Conversations with Catherine Baumhauer

Today we’d like to introduce you to Catherine Baumhauer.

Hi Catherine, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have been making art for as long as I can remember. I grew up on the set of Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood. An experience that influences the way I make art. My exposure to so many art forms at an early age influences my interest and experimentation in different mediums today. I’ve worked in many different creative fields but now landing back in painting, a journey that has felt full circle.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It has certainly been a journey. Having three kids certainly has made a creative life trickier but not impossible. Trying to juggle and balance everyone’s needs has been challenging but now that my kids are older, I can. Put on my oxygen mask a bit more and tend to my creative journey.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Primarily, I am a painter but I also draw and make illustrations. My paintings fuse the traditional art mediums of oil and acrylic paint with unconventional found and domestic materials such as wallpaper, cardboard, kid’s homework and bits of plastic. Fragmented realities and narratives within my work reflect the multiple roles I have as mother, wife, daughter, sister, self and artist. My work addresses a tension of opposites and forges a new space between these dualities. My illustrations blur the lines between make believe and reality. Playful, whimsical, at times satirical, these characters address the foibles and absurdities of being human and female in a modern world. Initially, I used them as a way of dealing with the stress of motherhood and the pandemic, but they are meant to provide comfort beyond the immediate demands of the present. They provide levity and moments for escape.

Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
As a family, spending time at Mr. Roger’s House on Nantucket Island. This is where I fell in love the ocean and surfing.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.catherinebaumhauer.com
• Instagram: catbstudio