Biography

Creative Arts
by Cathy

CREATIVE ARTS BY CATHY

Cathy Kravitz

Hello and welcome to my web site. Originally from Colorado, I now live in Carmel, Indiana with my husband and two dogs. We have 2 grown children.

I have loved art for as long as I can remember. My work and imagination sometimes run away with me as I create bright colorful pieces which have become my trademark. I like to think of my artwork as whimsical and my goal is to make myself and others, smile and feel good.

I enjoy working in many mediums and often cannot decide which one I like the best, therefore, I usually work on a number of pieces at one time:

CLAY: I love to create with clay. Working with clay is so messy and interesting to watch as a blob turns into something as it grows and shapes itself. When I am finished with a piece it is so satisfying but then I get to take it a step further and watch it come alive with the glazes. Color kind of talks to me and I add whatever wherever. One of my favorite pieces I enjoy looking at as well as adding to is an old tree stump in my yard which I have turned into a totem pole. I make a bunch of masks or faces and stick them to the tree stump.

PAINTING: Painting is so magical. I love to turn a canvas or a surface into something. The ideas in my head often seem to flow faster than I can create them. I tend to do a series of pieces and when I am done, I am done. I have a series of city scenes, animals, musicians, and designs which were influenced by both Dale Chihuly, and Elizabeth Murray but then turned into my own.

I also have painted furniture, doors, walls, and fabric. I am sure there are more surfaces I haven't touched on yet but might in the future.

BOOKS: I have always been an avid reader and I love books. We have quite a library of children's picture books that I cannot part with. I have a few friends who are illustrators as well as mentors. I decided that I should try that too but I didn't want to just illustrate, so I wrote and illustrated A DOG'S DAY. This is a delightful story (if I do so say myself) about sharing. A little boy decides to share a day with his best friend, his dog and do all of the things his dog likes to do.

I just finished writing and illustrating my second book, WHAT WE CAN DO which is about Global Warming. After seeing Al Gore's movie AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, I wanted to do something that would help to make a difference, thus WHAT WE CAN DO. This is a children's book which explains as simply as I could what Global Warming is and some of the easier things people, mostly children - our future generation - can do.

TEACHING: By trade, I am an elementary school teacher. I have never given up my teaching because children are terrific! I decided to combine both of my worlds by teaching art. I teach about 5 classes a week and love every minute of it. The children are so inspiring as well as fresh and creative. I have 2 very important rules for all of my students:

1. have fun!

2. There are no mistakes in art.

I hope you enjoy CREATIVE ARTS BY CATHY. Please keep me bookmarked in your favorites because I change and update my stock as I reinvent myself.