CV (Resume)
Catherine was born near London in 1961, but grew up in a small village in East Kent. After graduating from University College, Chichester with a degree in Art and Design she was still undecided as to either medium or subject in which to specialise. However her first job as a Technical Graphic Artist in the construction industry awakened her interest in architecture and she rapidly developed her individual interpretation of buildings.
Brennand specialised in water colour, using many thin washes and glazes on top of one another, producing rich colours and tones. Often wax resist and tissue collage techniques are combined with paint to add further texture and interest. Artists who influenced her work included John Piper, Graham Sutherland, Patrick Heron and Mark Rothko and she travelled widely in Europe, Israel and the United States for inspiration.
In 1991 at the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour (RI) she was presented with the Young Painters in Watercolour Award sponsored by Winsor and Newton. In 1992 at the RI Exhibition she won the Frank Herring and Son award for Best Painting of an Architectural subject. Following the Exhibition she was invited to become a full member of the RI.
The RI is Britain's premier watercolour society dating from 1831 when it was formed to promote the very English art of watercolour. At the time watercolour was being used by such luminaries as JMW Turner, Cotman and de Wint and a mere 160 years later Catherine was at the forefront of an artform in which English artists are so highly regarded. From 2001 to her death she was an RI Council Member.
The Independent - Obituaries
Thursday 3 August 2006
Catherine Brennand - Painter passionate about buildings
There are some artists who find inspiration and motivation for their work in a variety of sources and themes, and there are others for whom there need only be one. Catherine Brennand's passion was buildings. "Focusing on an individual subject isn't necessarily a bad thing, " she said:
"I cannot imagine ever becoming bored with painting buildings. There are so many architectural styles and every place has its own flavour: Also, as I am particularly interested in the use of light and shadows, the building surface is constantly changing. A good light can make the most mundane of buildings look exciting."
Brennand's work was characterised by its feeling for texture, colour (which was strong, often hot) and composition. - she saw how an interesting doorway or a balcony, out of context, could look almost abstract. But perhaps the most noticeable quality of her work is its sense of atmosphere. In particular she was entranced by shop facades. She did several series including a sequence of Jermyn Street shops in the West End of London. These pictures have a peculiar magic as the reflections in the windows and the glowing lights inside reveal an Aladdin's cave of fine clothes, antique furnishings, jewellery and choice foods.
She was born Catherine Bateman in Woking, Surrey in 1961. Her father John Bateman was a journalist with Associated Newspapers and her mother a teacher. When she was still a child the family moved to East Kent and she later attended Dover Grammar School for Girls. On leaving school she went to Bishop Otter College in Chichester to train as a teacher but after three years - and to her parents' alarm - she decided that was the wrong choice for her. She subsequently graduated with a degree in Art and Design from University College, Chichester.
She took a job as a technical and graphic artist with Francis Concrete, a manufacturer of specialist blocks on Ford Airfield, near Chichester. Bateman found that working in the construction industry awakened in her an interest in architecture and she began to paint buildings. Subsequently the firm was taken over and she moved with her job to Wolverhampton.
One night at a Hallowe'en Party she met Mark Brennand, whom she would later marry. Encouraged by him she began to paint regularly and from 1996 worked full time as an artist. She received many and varied commissions which included work for Ivory Gate plc (the Bafta Building), Tarmac, Crown Estates, Staffordshire County Council, Wiltons Restaurant and the New West End Synagogue in London, and the brewery, Eldridge, Pope & Co.
In 1997 she participated in a tour of Israel sponsored jointly by the Linda Blackstone Gallery and the Jewish National Fund for an exhibition the following year celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the state of Israel. The modern buildings along the sea-front of Tel Aviv particularly caught her imagination. Although most of the buildings she painted in Israel were actually white or pale grey, when she recreated them she found inspiration in the colours of the Negev Desert.
She was also drawn to the buildings of Italy, the South of France and the east coast of the United States. The texture of different materials and surfaces was an important element in her work: the peeling plaster and deep shadows of southern Europe or, in the New England states, the timber cladding and Georgian proportions. Frequently ideas came from the upper storeys of buildings. "Street level is often very ordinary, so I tend to look up quite a lot."
By preference, Brennand worked in watercolour which she enjoyed for its unpredictability and versatility: the medium could stand on its own or be combined with all sorts of other media and techniques. Once back in her studio the photographs she took and sketches she made on site were turned into underlying drawings for her paintings which might be constructed from up to 15 thin layers of superimposed washes of colour.
She said that, whereas the choice of colour was mostly a deliberate and carefully thought-out process, the involvement of textures was largely intuitive. A shelf in front of her working table held all sorts of things used in her work: spray-diffusers, a toothbrush, rollers, screwed up tissue paper, wax crayons and candles (which she used like a batik artist), very fine Japanese papers for glueing onto the paper. Among the artists who influenced her work she named John Piper, Graham Sutherland, Patrick Heron and Mark Rothko.
In 1991 Brennand was awarded the Winsor and Newton Young Painters in Watercolour Award at the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolous (the RI). The following year she received the Frank Herring Award for the best painting of an architectural subject, after which she became a full member of the institute and in 2001 a member of its council. Her other awards included in 2005 the Matt Bruce Memorial Prize "for the most outstanding use of light and colour in watercolours".
A prolific artist, she exhibited widely: at the Llewellyn Alexander and Linda Blackstone Galleries in London, the Barnt Green Gallery in Worcester and the Shell House Gallery in Herefordshire, as well as the Royal West of England Academy in Bristol and elsewhere.
Catherine Brennand was an enthusiast for life in all manner of ways. She read avidly, loved letter writing, cooking, Radio 4, fell walking in the Lake District, music, London, architecture, the cinema, buying clothes, good food and conversation.
In March last year she visited Malta where she took around 750 photographs. Despite receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer she spent the summer preparing 40 works for her first one-woman show, which took place in Malta earlier this year. She had remained as much an optimist in her illness as she had in her work. "Painting" she said, "should be good fun."
Simon Fenwick
Catherine Louise Batemen, artist: born Woking Surrey, 11 October 1961; married 1988 Mark Brennand (two sons); died Wolverhampton 1 May 2006
Reprinted by kind permission of the Independent - www.independent.co.uk
Publications showcasing Catherine's Work
Catherine has been featured in a number of books and magazines;
Watercolour Innovations by Jackie Simmonds features the work of 8 contemporary artists known for their innovative approach to watercolour painting and reveals how they use watercolour in unusual and creative ways. The book is published by Collins. ISBN 0-00-717782-8
Work Small, Learn Big: Sketching with Pen & Watercolor, features the work of 17 international artists. Catherine's work is featured in Chapter 6 under the title, Rising to the Next Level. Published by International Artist, 2775 Old Highway 40, PO Box 1450, Verdi, Nevada, 89439, USA. ISBN 1-929834-27-6
Catherine's Principle Colours
Catherine painted using only four colours; Winsor red, Winsor Blue, burnt umber and Prussian Blue. This enablesd greater colour harmony. Mostly she worked on 200lb (425gsm) Cotman Water Colour paper, preferred because of its ability to withstand "rough treatment". It also stood up well to the constant wetting and drying of the succession of different washes.
Winsor & Newton Watercolours
Winsor Yellow Deep - Series 1A Code: 0105 731
Winsor Red - Series 1A Code: 0102 726
Burnt Umber - Series 1AA: 0105 076
Prussian Blue - Series 1 A Code: 0102 538
Winsor & Newton Cotman Water Colour Paper
Catherine purchased all her paper and paints by mail order from:
The Paper House, 10 Bridge Street, Stafford, ST16 2HL
Telephone: 01785 212953
To order their catalogue speak to: Martin Delgardo
West Dean College (The Edward James Foundation)
Catherine's had a constant desire to improve and learn new techniques and to that end she regularly attended art courses run by West Dean College. West Dean is described as a kind of artistic Eden Project where people share specialist expertise in art, craft, music, writing, gardening, conserving and restoring. Their aim is to enable beginners and experts to discover new knowledge and to learn new skills in an inspiring and unique environment.
Run in such wonderful surroundings the courses offered an opportunity for Catherine to escape the rigours of everyday life (including her never ending hospital appointments) and to that end helped to rekindle her spirit and enthusiasm for painting.
Details of Short Courses can be obtained from:
West Dean College
West Dean
Chichester
PO18 0QZ
Tel: +44 (0) 1243 811301
Fax: +44 (0) 1243 811343
email: short.courses@westdean.org.uk
Web: www.westdean.org.uk
The Edward James Foundation (Charity Reg No. 306372)
Their latest brochure for courses from November 2006 - May 2007 is now available:
