Katie Thomas
Landscaper
Writer: Sam Williams
Katie moved to Australia five years ago and now lives with her family in the Northern Beaches. Painting stunning shores and ocean pools, Katie has quickly captured the beauty of her new home.
CATCHING THE MORNING SUN
KATIE has had art in her life as long as she can remember. Gravitating towards creative subjects in school, such as art, dance, drama and textiles, the arts were always something she was involved with in one way or another. And growing up in Wales with a family that encouraged her artistic interests really seems to have helped Katie become the artist she is today.
“I have fond memories as a child of my gran always crafting with us, she had all sorts of arty hobbies and passed on her oil paints to me when she went on to her next interest. My grandad was also a bit of a painter, my grandma has his artworks on her walls as well as a few of mine now too. My mum and dad were not so much artists but my mum was always full of great ideas when I needed to come up with new projects in school and college. I was always drawing, painting, making a mess around the house as a child and she never minded too much. Apart from a green carpet incident.”
Following a less than enjoyable experience at university studying graphic design and illustration, Katie fell away from art. It wasn’t until six years later, when at home with her second child that she got around to picking her brushes up once more and things took off. “I had a box of oil paints from my gran and a palette knife and just started painting with those. A local shop wanted to display my work in their window; local scenes were a hit. I started painting scenes of around Carmarthenshire in Wales and sold those in shops, we get the best views cooperative galleries and even had a few solo exhibitions.”
VIEW FROM SHELLY
Once in Australia, Katie swapped over to acrylics and adapted her techniques to her new medium, and it definitely worked in her favour. Katie’s focus on our watery landscapes and the attention to detail she exhibits is perhaps her greatest strength. With a keen ability to capture our glistening ocean waters, Katie’s art appears to shimmer beyond the canvas itself. “I have been painting water in coastal scenes for four years but it wasn’t until the start of last year when painting ocean pools in particular that I looked more closely at the different effects I could create within the water. Trying to achieve the translucent quality in water has been the most challenging. The ‘sparkles’ have been a fun touch I’ve added recently, they do make the water surface dance.”
“I think that is the great thing about being an artist, you are constantly improving, challenging yourself, learning every time you pick up a paintbrush and your painting and style is constantly evolving. Ask an artist to recreate an artwork they painted three or four years ago and I guarantee it will be different.”
Now with a third child, Katie is busier than ever, but shows no signs of slowing down, even getting the kids involved. “Arlo is the latest addition to our family and the only Australian amongst us. He has grown up alongside me painting, as have the other kids.
He does love holding a paintbrush, a palette knife and a pencil and most of my recent paintings will have been added to by Arlo. For his second birthday he got his own art easel so he’ll now be able to create his own masterpieces.” Though she has an impressive catalogue of works, including her signature coastal scenes, plus the occasional cityscape or still life, a recent commission may be her favourite work yet.
SHINING LIGHT
“I was asked by Michael Regan’s people to paint an artwork of Dee Why to go up in the new MP’s office. I think this is the artwork I’m most proud of to date. I find commissions quite daunting and the elements they wanted included in the artwork were tricky to fit into one scene. Also, it was the biggest canvas I had ever worked on. I was happy with the different effects in the water that differentiate between the sea the pool and the rock pool. It probably took me a month to complete.”
SYDNEY SKYLINE
Beyond her brilliant ocean artworks, Katie also works at our very own Northern Beaches Gallery. If you’ve attended a show at NBG, or so much as been on the Instagram page, you will have experienced some of Katie’s handiwork.
“My favourite job to date is what I do now. I am the curator at Northern Beaches Gallery. I hang all the artworks, organise exhibitions and opening nights, and do all the social media. My graphic design background helped with rebranding the gallery a few years ago.”
As long as Australia has its pristine oceans as inspiration, you can be sure that Katie Thomas will be painting her stylised beach scenes for years to come.
FIRE SKY
“...the great thing about being an artist, you are constantly improving, challenging yourself, learning...”
