For artist Katherine Galbraith, nothing is as interesting or compelling as the human face and figure. She started life as a portrait painter, focusing on businesspeople, clergy, wives, mothers and teenagers, but mostly children. “I loved painting children. They just are who they are, not worrying or caring what others think of them, but curious and happy to be themselves,” she says. “It was always fun to paint that shining hair and eyes.” 
Golden Girl, oil on linen, 16 x 12"
After a while, though, Galbraith wanted to get away from the business of being a portrait artist and began painting still lifes, florals and landscapes for galleries. In the last few years, she has returned to her first love—people. Her style today is representational, and lately older people have captured her attention. 
Yellow Slicker, oil on linen, 24 x 18"
“While it’s a treat to paint the beauty of youth, I so enjoy the challenge of an older face and figure. I had the privilege of watching Jeffrey Hein paint an older woman at the Portrait Society of America conference a few years ago—you could hear the collective sigh of relief when he announced that he loved to paint older women,” Galbraith says. “He spoke about the translucence of the skin, how you could see the blood through the skin and really get a sense of what lay beneath the surface—what a wonderful approach to portrait painting.”
Montana Man, oil on linen, 24 x 18"Galbraith has found herself captivated by the qualities of their hair and faces. “With some, there is evidence of a life well-lived, others, not so much, but they are all valuable and beautiful to me,” she says. “I see such poetry in these faces; it is as much a joy to paint them as it is to paint the beauty of youth.”
Castle Gallery in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Beverly McNeil Gallery in Birmingham, Alabama, represent Galbraith. Her artwork is also available at her gallery, Katherine Galbraith Fine Art, in Westfield, New York.
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