Thursday's Other Creative Soul: Katie Lee Todd

Today's Feature Highlights Portland-based Visual Artist Katie Lee Todd, whose stunning horizon paintings captivated me the moment I first laid eyes on them.

Katie Todd, Portland, OR

BA.'s East Asian Studies & Psychology,  Graduated Phi Beta Kappa, Indiana University.

Grew up in Toledo, OH, currently live and work in Portland, OR.

My painting is a means to create a sense of physical space, both for myself and for the

observers of my work. They are a memory of place, created with horizon, color, and light.

My normal day involves getting my kindergartener up and ready for our bike ride to school. Then teaching a Cardio/Pilates class 3 mornings a week, or heading straight over to my painting studio. I’d like to say that I work right up until schools out, but I mostly take food breaks to fuel the body, or computer breaks to fuel the business.  Family soaking in the hot tub most nights. My days are pretty ideal, it’s even more ideal though on days when paintings sell, or I also have time to get creative in the kitchen without the pressure of time.  Oh I guess spending the day in the woods in a natural hotsprings and being fed good Thai food and ice cream in the spring would be even more ideal.

My passions are getting BODYWORK, and doing energywork with friends. I’ve got an amazing community of friends and healers here in Portland. We enjoy helping each other move forward in life. It sounds kinda dorky, but self-work is my play, and roller-skating too.

My Goals: have paintings represented by 2 more galleries out of state this year, get going on a working tour of art for Europe by 2012.  Make my own sauerkraut, stop trying to be perfect, have more fun and be sillier with my 6 year old.

My creative influences are the sky, Beethoven, Rothko, Chef Rachel (The Garden of Eating),  Goddess Kelly O’Hearn, Portland painters Therese Murzda, and Jolyn Fry.

 Giving birth was huge. My daughter was born naturally at home, but I had really bad postpartum depression. A therapist suggested I do something for my soul. My husband bought me painting lessons with local painter, Jolyn Fry. Jolyn helped me breathe and paint from my body, not just my head, as I’d been taught. One day I started painting horizons, they felt good to me. I decided to do a show to really get motivated to paint for real. I never thought I’d be a painter until I was a grandma.  I wouldn’t  be painting if I hadn’t had felt so bad and needed a change.  The darkness lead to somethin’ new, woohoo!

Who is an inspiration? Hmmm, I love Bjork’s creativity. Artists Christopher Perry,  and my little bro, Jeremiah Coyle.  My business inspirations are my husband, David, big sister, Megan Stamos, and mother in law, Cathryn Todd.  All rockin entrepreneurs.  I admire their drive, and I know it takes a lot to get artwork out there and sold. I think about them working when I just want to stay home and drink tea and nibble chocolate, oh and yes that is my daily pleasure, really good dark chocolate.

www.KatieToddart.com  and www.ImRenewed.com is my energywork site.