Cat Barrett West Yorkshire, United Kingdom

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I am a watercolour artist living in Ilkley, Yorkshire. I studied Fine Art at Batley College of Art and Design, but I have learned mostly through my own experimentation and practice. I have a studio at home, looking out onto the garden and the moors beyond which I share with my pet birds.

I paint landscapes, animals, birds, plants and sometimes abstract work too. The landscape and wildlife here in Ilkley cannot fail to inspire artists. My abstract work is mainly about how Earth's nature looks so random, but inside it is full of structure and maths and science. In my abstract work, you will find oceans, crystals, geometry, structure, flowing watery paint and controlled lines. I love blue, ocean blue, sky blue, and that funny blue you see at the bottom of open mines when water collects at the bottom.

I mostly paint in watercolour and ink, sometimes in acrylic. I really care about the materials I use and the surface I paint on, and I try to ensure that my work will be lightfast and last a lifetime. I also care that my prints are good quality, so I print them in my studio. I have run a more significant print business before, so I have lots of experience in producing high-quality reproductions.

If you would like to see my work in person, then the local restaurant Host in Ilkley has decked their lovely restaurant out with my work. Their food is excellent so I would advise you to book a table and take a look at my work while enjoying some of Joel's delicious dishes. I also exhibit at Ilkley Art Show and I'm a member of Ilkley Arts too, so you can sometimes see my work as part of an exhibition at the Manor House in Ilkley.

I have a little family, a real job, five birds and a fish tank (more water!).