|
BIOGRAPHY
RESUME PRICES AND PURCHASING INFORMATION
|
Catherine J. Swanson was born in Tacoma WA in 1957. Her father worked for the American Plywood Association and later as a career commercial Salmon fisherman in Alaska, her mother raised the family and worked as a realtor. Catherine was the oddball artist-type of the entire family. Her mom loved her drawings that were often humorous depictions of relatives. By age 10, she was drawing detailed portraits of celebrities copied from posters in the Sunday paper. In school she was the token artist, a comfortable role many young artists assume. She went to primary and middle school in Tacoma WA. Her college studies consisted of community college and various commercial art schools with the intent of finding a living in the arts. Her studies at community college were in drawing and color theory. Her instructor, Dr Landburg, was a fan of Albers and Klee. She also painted sets at the Bishop Theater at her college. When she was 19 years old she moved to Seattle to study graphic arts. She learned to run presses and use a massive horizontal camera. This leads her to work for the State Department of Printing in Olympia. This is where she was able to view almost daily the stunning and beautiful murals of Michael Spafford and Alden C. Mason. After Olympia, she went to Alaska to work for summer fishing. While on this undecided youthful life-path, her true influences have to be nature and the randomness of her patterns in the waters, sky and landscapes. Catherine went back to Seattle to attend school for interior design studies. There were intensive courses in lighting, fabrics, floor coverings and wall coverings. She had studies in design, color theory and art history. She then went to The Factory School of Visual Arts in Seattle and studied life drawing and painting with Chicago artist, Susan Gofstein. She states her early Seattle influences as Paul Horiuchi, George Tsutakawa & Jonathan Borofsky all of whom had prominent public art placed around the city. Seattle was becoming an art town with the advent of contemporary art galleries opening in Pioneer Square. In the early eighties she attended the art openings searching for something in the art world that could influence her. She credits her friend, poet Irene Drennan with helping to direct her toward painting. Drennan told her about the true importance of continuing to work on one’s own art despite the responsibilities and obstacles of life. So armed with new found strength, she decided to start working on her art. Catherine knew that she needed a mentor or a teacher. It was impractical for her to become ensconced in the academic world of the Universities. In 1991 she meets her future husband David N. Goldberg, also a painter who had recently relocated to Seattle from San Francisco. She was married to David in 1992 in New York City. Swanson started painting and showing in small venues around Seattle for the next several years. Then in 1997 they had their son Eli. After closing their art supply store, they headed for the big apple NYC and lived there for nearly two years but decided that the Pacific Northwest was the place they loved the most.
Living in Tacoma
since 2001, she has continued to be involved in the arts as well as
paint in her studio. She taught children art for five years
privately and started a small art gallery that she operated for
three years. Swanson painted a few public murals, one at
Multi-Care/Mary Bridge Children’s health care center. She also
revisited painting Theatrical sets for Tacoma Actors Guild. To date
she is pursuing painting more diligently and is planning to curate
art exhibitions for new venues in Tacoma.
|
|
|
|
