About Catharine Woods
I am a watercolor artist who enjoys painting florals, landscapes, and still lifes. My goal is fill those paintings with light and color.
Background
Although painting has been an important part of my life since childhood, I began painting seriously in 2005, when I quit my job as a school librarian and began to focus my efforts on improving my skills as a watercolorist and developing a consistent and recognizable painting style.
Technique
I work in a realistic style with transparent watercolor, occasionally using touches of gouache. My palette has evolved to include a variety of pigments, many of which are transparent and intensely saturated. I also look for pigments that are sedimentary, since I love the unique effects that can be achieved when those pigments are combined in mixtures.
Inspiration
I am inspired by a variety of subjects. I spend many hours photographing flowers in as many settings as I can. I also set up still lifes in my studio, arranging and rearranging them until I find a composition that inspires me. I am fortunate to live in Boulder, Colorado, one of the most beautiful small cities in the country, so I have a never-ending source of inspiration for my landscape paintings. And some of my favorite landscape paintings have been from my travels around the United States and in Europe, Japan, and Australia; I take many photographs and also enjoy making illustrated journals when I travel. There’s beauty everywhere…slow down and look for it.