Catherine started her interest in art as a young child drawing her many pets. While attending High School she won her first blue ribbon. As she continued through higher education at Penn State, studying Electrical Engineering, she won 2 more ‘Best in Show’ awards. During the years after college, the media used progressed from graphite to colored pencil and from acrylics to oils paints. When Catherine was blessed with children her choice of media migrated to watercolor for ease of clean up. Living in North Carolina allowed Catherine to study with the Sanford Brush and Palette Club. This club was very active in the education, showing and sales of their current works. There were many talented and accomplished artists that acted as both mentor and educator. Exhibitions were both profitable and rewarding as Catherine received more awards and sold a number of her paintings.
Her artwork continues to develop and explore the various medium available. Pastels over watercolor are a latest experiment and allow for free-form and creativity. “The creation of art has always been a meditative experience.” Recent years have allowed for further exploration of the pastel medium.
Catherine currently holds membership in the: Pastel Society of America, Creative Art Guild of Shrewsbury, Pastel Society of New Jersey, and Plein Air Painters of the Jersey Coast. Catherine's works have been selected in to several juried shows for each of these memberships. Following honors: 2011 - Merit Award Pastel Society of New Jersey 2013 - Exhibiting Membership: Guild of Fine Arts, Shrewsbury NJ 2014 - Associate Membership: Pastel Society of America, New York, NY 2014 - Signature Membership: Pastel Society of New Jersey 2016 - Best in Category Pastel Society of New Jersey 2016 - Merit Award Pastel Society of New Jersey. Catherine has studied with several PSA signature members including Stan Sperlak, Marge Levine, Barbara Courtney Jaenicke, Karen Margulis, Karen Helfeld Israel, and several others to come at this years IAPS Convention. Traveling to Iceland in 2014 and France in 2015 with the Painters Passport has increased exposure to the experience of Plein Aire painting.
Link to 2020 December PSNJ Newsletter. Here for full newsletter