Earthside

This painting describes those first early days getting to know your new baby. The great joy and wonder of holding your tiny newborn, watching every flicker in its scrunched up face, from its tiny nose right down to the unbelievable perfection of its tiny hands and toes. The intensity of these moments is so primal, their smell and unfocussed eyes, their furtive searching for the breast, squawking cries and and funny snuffles. Looking at them in absolute wonder, sometimes seeing your own face in theirs. Despite the rigours of birth, love conquers the enormous physical and emotional challenges of new motherhood. The wonderful journey of getting to know each other has only just begun.

This artwork is painted on high quality watercolour paper.

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Despite having her artistic leanings spotted early by her first grade teacher and confirmed when selected for a highly competitive Special Arts Scholarship, Cate studied at University and worked in sensible jobs trying to improve health in the community. Her artist’s heart however was never far from the surface and she continued to find creative outlets to express her take on life. Focussing on photography for a time she won some photography awards and published photographs in a variety of mediums. Meantime she continued to explore fine arts studying photography, fashion and art at home and abroad.
In 1997, Cate started painting more intensely. Inspired, she quite her job, travelled to Italy achieving top marks for her art studies in Florence at the Instituto Lorenzo de’ Medici. She found sensible yet well remunerated jobs including contracts with UN organisations which afforded her the opportunity to live and work in Europe.
Cate has published a successful art book Fremantle: City of Colour, an artist’s celebration of the port city’ and has an interactive sketchbook ‘Passages’ at the Brooklyn Art Library, NYC. Cate’s expressive and colourful style is full of the strength of feeling which imbues her work. Although she largely works using a combination of pen and ink, layered with colour and collage, she is also interested in new technologies and the amazing possibilities of digital mediums.
In recent times, Cate has been exploring maternity and motherhood in a series of mixed media pictures. An emotionally rich subject it draws on universal themes of love, beauty and loss.