Artist Insight
By Nell Musolf Photos
by John
Cross
Focusing on art A
Self-trained painter Katie Kaczmarek said “everything is an inspiration. I’d rather be penniless — a starving artist, I guess — than not paint what I want to.” 12 • August 2012 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
rtist Katie Kaczmarek freely admits she has a hard time concentrating on anything. But when it comes to art, her ability to focus suddenly becomes crystal clear. “I don’t know quite how to put it,” Kaczmarek said. “Most of the time my mind races from one subject to the next. But when it comes to painting, it’s different. Whenever I look at something like a glass on a table or someone’s face, I see it the way I would as if I were going to paint it. When I’m painting, it’s really the only time I can block everything else out.” The self-trained artist is currently employed by Sherwin-Williams as an in-house designer. She said that working for the paint giant has been both fun and instructive as she has learned “everything” about paint — a definite job benefit for any painter. “I do love to paint,” Kaczmarek said, “and I will paint anything. I’ve painted murals in houses and restaurants and I’m really enjoying it.” Kaczmarek said she “likes to play” when she paints, creating new ways of getting the images in her head onto paper or walls. Inspiration comes from everywhere for Kaczmarek, especially from nature. “If you look outside at nature, you can tell that God doesn’t want us to sit in a white room with square windows and no color on the walls. We need color in our lives,” Kaczmarek said. Kaczmarek is also inspired by people who have good attitudes and friendly smiles and believes everyone is creative in one way or another. “Really, everything is an inspiration. I’d rather be penniless — a starving artist, I guess — than not paint what I want to,” Kaczmarek said. Kaczmarek’s work can be seen in two popular restaurants in Mankato: Neighbor’s Italian Bistro in Mankato and Dino’s Pizzeria in North Mankato. Her mural at Dino’s was inspired by the famous “Dogs Playing Poker” painting series. “I was working at Neighbor’s before Dino’s opened,” Kaczmarek explained, and “the owner was planning to put up a black and white diagram of how to eat pizza on one of the walls at Dino’s. I told him that I had another idea for him.” Her idea was to paint James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra sitting