Cath Smith
Willoughby, OH
Artist and printmaker who explores the ideas of self and emotion through landscape art.
MessageCath Smith came to art through photography, and through her study of that form developed a keen eye for the shapes and scenes we see around us.
Raised on the ancient Malvern Hills in Worcestershire, Smith has lived in England, Scotland, and --most recently-- the United States. Her landscapes often depict high places and open spaces devoid of human interference. But Smith herself will tell you these pieces are more often expressive self-portraits than depictions of an actual place. She plays with media, color, shapes, and definition to create beautiful, often muted pieces.
A self-taught artist, Smith has been celebrated for her painted and photographic artwork in both local and international venues.
Statement
I believe there is something of ourselves in every piece we create. My artwork explores this idea that art cannot be separated from the sense of the self at the time of creating.
Through found landscapes -- pieces drawn from memory and imagination rather than reference or actual places -- I use color, shape, and form combine to express a sense of place. My process is a multi-step one, starting with something entirely intuitive -- allowing mood to determine the palette, materials. method, and mark-making -- and then a process of discovery, where the initial image is nursed and nurtured into a final form.