Artist Statement

Edward Hopper wrote, “Great art is the outward expression of an inner life in the artist, and this inner life will result in his personal vision of the world.” This philosophy has long guided my work.

My paintings are not intended to document the landscape as it appears, but to express the emotional experience of being present within it. I paint places not simply as I see them, but as I feel them. Through paint, intangible emotions become visible, allowing memory, atmosphere, and feeling to take physical form.

The landscape serves as both subject and metaphor. I am especially drawn to moments of transition—the quiet stillness of dusk, when the day’s final light lingers before giving way to night. These fleeting intervals possess a quiet poetry that reminds us of life’s impermanence while inviting us to pause and appreciate its beauty. The shifting relationship between light and shadow becomes a meditation on time itself, revealing how quickly even the most extraordinary moments slip away.

My work seeks to preserve these ephemeral experiences—those moments that resist description yet remain deeply felt. I hope each painting offers viewers not only a sense of place, but also a sense of presence, encouraging contemplation, nostalgia, and a renewed appreciation for the quiet beauty woven into everyday life.

Biography

Katherine Ashby is a landscape painter based in Castleton-on-Hudson, New York. Deeply influenced by the rural landscapes of the Hudson Valley and the rugged coastline of Midcoast Maine, her work explores the relationship between light, memory, and emotion.

A graduate of Russell Sage College in Troy, New York, Katherine earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Art and Psychology. Her background in psychology informs her interest in the emotional resonance of landscape, while her artistic practice is rooted in careful observation and expressive interpretation.

 Each summer, Katherine paints in Tenants Harbor, Maine, where her family’s cottage has provided a lifelong source of inspiration. Whether depicting the quiet drama of the Maine coast or the familiar fields and waterways of eastern New York, her paintings seek to capture the atmosphere and emotional character of a place rather than merely its physical appearance.

Her work has been exhibited at Granite Gallery, Craignair Gallery, Albany Center Gallery, Fort Orange Brewing Company, Albany Parking Authority, Savory Taproom, and Brookview Art Studio.