Inside Katie Chatham’s Quiet Space Filled with Pine, Paint, and Purpose
In this studio visit, we sit down with visual artist Katie Chatham, who paints large-scale works exploring transformation, the human spirit, and the journey of change. Katie walks us through her daily studio life, how she sets the mood before picking up a brush, and the ideas behind her current series. She also shares memories of past studios, dreams of building a retreat space, and the quiet support she gets from her cat, Queen Jamie, who doubles as her studio assistant. As you read, you’ll almost be able to smell the pine and oil paint that fill her studio—a quiet space where silence, light, and creativity come together in a very real and grounded way.
Katie Chatham is a visual artist from Southern Alabama. She received a B.F.A in Painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, GA. She has exhibited her work virtually and in juried exhibitions in the Southeast U.S.. Chatham’s recent body of work explores the human experience, human spirit, and transformation as a state of being. Her large-scale paintings focus on the Hero’s Journey as an archetypal example of human fortitude and transfiguration. Working in oil on canvas, she depicts instances of metamorphosis with dramatic imagery of the human figure. When she’s not painting, you can find her nourishing her creative and spiritual worlds through connecting with nature, others, and the divine. Chatham is currently living and creating in Fairhope, Alabama.
My work explores the infinite beauty of the human spirit and its relationship with change, transformation, and what it means to be both spiritual beings and deeply human. Through oil on canvas, I create visual narratives that reflect the archetypal Hero’s Journey through the lens of both the masculine and feminine. These themes allow me to investigate these topics within my personal life, giving me an outlet for growth and expansion at a spiritual and physical level. Self-inquiry, spirituality, and our connection to the divine are the quiet forces behind everything I create. Working in oil on canvas, I capture tension, surrender, and metamorphosis moments.
I aim to depict the immensely complex human experience by highlighting how the light and dark interplay. Finding strength in vulnerability, power in surrender, and peace and trust amidst chaos is all a part of the universal experience of transformation. I emphasise thematically and visually because contrast defines reality–it often takes pain and hardship to recognise that every moment is a blessing. The work reminds us of the innate potential, power, and magic that reside within us, and it is a call to action for the hero within.
And guess what? Katie Chatham is featured in our Studio Visit Book, Vol. 5, alongside many talented artists worldwide. Want a sneak peek? Grab your copy now from our shop and enjoy the fantastic artwork created by this global community.
https://shop.artstoheartsproject.com/products/the-creative-process-book
1. Can you describe your typical studio day and creative process?
A typical day in the studio involves intention setting for what I’d like to accomplish for however long I decide to work and paint. It will start with clearing the space if the space or energy calls for it, mixing paint, picking a playlist that helps me drop into a flow, and then the magic begins. I have been enjoying finding flow in silence. I find myself solving things that come up faster within the painting session. I will work for however long feels satisfactory and then end the session when it feels right. Sometimes a day in the studio means getting out of the physical studio and into a different environment, mentally and physically, to be given inspiration or insight.
2. What is the primary inspiration behind your current body of work?
The piece I am working on currently explores how negatively polarised emotions, when honoured and processed, can become systems of empowerment and robust catalysts for positive transformation and connection; they are a brushfire that allows new growth to come forth. Part of my philosophy is that we, as humans, must create healthy patterns and frameworks to operate and have healthy relationships with ourselves and others. As humans, I think it is our purpose to live with love and discover how to unravel unhealthy, inherited, or self-imposed systems and replace them with new life-giving ones.
Through conscious work, we can replace destructive patterns with new, life-giving ones that honour personal growth and deepen connection with others. The relationship between the light and dark is another core underlying theme within the work. Light and darkness symbolise conscious and subconscious behaviours, both necessary and a part of the unified whole. Light reveals the dark, dark reveals the light–contrast is needed for perception, discernment, understanding, and growth.
There is no good or bad within this realm, just energy, feeling, experience; how we use this as a framework builds our reality. Contrast enables discernment between what is life-giving and life-depleting. The interplay of light and dark serves as a symbolic guide for choosing the life one wants to live versus the life one wants to move away from. This symbolic layer deepens the work’s meditation on wholeness, transformation and conscious living.
3. What is your favourite memory or incident from your studio?
I had a studio in Savannah, GA, that was located in a historic building. The ceilings were incredibly tall, and though the studio was small, it felt so expansive. I would hang my paintings halfway through the process and finish them on the wall, standing on a chair to fully reach all areas of the pieces. I would do this next to a tall window overlooking rooftops and church steeples. I would work until the sun went down, watching the sky gradually shift as I worked, painting rooftops and building facades in golden light. This experience felt incredibly magical, and I am thankful for that time.
4. Do you have any studio assistants, or do visitors, such as pets or children, often accompany you?
I have a studio assistant–she is my cat, Queen Jamie. She often sleeps and occasionally comes to me to tell me to take a break to give her attention or take her outside.
5. How would you describe a dream studio for yourself?
My dream studio has soaring ceilings and tall windows for natural light. It is expansive, and the walls are a natural beige stucco with stone flooring. There are a lot of natural accents–exposed beams with cathedral ceilings, long wood tables for spreading out materials. The studio is secluded in the woods, almost like a private retreat. I love that feeling of secrecy–it makes the work feel sacred, like it’s only between you and the divine.
6. What does your studio smell of right now?
My studio smells of pine and oil paint. Pine and fir scents are uplifting yet grounding, so I have candles and diffusers based on that theme. They mask some of the more pungent smells from materials while adding a bit of magic to the space.
7. If you could set up your studio anywhere in the world, where would it be?
It is less of where and more of with who–I have a dream of creating a space and experience for artists and others to come, collaborate, heal, connect with themselves, or exist in a restorative and inspiring environment. Ideally, I will build my dream studio on the land where the retreat will be. I want it to be located close to the retreat to not only feel the energy of this conscious community seeking connection with nature and connection with each other, but also to be a gathering space that others can feel welcome to explore.
8. Can you discuss any ongoing projects or plans for your work?
Yes, I have explored the masculine and feminine separately in works and found each journey fruitful. I want to integrate the two visually and thematically, rather than in their series. The next series cooking in my mind and heart seeks balance and beauty between these two energies. I want to depict both dancing with each other and represent them about one another visually, while showcasing how they bring balance and enhance each other in unity. As always, I will use the human figure for inspiration, and I am still in the brainstorming phase to visually communicate this divine union.
9. How do you organise your space?
Very messily! I call it organised chaos. To my eye, things are exactly where they need to be, and their positions in my studio are critical (being slightly dramatic is the artist’s duty). Unfortunately, if I ‘put things away’ I will completely forget where they are and that I had them in the first place.
10. What is your favourite corner in the studio?
In any studio I’ve had, my favourite corner is the one furthest from the piece I am working on. I love standing as far as I can from the work and experiencing it from a distance. It helps me take a moment to appreciate progress and give gratitude for the process.
Katie’s studio feels like a quiet sanctuary from the world’s noise. It holds a sense of peace, that something meaningful constantly takes shape within its walls. The scent of pine and oil paint lingers, grounding the space in nature and creativity. It’s where time slows down, ideas grow, and transformation is given room to unfold. Whether it’s the sound of silence, a favourite playlist, or her cat Queen Jamie asking for attention, every element here plays a role in the quiet rhythm of her process.
Visit our website to explore the virtual studio spaces of other artists. To be featured on our website, remember to apply for this month’s call for art.
Read more about Katie on her Website and Instagram.
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