Young in Age, Wise in Life: Meet Psychedelic Artist Katie Silina

Mother

By Al Gord

Katie Silina is a 19-year-old artist living in Vancouver, British Columbia. She grew up loving art and always found herself going back to drawing whenever she had free time. While Katie was born and raised in Canada, her parents emigrated from Estonia because there were greater job opportunities in the Canadian market. Both of her parents are musicians and very artistic individuals, so Katie’s love of the arts was instilled in her from a young age. As a child her mother would always put Katie at her drawing desk when she could not sleep. It always had the effect of calming Katie down. Art has been an escape from the world for most of her life, and Katie started taking it more seriously through the years.

She experimented a lot at a very young age and tried all different types of mediums but Katie found herself liking acrylic on canvas the most. Her parents were more than happy to support her love of the arts. As such, she attended many different art studios and schools that could help Katie further her artistic abilities. While it allowed Katie to develop and refine her skills, the attendance at various institutes also led to Katie and her family moving around the city a lot.

As she got older, Katie made the difficult decision to leave art school and the studios she was a part of because she found it challenging to find others who would support her unique style of art. It was at this point where she decided to take matters into her own hands – a bold move for such a young artist. For three years now she has been painting and creating from home. The decision to believe in her talents has started to pay off, as her art is beginning to evolve to another level. For Katie her life revolves around painting, something she would not want any other way.

Her distinctive style of work can best be described as a psychedelic twist on female anatomy. She gets her inspiration from her previous night’s dreams and nightmares, where she attempts to interpret what these reveries would look like on canvas. Katie’s works are as individual as her dreams. She loves to use many different colours to bring a fun and vibrant element to some of her work; other times she creates pieces that are the complete opposite – skulls and other eerie images created with a more dark and chilling colour palette. The end result of her creative process is a response to how she feels that day.

While her dreams and emotions influence Katie’s work, her family is her main inspiration. They have supported Katie through the years and have pushed her to be the best she can be, both as an artist and as an individual. Recognizing the huge role they play in Katie’s life, she pours her heart and soul into her work, for at the end of the day she wants to make them proud.

Hidden Gems

Katie hopes that she inspires other people to pick up a paint brush and create whatever their heart desires. She has come to realize that while there will always be naysayers and individuals who want to bring others down, one should always follow their heart, do what one loves and live one’s life to the fullest, no matter what others may say. Ultimately for Katie, art is art no matter the size, the medium or the process. At the end of the day it is the soul an artist puts into their work.

Katie’s portfolio and her journey in the world of art, can be followed on Instagram.