Artist Statement
Catherine Cruz is a French-American abstract artist who works with collage and mixed media. Informed by more than twenty-five years of experience in the design world, she takes inspiration from a unique perspective, which spans architecture, interior design, and sustainability.
She is driven by curiosity and the visceral need to experiment. In her abstract art practice, she has found paper and paint to be both simple and complex materials that can be manipulated in many ways. She grew up in an environment where the juxtaposition of old and new architecture creates a beautiful tension. In her current art, she sees the textures representing the old and the collage elements representing the new. Her art is informed by the passing of time and the effect of the natural elements on the built environment, which creates beauty and complexity in distressed and weathered surfaces.
Her abstract vocabulary is based on intuitive mark making, lines and forms, as well as the exploration of visual and tactile texture, and a good understanding of color. Her art-making process is very intuitive and explorative and she enjoys creating multi-layered surfaces because it is an exercise of trust, patience, and perseverance.
Artist Biography
Catherine was born in Mante-la-Jolie, France, and moved the United States in 1987 to attend college. She received a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design (Cum Laude) from Florida State University in 1993 and had a successful career as residential and commercial interior designer for 20 years, followed by a second career and the creation of her own business as LEED-accredited green building consultant working with international architectural firms in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York, and Houston.
She lives in Sebastopol, CA, with her family, and stays in Valence, France, every year where she hosts a creative art retreat. She created Be You Art Studio and launched her creative workshops in 2018 and she has led numerous art classes for children and adults for both in France and the USA. Her passion is to encourage others to unleash their creativity, experiment with materials, and connect with their imagination.
She participates in Sonoma County’s Art Trails Open Studios every Fall, a juried event comprised of over 120 artists, and she teaches and volunteers at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts.
