Keith Kattner

Born in Urbana, Illinois in 1961, KA Kattner was raised in the rural Midwest in a small household. His father was a fertilizer salesman, which involved frequent relocations to different states. Finally arriving in Bloomington, Illinois in the late 1970s, Kattner was able to become acquainted with the “Bloomington School” of landscape artists. Even though he was influenced by these early mentors, his initial impulse was to pursue a career in medicine. He went on to become a neurosurgeon and was trained by the world famous Takanori Fukushima MD. Returning to Bloomington, he practiced neurosurgery until 2010. At 49 he decided to return to art full-time.

Almost entirely self-taught, Kattner wanted a very individualized style. The technique of oil painting he uses is derived from the 17^th-century Dutch master Jacob van Ruisdael, later adopted by the 19^th-century American landscape painters. Other influences include the American scene and regionalist art of the mid-20th century. A resident of the Hudson Valley, Kattner’s current work is focused on recording his local community of his neighbors and their surroundings.