Katie Hestla

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 For as long as I can remember I have been creating something; whether it was drawing in my parent’s phone book as a kid or painting on a canvas or the walls of a clients home as I explored the opportunities that being creative might offer. Most of my work is rooted in surrealism. I incorporate the human form in peculiar circumstances and simplified landscapes that often include animals that have a connection to me, or are symbolic in some way to the message or feeling I’m trying to convey. Although I attended college for ceramics and metal casting, my medium of choice most often now is oils on canvas. I prefer to work on a larger scale as it allows me to create vast open spaces with smaller fine details that force the viewer to get up close and personal with each piece. I encourage that close connection. Working in oil allows me the ability to build up layers and ideas as they evolve and change. The majority of my work is a reflection of my spiritual connection to my creator and the experiences of living and growing in that relationship daily.