catherine grubb
A retrospective 1970 - 1995

Scottish born painter, printmaker and art historian, Catherine Grubb, spent her early years in London but received her art education at Edinburgh College of Art and the University of Edinburgh. She chose Edinburgh because the University there offered a degree course in Art History, combined with a Drawing and Painting Diploma at the College of Art. The course, of 5 years duration, gave her a thorough grounding in all aspects of art and art history, including printmaking.

Catherine was fortunate to study printmaking under Kim Kempshall, who she describes as being a “remarkable artist and inspiring teacher”. Her main interest was in etching and the way that this allowed her to create such precise lines and detail and appreciate the technique’s wider capabilities. Moreover, printmaking offered her opportunities to create imaginative work which was otherwise frowned upon in the Painting School. After graduation, Catherine returned to the Art History Department doing post-graduate research into medieval artists’ sketch books but continued with her work in the Printmaking Department.

A position at Harrow School of Art, which she held for 17 years, extra-mural Adult Education work in London and teaching at an independent school that lasted until 1999 kept Catherine busy. But during this time she established a formidable reputation as an artist through printmaking. Her etchings have been exhibited widely and may be found in many public and private collections - including those of Vanessa Redgrave, Sophia Loren and Bryan Forbes. In recent years, she has spent more time painting, in a variety of media, working in particular on long term projects like “One Hundred Views of Lamorna Farmhouse” (near her home) and “The Journey” (featuring the A40 trunk road in Oxfordshire). Her subject matter is otherwise wide ranging - from purely abstract paintings to etchings inspired by her interest in music and literature, as well as landscape, still life and animal studies at zoos and livestock shows. Drawing - from direct observation and from photography - forms the basis of much of her work.

Just as Catherine’s experience as an artist has benefited her teaching as an art historian, so her wide knowledge in this field has undoubtedly informed her own work. Those artists that she most admires include Pisanello, Palmer, Degas, Munch, Kandinsky, Bonnard, Nash and Burra.
Through her husband, John, Catherine’s association with Cornwall began in 1982 and since 2002 she now lives and works near Truro.

The collection of 83 etchings in this catalogue has been carefully selected by Catherine to illustrate the development and evolution of her technique and interest in the period 1970 – 1995. She continues to produce new work and is kept busy managing the very considerable library of editioned etchings.