KATIE WILSON (American b. 1962 - )Painter Katie Wilson’s work frequently combines collage with acrylic and/or oil painting. Sometimes she leaves graphite or charcoal marks visible, creating a map for the eye to navigate through the piece. Katie’s mixed media paintings have an abstract quality to them, which is partially achieved by the softness of her bold brushwork. Through collage, she further makes abstract passages in the paintings. Katie’s choice of palette tends to give her work an atmospheric and serene feel. Her figurative work and soulful portraits blend the old with the new and may hint at some emotional tension. Her work has been described as solemn, wistful and haunting. She works from life and new and old photographs, mixing multiple generations of people to create even more mystery in her compelling assemblages.The layout she designs is a well thought out process of creating a visually balanced piece in color and composition, but she considers the relationships created by the juxtaposition of the individual portraits before making her final decision. These multiple portrait assemblage paintings have a way of holding the viewer's attention for long periods of time, as our curiosity questions the relationships that are continuously discovered with each new viewing. Her subjects are friends, family, and strangers from found or given photographs. Katie has also incorporated mugshots into her work, particularly women from several decades ago. These are arresting images, as one questions the reason that these often minority women were held in the first place. This organized grid of people she creates reminds us that we are all part of one structure, and regardless of our position within this structure, there is an undeniable connection.Katie received her degree in fine art from the University of NH. She worked as a graphic designer for a number of years while she continued her studies in painting. She now teaches workshops several times a year and lives and paints in Rockport, Maine.