Biography Born Katherine Gillet Rickman in 1973 in Baltimore, Maryland, Katie's love of landscape began early. Her family loves to tell of the time when, upon seeing a colorful sunset, she turned to her mother and exclaimed, "Quick, Mom, hand me my crayons!" Katie realized that she wanted to pursue painting as a career while in high school. She continued to develop her skills and love of painting at MICA (Maryland Institute College of Art), graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1995 and a Master of Arts, Teaching in 1996. She has been a resident of Maryland all her life, and is currently working on a series celebrating Baltimore's many unique neighborhoods.