Angel Arts Magazine Interview

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About the Artist – Interview with Angel Arts Magazine

“Three Blind Mice,” was created for Warwick Museum of Art “Visual Rhythm” Exhibit.
Artwork sold.

Question & Answer Session with Artist Cate McCauley
Reprinted from Angel Arts Magazine - England (Apr 2013)

When did you first become interested in art?

Playtime was pretending to put all the words and pictures in magazines. My earliest paying gig was getting a nickel for every page I didn't go outside the lines in my coloring book. Seems all that paid-off: I was an art director by seventeen years old.

What style of art do you use most?

Realism is the style, pyrography the medium. As an old-time commercial artist, I've done my share of pen & ink illustrations, graphite drawings and marker comps, long before there was any digital equipment that could the job. That experience translates well into pyrography because it takes a very steady hand. Nothing I've ever worked with produces tonal shading and sharp details like this medium. It's very unique.

Has your style changed from when you first began as an artist?

Certainly styles change according to the mood, but also as you develop more skills, try new approaches, and push the envelope.
Yes, it changes quite a bit. Yet there's still a particular style that transcends all of that: "the hand of the artist."

What medium do you use?

Pyrography, which literally means to "draw with fire." I use an electric machine that heats metal–tipped pens to 500–900 (F) or 260–480 (C). It has controls to dial the temperature up or down to create different shades. My colors are added with watercolor paints and pencils. I've also experimented with making my own natural dyes.

What made you choose that medium?

I've always loved working with wood. My dad built Hollywood movie sets, so perhaps it runs in the family. Pyrography was a spin-off from a passion for woodworking and professional experience as an illustrator. I'd been doing it on and off more than 25 years, mostly as gifts and commissions. Then in 2004 I decided to build a collection and show my work. This latest collection is burned on Arches #140 Cold Press watercolor paper.

Barred Owl on the Prowl

“Barred Owl on the Prowl”

Do your ideas come from life or imagination?

My illustrations are realistic and very detailed. There are also times the art becomes whatever it wants. For instance, "Barred Owl on the Prowl," he's sitting on a birch branch. Now I've stared at nature, birch trees in particular, for hours-on-end; colors, textures and the shades at different times of day.

This time I left it up to the paper. Cranked the dial to super-hot and said, "okay paper, it's you and me, let's do this." My pen barely grazed the surface. All those little specks appeared from the highs and lows of the paper, which brought its own thing to the party.

How do you choose your images & colours?

Composition-wise I have to see it in my imagination first. Sometimes people suggest a subject and it'll ring a chord. There are compositions sitting around here waiting to be born. Drawing a lot of fur and feathers, I research details of birds and animals - study their patterns, textures and shapes. My work is so detailed I sometimes use a magnifying glass.

Do you work in a studio?

I'm blessed to have separate workshop that's bigger than the house. In summer the overhead doors are wide open to the north light, overlooking a pond and waterfall. In winter it's back inside with a big window and under a solar tube for even more light.

Who is your favourite artist?

Rembrandt.

Colonial Kitchen

“Colonial Kitchen”

What is your favourite piece of work by yourself?

"Colonial Kitchen" is a special child. I worked on her while going through a breast cancer scare and two biopsies. Then on the night of my surgery she won 2nd place at the Rhode Island Woman's Art Exhibit at the Warwick Museum of Art. She then went on to take 1st Honorable Mention a few months later. She brought me great solace in troubling times and the strength to help keep-up my artistic momentum. (I'll be fine, by the way. Thankfully, they caught this cancer early.)

How much time (on average) does it take to complete a work?

Pyrography is about layers, temperature and hand control. There's no erasing. Every stroke counts. On average it takes 10 to 40-plus hours for each piece depending on size and complexity. That's before matting and framing, which we do in-house.

What do you do to overcome a "block"?

Take long walks in beautiful places or visit my favorite cliff in Jamestown, RI that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean.

How do you know something is "finished"?
Is it easy to walk away?

I step away when the subject has developed its own personality. There are instances when I'll go back and rework a piece after the paper has relaxed a little, to enhance the contrast or detail. At some point the paper tells me it's had enough, or a deadline has arrived.

green sea turtle

“Green Sea Turtle”
was commissioned to benefit Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge after
BP oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

Have you had exhibits in galleries?

For the past nine years it's been mostly outdoor shows. It's a lot of hard work, but I've gained a following and have repeat customers, which is very rewarding. Last year there were almost a dozen gallery and museum exhibits. This year I've scaled way back.

Have you any exhibits in galleries planned for the future?

I was recently elected a member of the Art League of Rhode Island. They have exhibit opportunities in some nice galleries including The Providence Art Club. Then there are the outdoor shows: Wickford Art Festival for 2-days in July and 3-days at the Scituate Art Festival in October. What I like to call "camping with my prized possessions."

What are you currently working on?

In order to revamp my web site, I spent most of this winter teaching myself computer programming. I'll be working on some smaller pieces soon, getting back in the groove after a long, cold New England winter.

What are your plans for the future?

Planning on staying-the-course and maintaining a good selection of art. But I'm really itching to do some 3-dimensional work. There's a piece of seasoned wood with a thick vine growing around it that's caught my eye: Perhaps a good candidate for a relief carving and pyrography mixture.

Shell Collection

“Shell Collection”

What was the best advice given to you as an artist?

My first art director told me two things. 1) Everything you learn belongs to you forever. 2) When asked to do something, even if you don't know how, say yes anyway. In the time between you saying yes and actually doing it, go learn.

What advice would you give new artists?

Some artists just want to get into "the zone," therefore sales aren't a big deal. But if you want to sell your art, my golden rule is: If they can't see it, they can't buy it. Make the commitment to build a collection and do a show. Or arrange to exhibit a few pieces somewhere, even a coffee shop or library. Once you have a direction or deadline it'll motivate you.

Have you done any courses to help you?

I'm almost completely self-taught, learned from working on the job, except for some drawing classes at the RI School of Design. Ironically, when my high school wouldn't let me take the commercial art program I quit and became a studio apprentice. While my peers were at the prom, I was at my drafting table drawing, building a career that's lasted four decades.

What do you do to market your work?

By far, most sales happen at the outdoor shows, where you meet people face-to-face. Customers buy the artist as much as the art. They love to hear the how and why of a piece, see that gleam of inspiration in your eye. Sometimes the art find its owner. When a person has that glazed look and just keeps staring - that's usually a sale in-the-making. I also offer prints, which is a nice option if that's what a customer can afford.

Do you use social networking in your day-to-day life?

My web site and pages on Fine Art America, plus Pinterest, all gets a lot of traffic. I'm not really into the whole Twitter scene, but I am on Facebook now. Luckily folks link to me through their sites and blogs. Plus I communicate with other pyrographers from around the world, and have written articles about this medium.

Are you available for commissions?

Yes, I do commissions. Portraits especially make me step-up the game, because they have to be spo-on. Trying to bring their memories and impressions to your art is always interesting. Most clients have faith in me, which I deeply appreciate.

Have you got hobbies?

What little time I have for leisure is spent cooking, gardening and caring for my fish (when they're not frozen under the pond). Living in a rural area, friends nearby often have bonfires where great musicians gather. Fireside with a star-lit night is our favorite relaxation time.

Where are you based?

My husband Leon and I live in West Greenwich, Rhode Island, deep in the woods near the Connecticut border, where there's abundant wildlife, especially Barred Owls.

Question & Answer Session with Artist Cate McCauley
Reprinted from Angel Arts Magazine - England (Apr 2013)

Fine Art America Interview