Biography

Brief Background Information

Catrina O’Prey grew up in the scenic countryside district of Dundrum Co Down Northern Ireland with a perfect view of the Mourne Mountains at her doorstep. Although she returns regularly, she now currently resides in the North West of N. Ireland.

With a natural artistic flair growing up, Catrina was encouraged to continue her education in art & Design where she went on to gain her diploma in foundation studies in art & design in 1996 at the previously known Rupert Stanley Art Collage in Belfast, having also completed a GNVQ advanced level 3 in art & design in 1995 obtained at Downpatrick Collage.

Although always involved in creative pursuits, Catrina returned to serious painting several years ago after a long journey dabbling in many other career interests which included working in diverse customer, client and patient focused roles in Belfast and Co Down both in the private and public sectors. Multi skilled, Catrina also has a diverse educational background. She holds a further 2 diplomas in Reflexology and Indian Head Massage, and certificates in Teaching, Psychology, Sociology, Reiki, Thai Foot Massage and Swiss Reflex Massage which supports her freelance work as a therapist.

Inspiration

Catrina’s main inspiration as a landscape artist is taken from the striking beautiful colours that are found in both breathtaking sunsets and evening skies. ‘”I compare sunsets and evening skies to that of a fingerprint! Unique and no two the same. There is a calming spiritual feel to sunsets and evening skies that every season captures, especially during the autumn months when the sun is most vibrant in the sky “.

As Catrina has a background in holistic therapy and a strong knowledge of holistic health and new age spirituality she applies the same principle to her paintings to when she is carrying out treatments, and that involves gently encouraging a feeling of temporary escape and calm to the observer.

“I do this by depicting my interoperation of the beauty offered to us by a sunset through the media of oil and/or acrylic on canvas as this gives me the effect I want. I love to use colour as my main source of self expression in my paintings. When I paint sunsets I endeavour to capture the richness of the colours that are thrown across the evening sky by the sun. I aim to implement a colourful but uplifting and soothing feeling into all of my paintings, to encourage feelings of calm, escapism and raised vibrations in the observer”.

As well as exploring sunsets and evening skies through painting, Catrina also loves to express herself through the use of colour and texture in an abstract manner. “I love to create pieces that captivate the observers need for colour, and I allow the paint brush direct me. We all need colour in our lives. Colour therapists use colour to bring healing at a deep level. With this in mind I felt encouraged to create many abstract bold colourful pieces of art work with the aim to grab the attention of the observer”.

Catrina also enjoys working with texture and form, especially using elements from the sea, where she has created many craft pieces of art from sea shells. A unique approach, hand crafted and designed by herself to encourage a contemporary feeling with a twist of gothic to the observer using the gifts of Mother Nature. “I am lucky that I grew up near the sea, I have collected an abundance of sea shells over the years to incorporate into my artwork, and I love exploring new ways in which to approach them into my work”.