About the Artist
My Story
“I have felt a presence that disturbs me with the joy of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime of something far more deeply interfused, whose dwelling is the light of setting suns, and the round ocean, and the living air, and the blue sky, and in the mind of man...” (William Wordsworth Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey, 1798)
"This world.....needs to be reminded that... the blue spring mist that makes an ugly street look beautiful is just as real a thing as the street itself. (Author Elizabeth Goodge).
Nature has always been a profound source of inspiration for me—the elements, the play of light, and the ever-changing seasons. Growing up in rural England, I spent much of my childhood outdoors, surrounded by the natural world. One of my most vivid memories is the scent of freshly cut grass and the soft glow of late afternoon sunlight on the green fields near my home. As an archaeologist and museum professional, my travels across Europe provided further inspiration, and I often sketched the landscapes I encountered, incorporating them into my travel journals.
While living in Sweden, I created a series of sketches and subsequent paintings that celebrated the raw beauty of the northern winter. These works explored the elemental forces of water, ice, and rock within the archipelago near Stockholm. After taking a long break to begin raising a family, I returned to painting. I work in a beautiful eco art home studio created by Okopod, nestled in the corner of our woodland garden. This return to a workspace surrounded by trees has been a significant source of inspiration for my current practice.
My Art
My paintings traverse the space between observed reality and the world of daydreams. They celebrate the sense of immersion one feels in nature and the spontaneous flow of imagination that this immersion inspires. I am drawn to the immediacy and versatility of acrylics and mixed media on canvas and paper, using these mediums to build rich layers of texture and colour.
I view all of my work as expressions of landscape, investigating the dynamic interplay between the elements—nature, water, earth, and botanical forms—in an intuitive and exploratory manner. Rather than starting with specific, preconceived landscapes, my creative process begins with intuition, guided by memory and the emotive power of colour. As I work, my paintings evolve, reflecting a fusion of past experiences and impressions of the natural world, thus becoming a visual record of both external landscapes and inner memories.
The East Anglian coast and its marshlands, with their expansive horizons, hold a particular significance in my work. This landscape can be seen in many of my paintings, where the horizon line becomes a central motif. Color choices are often inspired by my observations of nature, such as the muted tones of a marshland at dawn. However, as my paintings develop, these colors sometimes shift, diverging from the observed to create more personal, emotive expressions. For me, the process of painting is akin to musical improvisation, where the journey is unpredictable and the outcome is always in flux.
If you would like to discuss any piece of work in more detail please email me directly on info[at]katherineleckieart.com or here.
Contact me
I am based in near Cambridge, England. If you want to see work that you are interested in more closely do get in touch to arrange a visit to my art home studio or a phone call to discuss my commission process. More details on commissions can be found here.