Kathryn Fortson was born in Americus. Soon after her birth, her family relocated to the Atlanta area. She attended Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida soon after completing high school. At Ringling School, she majored in Painting and Illustration. She went ahead and broadened her studies and also attended Portfolio Center (in Atlanta) to explore Graphic Design. In the course of her work, Kathryn has won numerous awards and taken part in many juried shows in California, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee and North Carolina. She has also been featured in numerous TV features and print publications including; Atlanta Journal and Constitution newspaper, Atlanta Homes and Lifestyle magazine, Creative Loafing Atlanta edition, ABC's television production Better Mornings Atlanta , Nashville Arts magazine, Decorating Spaces Magazine, HGTV magazine, Northside Woman magazine, and HGTV production. In the past couple of years, the artist has produced a new series of mostly abstracted pieces.
Kathryn has a unique style in which she adds an "earthier" palette to her colorful, bold and bright palette. Her work has taken a turn in technique and style that she describes as an approach that’s freer and that’s in alignment to her spiritual stance. She says that while her studio may appear as though she’s painting alone, in truth, she’s dancing and with many muses. Typically, she’d develop an idea for a piece and tactfully maneuver the unforeseen outcome. With her newest series, she approaches the white canvas with vague expectations and allows the process to dictate the end result. Much of her work is expressionist or whimsical because, she says, “the voice to "lighten up" is crucial in our world.”
