Daily Inspiration: Meet Catherine Dvorak

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

Hi Catherine, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Growing up, my parents (mostly my mom), instilled an appreciation for classic art. We’d go to museums where I was confronted with a fair amount of nudity and my mother repeated the sentiment of how natural it is and how all women, in all forms, are beautiful. It was a mature way to explain and introduce the type of things you might see walking through the Renaissance wing to a kid. It wasn’t until I requested a nude portrait to replicate for a 5th grade art class project that I realized not everyone grew-up with that perspective.

Fifteen years later, I began creating large chalk board murals in my Chicago kitchen which led to mural jobs throughout the city; businesses such as The Palmer House – Hilton and the North Center Chamber of Commerce. After an eight year hiatus, I picked-up paints again and started to find my surrealist style, using visual metaphors to portray my sense-of-self, our connection with nature and relationship with the past. And yes, there’s a fair amount of nudity.

In 2016, I officially opened Catherine Does Art, selling my work, painting commissions and teaching workshops, all alongside my career as an actress and filmmaker.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My artist practice came easiest to me when life had me questioning who I was and wanted to be. It helped that I was growing less concerned with being perceived.

The hardest part of my journey began when I decided to make my passion a business.

I’m neurodivergent and enjoy the autonomy of being my own boss however, at the beginning, it meant I needed to learn a whole new set of skills. When you have to manage logistics, marketing and operations, you find less time for making art. I’m still working out what my ‘balance’ looks like to make sure I get studio time into my schedule.

In 2021, I moved to LA from Chicago which meant jumping into a new community and starting from scratch. Getting a fresh start in a new city is exciting but requires leg work to find your people and network. I’ve found taking myself on little artist dates has slowly helped me build connections and find where I want to fit in.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My art is largely inspired by surrealist artists, namely Frida Kahlo. A majority of my portfolio is self-portraits that express parts of my psyche and commentary on life. Throughout my body of work, the initial impression is light, things are colorful and vibrant, but the more you look around at the details, it’s quite melancholy.

I realized much later in life how I’d been masking socially. I’d struggled with depression and was just learning about my ADHD diagnosis. Also, as an actor, a significant part of the work is identifying what’s driving a person’s actions and their ‘context’. The complex human experience is beautiful and tragic. Everyone exists with their own ‘baggage’ they carry and manage in their own way. It’s the power in that endurance that I hope to capture.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Find people who are doing what you want to do and learn from them. See if they offer coaching or 1 on 1 calls and invest in some guidance from someone who is actively doing what you want to do.

If you want to be your own boss, you have to be a boss. Eventually you may be able to optimize your business, but at the beginning, you will be on your computer more than in the studio making art (what you’re doing it all for). Become the most disciplined version of yourself and come-up with a business plan bigger than hoping your work goes viral on social media.

Pricing:

• 30 minute consultation – $50

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.catherinedoe.art
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catherinedoes.art/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@catherinedoes.art?lang=en

Image Credits
Jordana Sheara, Madison Stonefield