Katie Harris, Artist Statement

Katie Harris is a Southern California-based acrylic painter known for her vibrant, hyper-realistic depictions of mylar balloons. Through the lens of trompe-l’œil, she creates immersive works that invite viewers to pause, smile, and reconnect with a sense of nostalgic wonder. Her balloons are more than playful objects, they are vessels of encouragement, reminders of joy, and reflections of resilience.

Katie’s creative path began in childhood, shaped by an innate love of storytelling, drawing, and poetry. In her early twenties, she began painting on salvaged windows, eventually stepping into mural work through word-of-mouth commissions. Though her artistic journey was briefly interrupted in her early 30s, it was rekindled in 2018 with a personal 100-day painting challenge. The final painting in that challenge, a mylar balloon, sparked something.

Since then, balloons have become the heart of her work. With a deep reverence for detail, Katie captures the folds, highlights, and reflections that bring each balloon to life. Her background in mural painting and early experiments with illusionistic surfaces inform her current use of trompe-l’œil, creating the illusion of inflation on a flat canvas. Her evolving body of work includes stand-alone balloon portraits, narrative compositions featuring animals or figures, and explorations in dimensional framing and diorama.

Katie’s work is often described as joyful, but it is rooted in something deeper: a journey of healing, faith, and rediscovery. Through her relationship with God and a growing awareness of her personal purpose, she began to understand that her art could be a vehicle for encouragement. Each piece is an intentional offering, a moment of light, and emotional connection.

Katie lives and creates from her home studio, where she shares life with her husband and their blended family. Her faith and family are at the heart of everything she does, and the joy she captures in her work is deeply rooted in the beautiful chaos, laughter, and love that fills their everyday lives.