The Painting
This original oil painting by Catherine Twomey was painted at the incredible Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC, USA. It was painted en plein air (outside) on a windy day in early spring of 2017. When I look at it, I am taken back to the day when the greens were so bright and the light had such a sheen of early spring. It was painted alla prima, meaning "in one sitting" and is 8"H X 6"W, unframed.
The Boat House is located on the gorgeous Bass Pond at the Biltmore. I was drawn to it because of my previous studies of the art of Japan, with it's oriental flavor and lovely landscaping. Frederick Olmsted, the famous landscape architect who designed Central Park, also designed the stunning landscapes of the Biltmore. At the height of the Biltmore's operation as a private family residence (the Vanderbilts) in the late 1800s and early 1900s, guests would walk to the Boat House to enjoy the sunsets after a day of revelry.
The Artist
Art is my life. From the first art project I can remember (making a Christmas Nativity scene in grade school that overshadowed the resident artist) art has always been what brings me the greatest satisfaction. Without art, I am not who I am.
I am working full time as a fine artist, a dream that I've pursued for as long as I remember. Landscapes engage and challenge me, and I have a very soft spot for animals.
My artwork has been featured at the world renowned TED (Technology, Education and Design) conference (TED MED in San Diego, on huge high definition screens throughout the exhibition center). I recently won the nationally acclaimed ArtInPlace competition in Virginia which placed a 12' X 24' mural on aluminum of my work, seen by thousands of commuters daily.
Two museums currently house my art: The William H. Benton Museum in Connecticut, and The LLoyd Museum in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was a great honor to be asked to exhibit and I continue to add to their collections. Speaking of collections, my work is a part of hundreds of private collections worldwide.
I have studied with some of the greatest artistic and scientific minds in the world: fellow medical illustrators. Leonardo da Vinci is considered the first medical illustrator, and his knowledge, technical abilities and deep curiosity are benchmarks for the field.
As a Board Certified Medical Illustrator, I have had the privilege to know and learn directly from some of the most extraordinarily talented, smart and influential visionaries living today.
Fine art influencers include Georgia O'Keefe, Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt and Degas. I look to their struggles and triumphs, and their unflinching persistence.