The Art Project: Katie

Background: I commissioned several international artists to draw characters from BEACON and CATALYST based upon a few paragraphs of text. I chose a diverse array of styles for this assignment. From comic book to abstract, children’s fairy tale, and hyper-realistic, I wanted each of them to be able to express themselves in their signature styles. 

“You know he’s not in there, right?” said a voice she knew very well, scaring the hell out of her. She yelped in fright, spinning to look behind her. Katie’s Jeep Cherokee was parked right next to her Lexus. Katie herself, with her big brown eyes and pixie haircut, stood by the hood. Jo had been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn’t even heard another car crunching up the path in approach. Katie’s dark auburn hair shone in the pale light of an overcast afternoon, every hair looking perfect even in the slight breeze. Jo found herself thinking Katie looked amazing today. She opened her mouth to say so until Katie moved. Jo’s face must have softened up Katie somewhat because she walked up and hugged Jo. Jo started crying again. The two women held each other for a while, Katie patting Jo softly on the back. Katie was a little taller than Jo. Jo’s head fit nicely on Katie’s shoulder.

Katie is Jo's friend and ally in Newark, Ohio. She is a funny, warm, silly person that the reader instantly falls in love with.

Artist Ben Kinkead has captured Katie's openness and strength in his profile-pic style interpretation.

Anca's portrait shows her fun and quirky nature in her work.

Gonmuki shows her strength and Mudokonabe captures her curious spirit.

Next week: Gideon