Featured Artist - Catherine Macdonald
He listened while he watched - Artist Catherine Macdonald
Catherine Macdonald was born and raised in Whanganui. She attended Upokongaro Primary School then Whanganui Girls' College.
Her memories of this time included “I had a great art teacher for the last couple of years at girls college - Graham Hall - He encouraged us to go on a lot of after school art courses run by the local polytechnic. It helped me realise that art was something I wanted to do.”
Formal training
Catherine has a BFA from the Quay School of the Arts - Whanganui, majoring in printmaking.
“As part of the course, there was a press building elective, which I took. It meant I left the course with the means to continue printmaking.”
“It was an exciting time to be studying there, there were great facilities that we had 24-hour access to, which was great when you were on a roll; you could just keep working.”
Inspirations
“I've had some great teachers, Graham Hall and Marty Vreede. Marty was my printmaking tutor at the art school, and the mastermind behind the press building course. Japanese printmakers like Hokusai have inspired me - he is famous for the series of prints of Mt Fuji - Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji”
“I think looking at Hokusai's works is one of the reasons I also enjoy doing multiple images of a subject”.
Current art practice
“I still do a lot of printmaking - mostly drypoint and some letterpress and wood cut prints. I have a second press now a 1879 Albion Press that I use for the letter press printing. I make furniture using a mix of new and recycled materials.”
“Drawing is one of the main focuses of my art practice, whether it's as the prep work for prints or furniture designs or as finished artworks themselves.”
“A love of drawing brought me to printmaking and the challenge of creating fluid lines has kept me engaged with it. I work mostly with drypoint an intaglio process, it is direct, the lines you scratch into the plate make up the image. The works take inspiration from my environment and its inhabitants.”
Where are you based, and how do you market your business?
“I have a studio in an old church hall in central Whanganui. Whanganui’s has a very active arts community ,one of the events I always take part in is the Artist Open Studios.”
“The public getting to visit the artists studios and see where the work is being made and the tools and materials that are used in its making. It is a great way for them to understand the techniques that go into making the work and to talk directly with the artists about the concepts behind the work.”
“I exhibit regularly in Whanganui and throughout NZ and occasionally overseas.”
Represented in New Zealand by
https://www.paper-works.co.nz/
https://www.railwaystreetstudios.co.nz/
and in Australia by
https://manyunggallery.com.au/artists
member of:
https://www.26.org.uk/ - international writing group
https://www.printcouncil.nz/ - new zealand printmakers
Tips for Artists just starting out?
“It can be hard to stay motivated. I like to have a few deadlines to work towards and say yes to opportunities that come up. Try to keep the fun and exploration in your art practice.”
What are your preferred contact details?
Article and Interview by Tony Cutting
for Aotearoa Today.
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