If you were lucky enough to stop by Domy Books this past April, you probably got a chance to see some of Katy Horan’s haunting paintings. Her work is rooted in the traditions of a simpler time and her paintings often look as though they are the long lost illustrations for gypsy picture books. Working primarily in gouache, Katy adds carefully painted detail to the lace and frills that adorn her figures. Look more closely though, and behind their feminine veils you’ll often see a understated darkness - faces are obscured, black masses and limbs protrude from the figures at somewhat chaotic angles. Katy Horan is one of nearly 300 artists participating in East Austin Studio Tour this weekend and next. Stop by her studio at the ARTPOST complex (4704 E. Cesar Chavez) between 11am and 6pm on Saturday or Sunday either weekend to see her process and product. Katy talked to Austinist about where her dark imagery comes from and shared her advice for art students.

People might have seen your work earlier this year at Domy Books - if not, can you describe the imagery that frequently appears in your pieces?

All of my imagery is female in some way and is can be pretty dark. I create characters out of very detailed lace patterns that I hand paint with tiny little brushes. I reference a lot of characters from folklore and elements of historical costume. The witch is my most used character - she appears throughout my work in many different variations. I try to take something familiar and distort it just enough to make it mysterious and bizarre.

Do you have any favorite folktales or folktale traditions that are particularly inspiring to you?

There are so many folklore themes that I find interesting, but I always love a story with a ghost, a witch or a journey into the dark and dangerous woods. I also love the rule of threes. There are always three tasks to do or three items to collect. Some of my favorite stories are "Donkeyskin", "The Horned Women", and "Oh the Dreadful Wind and The Rain" (which is actually an old bluegrass song).

What was studying illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design like? What suggestions do you have for students who are attending or thinking about attending art school?

I got a great foundation in drawing and painting, and the department was actually very open, so I did a lot of experimenting with painting and animation. Art school basically showed me what it meant to work hard and how good art could actually be. It raised the bar for me.

If you are thinking of going to art school, I say go. Unless you are very fortunate, art school is one of the few times in your life that you can be 100% creative, 100% of the time in a completely creative environment. It’s a wonderful little escape from reality and hopefully you will discover new levels for your work. It doesn’t hurt to learn the technical stuff either…that will make anything you do that much stronger. I would also say that many people’s work does not develop fully until many years after art school, so take advantage of the time and resources and experiment like crazy.

Follow this post after the jump to read about Katy Horan's favorite art supplies and her favorite book...

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