KITTIE YOHE
PAINTINGS
ABOUT ME
Biography
Kittie Yohe has been painting for 50 years. She has exhibited in local art fairs and participated in both one woman and group shows. Her work is represented in many private collections. She is active in the Glenview Art League and is on the Northbrook Arts Commission. She most recently studied watercolor with the late Jean Poklop and experimental water media with Florida artists Barbara Simmons and Libit Jones.
Kittie, now retired, was an art educator for 35 years. She earned her Bachelor of Art Education from Miami University and her Master of Art Education from the University of Illinois. Kittie lives in Northbrook, Illinois with her husband Dennis and has two grown children.
ARTIST STATEMENT
My paintings are a response to my environment; the culmination of my life experiences, the beauty of the natural world, and the ideas and emotions within me. The need to express and communicate my thoughts drives my passion to paint.
I paint a variety of subject matter but am consistently inspired by the elements of this universe; creatures of the earth and sea, the endless variety of landscapes and bodies of water, and natural formed objects both great and small. I search for the interface of patterns and relationships in these natural elements and translate those impressions into paintings.
In recent years I have employed more experimental techniques and approaches in my art work. Using the synthetic Japanese paper Yupo which I discovered nine years ago, I apply airbrush paints, inks, watercolors, and other materials to that surface. Using a variety of playful techniques and applications I can achieve unique effects.
I enjoy mark-making and creating patterns and textures. Often, a painting beginning with an abstract background suggests a particular subject or theme and the work just progresses naturally. I am also intrigued by symbols, text and primitive art work and incorporate these elements into my work. My paintings continue to evolve and change emulating life's cycles and rhythms.