Katie (b. 1991) grew up in central Indiana. After graduating high school, Katie decided to forgo traditional college education and move to New York City to study academic painting at the Grand Central Atelier. She has since been the recipient of many awards, including scholarships from Grand Central Atelier, Art Renewal Center, and a purchase award from the Indiana State Museum for their permanent collection.  

Most notably, Katie was the recipient of the 2013-2014 Alma Schapiro Prize. The Alma Schapiro Prize sent her to the American Academy in Rome for three months to study the work of the old masters. Katie extended her stay in Italy,  journeying from Rome to Florence and Naples studying antiquity and the Renaissance intensively for eight months. The months in Italy changed Katie’s life. She went to Italy to continue her studies of the figure, but after seeing the ancient Roman wall painting The Painted Garden from the Villa Liva, Katie began painting flowers. 

It was a shift in her work Katie never saw coming. She feels the flowers chose her, much more than she chose them, and is gladly devoted to capturing their ephemeral beauty. Although florals are generally categorized as ‘still life’, Katie doesn’t feel that is an accurate description of her paintings. Katie’s flowers are alive, and it is the living sprit of Nature that she strives to capture in her work.  

 Katie lives in Southampton, NY with her husband, artist Brendan Johnston, their son Hewitt, and their dog Theo. She works full time painting flowers, and teaches workshops around the country.

Medium: Oils

Skill Level: All Levels

Duration: 3 hours 15 minutes

• Katie Whipple’s Live Stream

• Katie Whipple’s Materials List

• Katie Whipple’s Reference Image

• Katie Whipple’s final painting (image)

• Painting flowers from life

• You’ll observe the complete process from block-in to more finished forms

• Learning about Katie’s approach to composition, colour and form in floral painting

• Insight into Katie’s workflow — how she sets up the still life, picks her subject, arranges the flowers, sets light, and how she paints working live.

This video will be available to re-watch at your leisure until 4th of August 2027.

Yes! As soon as you purchase, you will have access to Katie’s materials list, so you can paint along from home.

We do sell some of them, yes! We have listed them below.