Meet Katharine Gould | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katharine Gould and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katharine, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
I believe that visual art, in my case painting with pastels, affects those who view it by introducing a new and sometimes surprising perspective, whether through seascapes, refugees, still life, or portraits.

Today, the crisis of refugees and the migration of people leaving home to find a better life is affecting mankind in profound ways. In my most recent “Travelers” series, the landscape shares a sense of transparency with the refugees. “Transparentia,” the original medieval Latin root of the word transparent, is defined as “shining through.” The uniqueness of pastels lies in their ability to allow layers of multiple colors to shine through one another, creating shadows and reflections. Pastels are a perfect medium to show the transient beauty of nature even in the darkest of times.

As humans, we destroy not only each other, but also our earth. Yet nature is resilient, just as the will to survive keeps the refugee traveling in spite of persecution and extraordinary losses. I chose pastels because they are color in the purest form. Earthlike to the touch, I mix and apply these vividly colored powdered pigments with my hands, drawing and painting at once.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I paint with soft pastels, mixing the pigments with my hands directly on the paper, blending and layering color over color with my fingers to create the transparent and reflective aspect of water, sand, clouds, and skin. Using the rich, undiluted colors of pastel with the hands of a sculptor, I model the landscape and body, bathing it in light and shadow.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Shutters Cafe on Santa Monica Beach, followed by a walk along Ocean Avenue Park with its view of the Pacific Ocean.
The Courtyard Kitchen on Montana Avenue.
The Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I recently became a member of ​The PLATO Society of Los Angeles and have enjoyed a course examining the transformation of women in film from the 1940s to the present, including discussions of films such as The Women(1939), Adam’s Rib(1949), Annie Hall(1977), Thelma & Louise(1991), and Erin Brockovich(2000).

It is the discussion of these films with other members that makes belonging to this organization so meaningful. Sharing and exchanging views with others is especially enjoyable.

Website: https://www.katharinegouldart.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katharinegouldart/

Image Credits
Daylight – pastel on textured paper – Katharine Gould
Nightfall – pastel on textured paper – Katharine Gould
Turned Away – pastel on textured paper – Katharine Gould
Twilight – pastel on textured paper – Katharine Gould
Darkness On Arrival – pastel on textured paper – Katharine Gould