Katherine Blakeslee

My watercolor paintings reflect my fascination with light and that magical line where the sky meets the earth and sea, whether on a river in Cambodia or Vietnam or at the ocean closer to home. The sea has been a significant part of my life since learning to swim there and experiencing it as a living connection to other parts of the world. I also am intrigued by the places across the world which others call home, from Morocco to Afghanistan.

I am drawn to the interplay between light and mood in atmospheric landscapes, both serene and stormy. Watercolor is an ideal medium through which to create layers of light, mood and movement. I enjoy the constant edge between the artist and the medium inherent in watercolor, particularly in wet-on-wet painting, which can be controlled by neither, but depends upon on true co-creation.

Creativity has always been a large part of my life. A forgotten picture I painted as a child, that my father saved, inspired my exploration of watercolor much later in life. After working for many years in a different profession, I joined the community of artists in the Foundry Gallery and now am pursuing painting along with my international work. I am self-taught with no formal training in painting; my imagination as well as experiences and images from my international travels often provide inspiration. During the past two years, I have explored capturing places and moods through both realistic and more abstract styles. I paint at home in Washington, DC or sometimes where my travels take me.

Katherine Blakeslee was born and grew up in Baltimore Maryland, fascinated by nature, especially the changing moods of the coastal waterways and the sea. She now lives and works in Washington DC after spending many years in Boston and London. She is a graduate of Wellesley College.

Self-taught as a watercolorist, her paintings often reflect her love of the connection between the sky and sea and earth. Many are inspired by images from her international work and travels. She has had several solo shows and exhibited in many group shows in the Washington area. Her watercolors have been reviewed in the Northwest Current, the Examiner Newspaper and featured in the Washington Post. Blakeslee’s paintings are in private collections nationally and in the United Kingdom. She is a member of the Foundry Gallery.