Katerina Mertikas is a self-taught artist who was born in Tripoli, Greece in 1957. She and her family (Patrinos) immigrated to Canada in 1960; first to Montreal and then to Ottawa. Her two daughters were originally the inspiration of her work, and now she happily depicts her grandchildren in her works with a renewed energy of watching them grow. She had her first show in Ville Saint Laurent in 1989 and has been showing ever since. Painting spontaneously, in bright, bold acrylic paint, she captures what she feels and what her memory retains. Her paintings are mainly of children having fun, playing games or participating in sporting events in a naïve style. Katerina classifies her own work as naïve expressionism, trying to convey to the world the message of love, peace, innocence, and friendship. Katerina explains: “I love vivid colours. I love the feeling the painting creates within me-especially when depicting children in all their joys and excitement. I try to capture the special, happy moments in our daily lives on every canvas I paint.” Katerina’s work has been selected by UNICEF and the Canadian Lung Association for cards, stamps, and calendars to help raise funds for their charities. She has also been honoured with a “Women of Distinction” award in the arts category in 1999 and elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts, whose patron is Prince Philip of Edinburgh.
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Awards and Distinctions
2011 - Ottawa Citizen - A mother's masterpiece
1993 to 2009 - UNICEF Christmas Cards
2008 - Odyssey Magazine Article
2003 and 2008 - Hospital of Toronto Christmas Cards
2003 - Air Canada Jazz meal boxes promoting UNICEF
2002 - Pineridge Art - Young at Heart Calendar
2000 - United Nations Artist
1999 and 2001 - The Ottawa Citizen - full page display
1999 - Article in Magazine D'Art
1999 - Woman of Distinction Award for the Arts
1997 - Juvenile Diabetes Foundation Card
1994 - Christmas Seal artist for Canadian Lung Association
1994 - Children’s Aid Society Toronto cards
1994 - Isle of Guernsey stamp
Selected Collections
The Late Princess Diana
Mr. Jean Chretien
Mrs. Mila Mulroney
Sir Roger Moore
Julio Iglesias
Nana Mouskouri
Senator/Dr. Wilbert Keon
Embassy of Greece
Former Greek ambassador, Mr. & Mrs. John Thomoglou
Former Greek ambassador, Mr. & Mrs. Papasliotis
University of Ottawa Heart Institute
Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario
Alberta Children's Hospital
Eleni Bakopanos, Former MP
Former Governor General R.J. Hnatyshyn
Nick Discepola, Former MP
Remax Head Office
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