Little Girl Gone

by Kat Collins

... is a piece that emerged during a stretch of deep personal reflection. It holds a storm-like quality, filled with shadow, obscured memory, and the traces of something—or someone—no longer present.

It captures a kind of emotional weather that is dense, grief-tinged, but not entirely devoid of hope. You can see where light fights its way through the layers. For me, it's about shedding past versions of yourself while still holding space for who they were. This painting speaks directly to the grit in Grit and Beauty—and to the vulnerability required to evolve.

 This idea of painting emotion rather than realism has always been at the core of my work, but I've only recently found language for it: I call it emotional weather.

It's a term I use to describe the intuitive atmosphere of a piece—the energy I pour into it, the mood I'm navigating, or sometimes the collective energy I sense around me. It could be calm, chaotic, stormy, or light-filled. But whatever it is, I try to follow it honestly.

Sometimes that emotional weather is personal. Other times, it feels connected to something larger—a moment in time, a global event, or even a cultural shift. My paintings become visual maps of those feelings. They're not meant to be interpreted in a single way, but to invite the viewer into their own emotional response. To ask: What do you feel when you look at this?

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