Biography

b. 1968, Bronx, New York

Art is a powerful voice.

I feel that painting is a means to capture the human spirit and at the same time reflect who I am. Learning to paint has been a journey of self discovery. I believe that if you speak from your heart and are truly faithful, honest and passionate about your subject and what you want to portray, then people will listen and respond. If you can capture a moment that touches your heart or stirs feelings within you, you will touch another’s heart. That is my fondest hope.

In the words of Robert Henri, “There is the heart and the mind, the Puritan idea is that the mind must be master. I think the heart should be master and the mind should be the tool and servant of the heart… the man who wants to produce art must have the emotional side first, and this must be reinforced by the practical… first there must be the man, then the technique”. The artists that I am most inspired by, appear to have this in common. I am spellbound and captivated by the raw emotion a painting is capable of embodying. This is the idea that I will pursue for a lifetime.

I am drawn to the rural landscapes of northeastern Pennsylvania and the natural beauty of New England; quite places too often overlooked.

I am very inspired by the work of John Constable, George Inness, Issac Levitan, Ilya Repin, Emil Carlsen, Anton Mauve, William Adolphe Bouguereau, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot and the Naturalist Painters: Emile Friant, Jules Bastien Lepage, George Clausen.

Biography

Catherine was born in the Bronx, New York and grew up about an hour north of the city. Majoring in Early Childhood Education, Catherine graduated from Cortland University. After graduating, she entered the business scene in Manhattan and climbed the corporate ladder to become Director of Marketing and Partner for a mid-sized firm. Growing tired of that lifestyle and having had her first son, Catherine put a studio in her home and began to pursue her life-long dream of becoming an artist.

Catherine’s interest in traditional drawing and painting introduced her to many artistic influences, most recently at The Ridgewood Art Institute. Here she met the teacher who has had the most profound influence on her work, John Osborne. John Phillip Osborne was a student of Arthur Maynard who in turn was a student of Frank Vincent Dumond. Dumond taught for many years at the Art Students League in New York and instructed such notable artists as Georgia O’Keefe, Norman Rockwell, Frank Mason and Everett Raymond Kinstler. Catherine has also studied at the Grand Central Academy of Art, the Art Students League, the Scottsdale Artist School and the Fredericksburg Artist’s School. She is a member of the following organizations:

Oil Painters of America
The American Impressionist Society
The Portrait Society of America
The Hudson Valley Art Association
Allied Artists of America
The Ridgewood Art Institute

Catherine lives in New Jersey with her husband, Ben, and their three children.