Cathy Usatoff

Biography

Graduating from Fine Art RMIT in 1986 I began a career teaching art in Melbourne and later worked in Visual Merchandising in the U.K. After having raised a family, I embarked on my long held dream to start painting in 2018.

I had my first solo show in April 2019, and have since participated in several gallery group shows and art shows around Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsular.

My landscapes are inspired by the winery vistas and farmland of Red Hill and the Australian bushland on the Mornington Peninsular in Victoria.

Through abstraction and reinterpretation of the landscape, my vibrant and animated paintings are contemporary impressionist.

I consider myself to be an intuitive painter and a colourist where I focus on the relationship between rhythmic movement of line and layers of vibrant colour and how they play against each other. My best works are when my process is uninhibited and my painting is a dance between thoughtful consideration and a spontaneous joy of colour.

EXHIBITIONS
March 2020 - “Fall” Group Show Old Auction House, Kyneton
December 2019 - Christmas Group Show WHO Gallery
October 2019 - Sommers Art Fair
July 2019 - “Green Wedge” Exhibition Mornington Peninsular Council Merricks House Gallery
June 2019 - Camberwell Art Show
June 2019 - Small Works Art Prize Brunswick Street Gallery
May 2019 Red Hill Art Show
April 2019 - “The Nature of Colour’ First solo show of landscapes
March 2019 - International Womens Day Group show at Guggenart, Malvern East
December 2018 - Student Exhibition Melbourne School of Art, Elsternwick
October 2018 - “Local 2”
Group show at Guggenart, Malvern East

SALES
WHO Gallery
183 Waverley Rd Malvern East, Vic 3145
Rose Street Trading Co.
1036 High Street Armadale, 3143

WORKSHOPS
2019
Abstraction with Casey Burrill
Abstraction with Michele Luminato
Landscape with Paula Jenkins, NSW
Abstraction with Annie Everingham, Artworx, Geelong
2018
Abstraction with Joan Blond, Artworx, Geelong
Abstraction with Catherine Cassidy, Sydney
Abstraction with Brock Q. Piper, Melbourne Studio of Art, 8 weeks

EMPLOYMENT
1998 - 1999 - Debenhams Head Office, London
Assistant to project manager for window displays for all stores in the U.K. and Saudi Arabia

1992 - 1996 - Northland Secondary College, Preston
Design Studies Folio Preparation Course
Year 11 & 12 VCE Art

1988 - 1990 Hillcrest Secondary College, Melbourne
Art teacher Year 7 to 12

EDUCATION
1996 - 1997 Diploma in Arts - Visual Merchandising
1987 Graduate Diploma in Education - Secondary
1984-1986 Bachelor Fine Art - RMIT