Qualified Art & Design teacher with 20 years' experience based in Hammersmith. Enthusiastic, energetic and skilled using a wide range of media.

Find out more about Catherine

• When did you start practicing? When did the passion find you?

  Art was always my favourite subject at school. I really enjoyed doing my Art GCSE and A Level. After that I chose to complete an Art Foundation course, which is a year long higher education course, allowing students to explore various forms of Art, such as Product Design, Graphic Design, Fashion and Fine Art.
  I particularly enjoyed Fine Art and chose to study that for my degree during which I spent time in both the Painting and Sculpture departments.
  After graduating, I travelled around South America and completed a TEFL course in order to be able to teach English abroad. I found I loved teaching and soon decided to complete a PGCE course in Art & Design so I could teach the subject I was most passionate about.

• Which artists or works affect you the most?

  I love the artwork of contemporary Brazilian artist Beatriz Milhazes who produces large scale abstract paintings. They feature decorative patterns reminiscent of 1960's wallpaper patterns in vibrant colours. Another painter I really like is a contemporary American and British artist called Sarah Morris. She also produces large scale colourful abstract paintings. However while Beatriz Milhazes paintings often include circular motifs overlapping each other, Sarah Morris's paintings feature geometric patterns with harsh lines intersecting each other reminiscent of skyscraper windows.
  I recommend you to look them both up!

• What are the qualities and skills required to succeed in this area?

  Enthusiasm and passion will take you far, and observation skills and attention to detail will take you even further.
  Art comes in so many forms. It's important to experiment and explore until you find what you are really confident doing, but also continue to challenge yourself.
  With determination, you will get there!

• What is the most valuable advice you can give to help someone stay focused on creative projects?

  Creative careers consistently rank as the top professions for job happiness. They often offer high levels of autonomy, the opportunity to work on passion projects, as well as allowing you to see the tangible impact of your artistic output.
  The creative industries remain a vital pillar of the UK economy and they create an estimated 2.41 million jobs.

• How would you describe your passion; how does it make you feel?

  Art is what makes me feel most alive. It gives me confidence in myself and a sense of inner peace.
  Introducing Art to a beginner is so exciting for me and watching pupils progress under my guidance is the best form of job satisfaction.

• What creative achievements are you particularly proud of?

  I've helped many students gain high grades in their Art GCSEs and A Levels and sent many students off to study Art at university themselves. I've also helped many Prep pupils prepare for and gain Art scholarships for Senior school.
  While working in schools I organised many art exhibitions and I once curated a student exhibition at The Turner Contemporary Gallery in Margate.

• Have you ever been surprised by a student; by their ability or quick progression?

  Even after twenty years of teaching, I am still surprised by how much progress my pupils make. Starting with simple sketching and developing observational skills is such a great foundation. Once pupils gain confidence doing this, they can very quickly explore and experiment using new media and work on larger scales.

• Being a SuperProf is an art! What is your secret?

  I think the secret to being successful in any career is to really enjoy it. Teaching through SuperProf gives me the fantastic opportunity to teach my subject one to one. I love that I can fully concentrate on the needs of each individual pupil at one time and teach a wide variety of pupils. I also really appreciate the autonomy and the option of balancing my teaching with other commitments.