DVD: Visions
Artist: Catherine Andrews
Contact: www.catherineandrews.com

It’s been almost 25 years since I wrote a feature article about Catherine Andrews for New Frontier Magazine back in 1988. At the time, she had just released a beautiful album of celestial new age music entitled Initiation. This was somewhat of a diversion for her since she is primarily known as a painter and visionary artist. Having recently received a DVD documentary entitled Visions: The Art of Catherine Andrews, I am pleased, once again, to shine a light on someone whose work is, in itself quite luminous.

 

Catherine was born in England near Glastonbury and began drawing at an early age. She went on to become a well-known painter and was encouraged in her work by people such as George Harrison, Roger Taylor of the rock group Queen, and billionaire entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson. In fact it was Branson who co-sponsored her debut film Search For Source, one of the first computer animation films, which won Outstanding Film of the Year at the London film festival in 1976. Although she attended The National Film School in England, and has worked on a number of films, she is best known for her painting. In 1986 she moved to Southern California where she still lives, and has been prolific in her artistic endeavors.

 

The appropriately titled, Visions, provides a retrospective and present day glimpse into the life and work of a gifted visionary artist. There are two sections to the DVD, which was co-produced by Catherine and Christopher Toussaint.  The first is a nearly hour long documentary and the second is a 36 minute “music art gallery.”  The first part of the documentary was filmed at showings of her paintings at various galleries in the Los Angeles area. In the opening scene, Catherine is actually working on a painting while people are observing and viewing her art show. This is interspersed with interviews of attendees who share their perspectives on Catherine’s work. There are also times when Catherine takes the microphone and discusses particular paintings, relating what they mean to her and what the inspiration was. There is also similar footage that was filmed at her home where she goes into detail about specific paintings. One thing that I was not aware is the fact that Catherine is also a stained glass artist. Her work in this medium is stunning and I was surprised and delighted to learn of this whole other facet of her talents. And as if this was not enough, I also learned that she has designed futuristic “eco-generative architecture.”

 

The subject matter of Catherine’s paintings covers a wide spectrum, yet there is always an aura of spirituality that pervades. On the one hand, some of her work has strong elements of romanticism, Eros, and sacred sensuality. Mythology also plays a part and includes knights and maidens, fairies, nature spirits, magical gardens, mythical creatures such as Pegasus and more. Providing glimpses into other dimensions is central to Catherine’s work and continuing along the thematic spectrum are mystical visions of heavenly realms and ethereal planes of existence, angels, enlightened beings such as Jesus, Goddesses, and more. Female energy and Spirit are present in much of her work, as well as in her own Being and persona, which is quite feminine and angelic.

 

 

 

The second part of the DVD, the “music art gallery” provides a continuous flow of Catherine’s artwork, some of which is animated by special effects and set to a soundtrack of her music. This can be viewed with or without the titles of each painting being displayed. I enjoyed watching it the first time with the titles, and without them on subsequent viewings for a more meditative experience. I appreciated having the option.  One thing, which stood out for me in the documentary, was in an interview with a young man who first encountered greeting cards of Catherine’s artwork being sold by homeless people on Venice Beach. As it turns out, Catherine gives her art cards for free to the less fortunate so that they can sell them and make some money for themselves, while at the same time spreading images of love, beauty, and spirituality. I’ve long been a fan of Catherine Andrews and I enjoyed gaining a deeper perspective about her as the talented artist and beautiful person that she is.