About the Artist
Kathryn Lehner is a fluid artist originally from Chicago and currently living in Seattle, Washington.
Since age 3, whenever I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, my response was always one word: artist.
I went to a small liberal arts college and graduated as an art major. I started working in the professional world of photography and soon realized that it wasn't my passion, and didn't feed my desire and need to create. After that experience art took a backseat in my life for a while. But, underneath all of life's other adventures, there was still a burning need to create again. I found painting, and the world of fluid art in the fall of 2020 and I fell absolutely in love.
By thinning down acrylic paint, and using unconventional tools (such as a hairdryer) I achieve the desired effects. I love watching the paint and colors merge together. While painting, the world stops, time slows down, and the outside world fades away and all I focus on is the painting in front of me.
Nature inspires all of my work, and when not painting I try to spend as much time out in it as I can with my dog. My art is abstract, with potentially many ways to interpret it, which is just like the flow of life.
About the Process
My painting process begins with an idea, and thoughts of color combinations. Once ready to put my concepts onto canvas, I start by thinning the paint, usually with distilled water, and sometimes with other paint thinners. On a level surface, I typically start with a base coat, and then pour additional colors in different combinations onto the canvas. Next, I spread and mix the colors together using unconventional painting tools, often including a hairdryer. The canvas then takes about 2-4 weeks to dry completely, which allows time for the paint to cure. Once dry, I varnish the piece and it's ready to go!
