Background
As an artist, I am primarily “self taught,” meaning I don’t have a formal education in fine art or photography. “Self taught” is not an entirely accurate term, as I have had many wonderful teachers through classes and books since I picked up a camera and began to seriously study in 2000. Some notable points in my artistic education were an online photography class with Barbara Carroll, discovering the books of Michael Freeman and David duChemin, and most recently, mentoring with photographer David Paul Bayles. This later education built on a strong foundation of art in my childhood, from observing my Mother’s ongoing practice of art, many art classes throughout my school years, and growing up in the bindery of the family offset printing business. The rest has come through my own observation, practice and passion for the art of photography. Taking 50,000+ photographs over two years while living in Italy and traveling Europe didn’t hurt either.
Between my childhood love of art and its rediscovery as an adult, I earned a Bachelors and Masters in Electrical Engineering. I have worked the last 23 years in a corporate job which has ranged from process engineering to people and program management. It was my corporate job which took me and my family to Italy, an experience which had a huge impact on my artistic growth. My engineering and program management skills have served me well as an artist and business owner. Everything is a process when you break it down into parts, and in photography, technology is just another tool for use in creating art.
My path to art has been a winding one, but it’s led me to this amazing place where I can practice and share my art with others. I don’t regret a step on this incredible journey.
Experience
A timeline of Juried Exhibitions & Art Fairs, Awards, Teaching, Speaking, and Press
2015
- Mobile Photography 1 & 2, series of workshops on creating art with mobile photography, Corvallis, Oregon, September-November 2015
- Guest Speaker, Ledding Cultural Forum, Milwaukie, Oregon, October 2015
- Article: Photography Kat Sloma headlines Ledding Library Cultural Forum, by Ellen Spitaleri in the Clackamas Review, September 30, 2015
- Philomath Open Studios Tour, host studio, Philomath, Oregon, October 2015
- Corvallis Fall Festival, Corvallis, Oregon, September 2015
- Northwest Art & Air Festival, Albany, Oregon, August 2015
- Salem Art Fair & Festival, Salem, Oregon, July 2015
- Mobile Photography 1, 2 & 3, series of workshops on creating art with mobile photography, Corvallis, Oregon, March-May 2015
- Lake Oswego Arts Festival, Art in the Park, Lake Oswego, Oregon, June 2015
- Ekphrasis III, Exhibition at the South Santiam Hall Gallery, Albany, Oregon, February 2015
- Intro to iPhoneography, introductory mobile photography workshop, Corvallis, Oregon, January 2015
2014
- Création (Photographique) Mobile, exhibition at L’Institut National d’Histoire de l’Art, Paris, France, December 2014
- Smartphone Art, workshop on creating art with mobile photography, Hillsboro, Oregon, November 2014
- Philomath Open Studios Tour, host studio, Philomath, Oregon, October-November 2014
- LOCAL 14 Art Show & Sale, Portland, Oregon, October 2014
- Smartphone Art, mobile photography workshop, Hillsboro, Oregon, October 2014
- Article: Salem Art Fair’s iPhone photographer lands book deal, by Tom Mayhall Rastrelli for the Salem Statesman Journal, September 25, 2014
- Intro to Mobile Photography, introductory mobile photography workshops, Corvallis, Oregon, August-September 2014
- Juror for Expanding Vision: The Contribution of Mobile Photography, Main Gallery of the The Arts Center, Corvallis, Oregon, August 2014
- Article: Depth of Focus, on Expanding Vision Exhibition, by Benjamin Ricker for The E, Corvallis Gazette-Times, August 28, 2014
- Emerging Artist, Salem Art Fair & Festival, Salem, Oregon, July 2014
- Radio Interview: Are Smart Phones Changing Professional Photography?, OPB Think Out Loud, July 17, 2014
- Article: Why One Professional Photographer Ditched Her Camera To Shoot Full-Time With An iPhone, by Caroline Moss for Business Insider, July 13, 2014
- Article: A Photographer replaced her camera with an iPhone and these are the stunning results, by Jacob Siegal for Yahoo News, July 15, 2014
- Article: Corvallis Photographer Creates Art through iPhone lens, by Tom Mayhall Rastrelli for the Salem Stateman Journal, July 13, 2014
- Around Oregon Annual, exhibition juried by Martha Lee of the Laura Russo Gallery, The Arts Center, Corvallis, Oregon, June 2014
- Intro to iPhoneography, introductory mobile photography workshop, Corvallis, Oregon, April & May 2014
- Keynote speaker, Northwest Council of Camera Clubs Spring Conference, Gig Harbor, Washington, April 2014
- Treescapes, exhibition in the Corrine Woodman Galleries of The Arts Center, Corvallis, Oregon, March 2014
- Pegasus Presentation Prize, awarded at the 2014 Howland Community Open Exhibition, The Arts Center, Corvallis, Oregon, March 2014
- Smartphone Art, workshop on creating art with mobile photography, Hillsboro, Oregon, February 2014
- Treescapes, joint show in the South Santiam Hall Gallery, Albany, Oregon, February 2014
- Honorable Mention, awarded in the Travel Category of the 3rd Annual Mobile Photography Awards, January 2014
2013
- Smartphone Art, workshop on creating art with mobile photography, Hillsboro, Oregon, November 2013
- Intro to iPhoneography, introductory mobile photography workshop, Corvallis, Oregon, November 2013
- Philomath Open Studios Tour, Guest artist at David Paul Bayles studio, Philomath, Oregon, October-November 2013
- MobileMagic III, exhibition juried by Michelle Bates, Lightbox Photographic Gallery, Astoria, Oregon, October 2013
- Smartphone Art, workshop on creating art with mobile photography, Philomath, Oregon, August 2013
- PhotoZone 25th Annual Juried Show, exhibition at The Emerald Art Center, Springfield, Oregon, July 2013
- A Sense of Place, travel photography workshop, Las Vegas, Nevada, April 2013
- Ekphrasis: Photos Speak Out, exhibition in the South Santiam Hall Gallery, Albany, Oregon, April 2013
- Pegasus Presentation Prize, awarded at the 2013 Howland Community Open Exhibition, The Arts Center, Corvallis, Oregon, March 2013
- Photography at the Edge, 2013 themed exhibition at Newspace Center for Photography, Portland, Oregon, February 2013
- Taste and Flavor: Salty, exhibition in the David Joyce Gallery, Eugene, Oregon, January-March 2013
- Released Find Your Eye: Journey of Fascination eCourse, January 2013
- Released Fuel Your Creativity eCourse, January 2013
2012
- Began writing Mobile Tutorials instructional blog series, December 2012
- Oregon Waterways, exhibition in the Giustina Gallery, Corvallis, Oregon, December 2012
- Released Digital Photography Basics eBook, November 2012
- A Sense of Place, travel photography workshops, Yorkshire and London, England, October 2012
- Taste and Flavor: Spicy, exhibition in the David Joyce Gallery, Eugene, Oregon, September-December 2012
- Released A Sense of Place eCourse, June 2012
- Market/Wheels Series, exhibition in the Corrine Woodman Galleries of The Arts Center, Corvallis, Oregon, April 2012
- Began Photo-Heart Connection blog series, January 2012
2011
- Released Find Your Eye: Journey of Inspiration eCourse, October 2011
- First year of the annual Liberate Your Art Postcard Swap, August 2011
- Kat Eye Studio, LLC founded, July 2011
- Moved from Milan, Italy to Corvallis, Oregon, July 2011
- Released Find Your Eye: Journey of Recognition and Digital Photography Basics eCourses, January 2011
2010 and earlier
- Joined Mortal Muses collaborative photography website as a regular contributor, September 2010
- Began regular Exploring with a Camera instructional blog series, April 2010
- Moved from Corvallis, Oregon to Milan, Italy, April 2009
- Began The Kat Eye View of the World blog, July 2008
Affiliations
- Willamette Valley PhotoArts Guild, 2011 to present, Past President 2013-2015
- Corvallis Art Guild, Exhibiting Member, 2011 to present
- Getty Artist, 2012 to present
