Katie Trinkle Legge
Paint ~ Color ~ Shape ~ Size ~ Rhythm ~ Balance ~ Reflection
Growing up in Cornwall, New York, Katie Trinkle-Legge began painting and drawing at an early age. “I had one of those grandfathers who saved every bottle, jar and can for it’s potential usefulness. Their potential for me, begins with a blank canvas.” Her grandfather was an accomplished draftsman for various New York architectural studios and her father was also a painter. ”I owe much of my early art education to my father. He didn’t have enough time in the studio because of his Army career, but he always encouraged me to pursue the arts.”
In 1988, after graduating from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Katie began showing professionally in Nantucket, where she spent many summers as a child.
Well-known for her contemporary approach to still life and landscape, Katie’s distinctive larger-than-life compositions and uninhibited use of color set her work apart from other representational painters. She primarily works in oil as well as watercolor. Time spent in her husband Darren’s native New Zealand is also reflected in her paintings. Katie currently resides New Zealand, along with her husband Darren, and her son, Jake.
“My work is influenced by various artists from many time periods including Cezanne, Matisse, Warhol, and Wayne Thiebaud. It reflects my appreciation for natural forms, color and light. The simple objects that surround us erveryday inspire me to create larger than life images. When something is distorted in this way, all of the small details become very important. My choice of still life subject matter varies from personal objects to objects I find visually striking because of color or shape. When choosing an object to include, I am drawn to it’s characetr and possible history. So masny things around us are mass produced, and easily acceptable. We need to pause, even for just a moment to appreciate them. The strong light of autumn and spring inspires many of the more dramatically lit compositions I create. I see potential paintings everywhere I look.”
“With each canvas, I am discovering new things about paint itself and the power of a composition. I attempt to push boundaries with my use of color, the size of the work and the rhythm of the compositions. The act of painting has become more physical for me as my work has evolved. I feel that this adds energy to the surface of the paintings and keeps them fresh.” (no pun intended)