Katie McDaniel

Interview and photos by Sammie Saxon • Edited by La’Sandra O'Reilly • Special thanks Tony Pettis

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Katie McDaniel, and I was born and raised here in Columbus, Georgia! I attended St. Anne Pacelli from K-12 and went on to Columbus State University where I received my BBA in Marketing. I work at Hecht Burdeshaw Architects as a Marketing and Administrative Assistant. Besides work, I model for a boutique, exercise regularly, and study graphic design. I enjoy seeing live music, being outdoors, and spending time with family and friends. But all in all, my real passion is my love for painting.

When did you first begin to consider yourself an artist?

I think I began to consider myself an artist around Pre-K. My class had an activity where we drew our favorite thing on a paper plate so it could be strung together and hung in the hallway. Everyone’s had flowers, stick figures, or dogs. My plate had a full detailed drawing of Barney, the purple dinosaur. My teacher called my mom into the classroom just to show her one on one.

How did you get your start?

I would say I got started in school. I won art contests and sold several paintings in high school. But my first real art show was the Black Gallery with Artist Anonymous. Other than that, I honestly feel like I’m just now starting. I paint more than I used to since I taught myself how to oil paint and discovered my style as photo/hyperrealism.

What artists do you most admire? And how has their work influenced your own?

A local artist that has a huge influence on me is Geri Davis. Geri is the grandmother of my good friend, and she has always encouraged and supported my work. Her work and dedication to other artists in Columbus is extremely admirable. Other artists I like for social media musings are Mike Dargas, Carla Grace, Young-sung Kim, and Marco Grassi. But my greatest inspiration is my father, who has been my biggest fan and critic since day one.

The colors in your paintings beautiful. How did you develop this style, and what do you think it adds to your work?

Thank you! I like to think I have a natural gift of blending colors as well as creating dramatic contrast. I think this is what attracted me to oil painting. I was able to control the paint, and it’s also very forgiving. I worked only with acrylic early on, but I was never able to bring my paintings to life like I wanted.

Give us a little insight on your creative process?

My creative process is strongly driven by my emotions. For example, my flower collection “The Guesthouse Garden” was painted after the loss of my grandmother. Other times, it can be as simple as the joy I feel from hiking or after finishing a good book. Happiness, sadness, surprise, anger - it all fuels me to paint and express myself.

Do you ever have artistic block? Have you just abandoned work?

I definitely get artist block - I honestly don’t know an artist who hasn’t! My work is also very detail-oriented, which I love, but can create an artistic block or be challenging from time to time.

How much time do you spend on a piece? And how do you know when you're done?

I can spend anywhere from 5 to 25 hours on a painting. It all depends on the size and the amount of detail that I put into it. I know the moment I’m done with a painting is when I can take a step back and feel humbly proud of myself.

How do you hope your work impacts or inspires your viewers?

I hope that my artwork can be an inspiration for other artists, aspiring artists, and for those looking to start painting. Other artists and their work has motivated me to pursue my passion, so I only hope to do the same. More importantly, I want people to know that my painting has a purpose. The money I make from commissions goes entirely to a cause that I feel strongly about, and the cause changes every 2 months. Ultimately, I want my artwork to make an impact, but also to inspire others to support one another.