Katie Gamb's magical artwork

A look at one of my favorite Milwaukee artists

When I stumbled upon Milwaukee artist Katie Gamb at Bay View Gallery Night, I geeked out a bit. I'd bought a print of hers, The Iris Opens at Night (pictured two below), for a friend as a Christmas present — and suddenly there was Katie's talented self right in front of me! She was rendering woodland creatures in a sketchbook as she manned her undoubtedly-enchanted booth. Never stop Katie! You're a delight. (Yeah hi, am I fangirling hard enough for you right now?)

I love Katie's technique, subject matter, and the way she plays with the scale of the creatures in the magical worlds she creates. At Gallery Night, I had to buy a little print of They Came Upon a Party (pictured above) — it's one of my favorites. Check that accordion!

Adam would argue that Katie's work is better-suited to a kid's room, and no one is surprised. But I still dream of decking my own walls with these fairytale scenes (here are my tips for injecting some whimsy into your grown-up home). Although I will of course agree that Katie's paintings would be utterly charming in a child's room.

Katie's shop, Poppy and Fox, not only sells beautiful things, but her work also comes wrapped with the utmost loveliness and care. The little brown paper gift bag is scrawled with an enchanted scene (I went so far as to cut out the image and stick it on my fridge). And the business cards: Each one has a miniature snapshot of one of Katie's paintings. How clever! You'll want to snatch up a handful of these tiny keepsakes — or at least I sure wanted to.  

Anyway, I'm almost done gushing about Katie Gamb. Just know that if you're shopping for artwork for a little boy or girl, or even if you're just a child at heart yourself, this local artist comes highly recommended by yours truly. I can't wait to see what other wonders are waiting to escape Katie's marvelous imagination.