Katrina Polhamus creates colorful acrylic paintings that combine birds, metallic gold, and pattern. Her work is reflective of her deep respect, concern, and love for nature. Born in 1976, she grew up in Hudson, Ohio, loving and practicing art from the time she could hold a crayon. Frequent art classes, many trips to the Cleveland Museum of Art, and domestic and foreign travel all played a role in building her enthusiasm for art and design throughout her childhood. Katrina’s creativity took the form of a BS in Landscape Architecture from The Ohio State University in 1998, including studying abroad at the Catholic University of Cordoba, in Cordoba, Argentina. She then practiced in the field for 12 years, focussing on residential landscape design, creating colorful and textural landscapes that had meaning to her clients in Chicago, Columbus and Cleveland, Ohio. A desire to study art formally at a higher level led her to the Savannah College of Art and Design where she earned her MFA in painting in 2007, while also working part time in landscape architecture. She was awarded the Board of Visitors II Scholarship at SCAD. Becoming a stay-at-home mother in 2010, she turned her creative and artistic pursuits to enhancing her children’s lives. She dedicated herself to creative family life for a decade. Art and creativity took a different form during these years, yet was ever-present in her daily life. Her home, gardening, cakes, costumes, parties, children’s art projects, photography, and family explorations were a new way to celebrate the beauty of the world with her children. Taking the family to a local nature preserve where native birds will take seed from your hand sparked an artistic interest in birds. The embrace of her life’s creative journey and experiences have led her to the art she creates today. Every experience she has had, whether making formal art or not, has had an impact and has inspired some part of her work. Her architectural background comes through in her precise draftsmanship, rendering, and design style. Travels and her home life have inspired an interest in pattern and color, while spending time in nature admiring flora and fauna spark her imagination and inspire her paintings. Since 2022, Katrina works full time on her art from her home studio in Hudson, Ohio. She has participated in various Ohio juried shows and group exhibitions, including the Ohio Art Council’s Biennial Juried Exhibition in Fall 2025 and a traveling public art project entitled “Birdsong” with Door2Art in Hudson, Ohio. She had a solo show in 2023 entitled “The Golden Aviary” with Strauss Studios in Canton, Ohio. Katrina is a firm believer in following your dreams against all odds.