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Sanford and RISD Alumna Creates Masterpieces in the Art World

10/21/2014

When Katy Wiedemann ‘09 was a student at Sanford, she spent most of her free time working in the art room, usually inspired by the anatomical skeleton that hung there.

On a trip to Italy during her studies in illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design, she was struck by the strange and beautiful ways in which the Italian Renaissance masters represented the human form.

“My interests in anatomical drawing and scientific illustration began from a very young age,” Katy explained. “I always had a fascination with the inner workings of the human body and that has always come through in my art.”

Now a RISD graduate and a working artist, Katy has channeled that fascination not only into her own rich creative work, but also into another vocation: scientific illustration. Although it’s always been an interest of hers, she has only recently discovered she could translate it into a professional opportunity. Katy provided the cover art—a meticulously detailed drawing of a human skull—for the September issue of Scientific American magazine, and her other drawings appear in two-page spread accompanying the cover story. Katy, quoted in a Landenberg Today article about her accomplishments, explained that the Scientific American editors approached her after discovering other illustration work on her website. They went back and forth over some early sketches for an article on human evolution, finally contracting her not only for those illustrations, but for the cover art as well.

At the same time, Katy’s personal creative successes are also mounting. After showing her work at an invitational gallery show at RISD and another gallery in Fredericksburg, Virginia, she’s currently preparing some new oil paintings for an exhibition at Gallery 2114 in New Orleans, which will open on October 25.

“I am very excited to be showing in New Orleans, a city I have a lot of history in and is one of the most artistically enthralling cities in the United States,” Katy said. “My painting work certainly contains many of the same anatomical themes as my illustration work, but the most defining aspect of my current paintings is in the technique. I use a traditional Renaissance technique consisting of a monochromatic oil under painting layered with colored glazes and details in a home made egg oil emulsion. I started working in this medium after studying Renaissance painting for a short time in Italy.”

Katy attributes much of her current success and artistic identity to the early encouragement she received at Sanford, particularly from her art teacher, Alex Ball. “She supported me endlessly in my artistic efforts and encouraged me to push my limits,” Katy explained. “She provided me with many of the fundamentals needed to develop my technical skills and even influenced my decision to attend the Rhode Island School of Design, being a RISD alumnus herself.”

Although Katy, doesn’t currently have any local shows planned, you can view her painting and illustration work on her website—or pick up a copy of Scientific American. We look forward to following her exciting artistic career!

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