Today we’d like to introduce you to Cat Tesla.
Cat, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
College was a toss-up between art and science. I began with the latter and obtained a Master’s Degree in Human Genetics. For 20 years I worked at Emory University seeing patients in genetic clinics. Averaging 500 patients a year, I had a range of experiences: telling someone the child they were carrying had anencephaly (lack of skull formation at the back of the head) and would not live, telling someone they inherited the BRCA1 gene mutation and had a very high risk of breast cancer, or telling someone their 4-year-old child who was not developing properly because they had an inherited neurodegenerative disease – eventually got to me. Certainly, there was a lot of good news to parlay as well.
Because of the stress, I turned to yoga, hiking, and mindful meditation. My brain found peace in nature. Scientists hypothesize that being in nature allows the prefrontal cortex, the brain’s command center, to dial down and rest, like an overused muscle. In fact, after just a 3-day camping trip, you can increase your creative problem solving by 50 percent. I studied art in the evenings after genetics clinic – obtaining a degree in graphic design, followed by studies/residencies with Nicholas Wilton and Steve Aimone. I was inspired to put nature to canvas – the shapes, colors, and feelings. I went part-time in genetics, and then traded genetic counseling for a full-time art career.
My studio is in Chamblee, Ga, just north of Buckhead.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
My paintings are an abstraction of nature called the “Chrysalis Series”. This series is created using wax crayon, acrylic, inks, oil pastel, graphite, & oil glazes on canvas/wood. My work is inspired by the work and teachings of Franz Kline’s concept of automatism. He essentially believed in first ‘pouring out’, then editing. I begin with an automatic drawing in graphite and wax crayon, then translucent layers are applied, followed by more mark making & more layers. Various mediums are utilized to build the surface. The resulting smaller paintings are windows looking outward, while the larger paintings are abstract nature-scopes you can walk right into.
In our minds we know what a hike looks like, or a garden, a meadow, or a waterfall. But what do they feel like? That’s what I try to convey in my painting. 2018 is my 21st year as an international artist.
What do you know now that you wished you had learned earlier?
I have a couple of favorite quotes, one is by Mel Robbins: “One year from today you will be exactly where you decide to be”. Taking risks and going with your gut are essential. Be true to yourself and always be kind.
Everyone has gifts from the Creator. I believe it is the duty of each to share our gifts with the planet. My paintings are a brave look inward – revealing what lies beneath both literally and spiritually. Yogi’s call it the “divine flame” – the spark that motivates you in life. In Buddha’s words, “Look within, thou art the Buddha”, while Jesus taught us that “The kingdom of heaven is within you”. For me, painting is the most life affirming thing to do.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
Visits to my Chamblee studio are by appointment only (email: cat@artbycat.com) and you can join my mailing list via a link on my website (www.artbycat.com). Eight galleries around the country and in the U.K. represent my work and I’m currently seeking representation in Atlanta. You can view my work in the lobby of the new Northside Hospital Cherokee in Canton, GA, Atlantic Trust, Brightworth Corporation and Georgian Bank in Atlanta, the Daniel Group in Kennesaw, and Wellstar Medical in Vinings, to name a few.
Contact Info:
- Address: Studio: 5655 Peachtree Rd NE, Chamblee, GA 30341
- Website: www.artbycat.com
- Phone: 770.715.3573
- Email: cat@artbycat.com
- Instagram: @cattesla
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/CatTeslaFineArt
- Twitter: @cattesla
Image Credit:
Photos by Simo Tesla
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