Meet Katie Lane: Freelance Artist and Creator

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

Hi Katie, career-wise, where do you want to be in the end?
As my business is in its early days, my end goal is defined by the sum of my days, weeks, and months. I center those shorter-term time frames around my five core values. These are a handful of words that were defined early on as a way to evaluate my version of success. Those values are Freedom, Compassion, Boldness, Passion, and Purpose. As my business develops I define everything I do with these five concepts in mind. My end goal looks like my ability to be free to work with people and companies who I feel embody these values and create work that speaks to a niche audience that seeks and invites these energies into their lives and homes as well. For my business’ identity, I hope it becomes a layered, deep, multi-passionate, and evolving entity, allowing me to weave all of my interests and creations under one intentional and unique brand.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am most known for my abstract mixed-media paintings. Each piece carries a lot of bold decisions and a certain amount of risk. I use a variety of mediums to make connections from our very real, very tangible lives, to an abstract environment. I ask a lot of my work, and I expect a lot from it, and the making of it- the works “history” so to speak, is always evident in the final piece. This visual aesthetic speaks to my love of honesty and intention. Over the years, through times of burnout, emotional highs, and lows, I’ve been able to maintain a pretty rigorous studio practice. This is due to an intentional decision to incorporate space in my creative process for all my lived emotions, and I think this is what I am most proud of. One of my favorite quotes is of Picasso’s and he says “inspiration exists, but it has to find you working”. I’ve taken this to heart in my studio, so much so that I am building a life around it. I am so excited that my paintings and the process around them, have given space for my other creative endeavors – one of which is jewelry making. I started making earrings using scraps of my paintings and there is something really solid visually about these pieces that adds another dynamic to my brand and offers a more accessible piece of art. I’ve learned that people will resonate with an idea as long as they feel it is genuine, and don’t take for granted the things that come easiest to you. Another quote I love (I heard it on some entrepreneur/start-up podcast so I’ll paraphrase) goes something like, sometimes we are too close to our genius to see the value. I remember this in times when I find myself spiraling and overthinking my actions. Instead, I’ve decided it is always safe to trust your gut and try something and then decide where it belongs after. I want that to be at the core of my brand, take the risk, make the move, if it is genuine to you then it will always give back.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
In a pre/post-Covid world, I would hope for some really nice weather to take them around the outskirts of Boston, MA. We’d probably start the week off on foot, taking the day to walk from Davis Square to Central Square (a solid 3-mile distance) grabbing coffee and a quick bite at Diesel Cafe, the start of our adventure. Along our walk, we would have to stop into some beloved dive bars – Sligo Pub, Toad, Charlies Kitchen. We’d grab lunch to go and probably sit in some grass (in my head, this is a gorgeous sunny, 60-65 degree day..) and people watch. We’d catch some local shows at night, there is always going on music-wise around the area, and check out the Sinclair, the Middle East, the Burren. Later in the week, or another day, we would plan to go to the Seaport area and head on over to the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), and another day we would see what was new over the Museum of Fine Art near the Fenway area. When we were in the mood for a more lowkey nature day, we would head over to the Arboretum and walk the trails there, or we could go to the waterfront on the Charles River and relax on a dock with some lunch and beers! Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have a handful of people that deserve a major shoutout. These people are the three key instructors who have impacted my life immensely. They all have continued to be a part of my life as major supporters and now as friends years after I’ve left their class, and they must be named! One of those wonderful people is, Nikki Giraffo. She is such a role model for me and a really beautiful human, truly one-of-a-kind. She holds so much care in her heart for her work and all the living things she encounters, I admire that deeply about her. The other two are my true steadfast pillars- Randal Thurston and Audrey Goldstein. As my program’s main instructors in college, these amazing humans took me under their wing with no hesitation. They showed me a lot of love and support at such a pivotal time and were there (and continue to be) for all of the crucial conversations. They created a safe and flexible environment for my voice and my ideas, and that’s so priceless. They nourished my studio practice early on and believed in my work. Without their experience and guidance, I absolutely would not be in this position, seeking the life I want, in this way.

Website: ktlanestudio.com

Instagram: ktlanestudio

Facebook: Katie Lane

Image Credits
All photos were taken and edited by the Artist, Katie Lane