Leaves have the power to tell incredible tales of nature’s enduring beauty, and Katie Brooks is using them to harness her artistic talent. This landscape artist got lost and found in the forests of North Carolina, searching for leaves that she could use as her canvas.
Brooks loved painting for as long as she can remember, but committing to it full-time seemed like an inconvenient career choice. She worked at galleries and classrooms, surrounded by art without actually making it until she started painting landscapes on leaves in 2018.
Three years later, Brooks decided to quit her job and started painting leaves full-time, setting the scene for what grew into her signature 100 Painted Leaves Collection.
“In search of structure, I committed to painting a leaf each day for 100 days. The love these little paintings were met with was overwhelming and solidified my new journey as an artist. I think that collection will always be precious to me. When I look at those paintings, I see the path I took back to myself,” she explains on her official website.
Painting on leaves is a time-consuming process that starts with gathering leaves in the woods near her home in North Carolina. It takes about a month for leaves to press and dry, and Brooks uses acrylic gesso to prep them before painting them, as carefully as possible to avoid tearing the leaves.
