Catherine Anderson
Catherine Anderson was born in Japan and grew up in the USA. She has always had a deep love for animals, particularly horses, which is reflected in her art works.
After emigrating to Australia in 1980, Catherine competed in rodeos in Adelaide where she became interested in capturing the vitality of animals in motion through sculpture. Her first pieces were commissioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys’ Association to commemorate its 40th anniversary. Since then, Catherine’s works have been featured in a number of exhibitions and, in recent times, she has turned her attention to the human form.
Her aim is to capture the grace and essence of her subjects in form and gesture. She uses the traditional lost-wax method of bronze casting, personally hand finishing each piece.
Catherine’s feature exhibition at Linden Galleries, Terranora, in the late 1990s saw all her works but one sold. She has also exhibited at Galloway Galleries, Brisbane, and the Boonah Regional Art Gallery. Catherine lives in Boonah and works out of the old Butter Factory building.
In 2002, Catherine was commissioned to create a near-lifesize bronze sculpture, "With An Eye On The Sky" as a public artwork to commemorate the Year of the Outback. The sculpture can be viewed in the forecourt of the Boonah Shire Council Chambers in High Street.
In 2003, she was commissioned by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service to create a bronze relief plaque for the track entrance to the Binna Burra section of Lamington National Park. The work involved sculpting detailed replicas of the barred frog, Richmond Birdwing Butterfly, Stephen’s Banded Snake, black-breasted button quail, a legless lizard and the park’s flora. The plaque marks the entrance to the track used by over 300,000 visitors each year.
In 2004, Catherine was commissioned to create a bronze relief for Boonah’s new ambulance centre. Her entry in the "invitation-only" Swell Sculpture Festival on the Gold Coast in September 2004 was purchased for $15,000 and is now on permanent display at the Tweed River Art Gallery, Murwillumbah.
In 2005, Catherine achieved a price high for one of her large-scale works. Her sculpture, "Detour", in bronze and stainless steel sold in Sydney for around the $25,000 mark.