Katie Daisy describes her work as being led by her inner child — a child who was raised in a 100-year-old farmhouse being lulled to sleep by the sight of fireflies and the sound of coyotes. This nostalgic feeling is at the heart of all her pieces. She is an illustrator, author, muralist, shopkeeper and fabric designer who infuses her work with reminders of “home.” What originally started as a quirky, dark style in her youth slowly morphed into a vintage, colorful, country aesthetic.
While pregnant with her son, she wrote the New York Times bestselling book “How to Be a Wildflower,” and you’ve probably walked past her mural for the city of Bend in the Old Mill District. She and her mural partner, Karen Eland, have painted large, outdoor pieces in all of the major towns around Central Oregon.
The Wheatfield, her charming shop in her hometown of Sisters, started as a showroom for her online sales but has expanded into a whimsical weekend shop full of vintage memories and brightly colored flora and fauna.
The secret to her success as a full-time artist is avoiding burnout by only taking on projects that excite her. She is wildly protective of her time and has, somehow, figured out a healthy work-life balance for her and her son. Her goal is to hold onto this balance and sustain her life of creative expression.
Fun facts about Katie: She’s a competitive Scrabble player and once gave a goldfish the Heimlich maneuver while working a job installing fish tanks in upscale homes. The next time you’re in Sisters on a weekend, pop by her shop and say hello.
The Wheatfield
484 W Washington Ave., Sisters
Open Fri.-Sun. from 11am-4pm
katiedaisy.com
Working under the moniker Canyon & Cove, Megan Neilson uses gouache paints to manifest her admiration for the animal world. You’ve probably seen her pieces around coffee shops and galleries across Central Oregon — camping bear cubs, snowshoeing moose and road-tripping fox families. She is living out her childhood dream of being an artist for a living, with the help of her business partner (aka her husband) to tackle the thousands of tasks per day to keep this dream alive.
As she tells it, there was a fire inside of her as a tiny human that only grew stronger as she grew taller. That fire led her to build a life full of imaginative creation. She uses physical movement and lots of coffee to stay inspired, and her studio is a colorful explosion of organized chaos. She was once asked to paint a custom piece of a cricket, a wolverine and a hippo sitting around a campfire — and no that isn’t the beginning of a bad joke! All of her pieces are centered around animals spending time together adventuring in the outdoors, invoking a sense of nostalgia and familiarity.
When asked what she would create if she had the freedom to paint anything in the world, it would still be these animals, but in all types of paint mediums. Her end goal is simply to never stop growing as an artist.
The Source Weekly caught up with these two Sisters’ artists
Source Weekly: How did you discover your style?
Katie Daisy: In high school, I started with a quirky, Tim Burton-esque style. I was drawn to creepy and dark imagery and primarily worked with black ink. But during college, my style transformed to something lighter, and I found a vintage aesthetic that resonated with my love for all things country.
Megan Neilson: I discovered my style very slowly and through lots of observation and curiosity about forms, technics [and] colors that I am attracted to. Kind of like adding to an ongoing collage of interests to inspire and to incorporate into my own artistic expression.
SW: Do you have rituals around your art?
KD: Before diving into a new project, I ground myself by venturing into nature. Whether it’s to a secret spot by the creek or plucking flowers from my garden, I always try to connect with what inspires me most. I also adore my trips to antique shops, where I hunt for vintage treasures that spark my imagination. I have big collections of 1800s Victorian ephemera, vintage sewing supplies, flower and butterfly-themed postage stamps and antique books.
MN: I love to get outside or get moving every day… probably helps clear my mind for creativity. My love for coffee is really real, and I really like to create in a pretty messy “organized chaos kind of way,” like a bomb went off at my art desk. It’s a sign there is lots of good stuff happening.
SW: When you are feeling stuck what do you do to clear your mind?
MN: I go for a long walk or head to a local coffee shop with my favorite playlist and just sketch it out!
SW: What is your favorite thing about your art?
KD: My art is a heartfelt tribute to my roots, a way to honor my childhood and the land that nurtured me. It’s brimming with nostalgia, an ongoing love letter to the magic of my rural upbringing. I’m always infusing my work with things that remind me of home: jam jars, dandelions, cumulus clouds, garden toads and quilt squares to name a few.
MN: That I get to play and explore and expand on it, one painting at a time. Sometimes it’s a successful drawing outcome, sometimes the colors and textures are right on and sometimes it’s all the things coming together.
SW: What are your favorite pieces or projects you’ve worked on and why?
KD: One of my dearest projects is my book, “How to Be a Wildflower.” It’s a celebration of adventure and inspiration, a piece of my spirit captured in print. It’s close to my heart because it encapsulates my philosophy and love for the natural world and exploration. I wrote it when I was pregnant with my son. (He’s 10 now!)
MN: I really love creating a series of paintings, like a storyline. That and the challenge of putting my artwork on products.
SW: How would you describe what you do?
MN: Firstly, I live my passion in life as an artist illustrator. How many people get to say they are doing for a living what they hoped and dreamed of when they were a kid? My husband and I run a business selling my art in both retail and wholesale. I create and cultivate a body of work, and together we do the 1,000 tasks to make it happen every day.
KD: I’m a creator in many forms — an illustrator, author, muralist, shopkeeper, fabric designer. Every project is about seeking beauty in the world and sharing it in all sorts of ways. Each illustration is a journey into a specific place in time, a fleeting daydream, an afternoon meadow nap. I bring my creations to life with watercolor and gouache on paper. For the last 15 years, I’ve licensed my work for a wide variety of products such as calendars, book covers, fabric, greeting cards and package design. I’ve worked with clients such as Target, Hallmark, Trader Joe’s, American Greetings and Pottery Barn.
SW: If you were standing in front of a room of strangers, what would you say to give them a good understanding of the human that’s you?
KD: Katie Daisy is an extension of myself, a child who was raised in the sprawling meadows and muddy creeks of the Midwest. I often fell asleep watching fireflies in the soybean fields from the window of our 100-year-old farmhouse. The coyote howls were a lullaby to my summer evenings and the morning songbirds invited me to explore the day. These memories feed my soul and inspire everything I create. I aim to weave these tales of nature’s beauty and nostalgia into my work, inviting others to find their own connection to the simple wonders of life.
MN: I would say I really care about kindness and humanity and treading lightly in this world. That animals likely have wisdom beyond our capabilities and that I feel greatly inspired to communicate some of that into my illustrations.
SW: Katie, how did your murals in Bend, Sisters, Prineville and other locations come about?
KD: My friend Karen Eland and I were commissioned by Visit Central Oregon to create the Central Oregon Mural Trail. We have murals in La Pine, Prineville, Redmond, Madras, Bend, the Redmond Airport, Sisters, Sunriver [and] Maupin, as well as many others that are not on the trail! It’s so fun to see my art enlarged to this scale since typically I work quite small.
Most of our murals depict the flora and fauna that make up a region’s landscape. Karen and I start by spending time in the area to get acquainted with the particular color palette and essence of the location. We’ll then move on to a sketch phase where we determine which plants, animals and other objects will be featured. After approval, we’ll develop a color study and move into the final art phase. We use exterior house paint because it has a built-in UV varnish. A typical mural takes us around four to five days but that greatly depends on the scale! After painting is complete, we’ll use another UV varnish to seal it from the elements.
SW: How did you get started with having a store in Sisters?
KD: I sort of stumbled into having a retail shop! I needed a fulfillment center for my online shop, and the space I found to lease just so happened to come with a small storefront. What was initially just going to be an occasional showroom has turned into a weekend shop filled with my art plus a bunch of items I love. I decided to call my shop The Wheatfield, which pays homage to my roots.
The Wheatfield is a shop for those seeking a touch of inspiration and joy. You’ll find hand-painted taper candles, dried flower bouquets sourced locally, garden gloves, plant presses and a collection of books celebrating the flora and fauna of the region. The shop also showcases a variety of vintage finds, floral hankies, seed packets, prairie dresses, candles and perfume.
This article appears in The Source Weekly March 13, 2025.
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