“The Color of Change,” an Exhibition by Catherine Tonning-Popowich
April 2 – April 28, 2018
Meet Catherine
Born in Michigan to artistic parents, Catherine has been creating art her entire
life. She has explored many mediums such as china painting, watercolors, oils,
pastels, airbrushing, printmaking, and sculpture. Painting flora and fauna on clay board using
acrylics, is her current subject and medium of choice.
Catherine
holds an associate degree in commercial art as well as in fine arts. Her experience in both artistic realms
resonates through her style, and it is her ability to capture fine details that
makes many of her pieces seem more like photographs than paintings. While she
is well-versed in painting botanicals and other organic forms, Catherine’s
wildlife portrayals have gotten a great deal of exposure.
Her passion and talent for creating wildlife art, landed her the
2013 Individual Artist Grant through the Arts Council of Greater Lansing, and as a result, Catherine became Potter Park Zoo’s artist-in-residence in
Lansing, Michigan, where she held wildlife
painting classes that were accessible to all ages. She also completed
a series of paintings of ten of the zoo’s animals and held an exhibition of
those works in the fall of 2013.
Among
other projects, in 2014 Catherine was asked to spearhead a project at the
Ingham, Eaton & Clinton Community Health Facility for their Creative
Recovery Program. She designed and created a project to paint a large oak tree
mural to be a permanent installation in the CMH lobby, 15 to 20 adult disabled
consumers were involved in the painting of the mural. This project was
completed in September 2014.
In 2017, Catherine received the Artist in the
Community grant from the Arts Council of Greater Lansing with which she developed the “Art Has No Barriers” program. The program reaches out to students regardless of
their age or ability. She finds joy in helping them express their emotions and
share their stories. Catherine’s intent through this program is to build
bridges and encourage students to see commonalities between themselves and
others, regardless of abilities.
These classes are held at the Lansing Art Gallery in downtown Lansing,
Michigan.
Catherine Says
“As an artist I have painted realism for most of my artistic life, but I always felt like something was missing. I wanted to push myself to explore new techniques and mediums and after attending a workshop that focused on vibrant, abstract art, I realized what I was craving was that connection with color. I let these vivid waves flow over me, to pull me forward, to embrace bright and bold new pallets and reinvented myself as an artist. I loosened up and let the emotion and intensity guide my brush, and as a result, my art holds my attention more than it ever did before; my art excites me again, and I will continue expanding. I found my muse, and I’m sharing this energy, sharing this inspiration with students old and new to help them find their inspiration as well.”
