Chronicle 2018

PHOTO: NIAMH BARRY 2009

By Allison MacLachlan 2005

T o Catherine Shea, art is so much more than colour on a canvas. It’s a way to tap into intuition, express emotion and work through life’s challenges. An abstract expressionist painter with a focus on graphic, geometric art, Catherine teaches workshops in her Toronto studio where students aged four to 90 pair unconventional palettes, veer away from traditional colour theory and paint from the gut in an exploration of experiential learning. Many of Catherine’s students are facing challenges, whether career crises, health issues such as anxiety and depression, or even physical limitations such as blindness. Catherine strongly supports the therapeutic aspects of art, as well as its power to boost cognitive abilities, relieve stress and shift mood. Her students often come into class saying that they don’t know what they’re doing. Catherine sees herself as a mentor and facilitator and encourages her painters to surrender. Once they let go of stress and judgment, release their expectations and embrace not knowing, intuition kicks in. And when students see their final product, they often marvel: “I can’t believe I did that.” As a Grades 9 and 10 student at Havergal, Catherine took early inspiration from art classes. “I had an inkling that this was a path I could go down,” she says. Catherine remembers a formative conversation with Miss Dennys in which the headmistress recognized her “off-the- bell-curve” personality and reassured her that not everyone is carved from the same block.

Catherine believes that artists are naturally different. “Artists tend to be rebels: we want you to stop for a couple of moments, take the work in, have it affect you,” she says. Largely self-taught, Catherine trusted her instincts and sold her first piece of art at age 19. It took some courage to turn away from the academic path that many of her peers were following. She worked in galleries and showrooms until founding her own business almost 20 years ago. Catherine says that the process of launching her workshops was a slow, organic build, having to first experience rejection and build a foundation. This summer, Catherine will reach a new career milestone by including her students in a group exhibition for the first time, showcasing their work at a public gallery. It’s a leap of faith for her students and a proud moment for her, too. Catherine describes it as a natural progression in her career, like layering the next colour on the canvas. Being an artist is challenging at times, but Catherine loves it. She finds it especially rewarding when art makes a difference and improves lives. Catherine remembers a client who purchased one of her paintings years ago and asked for it to be hung at the bottom of her staircase. Catherine thought that this was an odd place for fine art, until the client said that she had been living with chronic pain and needed something beautiful to encourage her downstairs every day. When art moves beyond the canvas, Catherine feels the reward of choosing the path she did, of appreciating each layer for what it is and trusting that it would all come together.

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