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Cathy Denford About

Cathy in her studio

About my work

I make work based on bird, human, and landscape subjects.  These are mostly paintings -mixed media, oils or water-colour- with some reliefs.  My pictures embrace complementary aims. Elements in some works evoke weight and substance, especially of landscape and the human form, subject to gravity. Others push against the essential stillness of painting to suggest movement. Birds  or people may try to escape their frames, rather than sitting comfortably within. Movement, especially when set against stillness, can focus attention on spaces between things. It carves through, shapes and measures space.  And it implies time passing.

Working on 'At the Seashore'

I experiment with different media to achieve these varying goals, often trying to simplify. My works move between figurative studies from life to more abstract developments.  I try to distil an essence which expresses my feelings, calm or excited, for the natural world. Paintings often include some planned and controlled elements with other free strands improvised.

Working on 'Flying Things Approach'

About Cathy

Since studying art at school, Cathy has maintained a varied visual art practise, supported by part time and short art courses, while training and working as a director in the media of TV and theatre. Since she moved to York in 1998, fine art has been a strong focus, with study in print making (with Peter Wray) and painting (with Jane Charlton) at York St John University. She has since taken short courses at Chelsea College of Art, the Slade (2009). Study with Margaret Hunter, and guidance from sculptor Laurie Burt and artist Pam Knight have helped Cathy develop her style, technique, and practise.