Cathy Carey

Cathy Carey’s paintings express an essential connection of all things through a joyous spirit. As an accomplished oil painter, Carey works in a unique version of a contemporary color expressionist style. She tells her stories of exhilarating joy using gestural brush strokes, vivid color and rhythmic compositions.

From a young age Carey painted and drew images from her imagination and illustrated stories that she wrote. Carey’s parents were very supportive of her artistic abilities. She attended the Corcoran School of Art in Washington DC and then received a BFA in Painting and Print Making from Virginia Commonwealth University. After graduating from VCU, Carey realized she would need to do something to make a living, so she began a complementary artistic career in the design and printing industries. After working at a silk screen factory, a printing company, a large advertising agency and Circuit City as a graphic designer and illustrator, she moved to California to work as an Art Director for a newspaper group.

Carey’s paintings take place in an alternate reality. She heightens color, dramatizes, blows some things all out of proportion and minimizes other details in order to create a mood. She describes her paintings as images from a beautiful experience that is now gone, and all that remains is the memory. She rarely paints finished paintings on location, but acquires impressions and feelings at the place through sketches or plein air pieces and allows the rest of the details to percolate into memory.

Learn more about Cathy’s influences in her artist talk on Youtube

Cathy’s work is represented in Arizona by Wilde Meyer Galleries. Click on any piece to enlarge it.