Before she is finished with one work, her mind is racing to the next project. The very extra special ingredient in this healthy mix of personal traits is an unstoppable sense of humor that makes us laugh out loud. From her uncannily realistic “Sepia Series” portraits to her new cutting edge sculptures, Chenevert’s art demands attention, provokes conversation and often generates some laughter.
Her friends and family are quick to note Katrina has always been a talented and accomplished artist. It was after retiring from a 28 year Naval career and moving to Asheville, Chenevert embraced the booming Arts culture. Her insatiable desire to learn “all things art” was stimulated after discovering the River Arts District (RAD), home to over 200 studio artist.
She joined the art scene first by attending classes at 310 ART taught by local professional artists and later when she enrolled as a Post-baccalaureate BFA student at UNCA in visual arts.
In 2015 she decided to join the ranks of the artists in RAD. She rented a studio space in 310 ART, one of the district’s oldest and most well-known studios. Here a new home away from home was found. The experience of working in close proximity to so many talented artists in the large building of the Riverview Station has proven invaluable and her artist within has flourished.
“I’m inspired daily by the talent that surrounds me both with the artists in the RAD and Art faculty at UNCA.”
Some of her most recent and notable works include the “Sepia Series” of watercolor portraits and her new 3D/Assemblage canvas paintings.
The “Sepia Series” are tightly rendered (often described as photorealistic) watercolor paintings inspired by old family photographs. It was one such image of her maternal grandmother and eight of her friends from the 1930’s that inspired her to create “Smoking Hot Women.” Although nostalgia often drives her to choose what image to paint, it was this composition and her ability to capture the expression and personality of these women during that moment in time that told “their story” and made this painting a hit.
In fact, “Smoking Hot Women” was one of a small group of paintings selected from thousands of entries for exhibition in the 2016 American Watercolor Society’s 149thAnnual International Exhibition held in NY City at the prestigious Salmagundi Club. When deciding how to capture the moment and sediment of “Smoking Hot Women” she chose to use the same sepia color palette as in the photograph. Her sole palette, made up of sepia and lamp black, doesn’t seem an exciting palette to work with but the results are remarkable. The term “Labor of Love” becomes an understatement when creating these paintings and it is likely that only one or two are completed each year making them both unique and precious.
The artist uses a local printmaking company to create giclee reproductions of her sepia paintings for a limited editions available at 310 ART. The original of “Smoking Hot Women” is now in a private collection. Her ability to capture such tender moments of times long past established a string of commissions from people who also wanted their relative’s stories told giving them a permanent presence in their homes.
“I’ve enjoyed hearing the many stories from people visiting my studio regarding their relatives that they wish to have me paint. After all, every picture tells a story, doesn’t it?”
It was through a recent assemblage challenge in her BFA program that the conception of her most current work came about. As part of the assignment, she was given a list of renowned artists to research. After making her way down that long list she came upon Marisol Escobar.
“Once I discovered her and her work I was genuinely inspired. There’s no way to put into words what the instant attraction was to her work but I fell in love with it.”
With this new found passion and uncategorized style, Chenevert created what she describes as a humble rendition influenced by Marisol’s work. The first piece started with a 30” x 40” canvas and keeping within the parameters of the assignment, the assemblage came into play. In honor of her new found inspiration, she incorporated a wooden head (a 1960 portrait of Marisol) painted in Pop Art style, atop the vertical canvas with a painting of the infamous Jackie Kennedy’s pink dress.
Completing this 3D painting is a wooden leg in a satin cloth shoe adorned with a vintage brooch. As a personal touch she added something significant from her past. For this painting it was the white gloves that she wore with her Navy dress uniform. She titled this painting “Iconic Decade” after the people (Marisol, Jackie Kennedy and Andy Warhol) who were so prominent to that decade.
“I had so much fun creating this piece that my attention is now primarily focused on creating more of the same. We quip in my studio about my current piece featuring one of the main characters from the series Breaking Badbecause somehow that translated into ‘Breaking RAD.’ All I can really tell you about this work in progress is that fans of that show will not be disappointed.”
Chenevert can often be found in her working studio at 310 ART, Riverview Station, 191 Lyman Street, Studio #310, Asheville. See more of her work at the studio and at www.310art.com. 310 ART is opened Mon-Sat 11-5 and by appointment.