Bringing beauty to the canvas

Katerina Larsen creates beautiful and powerful figurative realism oil paintings in her home studio on the Surf Coast.

Inspired by fashion, social media and film, the multimedia “generalist” and self-taught freehand practitioner documents the beauty, power and attraction of women living in a modern world.

Her pieces tread a fine line between a painterly and photorealistic style and have a particular nod to the notion of femme fatale to create mystery and enchantment in their composition.

Larsen reconnected with art after close to two decades in the digital media space.

The Jan Juc local is the founder of Melbourne award-winning creative production studio Catch the Bird and was previously an actor signed to Melissa Rose Management.

When the pandemic hit, and without the ability to travel to Melbourne to run her studio, Larsen rediscovered her childhood love for painting and is again “thriving” in the visual art space.

 

“As kids, my brother Adoni and I were always the ones sitting down and drawing, we always had that type of talent growing up,” she said.

“However, back then, we didn’t think you could make a career out of it, there wasn’t Instagram or anything, it just felt like a far-off dream.

“We went down different paths, and I studied law, worked as an actor for 10 years and then begun my production company Catch the Bird in 2008 which I did really well with.

“When COVID came along, production in particular was hit hard and we couldn’t be on location anywhere, so I was feeling at a bit of a loss not being able to do that.

“Adoni became an internationally recognised figurative realist artist and was encouraging me to reconnect with the fine arts as he had done.

“I guess it started from there in 2020. I put out my first piece shortly after and its now grown into an organic and incredible opportunity.”

She strives to be “perfectly imperfect” with all of her works and said her freehand approach is something that makes her work unique.

“Many people who paint in a photorealistic manner paint in grids and with projection, whereas my work is done just with my eye.

“Finding the image and doing it freehand makes it more intimate.

 

“I just naturally paint what is in me to paint. It’s just seemed to resonate with people, and they tend to feel something from it which is very special.

“Freehand can sometimes mean it takes longer to complete my work, but I’m getting better!”

Since moving to the area in 2020, Larsen said her home studio in Jan Juc had been an inspirational haven for her to create her work, with the quietness and tranquility of the space helping to bring her dreams to life.

“After the success of my first project piece, my husband Carl and I recognised the need to adapt and for more space at our place.

“Carl came up with an amazing design to convert our ordinary shed into a studio/bungalow/shed/office.

“He employed a talented local builder John Beardall and his team and converted our old shed into a Scandinavian, pine cabin inspired haven.

“Now, my daughter Lucia and I can philosophise on life and just paint in there freely.

“I have since produced many works from ‘The Shed’ and gratefully, my art career is thriving.”

 

She has completed works for clients both nationally and internationally.

“I’m so excited to have a piece of both my brother and I’s work in for the next season of The Block,” she said.

“The two contestants were fans of our work and knew of us and got in contact. It’s so exciting.

“Having my work featured on a national scale is a really unique opportunity.

“It still gives me a buzz people want to put my works on the wall and feel inspired by it in different ways.”

 

After experiencing all the avenues of photography, advertising, social media, fashion and film throughout her two-decade media and arts lifespan, Larsen said people should embrace being proud generalists and to combine all their interests into a lifelong career.

“We are all taught growing up to just do one thing and to specialise in it.

“But often, like me, you have many interests that can come together into something.

“It’s about exploring and giving yourself the opportunity to pivot with what you want to do.

“I was really lucky during COVID that I was happy to do that and to go with the flow of my art.

“If anything, what recent times has taught us, is if you can adapt and diversify to what’s in front of you, that’s how you can thrive and grow.

“I’m still finding my way, but it’s very enjoyable and I can’t wait to see where it goes.”

For more on Katerina Larsen and to purchase her works, head to katerinalarsen.com