A woman smiling while looking through a Nikon d7200 camera's viewfinder on a street in France with old stone buildings.

Katie Brooks

MULTI-DISCIPLINARY ARTIST & NATURALIST

My unyielding fascination with nature, science and wild imagination drives my life and artistic journey, and leads me to create wonders that are as colorful, intricate and diverse as the natural world around us. I experience sound as colors and shapes—a phenomenon known as synesthesia—and my unique sensory perception of the world forms the foundation of all my work.

I am consistently inspired by the natural world, light, sound, botanical forms, and objects and places imbued with echoes of past emotions (my academic background is in Art History & Archeology). Autism also deeply influences my artistic approach, providing a distinct lens through which I notice details and patterns often overlooked. It is these little details and moments that I am most interested in sharing with you! I'm passionate about igniting curiosity within others and delving into new ways of seeing.

I hope you find as much joy in experiencing my art as I do in creating it!

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Katie currently divides her time living and working between Frederick, MD and Lembeke, Belgium. She has two young children, a tiny Siamese cat named Annabelle, a giant Russian Wolfhound named Austin, and is the partner of fellow artist, Joris Winderickx.

Close-up of vibrant pink hollyhock flowers with yellow stamens, some buds, and green leaves, against a blurred background.
Close-up of purple flowers with green leaves and stems.

The Inspiration behind Orbtak STUDIOS

Creations fueled by the beauty and depth of the natural world

A butterfly and a bee on yellow flowers.
A tall purple and green flowering thistle plant with a single open, purple flower bloom in a grassy field under a clear blue sky on the Normandy coast, Omaha beach.
A close-up of a green leaf floating on the surface of a shallow stream with rocks and pebbles visible underneath.
A sandy beach with green mossy rocks near cliffs on the French coast with lush green vegetation under a clear blue sky.
Yellow, chartreuse and gray lichen growing on a dark stone surface.

Orbtak is an artistic studio founded on an intense passion for the simplistic and the wholehearted belief that nothing is more inspiring or therapeutic than the ancient beauty and depth of the natural world.

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The studio is the creative project of Katie Brooks (Artist & Naturalist), who seeks to imbue bits of the hidden magic that she has discovered within our shared world into everything that she makes. All of Katie’s work is intended to intensify your personal connection with nature.

On any given day, you’ll likely find fine art, photography, writings and botanical concoctions here. You’ll also be just as likely to find Katie daydreaming, gardening or obsessively creating whatever wild idea she has just had.

STUDIO PHILOSOPHY:

ORB

/ɔrb/ (noun) - A sphere or globe; anything spherical

Earliest use: Middle English (c. 1150—1500 CE)

TAK

/tɑk/ (noun) - Dutch - A branch or twig from a tree; a forked road or river; offshoot

Earliest use: from Old Dutch (c. 510 - 1100 CE) “takko” meaning “pointy object”

Wanna see more?

A glass bowl filled with bright yellow-orange flower petals on dark mulch ground outdoors, surrounded by green plants.

Process & Materials

Explore the Studio