ABOUT THE ARTIST
CATHERINE CARTER is an abstract artist inspired by the gestural forms of calligraphy and the complex patterns of Nature. In a creative career spanning three decades, she has expressed these design concepts through acrylic paint on canvas, paper and fabric. A native of Massachusetts, she began her career in the fashion industry, receiving a degree in fashion illustration and working for a renowned couturier. She then went on to earn a Bachelor's degree from Lesley University and a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Painting from the University of Massachusetts.
Catherine has exhibited her paintings, prints and collages at multiple venues, including the Chrysler Museum of Art and the United States Embassies in Oman and Cameroon. Her shows have been reviewed in the Boston Globe, the Boston Herald, the Providence Journal, and Art New England. Her artworks are held in a number of public, corporate, hospitality and private collections, including the Boston Public Library and the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston. She is the recipient of artist grants from the St. Botolph Club Foundation, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and New Bedford Creative. She currently works in a sunny, spacious studio in a former textile mill in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
Catherine has exhibited her paintings, prints and collages at multiple venues, including the Chrysler Museum of Art and the United States Embassies in Oman and Cameroon. Her shows have been reviewed in the Boston Globe, the Boston Herald, the Providence Journal, and Art New England. Her artworks are held in a number of public, corporate, hospitality and private collections, including the Boston Public Library and the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston. She is the recipient of artist grants from the St. Botolph Club Foundation, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and New Bedford Creative. She currently works in a sunny, spacious studio in a former textile mill in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
"A delightful rethinking of the elements of calligraphy as they morph into the movements of choreography."
-- Don Wilkinson, Arts Writer
-- Don Wilkinson, Arts Writer
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
My artworks speak a language of tranquility and possibility through calligraphic shapes and swirling compositions. While their designs reference the written word, my paintings convey their message through non-verbal, intuitive cues. Rather than dictate a definitive interpretation of my art, I invite the viewer to bring their own imagination and sensibility to the work.
The loose, flowing forms in my paintings originated in the gesture sketches I made as an undergraduate in figure drawing class. I am also intrigued by the elaborate shapes found in wildstyle graffiti and lace fabric. Complex natural patterns such as branches, vines and roots further inspire me. But there is no attempt on my part to illustrate anything specific or familiar.
Throughout my creative career, I have used a wide range of inventive layering techniques to interpret my signature rolling loops, including spray-painting through hand-made stencils, painting and cutting fabric into collages, and extruding fluid paint through squeeze bottles. Any mark that seems to convey a feeling of energy and optimism is likely to find its place in my work.
The loose, flowing forms in my paintings originated in the gesture sketches I made as an undergraduate in figure drawing class. I am also intrigued by the elaborate shapes found in wildstyle graffiti and lace fabric. Complex natural patterns such as branches, vines and roots further inspire me. But there is no attempt on my part to illustrate anything specific or familiar.
Throughout my creative career, I have used a wide range of inventive layering techniques to interpret my signature rolling loops, including spray-painting through hand-made stencils, painting and cutting fabric into collages, and extruding fluid paint through squeeze bottles. Any mark that seems to convey a feeling of energy and optimism is likely to find its place in my work.