My name is Catherine; I’m an animal artist based in Sussex. Animals have always been my preferred subject since I was young, especially birds and members of the cat family. I love the technical challenge of depicting details in fur and feathers and how colours change in different lighting conditions. I’m also interested in the way we perceive human emotions and personalities in animal portraits, and how these creatures become characters in our minds.

I’ve been involved in art to varying degrees throughout my life, including taking a foundation diploma from Wimbledon College of Art, and a number of years working in an art shop, both of which gave me opportunities to explore a huge range of techniques and materials. I did begin to have some success selling a few paintings, however new work commitments and then babies came along and the paintbrushes had to be put to one side. After a long hiatus while my children were small, I finally have some time and space of my own in which to return to painting.

Acrylics have been my preferred medium since my school years, and since restarting I’ve been working with acrylic gouache, which so far is proving be everything I’ve looked for in a paint and really suits my style of working! I’ve been developing my skills as a photographer in parallel with my painting, with the goal of providing my own reference photos to work from. While my technical skills are a work in progress, I love having control over the whole creative process, and the satisfaction of capturing the perfect image for my art.

I’m learning more with each new piece I paint, and I’m excited to see how far I progress!

Website: www.catherineflandersart.co.uk

Instagram: @catherineflandersart