Kathrin Longhurst
Kathrin Longhurst holds a Master in Business Administration and is an autodidact painter who received her training at evening colleges, art schools and art centres in Germany, Sweden and Australia. Classes include oil painting techniques, still life, mixed media and life drawing. She started taking life drawing classes at 14 and has since developed a profound interest in the human shape, particularly women’s. But it took her almost 20 years to realise her call in life and become a full time artist.
Kathrin’s ultra feminine style stands in complete opposition to the proletarian and rather masculine art of East Germany where she spent the first 15 years of her life. It has become a visual response to her early life experience: like a gesture of artistic liberation. Her paintings fulfil a quest for beauty and luxury, which she was denied growing up in Eastern Europe. In her paintings she can now revel in luxurious, brightly coloured fabrics or the sensual femininity of woman out of forbidden Western fashion magazines.
“I remember women in East Germany being portrayed as rather unsexy, hard working, rosy cheeked farmers or labourers. I grew up longing for glamour and beauty.”
Kathrin’s work is contemporary and she works mainly in oil, enjoying bright colours, sometimes using only primary or secondary colours and often layering the paint to bring out the almost three dimensional images. Kathrin’s style is also deeply influenced by her year spent in Belgium; the delicate and elaborate detail of “Art Nouveau” enriches her paintings.
“Brussels is an amazing place; you find treasures at every street corner. You cannot help but fall in love and being consumed by it’s magic.”
Kathrin now lives on Sydney’s Northern Beaches where she is a founding member of an artist co-op called “Northern Expressions”. She exhibits frequently at SOHO Gallery in Sydney, David Hart Galleries in Queensland and Dabbert Gallery in Florida. She is also represented at major art events such as the Affordable Art Show in Sydney and Melbourne.
Mission
With my work I have a strong desire to portray everyday women in a glamorous way. My models come from all walks of life, but on canvass they get to be superstars, divas, temptresses, goddesses and heroes. I want particularly woman to feel good about themselves. I want to show the world how beautiful they are. I want people to feel the love and tenderness that I have for my subjects in every painting.
About her technique
Kathrin choses vibrant colours for her paintings, on her palette she will always have rich reds, purples, orange, greens and gold. A lot of her works have a rich gold background adding to a sense of luxury, that has become the trademark feature of her paintings. Even her painting technique contributes to this feeling. All of Kathrin's paintings are made up of layer upon layer of paint. Each canvas receives a rich coating of primer before the image gets sketched up, then a first layer of acrylic paint creates depth to colour and shapes. Once that layers has dried a second and third layer of oil paint is applied, adding detail and definition to the painting. As a last finishing touch the painting is varnished to seal it and give it a glossy lustre and glow. Kathrin receives her inspiration from the swirly, elaborate details of art noveau, it's mysticism and tribute to beauty.
