Katie Loewen of Fluid Katie has lived a life with creativity at its center. Growing up, her father was a musician and her mother a watercolor artist—so it’s fair to say art of every type has always played an outsized role in her life.
No wonder then that Katie believes that choosing to create, no matter what form that takes, is an elevated form of self-care.
Given this guiding philosophy, it’s not surprising to learn Katie’s creativity extends well beyond the visually stunning creations that are inspiring a growing buzz here in Buffalo. Considering the amazing range of her pursuits, Katie is a virtuoso of sorts.
Although certainly focused on her art, Katie hasn’t quit her day job. She and a partner, Mallory, own and operate K&M Home Repairs, which offers handyman services executed by women. The two are committed to strengthening the Buffalo community via building repairs and renovations.
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Tapping into yet another distinctive creative outlet, Katie is also a performer and aerial instructor with The Bird’s Nest Circus Arts. This community space in Larkinville is dedicated to creative play, movement and connection. It’s the first facility in the area to offer immersions in circus arts—irrespective of body type, age, income or ability—to promote health through acrobatics, aerial arts, hooping, strength and flexibility training and dance.
While navigating the pandemic, Katie found herself driven to become more disciplined about her art. She spent roughly a year being coached by an established artist in the Buffalo community. This collaboration saw her become more strategic with the business aspects of being an artist, such as managing her social media, but also more intentional about her passion for creating.
Katie had been producing abstracts using acrylics, along with working with resins, but she became concerned about her use of plastics. A fierce advocate for both recycling and sustainability, Katie began to look to trash for supplies she could reuse or repurpose. Now all of her raw materials are salvaged—often from garbage produced from projects completed for their handyman business.
Katie muses she sees herself as a glorified trash wizard. To illustrate, she shares how acknowledging that resin looking like glass led her to experiment with leftover glass from her handyman job sites.
While she certainly has a lot going on at any one time, Katie maintains being a maker is a huge part of her life: “I just love the arts…all of them!” She’s managed to skillfully combine this passion with her regard for the planet so seamlessly it now sees her work aligned with her values. And there’s much to love about that.
Katie’s favorite creations
Glass moon mobile. Katie Loewen nursed an idea to incorporate moons into her work for about 20 years. Transitioning to using glass, a new medium for her, proved the ideal time to begin making her stunning moon mobiles. These ethereal pieces feature cut-out circles in blue, white and clear glass—representing the full, half and quarter cycles of the moon. A perfect summer accent!
Concrete housewares. Katie’s commitment to sustainability has manifested in her repurposing different types of work trash, including extra concrete from job sites, into items such as coasters, small trays, soap dishes and accents like concrete hands. The waterproof pieces all share a sleek, minimalist vibe.
Concrete Moon Mirror. Artfully marrying the smoothness of a mirrored surface with the organic roughness of concrete, Katie’s sought-after mirrors feature a border of a single textured crescent moon layered on a round mirror. Striking and functional, these mirrors inject a note of natural beauty into any setting.
