An artist with an expansive nature, Storm shelters in NW Corner

SHARON — For the past two years, artist Katro Storm has been living in the Northwest Corner and devoting himself to his art — good news indeed for art enthusiasts.

There is a saying: “If you don’t have talent, you don’t have it for a very long time.” But, conversely, if you do have it, it is very much in demand, leaving less time for the pleasure of art creation for its own sake.

“I love what I do,” Storm said during an interview on Saturday, Jan. 16. An acclaimed Black artist with New Haven roots, Storm said that he does a lot of commissioned pieces. 

“I am about seven paintings behind now,” he estimated.

“When people hire me to do work, that’s how I sustain myself,” he said, describing the practical side of any artist’s life. “I’m honored and I love to do it.”

“Creating is my purpose,” he added.

Here in Sharon, Storm created the design for a flag at the Ice House Project Space of KK Kozik on the town’s historic Green.

And in Kent, he created a mural for the Iron Horse Customs motorcycle shop, depicting actor James Dean astride a bike inspired by the Royal Enfields line, which predates Harley-Davidson. He said it is a “cool building” that he visited a few times on his own before they invited him to create the mural.

Mentoring children who are finding their way in self-expression is another passion pursued by Storm.

“I love polishing the kids and making them shine,” he said. He generally works with children between grades  three and six — although his youngest student was 2 years old and his oldest tipped the scale at over 80. He said that people recommend promising students to him; he does not seek them out.

Some of his students have worked through disabilities by engaging with art. Storm says that progress comes when they feel comfortable with exploring visual art.

Storm said that he enjoys doing portraiture for his own pleasure, although he is currently working in sculpture, inspired by the pandemic face masks and further influenced by Dr. Seuss’ work in papier maché masks. 

Storm paints every day. He prefers acrylics over oils currently, mainly because oil paints use products that emit fumes. But he likes oils, too.

He said that he has been going to art museums since he was a child of 5 or 6, but as a Black artist he began to notice that museums were very white environments. He said he did not see much art of Black subjects or by Black artists.  

Subconsciously, he began to paint portraits of Black figures, a product of his environment. But, he adds, he has also painted Marilyn Monroe and James Dean.

Storm has another series in mind where he will learn about and paint his ancestors. He is gathering that information now and supposing that it will lead him to his Black and Native American forbears.

Also a professional curator of exhibitions, Storm said that he works actively with a larger group of artists in planning and executing exhibits.  

Clearly, Storm is an artist in the broadest sense with a talent that he has enjoyed expressing for a very long time.