Bio and Artist’s Statement

Catherine is a tireless advocate, supporter and participant in all aspects of art and culture. First and foremost, she is an artist and professional jeweller, specializing in the rare art and techniques of champlevé and grisaille enamelling. She has pursued independent studies in the areas of European Iron Age Archaeology, Art History, Mythology, Folklore and traditional song and teaches workshops in these subjects. She started her own business as a professional enamellist in 1984, and exhibits her work at Cultural Festivals throughout Canada and the United States. In 2005 she began teaching both Beginners and Advanced levels of Enamelling at George Brown College in Toronto, and in 2009 she started an enamel supply business to serve her Canadian students and colleagues. Throughout her career she has volunteered with Arts organisations and organized exhibitions and conferences. Catherine’s artistic expression extends to the performing arts as well. She has worked in Theatre as an actor, set and costume designer and writer. She is also a professional singer of Irish traditional music, and has produced two independent albums, “This Ancient Fabric” and “Dark is the Colour.”

PROFESSIONAL CAREER

Catherine’s career as a professional artist began in 1984 and has continued up to the present. It has included the production of fine enamelled jewellery in two rare and highly skilled techniques (champlevé and grisaille enamelling), teaching and the management a thriving new on-line enamel supply business. Catherine has developed her art business from a street corner selling operation to an international exporting company and looks forward to expanding her new supply business across the country.

She maintains a strong on-line presence with an art and a teaching website, both of which she designed and maintains herself.  She also has an Etsy store, and participates in Social networking. She maintains a blog, an on-line forum for enamellists and has written a monthly newsletter for the Metal Arts Guild as well as for her own businesses.

STATEMENT

It is my belief that art, like music, can build cultural community rather than foster elitism. By changing our relationship to modern artifacts we can come to a better understanding of our past, and consequently, our relationship with each other. My work is essentially about story, informed by research in early history, archaeology, anthropology and folklore. My vision is to mirror the past, and speak to the present through ancient symbols.