ABOUT
BIO
Kristie Potwora (Johnson) was raised in a small coastal town in Northern California where she experienced being a young naturalist - observing wildlife in the old growth redwood forests, at the ocean, and on her great aunt’s farm. She loved animals so much that she became a vegetarian at an early age, and most recently, she and her husband bought 16 wooded acres in Oregon, where they enjoy a small organic garden, a flock of nine pet chickens, four cats, and five pond fish.
Ms. Potwora received an MFA and a BFA in Printmaking from the University of Oregon, and a BA in Art Education with a minor in English Literature and Social Psychology from Humboldt State University. She is a member of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators (GNSI), a member of Print Arts Northwest (PAN). Her prints and illustrations have been exhibited nationally. She teaches Screen Printing, Natural Science Illustration, and 2D Design.
ART STATEMENT
Most of my art begins with a drawing (or seven, or twenty) from nature. My mind is always busy and thrives on knowledge, so drawing allows me to investigate, slow down, meditate, and learn more about the living beings that I am depicting. It invites me to pay attention and pay homage to the amazing diversity and resiliency of life.