Katie Kratzer (b. 1985) is an artist based on Mercer Island, WA. Her paintings explore the interplay of hue, gesture, and vibrational energy, channeling movement and emotion into layered colorful compositions.

Katie Kratzer works in a meditative flow state, often painting with her eyes closed to channel source energy, releasing inhibition and allowing instinct to guide her mark-making. Her process starts with custom color palettes followed by action painting, embracing spontaneity and fluidity while exploring the relationship between intuition and composition. The result is a celebration of layered color and expressive, gestural marks, drawing inspiration from music, joy, and visceral experiences.

Her creative process is deeply influenced by her experiences with synesthesia and dyslexia, which shape her perception of the world in ways that transcend conventional boundaries. With synesthesia, she experiences a fusion of senses, where sounds evoke a scene of amorphic colorful shapes, allowing her to translate intangible sensations into visual form. Dyslexia, often viewed as a challenge, instead informs her ability to think non-linearly, embrace abstraction, and communicate ideas intuitively rather than through logic structure. These neurodivergent perspectives add a unique dimensionality to her work, making each piece a multi-sensory experience.

Kratzer’s work invites viewers to connect with the act of creation itself, opening a portal between the tangible and the subconscious. She believes that original art carries a unique vibrational energy, infusing spaces with emotional depth, and spiritual connection.

ARTISTIC INFLUENCES

Katie Kratzer draws inspiration from artists who embrace process, spontaneity, and the emotive power of color. Willem de Kooning's work reminds her that painting is alive, valuing process over finality. She resonates with Josef Albers' theories on color relationships, particularly the tension and harmony at the edges of color fields. Grace Hartigan's spontaneous and impulsive approach mirrors Katie's intuitive movement and gestural mark-making. She is drawn to Joan Mitchell’s ability to create expressive, repetitive marks that appear almost possessed, as if dictated by the subconscious, resulting in astounding compositions at scale. Helen Frankenthaler’s soak-stain technique and mastery of color fields inform Katie’s fluid compositions, while Georgia O’Keeffe’s smooth edges and depth-driven color relationships offer further inspiration. Mark Rothko’s ability to evoke an intense emotional response from the simplest subject of color is foundational to her belief in the transformative power of art.