Katrina Solano has a long standing and passionate interest in the landscapes of Devon and Cornwall. Much of her inspiration is drawn from the unique countryside and unspoilt peninsulas of the South West of England. It is here that she spends time observing and investigating the sky, land and sea. The sun, wind and rain constantly sweep and scour the moors, cliffs and long sandy beaches. Her work draws inspiration from these stunning landscapes, capturing the outstanding beauty of the land and the sea.
She investigates the complex abstract images created by the sun and moon on the land and the sea. She brings these sketches and mental images to her studio in Stoke. Her practice involves layering and scraping the paint in order to work and rework the surface. The outcome is that the surfaces are multi-layered and semi-transparent. Dribbles and striations are combined with solid areas of paint. Marks from the trowel, finger or brush encrust the image, while traces of spirit scar the surface.
Katrina has developed innovative techniques in mixed media, leaf metals and oil paint. These techniques portray the intense and glowing colour of the more unusual visual images, such as liquid pools of molten gold on an incoming tide, or reflections on the surface of the water. Her work is vibrant and strong but retains a sense of mood and passion, all of which combine to produce dramatic and imaginative effect. Outcomes are never anticipated, as Katrina is an instinctively painterly-painter. Yet her style is far from random. She constantly revises the work along formal lines as they evolve. It is this interplay between chance and judgment which creates the expression in her paintings.