While still at school, my interest in drawing faces led to winning my first art competition in a teenage magazine.
This inspired me to keep drawing and learning with each new portrait and in turn developing a deep love for portraiture.
After matriculating, I studied Fine Art at the Cape Technikon under Leon Rubens, Richard Mitchell and Jan Vermeiren, amongst others.
Working in a retail art environment followed for many years, with a travel break and some time spent as a crafter and supplier to the tourism industry (Cape Heritage shop) and an exhibition at Flora '93 with The Botanical Society of SA.
I continued exploring different subject matter, striving to improve in technique and developing a love for various mediums while being inspired by the masters and influenced by both local and international contemporary artists.
Favourites include Monet, Lautrec, Klimt, Schiele, Sargent, Zorn, and current American Realists, David Kassan, Jeremy Lipking and Mario Robinson, among many others.
My subject matter has recently focused on musicians in performance, portrait studies of local characters, and the natural environment of the Cape, especially the local bird life, which I intend to develop further.
My desire with any work is to strive to capture the essence or life within the subject. Favourite mediums include graphite, oils, pastels and charcoal.
Group Exhibitions
2016
Wildlife, adventure and narrative, annual wildlife exhibition
at The Cape Gallery
2014
Pause, annual wildlife exhibition at The Cape Gallery
2013
Encounters, annual wildlife exhibition at The Cape Gallery
SASA Merit exhibition Kirstenbosch
2012
The world we live in, annual wildlife exhibition at The Cape Gallery
SASA Annual Exhibition - Best Drawing Trophy Kirstenbosch
2011
SASA Group show - Members Exhibition Kirstenbosch
2009, 2010
SAJE - UCT College of Music - Exhibition of drawings & paintings of musicians
2007
These Four Walls Fine Art Gallery Observatory - 2 group shows.
2002
Art in the Avenue Cape Town
Besides many completed commissions, my work has sold locally and can be found in private collections internationally in USA, UK, Germany and Australia. |
 |


Artist: CATHY MCSHANNON
Title: Swallow- cold day
Size: 13 x 15 cm
Media: Oil on wood
SOLD |