Catherine Ann
Fine Art
Oil paintings for slow looking
Catherine Ann
Fine Art
Landscape paintings for slow looking
Artist based in Canberra, Australia
About Catherine Ann
I was born in Canberra to parents who had a rich love for the country, and grew up camping, chasing cows and climbing under old, disused woolsheds. Most of the time we wore torn clothes, dirt and smiles in equal measure. Memories of wide-open skies, the smell of eucalyptus, and campfire smoke have stayed with me.
In combination to adventuring, my family were all naturally creative: my Dad’s paintings were on the walls and he always had a camera, my Mum was well known for her work with fabric and could turn her hand to anything, and my brother was inspired by film and also later photography. Me — I was often found drawing on reams of old computer paper or colouring in. There’s a story my mum often told about my preschool teacher saying I refused to label my artwork as “Catherine” — it had to be “Catherine Ann.” Apparently, I was very clear about that from the start.
I was lucky through education to be continually inspired: my high school art teacher imbedded a desire to learn and I attended pastel classes with local Canberra artist Marie Lund and oil painting weekend courses at the ANU School of Art. With a young family I transitioned to acrylics and watercolours, but over time I’ve returned to oil painting and have continued to refine my style and learn through online resources.
In 2019 I won First prize in the Acrylic and Oil section of the Royal Canberra Show, for my Acrylic work, Back of Bredo.
In 2026, I will present my first solo exhibition, following a joint exhibition with my father and fellow artists.
My influence for painting landscapes has always remained the grounding comfort of my earlier experiences — the quiet country spaces where things felt less chaotic and there was room to breathe. I now strive to capture those moments — places to return to, to lose myself and slow down.