Gillian Catherine Art & Design

I was playing around in photoshop and made this little quick piece inspired by the work of artist Chad Wys

A hand crocheted purse made from single-use plastic bags. This piece is made entirely of brown plastic bags, sourced from multiple places, providing variation in tone!

"It might take the rest of my life, but I'll get there"

Tonight at “Stigmas and Stories: Changing the Narrative” opens at 5 PM. My piece “Polyethylene”, an installation of 50 weavings made exclusively from plastic will be on view. Come check it out!

It has been a while since I have posted a digital illustration on here! I created these two cake illustrations for Valentine's Day 2021. I took inspiration from multiple sources when creating these. The first is vintage valentines day advertisements. They all feature the traditional pinks and reds of the holiday, but typically in a more muted tone than used today. The cakes are delicately decorated with heart candies, red fruit, pearls, and text. I just love them!

While doing some research and pulling images of these fun cakes, I was reminded of a few more places I have seen fun pink cakes. When I was little I enjoyed watching the show, Max & Ruby. There is an episode where they make two cakes, one of which is a cute pink cake with colorful decorations. I was reminded of this episode last year when there was a trend on TikTok where people recreated this cake from our childhood. So fun! (I actually don't know if it was a trend, but I saw multiple on my curated fyp!)

Then, there is a cute pink cake in my favorite video game, Stardew Valley. All of these together inspired these drawings I made just the fun of it! Swipe to the end to see my very amateur attempt at baking and decorating a pink heart cake

This is a throwback to 2017. I created this piece titled "Autonomy" in one of my undergraduate courses at MCLA Art . The assignment was to use text as sculpture, inspired by the work of . For my project, I used the text "What you give your body, your body will give you back." This piece explores my relationship with my body, learning to care for and nurture myself on my own, and the journey to creating "healthy" habits in my life.

If I could go back, I would change a few things about this piece, but as it stands it is a reminder as to where I was in my personal journey and artistic journey as a 19-year-old college sophomore. It would be fun to explore these same themes now or in the future to see how my perspective has changed.

I recently took on the task of organizing my embroidery floss. I had no idea it would be as time consuming and tedious as it was, but I’m so happy with the results! I started with blue (the color I have the most of) then worked in a rainbow order. Then, i sorted the threads that I don’t have a lot left of, and ones that I had multiple duplicates of, and was left with just one empty space. Though tedious, I’m glad I did this as it makes embroidery work that much easier!

While We Stayed Inside is a series of analog collages created in 2020-2021 during various stages of the ongoing pandemic. This body of work examines our relationship with the world and each other through the use of common imagery juxtaposed to create a notion of fantasy. It explores the way in which this time of isolation has altered one's experiences and how one views the world around them.

"What Lies Ahead?"
In this piece, I chose paper that gave me very different feelings and combined them together to create an overall mysterious feeling. The bright florals and purple sky are inviting, and lead you to a hopeful place. However, the black and white landscape and cautionary sign leave you wondering if this is the right path to follow. What do you think lies ahead?

"Through", September 2021.
This piece is from a series of collage works titled "While We Stayed Inside" exploring how our relationship with the world and each other has been altered in a time of isolation. Head over to my website to see the full series (link in bio).

Andddd we're live! Check out my new and improved portfolio site gilliancatherine.com!

I’m very excited to share that I will be launching a long overdue update to my portfolio site! Be there (virtually) tomorrow as it goes live at 6:30 pm est!

Wishing a Merry Christmas to those who celebrate 💚❤️

I ordered a copy of National Geographic from the month/year that I was born, to see what was happening as I entered the world. I also just got some mew Uhu sticks, so expect some new collage works very soon. Do you know what else in the world happened around the time you were born?
#1998

This past week I had the pleasure of attending the IAmesbury2030 Cultural Summit. This is a task force created under Mayor Gove to help plan for the community’s future. One of the identified aspects of our community to look into and improve upon is our arts and culture scene. I attended this forum as both a representative from the Amesbury Carriage and a local young artist. It was such an honor to not only be in the same room as the leaders of the cultural organizations that I attended while growing up, but to have a voice in identifying the needs and strengths of our city’s cultural industry!

The circles encapsulate small elements from two images, combined together to create a new story. The original image were of two separate pairs of people and the scenery around them.

From this piece, can you tell what era the images are from? What do you gather about their stories?

"I wanted a lot"

The circular shape is used to encapsulate small pieces to a larger story, leaving the audience to interpret and decide on their own what the full story could be. You are left yearning for something more, as does the voice or narrator of this piece.

This piece features two animals that are commonly feared: bats and crows. In fiction, crows are often associated with death or danger. For bats, it seems that most of the fear comes from the idea of them carrying rabies, more so than their association with vampires.
I made this collage to play on that fear, utilizing a dark color scheme and full moon that illuminates the sky. The man in the foreground looks off into the distance, seemingly calm despite the eerie elements around him.
Crows are highly intelligent and fascinating animals. Did you know that a group of crows, scientifically, is actually called a flock, not a murder?
Bats are vital to our ecosystem. They assist in pollinating our crops, eat thousands of pests such as mosquitoes, and are prey for 'predators' such as hawks and owls. Contrary to popular belief, most bats don't carry rabies, and you are most likely to get rabies from a dog.

I was hoping to have this up last night, but my scanner decided that it needed 50 minutes to scan a 5x7" collage. 🙃 I don't usually make art to go with the holidays, but I was in the mood to collage on Halloween this year! This piece was made using scrap pieces of paper that fit a ~spooky~ color scheme. This also felt like the perfect time to use this skeleton piece!

" I have left you in the past"

My favorite podcast recently did an episode on opossumology. I love these animals, and was inspired to create this piece featuring a Virginia Opossum!

Did you know that the biggest industry in Amesbury, MA was once textiles? Even bigger than carriages! Join me this weekend at the 's family day! I will be leading a weaving activity for children of all ages.

"a day in the dream"

I created two new crochet bags out of single-use plastic bags! Thank you to everyone who has contributed materials

As many of you know, I often use plastic bags in my work. They are used for weaving, crochet, and fusing. I am currently collecting more bags to add to my collection! If you have any laying around your house, I will gladly take them off your hands! DM me for more info

"I feel strong in my belief that home is the world at large"

The third and final piece from the collage workshop! For this piece, I challenged myself to use up the scraps from my other works to create a piece that both holds it own and corresponds with the others.

You may notice that this is the only piece that includes text. I used found text to create short poem. This phrase holds three separate yet connected meanings to me. How do you interpret it?

Piece number two from last Sunday's collage workshop. I am obsessed with the textures and colors in this piece. They make me feel cozy and ready for Autumn!

Last Sunday I had the pleasure of attending a collage class taught by Bonnie Brady. We explored themes of nature and this is one of three pieces that I made. Stay tuned to see the others throughout the next week!

I am once again collecting plastic bags! Send me your grocery/ shopping bags of all colors! At this time, I am not accept clear plastic bags, produce bags, or any other type of plastic.
If you know my address, feel free to drop by or mail them to me. If not, DM me ❤️ thank you!!

I have recently been teaching myself how to crochet, and of course, I had to do some experiments with plarn (plastic yarn)!

Can you identify where any of the plastic bags were sourced from?

🌈 Beach Finds, Plum Island, Newbury, MA on August 15, 2021. 🌈

The people of Texas need our help right now. I have designed this vinyl sticker based on a prickly pear, the state plant of Texas. Please read this all the way through for more detail.

100% of the profit from this sticker will be donated to the Houseless Organizing Coalition in Houston Texas. There are so many nonprofits currently providing aid to Texans in need, but I chose this one specifically as they are working to provide emergency housing, replace tents and other belongings, increase stock for future emergencies, meals, and other necessary supplies to houseless individuals.

THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO GET THIS STICKER!
1. Purchase (as a pre-order) it from my shop, gilliancatherine.com/shop. 100% of what you spend will be sent in as a donation. I will be personally covering the cut that my website platform takes from each sale.
or
2. Donate at least $5 through their website directly, https://fundly.com/houseless-organizing-coalition (or other nonprofits providing aid to those affected), and email me a screenshot as proof of donation. Please include your mailing address. [email protected]

THINGS TO NOTE
1. Please contact me exclusively through email, NOT DM
2. This is a PRE ORDER! The stickers are in production and will not ship to you for 2-4 weeks. For this reason, I can not accept payments through PayPal.
3. I will be posting proof of the donation on my Facebook and Instagram stories, as well as sending it to you via email (only if you provide this information in the checkout or contact me directly)
4. The sticker is on weatherproof vinyl and measures at approximately 3”x4

In honor of Black History Month, I am taking the time to educate myself on and explore the works of Black Visual Artists. I want to encourage you to do the same!

Based on the color you have chosen, you have selected an artist to study this week. I personally will be studying 2-3 artists per week and will create a new post to help you choose who to study throughout the next few weeks.

1. Share and discuss their amazing work with your peers
2. Encourage those around you to educate themselves
3. Comment below or share to your story a fun fact about your artist that you think we should know

🍒 🎂 🍄 Three new prints just added to my shop! 🍒🎂🍄 gilliancatherine.com/shop
*These are my first print made at home instead of outsourced. Because of this, I have decided it is best to use the paper I have before purchasing a more sustainable type. However, I am able to offer them in both matte and glossy finishes instead! 🥰 The glossy paper prints have more vibrant colors, while the matte finish have a more muted, earthy tone!

✨Postcards are back in stock AND are now 50% off! ✨ available individually or in sets of 5 and 10

💓💕💖 I just opened up 5 new slots for digital couples portrait requests! The perfect gift for your valentine! 💖💕💓 https://forms.gle/PupYG6atMPm1eKXu6

Stickers and prints are back in stock! gilliancatherine.com/shop 🍄🍳🍓

NEW IN SHOP: Printable daily planner sheets, available in three styles! Gilliancatherine.com/shop

❣️❣️❣️Can you believe it is that time already?? I am now open for commission for couples portraits, the perfect Valentine’s Day present for your partner or favorite couple! Check the link to send in a request/ for more information https://forms.gle/PupYG6atMPm1eKXu6