Spotlight on Catherine Mitchell Roy
Catherine Mitchell Roy describes her style in three words, “punk-rock, fairytale, and magic”. Her favourite weapons of mass creativity are pen and ink but she also works in acrylic, watercolor, and pyrography.
How did you get into creating? And, who or what were your influences?
“I grew up with three siblings and we were always kept busy with crafts and art projects. My mother is quite artistic and she was sure to have crayons in our hands as soon as we could hold them.
Music has always been a huge influence for me. Growing up I was very into punk, grunge, and music from the 60’s. I love the social and political commentary they imbue; I love hidden messages and the psychedelic gig poster esthetic. These genres lend themselves well to street art, which I love, as it serves to make art accessible for everyone. Weird and wonderful stories like ‘Alice in Wonderland’ have always been a big inspiration for me as well. Growing up in Quebec I drew inspiration from the ubiquitous Catholic Church motifs as well as graphic novels, nature, and magic.”
What continues to drive you?
“I just can’t stop! Sometimes I feel like I‘ll never have inspiration or another idea again, but I’m also a mega daydreamer and my imagination runs constantly. I’m that ‘annoying’ person on the hike who always stops to admire faces in trees and rocks – I just have this need to draw that doesn’t stop. I’m not saying that my ideas or daydream doodles are any good, just that I kind of compulsively can’t stop and can’t fully express what drives me.”
Tell us your strangest commission request.
“A dinosaur riding a skateboard while fighting a tiger face paint request.”
Tell us about your process while creating these 6 new pieces for Think-It-Over. Was it challenging or did you find it easy? What did you face during this process?
“When I first read the six words I thought it was going to be a challenge – it was out of my comfort zone. It made me think about the reality of our world right now which is an uncomfortable thing to think about. I started by writing down the dictionary definition of each word in my sketchbook, lame I know… but thinking of the root of each word in turn led to the inspiration for each piece. I can’t wait to see how different people interpret the same words.”
Cat can’t decide which colour is her favourite so she chose two!
Describe your 2020 in ONE word.
“Awakening”
Think-It-Over is on until December 13, 2020. See our website for our opening hours.
If you can’t make it to see the art in person, check out this virtual tour.