In creating this oil painting, I was inspired by a feeling of joy surrounding summer. Having a collection of bright colored fruit and decorative tablecloths from a friend were just what I needed to capture this sensation. I was so excited to find a way to work with a couple of the cloths and put something together that would include the unexpected. Patterns are something that I am naturally drawn to along with color palettes that are expressive. The palettes can be bright and vibrant or more muted. It’s all about how they relate to one another for me and how they contribute in the context of a larger framework or “pattern”. The element of the unexpected is another part of my painting that allows for expression and the experience of finding something new and just a little bit different. I think that’s what keeps life interesting. I hope you enjoy this piece – “Summer Fruit Bowl”. I really wasn’t sure what to title the artwork. The idea of a summer fruit bowl came to mind. How I envision that is as a gathering of tasty, colorful fruits cut into pieces that come together bursting with flavor. In some way I see this painting having a similar impact on the senses.

Catherine J Martzloff

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The idea that life is like a work of art feels inspiring to me. Viewing life as an ongoing journey of discovery full of lessons in perspective and relationships parallels the experience of painting. The ups and downs, twists and turns are so similar to how I move a paintbrush and it’s influence on the paintings color, texture and presence. As I consider my artistic journey, it began before my first breath. I arrived with a love for creating as I believe we all do. A more conscious desire to be an artist /painter began around age 7 or 8. Drawing, painting and working with color were activities where I could feel a connection unlike any other. Hours flew by like seconds as I entered the magical world of making something. I didn’t have words for the experience at that time but I understood on a deep level what this time provided for me and that was hope! Hope was something that seemed to dissipate for me as grew up. While there was creativity in the home, a lot of chaos and uncertainty also existed. Creating, in the way I did through drawing and coloring was a form of relief from how scared inside I felt all the time. It helped me know there was something that I could feel secure in. I clung to that feeling. My path since then has been one of searching for a way to honor that creative part of my being. For many years I “stuffed” my artistic desires and unknowingly traded in on them for the life I thought I was supposed to live; which wasn’t all bad. Inside my heart though parts of my soul were dying. It took an experience that turned my world upside down to “wake-up” and re-consider the path I was on. Slowly, I found some courage to face my artistic self and see where the art might take me. Painting has been a big part of my life for some years now. At the core, my paintings are inspired by the color of hope and the power of wonder in every day life. They are founded upon that 7 or 8 year old girls desire to share her dream and the possibility of something beyond difficult times and experiences. These paintings are visual stories of an examined life that’s still in process and evolving through the experience of painting. I’m learning it can be a simple and rich tapestry of adventure over tim