Click on the image to view a short video that profiles the diverse works of artist Catherine Altice. Catherine is a Painter and Photographer, a Jewelry and Performance artist, and also works in Mixed Media, Fibers and Film.
Catherine Altice - Artist's Statement
In rivers, the water that you touch is the last of what has passed and the first of that which comes;
so with present time. - Leonardo da Vinci
I find myself swimming around in deep, watery undercurrents in some way, shape or form.
Fluidity and decay continue to draw me in for a closer look. Ghostly dream worlds reside deep below my epidermis. It’s about diving deeper and exploring subtle subconscious connections resonating from my Southern Appalachian roots, notions of feminine beauty, and the solace I find in the natural world. These are the elements that have shaped me into an artist. The work serves as a pathway, or an in-road, to uncharted territory.
Lately, I’ve been painting and photographing rivers and bodies of water. My work tends to fluctuate between present tense and memories, daily encounters and the dream world, abstraction and representation. A multitude of layering and textures reside within the encaustic paintings. In a sense, I must remove myself from any preconceived notions that attempt to make "a landscape painting". These explorations in oil and wax evolve into whatever they want to become. Oftentimes, I begin with a base layer of fabrics, papers, and found objects. My favorite "painting brushes" are a heat gun and a mini torch.
There is an inexplicable childhood love and innocent sense of wonder I continue to carry for all the places I call home - especially the Blue Ridge Mountains and Carolina coast. Sadly, many of my childhood stomping grounds have all but vanished. I see my magical playgrounds now replaced with shopping centers, convenience stores, parking lots, and suburban sprawl.
These works serve as a way back into my heartland; the places I so dearly cherish. The sacred places where the water meets the sky. It all melds together in the end.