Katinka Hartmetz has an extensive art background, having studied in the U.S., Canada and England. She also spent four years working with Richard Miller as a printmaker. A California native, Ms. Harmetz is a member of the Redwood City Art Gallery Co-op, the Gallery House Co-op in Palo Alto, and the Berkeley Art Center. Her work has appeared in both solo and group shows in the Bay Area. She was influenced by her grandmother and mother who were both artists and architects. As well she grew up surrounded by nature and was inspired by "seeing rocks in a shallow creek, watching leaves floating along, and observing the changing reflections in the water."

Thoughts:

I had in mind a woman dreaming of being a tiger — free of physical limitations. I built up a texture of gesso that sort of looks like bandages. Then I painted over it, thinking it was too depressing. I had just finished a painting of a group of animals and had always wanted to paint a tiger, so I tried it on the mask. The mask design just evolved from there.