We’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Cathy over several years, and it’s been a joy to watch both her work and her presence in the community flourish. Cathy lives in Hitchin, Hertfordshire with her wife, Clare, and together they are deeply rooted in their local area, actively supporting and championing the North Herts Pride community.
Cathy’s artwork reflects that same sense of warmth and connection. Her paintings are cheerful, expressive, and full of character, the kind of pieces that naturally bring a smile. Inspired by both her surroundings and her observations of the natural world, her work captures moments of everyday beauty, often with a playful and thoughtful twist, especially in her birds.
Canvas to Shirt - The one with all the birds!
Her piece “The one with all the birds” perfectly embodies this spirit, imagining a social canopy of busy birds, a gentle reflection of friendship, interaction, and community. It’s this sense of storytelling and joy that made Cathy such a natural collaborator, with the painting forming the foundation for the shirt designs created in partnership with GFW Clothing.
When we recently visited Cathy, we had the pleasure of bringing something very special with us the GFW shirt, ‘All the Birds’, now brought to life using her own design. Seeing her work translated from canvas to clothing was a real full-circle moment, and even more so getting to share that experience with her in person.
This is Cathy in the shirt… and we think it says it all.
Q: Cathy, what do you think?
A: LOVE, LOVE, just love it. Wow, it’s gorgeous, the birds, the blue it’s all spot on...
We then sat down to capture a few things about Cathy to share with you.
Q: How long have you been working as an artist, and what does your practice involve?
A: I've been an artist for almost 15 years, painting full time, exhibiting in galleries and shows, working on private commissions.
Q: How has your work evolved over time?
A: My early work inspired by travelling adventures, now focusing locally, on familiar landscapes and the natural world around me.
Q: Where do your ideas begin and what inspires your subject matter?
A: Always from sketchbooks, full of ideas, notes and wordplay. Cities, trees, seas, and always birds - catching my attention and bringing life and character to the images.
Q: How would you describe your approach to capturing your subjects?
A: Balancing observation with interpretation, playful poses are captured from garden visitors and entire communities are discovered on long woodland walks.
Q: What materials and techniques do you use?
A: I use a palette knife and brushes to build up layers of oil paint describing the scene and celebrating a moment.
From studio wall to wearable piece, it’s a collaboration that truly captures Cathy’s joyful, expressive style, and we couldn’t be happier with how it’s come together.
GFW is pleased to be selling Cathy's limited edition bird prints to accompany the shirt design. Each high quality giclee print is signed and numbered by the artist, in a limited edition of 50 with a certificate of authenticity.
Shop the Prints.
