Catherine Welshman’s figures stare out from the canvas—luring the viewer into their world for a brief moment. Like the whimsical air of a vaudeville act, they linger with glimpses of enigmatic events. Welshman took inspiration from the literal hands-on approach of artists from India, China, and Mexico, and the cultural as well as personal stories they told.
Wanting to portray reality in her work, Welshman’s figures evoke a sullen strength inspired by her personal experiences. “I find when I’m making a figure, a person, and it’s becoming almost beautiful, I have to mess it up to make it my own,” she says. The result gives her pieces a haunting voice amidst their elegantly disheveled demeanors. “The figures have become my family,” she says. “I have to let them develop on their own.”
Catherine Welshman’s paintings will be exhibited as part of the “Winter Group Show” at the Van Brunt Gallery in Beacon through February 28. www.vanbruntgallery.com.
