Katharine Norris

“To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.”

-Mary Oliver

Painting is my way of paying attention to the world around me. I am especially drawn to plein air painting for the time it gives me (usually in tranquil solitude) to contemplate and appreciate the beauty and vitality of the natural world.

I have had the good fortune to live in many beautiful places. I was born and raised in North Carolina. After receiving a B.A. in literature from the University of North Carolina, I moved to Madrid, Spain, where I taught English. Spain is a wonderful place to explore art; I particularly admired the work of Joaquin Sorolla, and was able to visit the museum housed in his former home/studio many times while in Madrid. Back in the states, I moved to New England for six years, then to San Francisco for five years, and, finally, to Guerneville, CA, in 2001. The beauty of all these places has compelled me to become more observant of the landscape, and this influences my painting. I am drawn to paint landscape scenes with dramatic light and color, and I attempt to capture the feeling of a scene rather than a literal representation.

I have worked as a middle school English & Spanish teacher for the last 24 years, but most weekends (and all summer when school is out) I am outside with my pochade box, painting. The gorgeous landscape of Sonoma County provides endless inspiration. It is my aspiration to continue to pay attention, more and more closely, and to convey my observations of nature (with all its amazing color and light) on the canvas.