http://paulcato.com/blog

Chasing the Seagulls

Paul Cato — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 02:16:06 +0000

Here’s another new painting. It is inspired from a photo-shoot a few years back now – about 2001 from memory. I have visualized this painting for some years now, so it is long overdue. The models are Jen, Ash, and Britt.

Milford Sound Sunset Painting

Paul Cato — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 18:05:47 +0000

I’ve just emerged from working on some big canvases; here’s one of them. It’s very much a favourite place of mine–Milford Sound. This view is from a beautiful mid-spring evening. Being in the southern hemisphere that’s late October.

Painting by Paul Cato, Queenstown, New Zealand

More visitors drop out of the sky

Paul Cato — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 01:32:21 +0000

I just sat down for a cup of coffee around noon and heard a chopper coming quite close by. There’s nothing too unusual about that because they fly over and nearby several times a day when the weather allows it. This one got a bit louder, however and when I saw the leaves blowing around I realized I had more guests ‘drop in’ from literally ‘out of the blue’ in a Robbie 44.

Just as well the roses aren’t blooming yet or Sharon would have been upset to see them blown to bits. It was her idea to plant them right next to where helicopter pilots like to land, but they just HAD to go right there!

Manapouri – Eye of the Storm

Paul Cato — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 03:43:59 +0000

This is a painting just finished – the size fairly large, at 48″ x 60″ or about 1.2m x 1.5m. The scene is looking out over Lake Manapouri, New Zealand, to the Cathedral Peaks. The stormy sky casts an eerie and colorless light over the mountains and lake, whilst the foreground picks up some extra warmth through the cloudburst onto the rocks and scrubby foreground fungi (or whatever it is!).

Chubby Cheeks

Paul Cato — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 03:18:54 +0000

This was a commissioned figure study. Painted in oils on canvas for clients in Australia, this was from a photograph actually taken in Queenstown, New Zealand, a few years back. I figured that the beach background might have a more timeless appeal.

A carefree youngster at the beach

A Commissioned Portrait Completed

Paul Cato — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 22:02:53 +0000

Of all the figures I have painted up until now I have only once needed to paint a convincing facial likeness. (The painting was of my daughter and the purchasers recognized her, from the painting, in town.) My main objective is usually to paint the feminine form in combination with the landscape. I just haven’t had a desire to do portraits, as such.

In this case my client insisted that I was the right artist for this project, based on some of the figures I had painted previously. This posthumus portrait was painted from a set of photographs, one of which I was told captured that “certain special look” that only astute observers would recognize. It was both gratifying and heart-warming to share the moment with the family when they saw the finished painting and assured me that “every detail” was correct.

Huge Paul Cato Landscape Painting now complete

Paul Cato — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 04:57:01 +0000

Paul Cato Landscape Gallery

This large painting is now completed. All 46 square feet of it! It will be delivered to some new clients in the U.S. next week. I have absolutely enjoyed the process of working at this large scale and I’ll definitely be keen to do it again. I have some subjects in mind already.

Detail of tidal flats

Paul Cato — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 10:14:43 +0000

I did some research to find out exactly what this bird is – but I have forgotten again. I think it is a type of heron but I’m really not too worried. It is strategically placed to help set the scale of the grasses.

Left-hand Foreground continued development

Paul Cato — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 09:58:13 +0000

The sun is brought out a bit more with the addition of some warmer highlights and cooler shadow tones. The foreground bushes get some work, including some ‘shiny’ leaves.

Left-hand Foreground

Paul Cato — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 09:50:31 +0000