My mom got for me my first sewing when I was 9 years old.  In the beginning, I mostly made doll dresses and fancied up my doll houses. It really gave me an outlet to use my imagination! In the 6th grade I developed my skill to sew my own school wardrobe.

Later on, along with the creativeness of sewing, I majored in Art and English at Northrop High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In school I won many art awards and found art was the main reason I went to school.  But during my senior year, after being a recipient of an art scholarship, I just wasn't convinced that art was something I really wanted to do. So I attended IvyTech Community College and obtained a degree in Early Childhood Education; and years later began studies toward a major in Business Management/Marketing at Indiana Institute before my a series of life events would change my world forever. 

 In January 2001 my mom had a house fire.  It took my whole family by complete surprise as devastation usually does. But then in March of the same year, my sister and I went on vacation to get away for a week with what was going on, and my own home caught fire from an electrical malfunction. It  completely shocked and devastated me when I learned my beloved babies Angie the cat (Angelica Jado Destiny Gorman-Lopez) and Jade the doggy (Princess Jade-Trinity Gorman) both 5 years old, had perished from smoke inhalation. I was dazed at the tragedies that happened within those three months and chaos kept piling on.

 I was later in a car accident where I lost my car, lost a close family friend and with dealing in having my home rebuilt, the stress, anxiety and worry filled my days and nights until something I didn't expect happened.  I became flooded with all kinds of ideas of what I could create, and that's exactly what I did.

I would create, feverishly to release anxiety.  I would create because it felt good to remember all those times I spent in my room remembering what I wanted to be and all those memories of what I thought the future would be like.  The love I felt for drawing and sewing emerged into one.  

Well, when I started doing these late night creation sessions, I wasn't even thinking about showing people what I had been creating, and was so apprehensive about showing anyone, anything...ever!  After all, I never even knew other people did this type of art and didn't know what kind of reaction I would get.  

 One day I noticed certain pieces became missing from time to time.  It turned out my sisters who had been eagerly urging me on to show my work, had been taking my pieces to show their friends and later contacted a  local  Fort Wayne art gallery named Artlink. 

After speaking with the owner and showing her the wall quilts I created, I had my first art showing and the rest is history in the making! :)

Here are some art shows, festivals and some of the places I've been in the past 6 years where my work has been displayed.

Juried Art Shows

• National Black Arts Festival - Atlanta, GA
• Fort Wayne Museum of Art Holiday Art Fair - Fort Wayne, IN
• The Orchard Gallery - Fort Wayne, IN
• Three Rivers Quilt Festival presented by the Appleseed Quilters Guild -Fort Wayne, IN
• 14th Annual Gathering of Quilters presented by Sisters of the Cloth Quilters Guild - Fort Wayne, IN
• International Quilt Festival - presented by the International Quilt Association - Rosemont, IL
• Gospel Festival - Chicago, Il
• Indianapolis Black Expo Artist Market - Indianapolis, IN

Guest Speaker Apperances

• Village Elementary School, Day of the Arts, March 2003, 2004
• K&K Insurance Group Lunch & Learn Educational Series, May 2005

Exhibitions

• Allen County Public Library, "Believe in She", 2002
• Artlink Art Gallery, "Growing Up in Indiana Exhibition", Jan. 2005
• Martin University Speaker Series, featuring Morris Chesnut, Stedman Graham, Holly & Pete Robinson and Coach Ellis, Jan. 2007/2008
• Texas Black Exo, May 2010

Media Attention

• Television Appearance on "21 Country", WPTA 21-Alive, Ft. Wayne, IN
• Newpaper Article, "Dream Weaver", News-Sentinel, Jan 14, 2003
• Newspaper Article, "Feature Story", Journal Gazette, Aug. 1, 2001
• Newspaper Article, "Quilt Chronicles Woman's Journey", Journal Gazette & Courier, Feb. 9, 2003
• Television Appearance on HGTV "That's Clever", November 2006
• Newspaper Article,"Fashion Forward", Journal Gazette, February 2008

Area of Expertise

• One of a kind Quilted Fabric Art Wall hangings, Tote Bags and Sash Bags demonstrating free hand applique techique, using multi-printed African fabrics, dyed African fabrics, upholstery fabrics, leather, cotton and poly/blended pieces to create original works of art.

Additional Artistic Experience/Knowledge

Watercolor, Color Pencils, Pastels, Pen-n-Ink, and Pointillism, Paint on Fabric

A Special Thank You!

I am eternally grateful to my family for your love. Thank you for believing in my ability long before I did and continuing to be my most treasured and loyal supporters. Thank you, Divine Spirit, for using me as a channel to express your love. And thank you life for all those lessons in which has made me so inspired to become everything I know I can be.

May the Blessings Be!

Katrina

This is the very first piece that I made for my own home.  I wanted something that signified the strength and beauty of what I'm on my journey to be and this is why I still use this design called "Open Arms".  The womans arms are stretched out as far as she can reach because that is the amount of love that I have to give.

 I was so proud when I had this picture taken. I was in my very first big quilt festival in Chicago at the International Quilt Festival.  There were hundreds of fabric and jewlry artists there and people were so amazed at the art I did.  I was so happy to have a badge with VENDOR on it, I didn't know what to do!

This piece is apart of he Masterpiece Collection and was sold a couple years ago.  It was one of my favorites because I always imagined what it would be like to have children but then when another child comes along alot can change for everyone.  It is titled "Your Still My Girl." 

 This piece is the very first piece I sold in the Masterpiece Collection called "A Day at the Ballet." It was hard to sell for the sentimental reasons..  When you work on something it becomes apart of you. Remembering back when I was younger, all I wanted to do was to be a ballerina and when my mom took me to ballet class or my sister took us to the play called "The Nutcracker," I dreamed of dancing the night away!

This was the very first Katrina Gorman Designs Holiday Art Show and Sale in my home! People filtered in and out all afternoon while they dined on sugar cookies and gazed at my art.  It was a great day!

I was apart of an exhibit at Artlink called, "Growing Up in Indiana" where I made scenes of my favorite spots around town.  When long and behold, my art teacher from Northrop High was in the same exhibit I was in!  We both thought that was one for the history books! It was a evening I'll never forget!