In the mornings, the sky calls to me. I stumble outside to breathe in the day. Cerulean blue and a thousand shades of green greet me as I walk from the house to my studio here in southwest Florida. Geckos dart, birds call, rabbits scurry. These sounds, sights and textures are my beginning. Painting connects me to a time in my youth of endless playing. The excitement of a new day. As I stand before the canvas, my daily questions are the same: what does this painting want to feel like? What could be?

I’m an explorer on the canvas. I love building layers using painting and drawing, scraping back, then adding more, and pouring glossy translucent glazes over the surface. My artwork provides the viewer with a bold graphic element from a distance, but up close they’re rewarded with rich organic details and texture. My work draws from the expansive palette of the natural world, capturing everything from the colors of the sky to the minutiae beneath our feet. I reimagine these elements, creating new landscapes, new nature scapes that blur the line between reality and abstraction. In my pieces, I play with contrasts—light against shadow, bold hues against muted tones, smooth textures against rough, the angular and the curvilinear. I'm fascinated by the interplay of strength and delicacy in nature and in ourselves, and I strive to reflect this tension in my art.

Since the COVID 19 Pandemic I find myself drawn to painting more and more abstractly, with small hints of nature peeking through. Painting is a deep dive act that happens within oneself, with a goal of pulling out something beautiful for the world to connect with. This has become even more important to me since an early diagnosed breast cancer was resolved, leaving me grateful and even more focused and motivated.

Everyone has gifts from the Creator. I believe it is the duty of each to share our gifts with the planet. My paintings are a brave look inward – revealing what lies beneath both literally and spiritually. Yogis call it the “divine flame” – the spark that motivates you in life. In Buddha’s words, “Look within, thou art the Buddha”, while Jesus taught us that “The kingdom of heaven is within you”. For me, painting is the most life affirming thing to do.

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“A dynamic interplay of abstract forms and vibrant colors characterizes Cat's work. Her pieces often explore the relationship between natural elements and human emotions, creating a harmonious blend of organic and abstract. Cat’s artistic process involves layering and manipulating acrylic and oil to achieve depth and texture, resulting in compositions which are both visually engaging and thought-provoking. She frequently draws inspiration from the natural world, translating its complexity into her abstract compositions. Her paintings are known for their vibrant color palettes, intricate paint textures, and the sense of movement they convey.” ~Cassie Mckenzie, Curator, Aedra Fine Arts