Mary Catherine Watson is known for creating unique sculpted canvases. She uses materials such as plaster, wood or plastic and carves or melts them into the work for a sculpted relief texture.  She loves to combine these aspects along with good old fashioned realism to fool the eye.  It is fun to decipher which aspect is truly carved or which is just an illusion.  “Sailing Away” and “Utopia” are two examples of works she has created that include multiple media and textures. 

Moving beyond the sculpted canvas, Watson is also known for her sculptures.  Many of these works are built layer by layer (additive and subtractive) to build out high relief surfaces or works-in-the-round.  If you have toured the new Montgomery Renaissance Hotel & Spa, then you may have noticed her works as well.  There are five niches behind the reception desk that house five large-scale relief sculptures of antebellum figures. These along with a small sculpture in the round encased in a glass show case near the restaurant are original works that Watson created using this method. Watson also works in traditional painting and hand-built ceramics. When speaking to Watson about her works, this is what she said:

I love to work with a variety of media and styles.  Every work of art starts with a seed of inspiration, but is nourished through the application of media.  Often times, a work of art will seemingly take a life of its own and move in a direction completely different than the original concept.  It is challenging and fun to move with the piece and develop the work of art. Art is often healing as the sensitivity in the work captures a mood, feeling or memory.  Nearly all of my works have a  unique assymetric balance that has become a signuature quality.

               --Mary Catherine Watson

Mary Catherine Watson is an honor graduate from the University of Tennessee and life-long learner. She is a Navy Veteran, a writer, a designer, and a Certified Master Art Teacher.  She has worked as a professional artist since she turned 16 and has mastered most styles, genre and media.   Her works are in private collections globally and across the United States.   

A Poem...

"Alabama Snow"

by M. Catherine Watson, 2010

Alabama snow, in the middle of autumn—

Haze hugs fields aglow.

Ginning amidst bales of cotton—

King of crops, long ago.

 

 

Once cotton was picked by hands—

of the many servant souls,

stooped over rows of prickly bushes—

grounds, as hot as, coals.

 

 

Sounds of labor breathing in, then—

emitting vibrant song.

Tunes echoing their rhythmic flow—

as light moves along.

 

 

A distant Mast ‘a saddled high—

A foreboding presence glooms.

Sweat of the brow, toils the soil—

And cotton fills the looms.

 

 

The temporal cloth of time as spun—

a world foreign to this.

Combines in the fields march forth—

machines emit their hiss.

 

The Haze of time has passed along—

but, fields are still aglow.

Bales of cotton, fields of white—

Alabama Snow.

 

Recent Exhibitions, Awards, & Shows

2011--Fulbrook Cork and Culinary Fair, May 7th--Catherine was on site with her new collection: "Taste of Fulshear". 

2010--Present: Featured Artist at Ray's Grill

2010: Awarded First Place for Edward Scissor-Crow at the First Annual Fulshear Creek Crossing, Scarecrow Festival.

2010: Featured Artist at Gabbys in Fulshear, Texas.

2010: Featured Artist at the First Annual Cross Creek Ranch Fine Arts Festival.

2009:  Awarded a First Place Ribbon in Professional Photography, Second Place Ribbon in Professional Drawing, Second Place Ribbon in Professional Sculpture, and Honorable Mention in Professional Mixed Media at the 2009 Tomball Art Show. Guest Artist for Monroeville, Monroe County Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner--fine art work featured on front cover of the new Chamber Magazine;  Featured Artist  for the February First Friday Event at the Beehive Coffee & Books, Monroeville, Alabama, and, Creator of the historical work:  A New Era Begins in Monroe County--donated to the Monroe County Heritage Museums.

2008:  Creator of six sculptures on permanent exhibition in the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa, Montgomery Alabama; First Place Award in the Animals Category at the 2008 ARP Employee & Spouse Photo Contest; First Place Award in Mixed Media category at Arts Revive, Selma, Alabama, for the work: North Atlantic Adventures; juried into the Nightingale Show hosted by Auburn Universtiy, Montgomery, School of Nursing; Solo Show at the Old Courthouse, downtown Monroeville, Alabama--unveiled ten new works in the Sweet Home Alabama Series; Juried into the Black & White Art Show, Day Gallery on Main, Atmore, Alabama--unveiled: Genesis, Madame and Dancing in the Void;  and, Feature Artist Christmas Show, Day Gallery on Main, Atmore, Alabama.

2007:  Received Honorable Mention Award at the Alabama National Fair.

2006:  Received Semi-Finalist HEB Excellence in Education Award.  

2005:   Recieved Best of Show for Sailing Away entered in: Deep in the Heart of Texas; selected for the Texas Commission on the Arts and Texas Art Education  Master Artist/Teacher Feature ; conducted Teacher Workshops for the TAEA Conference held at the Austin Convention Center for art teachers across the state of Texas; and, received an Award of Merit for Advertisement in a Series...National Photography Awards.

2004: Excellence in Photography Award in Advertisement from National Photography Awards.

2004: Excellence in Photography Award in Architecture from National Photography Awards.

Other Awards 1968-2003.