Hi! My name is Katy Sullivan.
Color gives me energy and feeds my soul, and I have always felt a strong need to create. Throughout my life, that creativity has been expressed through drawing, painting, mixed media, faux painting (interiors), needlepoint, rug hooking, cross-stitch and calligraphy. As a child, I drew constantly and created entire worlds for the little creatures I called “bugs” (think Mike Wazowski from Pixar’s “Monsters, Inc.” if he was a 2-D line drawing with funny antennas). I distinctly remember the first time I saw a display of Sandra Boynton’s greeting cards in a local store when I was a pre-teen. My first thought was “Hey, I could probably draw this” followed almost immediately by “Wait… people can do this for a job?!” I felt electrified, like fireworks and rainbows were erupting in my brain. The possibilities seemed endless. I have wanted to be a full-time artist ever since.
Of course, life sometimes gets in the way, and like many artists, I was strongly encouraged to get a “real” education so I could support myself with a “real” job. I took the business route and built a fascinating career in the aviation industry (which I loved). I left the corporate world for about 12 years to raise my children and I was thrilled to be able to focus on my art during that time. I had my own faux painting business and sold decorative art for children at craft shows all over New England. I took classes at the Silvermine Arts Center year after year and soaked up everything I could from every artist I encountered (in real life and online). I fell in love with abstract a few years ago and haven’t looked back.
My abstract work is process-driven and intuitive. When inspiration hits, it’s almost a physical sensation; a vibration or happy buzzing in my body that I can’t ignore. Each piece develops through addition and subtraction across many layers. I work mainly on wood panels because I love to build up layers of color and texture and then use regular sandpaper to scrape away certain areas and reveal what is underneath. My creative process usually starts with a combination of color and memories. My other passions – genealogy and travel – regularly serve as the foundation for my art.
My rug-hooking series is one example of the way that family history flows into my artwork. The women in my family have always practiced various forms of needle arts and have passed their skills down to the next generation. My maternal great-grandmother was a skilled knitter who kept me cozy in warm sweaters and ponchos. She taught my grandmother and my mother to knit. My paternal grandmother was known for her beautiful crochet. I learned knitting, cross-stitch, embroidery and needlepoint from my mom. A visit with my aunt resulted in an explosion of creativity after she taught me a traditional rug hooking technique. The scratchy burlap was stretched over her wooden frame and she had an endless supply of soft colorful wool strips. All I could think about was how I would incorporate these materials and textures into a mixed media painting. I feel close to all these wonderful women when I’m working on a rug hooking piece; my memories and love for them are all intertwined in the final paintings.
I hope my work draws you in and connects you to some part of your own life. It is created from a place of love and a sincere wish to bring beauty to the world. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions!
If you ask me what I came to do
in this world,
I, an artist, will answer you:
I am here to live out loud.
Emile Zola