Birches on a Spring Morning, by Kathleen L. Oettinger, represents a significant part of this artist’s life. It is one work in a series of paintings she started working on after traveling around northwestern Europe. It was in this search for her roots that she found Finland’s magical qualities, which are depicted in this painting. Through her manipulation of color and form, Oettinger tries to rescue old memories, as she reaches for the spiritual dimension of a particular place. Her main concern is to convey, in an abstract manner, emotions hidden in the place or object depicted. It is this process of discovery that she considers the most important aspect of not only painting, but art in general.

An artist by profession, Oettinger started her artistic journey very early in her childhood. Her formal training in printmaking and painting has allowed her to approach her creativity in various media. Her paintings, etchings and woodcuts have been included in several exhibitions around the United States as well as in other countries such as China, Finland, Canada and Russia. She also enjoys writing and illustrating children’s books, which are circulated in her intimate family circle. She shares a special bond with her twin grandchildren, and she hopes they will discover the magical art world that she enjoys so much.

[artist biography by Ximena Cisneros; artist photograph by Angela Diedrich]
Kathleen L. Oettinger
Birches on a Spring Morning, 2000, oil on canvas