Reflecting rural life

Scraps of her collecting often end up on her textural paintings of anything from historic wool sheds, to nests, native birds, still life, nude figures or native flowers.

Defined as a contemporary artist, Catherine’s works feature plenty of mixed mediums and collected pieces to complete her work.

“I really enjoy finding and gathering objects and I often have pieces arranged on my works from the farm and incorporating them into my paintings.

“I love rustic and worn objects or scenes that are reflective of the Australian landscape – I’m influenced greatly by Australian themes.”

While she works mostly with paints, her mixed media and collaged paintings have attracted high praise and have seen her take the step from a full time teacher and part-time artist, to a full time artist, operating business Art Shed 41 in the past two years.

Art Shed 41 is named after their property, Farm 41, at Coleambally where Catherine creates her works in either her studio or the farm shearing shed, which gives her “plenty of space for big works and some amazing light to work in”.

But it wasn’t an easy step to take from the safe income of teaching - it was a comment from a fellow artist at a workshop two years ago which gave her the strength to take the leap from a more traditional work life to the work life of a full time artist.

“I was taking a workshop with the painter (Archibald Prize finalist) Angus McDonald from Lennox Head, and he gave more some really positive feedback on my work,” she said.

“And it was that which really encouraged me to become a professional artist.”

While Catherine has always been artistic, for the five to eight years prior to her becoming a professional artist Catherine dabbled in her passion for painting and drawing while juggling being a secondary school art teacher, and raising a family.

But with the support of her husband, Glenn, and her two children, Belle, 6, and Ned, 4, she now concentrates on creating works.

“I was trying to balance work and family life, and now, to be able to work from home and be doing something I am passionate about is very fulfilling.

“I love it, and I’m lucky Glenn is very supportive of that.”

Growing up in Balranald with a mother as an artist and a father as a wool classer, Catherine’s artistic influences were always going to be rurally entrenched.

Catherine’s mother, Jan Lawler, is a recognised regional artist and Catherine credits her mother with teaching her strong drawing skills and an eye for composition.

“I do have strong drawing skills and they were developed from Mum - we have similar skills and ideas but we project them very differently,” she said.

One of her favourite works personally is a portrait of her father, Peter, which she painted directly on to a wool pack.

“I just thought it was a fitting ‘canvas’ for him and it really sums him up.

“I really like to capture the essence of a subject matter, not concentrate on it being just being a pretty picture,” she said.

Which is why Catherine will find difference pieces around their irrigation farm to add to an artwork, to make it more than just a painting or drawing on canvas.

“I come from a family of nature lovers and I like to capture that in a contemporary way with pieces of the Australian landscape and the lifestyle – things like old clotheslines and natural materials all interest me and this is reflected in my works,” she said.

Her back catalogue features solid themes for her paintings which Catherine said she tended to exhaust a subject for a long time before moving on to another one.

This includes historic shearing sheds and more recently, native birds.

“People have loved the native birds studies and I’ve been painting them for a while – we attract beautiful birds to our farm and I enjoy capturing our local ones the most.,” she said

“I’m not sure how long my birds will continue. Watch this space.”

Her next themes are will include native flowers and still life pictures featuring crockery “like lovely old jugs” she has fossicked around and found in second hand shops.

Her work is influenced by a diverse range of Australian and International contemporary artists.

“It sounds clichéd to say (painter) Brett Whiteley, but really his style has had a lasting affect on me.

“Also Rosalie Gascoigne, an abstract artist who worked with found objects – she liked to recontexturalise traditional subjects.”

But Catherine said she was also influenced by contemporary mediums and her works could be considered quite modern and mainstream by some people, rather than strictly “traditional” or “rural”.

“That said I love texture and colour and my works are very reflective of my rural surrounds and the Australian landscape in which I live,” she said.

“I have a house full of furniture that has seen better days, rustic pieces and things I have found in little haunts – things that inspire me in different ways and give me different ideas for subjects.”

Catherine said she liked to capture realistic themes in a contemporary way, and her strong drawing skills coupled with her loose lines and abstract approach led to original works which were becoming highly regarded.

She is currently building her artistic profile by hosting large solo exhibitions around regional NSW and interstate, with a goal of gaining representation in a metropolitan gallery.

Most recently she had success at the Wagga Art Show in 2012, winning the painting and contemporary sections, and a near sell-out exhibition at the Moree Gallery last March.

Her first interstate exhibition was held at the Barossa Gallery, Tanunda in South Australia from March until May.

She has added another string to her bow by holding weekend artistic workshops in the western Riverina.

The popular workshops are held in a farm stay/bed and breakfast environment at Julie and Bruce Armstong’s property, “Corynnia”, Carrathool.

Catherine hoped the budding artists found the rural environment inspiring.

“I hope I can share my love of art-making and help to enhance their own practice,” she said.

“It’s a great place to mix with like-minded people – you can’t help but be inspired at ‘Corynnia’.”

There are future plans to open a gallery, potentially in Beechworth in north-east Victoria, where there is a solid transient tourist population to which Catherine’s works would likely appeal.

“While there is a plan somewhere off in the future for that, it is a long way off,” she said.

“We’re happy here in Coleambally – Glenn has lived here all his life, we love the close-knit little community that it is and that’s right for our family right now.”

Catherine’s works can be viewed online at www.artshed41.com.au or are available year round at Paper Pear Gallery, Gurwood Street, Wagga Wagga.

A selection of Catherine’s work titled “Beyond The Line” has opened at GIGS Fine Art Gallery, Wodonga, running until March 24.