, The NH Plein Air Society and The Sharon Arts Center. Katina is represented at The Peterborough Art Academy Gallery, NH and The Balckhawk Gallery, WY.
Katina Makris can be contacted at: kimm@pobox.com or by phone at: 603-924-3839.