Hi there!
I'm Cathey, a color enthusiast.

When I was a kid, I never left home without my box of 124 Crayola crayons. Eventually, I experimented with other types of art and mediums, but my love of color has never changed, and that is how I discovered dot art. This playful technique allows me to create unique designs, dot by dot, in an almost meditative state. 

All my art is created in my studio in San Antonio, Texas, where I draw inspiration from the colors I see around me to bring joyful and whimsical energy to your space.  

My story

I’m a San Antonio-based artist who loves to use vibrant saturated colors alongside entrancing patterns in one-of-a-kind abstract works of art. My style channels my Quechua indigenous Peruvian heritage, and I combine this with my personal explorations of youthful nostalgia to create sensorial experiential works that radiate positive energy.

My love of art began as a child. A box of crayons in hand, I filled my home full of original creations and youthful graffiti underneath coffee tables. I continued developing my skills, not just studying visual arts movements but also through music, writing, and photography. In the wake of the chains of adulthood, I was forced to postpone my artistic aspirations. I joined the military and worked in the government sector for decades. But despite the time that passed, my love for art never ceased. After years behind a desk, lost in the static of computer screens and drudgery of a corporate position, I decided to dedicate my energy to my art and reinvigorate my life. 

Entering the art world was an intimidating experience. I didn’t possess any formal arts training, but I managed to transform my lack of experience into a strength. I discovered I was able to experiment in my own techniques, approaches, and messages tailored to my unique background and personal journey. While balancing motherhood and a growing career as a social activist and advocate for social justice, I worked hard to define my style and become a part of the larger arts community. In 2020 during the pandemic, I was able to more concretely define my artistic practice, explore art beyond comfort zones, and emerge with a signature style that embraced my cultural heritage and sense of identity.

My artistic practice evolved with me over the years. My early work began toying with abstraction through investigations into vector art with elements of street art, testing the relationships between color, line, and shape. In my next phase, I focused on black & white ink drawing. As I dissected images and tribal prints, I developed the skills of fine line work and understanding the interplay of light and shadow alongside patterns. Today, I have formulated my own distinctive practice which I’ve entitled Rumikusi, based on my Quechua heritage. My mandala-painted stones incorporate my love of color, pattern, and abstraction to spread inspiration, positivity and inner peace. I’m expanding this practice to canvases and larger works that I’m excited to share with the world.

Despite being raised in New England, I’m growing my artistic career from my home in Texas. Here, my studio practice infuses my stylings with the culture of San Antonio and embraces the artistic flair of its neighbor, Austin. My work is in private collections across the United States and has been on view with exhibits at the Romani Gallery in Austin and the Peter Louis Salon and Gallery in New York City as well as featured at New York’s “A Night of Live Art & Jazz” at the Empire Hotel, the 2nd Annual Traveling Art Festival in Gruene, Texas, and the Elevation Show as part of San Antonio’s RAW Artist Showcase.

Bio

I grew up in brisk, colorful New England where I relished in the changing seasons and abundance of nature. But I started traveling at a young age, visiting Peru for the first time when I was just a toddler. And once I caught the travel bug, my life changed forever. I’ve crisscrossed the US by plane, train, and automobile many times, and I lived in beautiful California before the military brought me to Texas. I now live in San Antonio for the last 20+ years with my husband Kevin and rescue pup, Jax. San Antonio and Austin have vibrant artsy scenes, and they both motivate me to continue my artistic expression. But really, music and travel are the two biggest influences that have shaped who I am and how I view the world. If I’m not painting or drawing, you will likely find me at a live show or boarding a plane.

Fun Facts

  • Some of my favorite materials include: UniPin pens; Posca and Molotow markers; DecoArt, Golden, Fevicryl acrylic paints, and Pop of Color paints.
  •  I also knit, crochet, create paper arts, sew, make jewelry, and  have been a travel writer/photographer.
  • I create to music 100% of the time.
  • My ancestry is Quechua indigenous. 
  • I’m a dog person.
  • I dance when no one is watching.
  • I don’t know how to skate.
  • I cry at corny commercials.
  • I lose everything and am easily distracted.
  • I love peanut butter, quirky foreign flicks, and caffeine in all its forms.
  • I’ve kept a journal for the last 35  years.
  • I’m a maladaptive daydreamer.
  • English was my second language.
  • My favorite Beatle is George.
  • I love, love, love, L-O-V-E music. Music carries me, and I express that soundtrack through art.  

shows & exhibits

  • 2013 – EAST Art Studio Tour, Romani Gallery, Austin, TX
  • 2013 – Bennu Coffee, Austin, TX
  • 2013 – Here Fishy Fishy Exhibition, Peter Louis Salon & Gallery, New York, NY
  • 2013 – A Night of Live Art & Jazz, Empire Hotel, New York, NY
  • 2013 – 2nd Traveling Art Festival, Gruene, TX
  • 2013 – TOMS Style Your Sole, Fast Forward Skate Shop, San Antonio, TX
  • 2013 – Elevation Show, RAW Artists Showcase, Backstage Live, San Antonio, TX
  • 2013 – 2nd Annual Pecan Festival, Leisure Resort & Spa, San Marcos, TX