Artwork

cath-ducnan-mam-social-worker-artistAs a visual artist, working in acrylic paint and mixed media, my paintings and creative processes are deeply influenced by my first career as a grief support therapist and my life experiences with disability and chronic illness. I’m intrigued by the human capacity to remain connected to each other and to sources of hope, trust, play, and sensory pleasure in the face of uncertainty and loss. 

Nature serves as both muse and sanctuary, giving me textures, colours, and shapes that inform my painting subjects and processes, and the metaphors and feelings of connectedness and vitality that help me to live well with my own fears and losses.

Using vibrant colours, dynamic lines, textural layers, and generous, fluid and gestural paintwork, I love to explore connections between inner and outer landscapes, express a sense of movement, and invite viewers to join me in finding sensory delight, vitality, and wholeheartedness amidst life’s uncertainties and grief.

Wondering how my visual impairment affects my art-making? Here’s how.

I have shown my art in several group exhibitions in South Africa and the Netherlands, and sold my paintings to collectors in South Africa, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, the UK, and the USA. Originally from South Africa, I work from my home studio in Utrecht in the Netherlands.

You can see available original artworks here, view my recent completed commissions, find out how to commission a meaningful custom artwork for yourself, or order fine art prints and home decor products here.

Creativity and grief

Prior to making a full-time commitment to my art in 2020, I worked as a grief support therapist and co-founded the Creative Grief Studio. If you’re interested in the intersections of creativity, art-making, grief, and therapy, then check out my book, Untangle Your Grief.

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